“Looks like Trump… puffin’ on a blunt,” says Jason, as we sit at the bar Friday night, checking out our new shirts, taking in the sights and sounds of the newly re-opened Churchill’s Pub. Jason Handelsman, the Cutler Ridge-based drone songwriter and guitarist of Gucci Handelsman, is accompanying me tonight as we explore the reopening of Churchill’s. The shirt’s design features the famous scowl of the bar’s namesake staring off into the distance in front of the Union Jack. The shirt and its Magic Eye properties mirror those of the pub itself: blur your eyes and you might see remnants of the old Churchill’s, which opened in Little Haiti in 1979. Up until March 2020 when COVID forced a shutdown, the pub was the epicenter of the local music scene.
In front of the main stage, Jason pointed out our friend and “great leader”, Rat Bastard, as he prepared the soundcheck. We watched him, back in his element, testing vocals on a microphone as he walked back and forth between the stage and sound booth. To the uninitiated, Rat’s actions seem random. For those of us who have benefitted from his work in the sound booth, we know he is carefully checking how the vocals sound in every nook and cranny in front of the main stage. Rat’s quality of work and attention to detail has long been a contributor to Churchill’s reputation as one of the best live venues in Miami.
Rat Bastard’s presence, no matter the changes or new paint job, brings a sense of comforting familiarity to those who longed for Churchill’s return. “I have control… fuck what the music says… fuck what the music suggests” Rat muttered into the microphone. A small crowd followed him with their phones as he moved away from the sound booth again, filming him. In his wake, Liz Varnum of the band Bruvvy was quick to offer her commentary. “Rat’s kind of sexy, dude. He’s giving it… Sexiness is the vibe bro. Willem Dafoe, Liza Minelli… Rat Bastard”. Bruvvy, alongside other local acts Adhesive, Miss Michigan and Tess Gray were slated to play later in the evening as part of Churchill’s reopening.
Meanwhile, Jason Handelsman remained on a mission of his own. Though not on tonight’s bill, he was dead set on performing on the old Green Room stage. Acoustic guitar in hand, Handelsman was looking to perform a song he had written during the pandemic about Churchill’s, “Green Room”, named after the side stage at the pub where we had performed many times.
Jason had been a regular at Churchill’s for years preceding the pandemic, hosting his own monthly night, Drop Out of Life. Once Churchill’s closed, Handelsman took his show on the road to various local venues. It had been a whirlwind two weeks for Gucci Handelsman. Our band featured on Michael Stock’s long-running “Folk and Acoustic Show” on WLRN-FM, with Arquimedes Blandonlopez on bass and Jonathan Scroggin (of Bitter Lake) on saxophone. A couple weeks later we were shut down by North Miami Beach Police fifteen minutes into our set at Original Sin Tavern on September 3rd, due to a noise complaint. The addition of Rick Smith on drums (of Torche) and Mike Duncan on bass (Black Mayonnaise) brought such a furious intensity to the quiet residential neighborhood behind the tavern that is surprising cops didn’t call for more backup.
Back at Churchill’s, we found out the old Green Room was no more, walled off and presumably used by someone else. Handelsman and I were led to what used to be the old laundry room in the back patio. “This is the Green Room now” said a middle-aged man, wearing a red Cheech and Chong shirt. He introduced himself as Mallory. THE Mallory? Mallory Kauderer, the man villainized and blamed for the ills of Churchill’s during the last half decade? “Don’t’ believe anything you’ve heard” he said after introducing himself to us, clearly responding to our reactions. I asked if he was still involved in running the pub, to which he explained he was only here for the transition, and that the new owner Phillip Dillon was in control. Kauderer explained further that he was responsible for the changes, such as the demolition of pub founder Dave Daniels’ back house and structural integrity reinforcement throughout the pub itself. According to Kauderer, these were permitting issues that prevented Churchill’s from reopening until they were resolved.
With the Green Room secured, and a line growing outside before the grand opening, Jason received a text from his friend and mentor, Ahol Sniffs Glue. Taking time out from his prolific Geographies of Trash project and residency with FIU, Ahol cycled up to Churchill’s Pub as the crowds were finally let in, reuniting with his old collaborator. With Jason’s guitar, emblazoned with Ahol’s iconic eyes, we finally took to the stage in the Green Room. In front of Ahol, and a few other straghlers who happened to pop in, we performed a four-song set: “Green Room”, “Die In Dubai”, “Trippin’ Balls at the Call Center”, and “Bong Hits With Pablo”. I suppose we beat the other bands to the punch in our own way, christening the new Green Room stage.
All in all, it was wonderful seeing old friends returning to the place where many of us met for the first time. In some ways, Friday night was triumphant. From a business perspective, a bar re-opened with lines around the block, following months of hype and speculation. Most of the young patrons I spoke to were visiting Churchill’s for the first time. It was nice to see new faces, and to see a new generation finally make their way to the iconic spot. On the other hand, many questions remain. Are the old nights such as Drop Out of Life returning? What about Monday Night Open Mic Jazz Night? How will International Noise Conference work in the new configuration? Are national acts going to eventually be booked once the supply of local bands are exhausted during weeknights? Is that really Trump on the new shirt?
Churchill’s remains familiar yet different. It has changed in many ways, which will undoubtedly rub many people the wrong way. But in a city whose only constant has been change since its founding, we shouldn’t have expected any different. Whether or not these changes work is solely up to the new Churchill’s Pub.
