Celebrating their 81st year at the beach, the Bottle & Cork is getting ready to do it again! Their doors are scheduled to open next Saturday, May 6th with the band Fish Out Of Water. Just in case you are not familiar with this Dewey Beach landmark, let’s take a little walk through their history for old time’s sake:
1936: What was once called Jack’s Café, the venue officially became the Bottle & Cork Taproom when real estate agent Harry Shaud bought out his partner, added music and obtained a liquor license. This was three years after prohibition had ended.
1950’s: The Shauds instituted an afternoon “intermission” so that staff could restock beverages and kick out the bar flies.
1969: Tower Partnership purchased the Bottle & Cork Taproom from Harry Shaud when it was still the tallest building in Dewey Beach.
1980: Mike Castle, one of the original Tower Partners, sold his share so that he may run for lieutenant governor. In 1984, Castle was elected Governor of Delaware
1989: The Bottle & Cork Taproom is then sold again to Highway One Limited Partnership, a group of investors from Washington DC and Wilmington, DE. It’s the first time since 1969 that the property has changed hands.
That brings us to the Bottle & Cork that we know today. There are no chairs, no glassware, no napkins, no frills… you get the idea. They don’t even have a roof, but that’s what makes the Bottle & Cork so great! There truly is a magical energy that can only be felt when you’re at the Bottle & Cork on a cool summer night with 1,500 of your closest friends. We highly recommend it. Now, onto the #1 reason why we love this venue so much: the bands! Below is a quick line-up of some of our favorites that we look forward to seeing this year.
May 21: The Struts – a British rock band that has opened for The Rolling Stones and Motley Crue, who now tour on their own promoting their full-length album Everybody Wants.
June 11: Rusted Root – a band that has been in the business for more than two decades, the Rusted Root bring The Movement to Dewey Beach in less than two months.
June 23: The Legwarmers – without a doubt, the ultimate 80’s band! If you love all things 80’s (John Hughes movies, Tab, skinny ties, and checkered Vans) then you are in for a real treat with this band.
July 6th: Frankie Ballard – break out your cowboy boots for a gritty country rockin’ good time with the man behind the country hit Sunshine & Whiskey.
July 20: Who’s Bad/The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band – the King lives on. Enough said.
August 21: Donovan Frankenreiter – you can’t not have a good time when you’re at a Frankenreiter show. This seven-piece ensemble made of strings, drums and horns have made the Bottle & Cork a recurring stop on their summer circuit and for a very good reason – everyone loves them!
August 31: Eli Young Band – an American country band composed of friends who met at the University of North Texas and who are best known for hits like Crazy Girl and Drunk Last Night.
To purchase your tickets to these shows and many more, please visit https://www.bottleandcorkdewey.com/concerts. We can assure you that you’ll be so glad you did!
Sources:
Delaware Beach Life
Washington Post
