Vibrant music reverberated down the rickety flight of stairs, drowning out the buzz of conversation as five local bands took the stage at Gabe’s. Music lovers packed together near the foot of the stage, swaying and dancing to each guitar riff and vocal performance.

Dimmed lights and the smell of cigarette smoke filled the venue as concertgoers gathered to celebrate 50 years of history in one of Iowa’s most acclaimed dive bars. From the unspeakable things happening in the closet-sized bathroom to the decades of rich performances the stage has seen, the music venue has cemented itself as a local staple.

Since it opened in 1974 as Gabe’s and Walker’s, the music venue has hosted a variety of artists. It has also undergone several major shifts, including different owners and multiple name changes.

Pete McCarthy, the bar’s general manager and booking agent, shared that despite the different iterations Gabe’s has gone through, the music venue has never diverged from its original purpose: connecting the community through live music.

Being a part of Gabe’s for 12 years, McCarthy said the previous owner approached him and Scott Kading, the current owner, to see if the two would take over Gabe’s and revive the music venue in 2012.

“It was really bad,” McCarthy said. “It was in bad shape. They weren’t doing any shows. It was really run-down. The owners really just kind of let it go.”

McCarthy said the new owners and management quickly got to work, turning Gabe’s back into a vibrant space to host shows for the community.

McCarthy said over the years, Gabe’s has diversified the music scene in Iowa City from when it first opened.

“Our music is all over the board. I think Gabe’s used to play a lot of the heavier hard rock…but there’ll be weeks where we do DJs, and we’ll have a heavy metal show, and we’ll have an indie rock show,” McCarthy said. “I think that we’ve really diversified it and really have turned it into a very welcoming place.”

Gabe’s allows artists, bands, and music lovers to come together and support the local music scene, McCarthy said. The venue also hosts open jam sessions to help inspire new artists while giving them a space to play and feel welcomed.

McCarthy said one of his favorite parts of being involved at Gabe’s is seeing small artists blow up after performing at the venue, including Chance the Rapper, Killer Mike, and Run The Jewels. His other favorite part is being able to create memorable shows for attendees.

“It’s not just a bar — it’s a special place for a lot of people,” McCarthy said.

One such band lucky enough to get their start at Gabe’s is Fishbait. First performing in 2020, Fishbait celebrated their birthday this September as well, just in time to commemorate the achievement at Gabe’s.

“We owe a lot to Gabe’s,” band member Nathan Ward said. “That first step on stage always feels like this is what I was meant to do, you know? Last night it felt like coming home.”

Charles Cranston, an avid concertgoer, has been visiting Gabe’s for over 10 years. He said seeing familiar faces and friends, along with artists, in such an intimate and inclusive atmosphere is what keeps him coming back.

“[Gabe’s] is not just like a place that hosts music. It’s a place where artists get together and then they end up collaborating together, setting up new projects together,” Cranston said.

Reid Fontenoy, a second-year student at the University of Iowa, said he began going to Gabe’s around a year ago. He has continued to frequent the music venue due to his love for music, along with the connections he’s created while there.

“I’ve really liked when they’ve done album release parties and just seeing all the bands support other bands, and the crowds just being totally into it,” Fontenoy said.

Fontenoy said Gabe’s impact on the music community has brought a lot of good by letting small artists feature themselves and connect with others.

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Several of these local artists entered Gabe’s as part of the 50th anniversary concert on Saturday.

The night’s music began at 8:30 p.m. with the Lou Sherry band stretching into the early hours of Sunday morning. The event also featured artists Fishbait, Worst Impressions, Cactus 5, and Acoustic Guillotine.

A small but electric crowd kicked the evening off, gathering around the sticker-covered stage to show support for the performing artists.

As the night continued, the energy in the building only seemed to ramp up, with choruses of cheers erupting every time a new band took the stage.

Each band was given its own unique lighting color scheme to go along with its signature style of music.

Sadie Weiner, an audience member, cited the 50th anniversary concert as her first experience at Gabe’s. Weiner first moved to Iowa City a few months ago and was excited to become immersed in the city’s local music scene.

“I was a little anxious about coming here tonight, but everyone has been so talented and amazing,” Weiner said.

By attending the concert, Weiner was introduced to several Iowa City bands and was very impressed by the diverse music styles of each.

“When listening to good music, you can dance around however you want to and make it fun,” Weiner said.

Several of the artists also showed their support for Gabe’s by giving shout-outs to the venue throughout their sets, thanking the owners of Gabe’s for helping to support Iowa City’s music scene.

“I don’t think we could have done what we did last night without the sets from Acoustic Guillotine, Worst Impressions, and everyone before us,” Halligan of Fishbait said.

“We went on stage at 11:30. That’s late, but we were stoked to see how hyped the crowd was, it’s always like that at Gabe’s,” said Fishbait member J.J. Razor. “The crowd brought it last night, from the very beginning to the end.”

McCarthy said Gabe’s will continue to host shows and provide the different music genres a place to perform. McCarthy also expressed his gratitude to the community, staff, and artists for their long support over the half-century.

“I basically just want to thank everyone. Thank everyone for supporting live music. Thank anybody that has taken a chance on a show,” he said.

Charlie Hickman contributed to this report.