Before Michaela Watkins’ first shift behind the bar at Satyricon, the manager gave her the tour.
“He said to me: ‘Okay, here’s the taps, here’s the keg, here’s the bat.’ And I was, like, the bat? And he’s like: ‘Yeah, the bat.’ I was like, am I gonna use a bat? He nodded: ‘You might need to use a bat.’”
Watkins never did need the bat, but it was a sign of the place, the times, and the vibes of one of the longest-lasting and, arguably, best punk clubs in the country, Satyricon, which shuttered for good just over 14 years ago.
Named for Fellini’s surreal but glamorous 1969 film, the club was on a decidedly unglamorous stretch of NW 6th, in Old Town. It was founded in 1984 by George Touhouliotis, a former cab driver with no real experience in running a club, but with a fondness for music.
