The Bacchus Social Club

It was a dream, held over many years. From the time I was in the band or after as a promoter. I reminisce to stories of the Renaissance, to the patrons of the arts. I wanted it so badly I could taste it. A venue, a place really where musicians and artists came from all over to share their creations. It was important that they were fed and supplied with drink, at the very least if the revenue created was not enough to spread amongst them for plying their trade. It was with this dream in mind that I put in my working knowledge of event planning and promoting shows, that I threw in with my then mother in law to create the place I had etched out in my ambition for an artists venue.

This burning passion for music and art helped win the day. We built a small stage; well it was more just a riser in the basement of Kim, my ex-mother-in laws basement. I had mic stands, PA’s and lighting from my years as a musician and DJ. With those we started a concept that has become what I always envisioned. The key component to its overall success was my connections and network in the Detroit scene. Between her house, my ideas, and a team effort we created what is now “The Bacchus Social Club” and it is all I could ever want, yet never have.

The name came about because Kim wanted a social club that one would associate with wine and the never ending party. Immediately, Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and mischievous fun came to my mind. Kim loved the name and backstory of our little impish god of the vine. So with that we were on our way to creating a remarkable location miles from nowhere with the “Field of Dreams” attitude ‘If you build it they will come’ but in fact they did not come. Well not at first..

Between myself and Lee Welch of Wild Lee Productions we slowly and painstakingly built the club up over the course of the next year. Lee was every bit the wild man his production company name boasted. But I cannot take away from Lee that he, more than any other, helped me build the network and promote the shows that became legendary in the Thumb area of Michigan over the next couple summers. Unfortunately, there was some altercation between Lee and Kim and that was the end of Wild Lee Productions and Bacchus Social Club’s working relationship. From then on it was Detroit Rock City Promotions, LLC that was the exclusive booking company for Bacchus s/c.

Moving forward, Kim brought on Danny Cline, aka Uncle Danno. His was a passion for music, drinking, fun and his absolute love of cooking and grilling that left artists with a taste of Bacchus BBQ on their palate and endeared Danno to one and all. I asked one of my friends in the business if we could use their mobile stage for outdoor shows. .He agreed. In the summer season we moved from the basement bar area to the great outdoors. One of the biggest shows we had was the Detroit Rock City Promotions, LLC’s 10th Anniversary Bash. The basement and outdoor stage were both utilized. Rock and metal outside and a hip-hop basement, we had over 200 people show up! I was thrilled. We cheered and later patted each other on the back for an epic event that had gone off on an epic scale with minimal issues.

At the end of our second year, my marriage was on the rocks. But I vowed that no matter what happened, I would keep throwing myself into the Bacchus and keep the working relationships in order. Because if nothing else I promised I would not slip into the deep darkness that could become my depression. It was continuing on and I thanked God that this place was in my life to prop me up and keep my focus from wandering to those sinister places in my head that wanted me to beat myself up; causing overwhelming grief and ultimately, regrettably throwing in the towel. So many great shows aided the sting that was my life collapsing around me.

Then the fateful day arrived, there was no way to reconcile my marriage, the separation was complete. The wife moved out after a year of living together while separated. The stage was set and the show must go on, that was my attitude, hell I was the crowd pleaser, the one that no matter what else brought the show and created the venue all musicians would come to love because it was the venue that showed the artist love back.

As I arrived that night the energy was off, I chalked it up to my own disordered thoughts about the life situation that was transpiring in my individual situation. The show was unfamiliar, a spectacle that did not register in my thoughts or memory. Hell I had no idea who was playing or the dialogue exchanged between myself or any others I may have bumped into that pivotal night.

In a flash it all went terribly unacceptable, I was walking to the front of the house to head in and down to the basement. It was time to drink away my misgivings and reenter the earth's atmosphere. As I walked up the ramp there was Kim, I felt glad to see her face as it seemed I achieved that which we both yearned for these past years. It was a dubious moment as our eyes met, she was on the porch with two cornfed young men and a glass of wine in her hand. Straight away our scene went abysmally problematic. These two big fuckers, in hindsight must have already been instructed that I was to be no longer to be welcomed or embraced in this place my blood, sweat and tears helped build.

I was in for it, I knew that these monsters were going to deal me an ass whipping and though I was not afraid. I also felt that my efforts to go up against them would be futile. I was preparing for the onslaught that was about to ensue. I was ready for action and to go home a bloody mess, thinking I will clean the crusty, dried up blood tomorrow, as I was too drunk or actually high this night to care or have the capacity to deal with a shower. I glanced once more into Kim, my ex-mother-in-law's eyes, they were glossy from too much wine, full of lustful wanton abandon, knowing what was to follow. Then like some knight in Fox gear clothing, a wide eyed, country boy with a head full of acid walked out on to the porch and into this nerve-racking, high pressure scene. He was confused, the drugs making him have to think harder, deeper about this simple state of affairs. He was baffled, but managed to speak those words that comforted me, lessening my angst about what was to materialize. He said: “I don’t know what is going on here, but you ain’t jumping Frank” that was it.

At that point I reasoned that I would make out okay. Perhaps not a full victory, but definitely not a total defeat. Kim mumbles some incoherent words to her two boy toys and they abruptly go inside with her, leaving Mitch and I alone in the night with the glow of the porch light splashing over us. I will never forget the relief I felt, or how this young man captured a special place within my heart, having my back or just doing what he thought was right. I have since lost him to Kim by way of her daughter's charms, and I mean that in the most carnal way. I walked to my Navigator, opened the door and slumped into the driver's seat. I sat pondering what I knew was the last time I would ever return to the Bacchus, my dream, torn from me, by those that would have never been able to make it happen without me.

Today the Bacchus is alive and well and still doing for artists what ‘MY DREAM’ had dictated be done. I miss the place, the times and the energy. I miss a few of the real people I came to know.. Like Danno. I miss Danno, he always treated me kindly, with a genuine affection as a human being, even though I do not consider myself, but a mutant of substandard design. I Seen him several times in the Detroit scene and it was always a joyous rekindling of two friends that have become disassociated by the product of divorce. Thinking back, most will never know that Frank Fiorello, lover of art and artist alike built the Bacchus Social Club, that is why I decided all these years later to document it here.