Got Live If You Want It	Mohawk Place

Like the music inside, Mohawk Place islocated just a little off the beaten path. Tucked into a one-block section of E. Mohawk Street between Washington and Ellicott, the bar contains many of the original elements of an early 20th century gin mill, including tin ceiling. Owner Pete Perrone brought the place back to life in 1990 when he started scheduling blues acts. A few years later, the bikers who came for the blues began to mingle with younger rockers as more and more alternative acts began filling the schedule. Today, songwriter/musician/bartender/booking agent Bill Nehill strives to continue the ‘Hawk’s tradition of locating acts that are just off the radar of the mainstream, and waving them in for a landing on the large back-room stage.

Artvoice: When did Mohawk Place get started?

Bill Nehill: Mohawk Place got started in 1990. It started out as a blues club. We had numerous local blues acts for the first five years. It was primarily a biker bar. About 1995 a person named Jack Hunter—who has since left Buffalo, but he was an actor in several plays—started booking here and bringing in both local and out of town bands. He did that for a couple of years and then Marty Boratin started bringing in bands. He worked at New World Record. He was the head buyer there and he was able to turn people on to all different sorts of music. From traditional honky tonk country music to Japanese noise punk. Anything that was just outside the mainstream.

AV: Both Jack and Marty had worked as promoters at different clubs over the years, right?

BN: Both Marty and Jack had worked, I think, bringing certain bands into the Cabaret, and Nietzsche’s and a few other places...dabbling in folk bands and lounge bands...just different eccentric bands...

AV: When the place started up it wasn’t nearly as big as it is now.

BN: For the first eleven or twelve years it was a much smaller place. The stage was about a foot off the ground. It was very tiny. The PA system was just an on-stage vocal PA. The sightlines were pretty difficult, but still there were a lot of memorable shows on that small stage. Starting in 1995, the owner, Pete Perrone had been threatening to expand the place. In 2003, I believe, he expanded the place and he built a new stage and added a new sound system.

AV: And that’s opened up the opportunity to bring in some bigger acts?

BN: Now that we can legally fit 200-300 people in here we can bring in some bigger independent acts. Bands such as Smog, Califone, the Clientele. We also brought in Hank Williams III—that was a sold-out show. We had Bedouin Soundclash, a popular Toronto reggae band that sold out. Also a lot of local shows as well. The annual Joe Strummer show that features a lot of bands—because of the big stage we’re able to host that.

AV: What sort of a niche do you see the bar filling?

BN: I think what Mohawk fills as far as a niche is just anything out of the mainstream. I really don’t like to have too many mainstream acts. I like to keep it really varied. We had Exene Czervenka of the legendary band X and then the next night, Stacy Earle—who’s the sister of Steve Earle. So there you have someone who’s coming from a punk background, and then someone coming from a more country background. The thing is that you’ll get a lot of the same people coming to those shows.

AV: So it’s the eclecticism that the club has...

BN: I really, definitely celebrate eclecticism as far as the Mohawk Place is concerned, and I pride myself on that. And I also pride the Mohawk Place on being “artist friendly”. We really try to take care of the bands. Really try to nurture them, especially the local bands, you know.

AV: Is what you’re doing working?

BN: For the most part the Mohawk Place is going good. I mean, sometimes we have some disappointing shows, but that’s always going to happen, no matter what. But as far as the future is concerned I just want to keep trying to stay below the mainstream—stay underground. But we always welcome anybody. If anybody’s looking for something that’s slightly different I urge them to come down.

AV: So the plan is to stay hip and remain friendly?

BN: Yes.