The ‘Sco

The Sco is the place to be when you’re in Oberlin at night. Some of their events are free to enter. The drinks are reasonable. $ 1 for a PBR and $ 3.50 for Budweiser. They have foosball and a pool table if you feel like resting from dancing. The only down side was that the Dj didn’t have any Dubstep to play. There was only Techno. All in all, it’s a place to be.

Can be great, especially on theme, $ 5 pitcher, and senior nights. They have a decent beer selection, especially for an on-​campus bar. They also host some good shows and the school’s TGIF on Wilder Bowls during warm months. It would be a little weird if you came and weren’t college-​aged, though – it’s definitely a school bar, not a town bar. I wish they served hard drinks, but I get why they don’t.

As of last year (09÷2009−10÷2010) and this year, this place as a music venue suck. The student controlled organizations in charge have not brought the «highest quality musical acts.» As a place to get cheap beer on tap, then this is the place. I wouldn’t even consider this a lounge like someone stated, more like a bar. If I was visiting, then I would avoid this place unless your favorite band (which rarely happens) is coming here and is not performing in other areas in the Greater Cleveland metro. The only time this place gets great is during the annual drag ball event and during weekly drink specials such as $ 4 pitchers where it actually gets people/​students dancing.
I’ll reconsider this place after new students are in charge but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the same stuff. This place needs the people who ran it three-​five years ago (2005 – 2007).

I really liked this lounge/​club venue right on Oberlin campus. I was lucky enough to be in town for the «Gender Fabulous» event. The ‘Sco is located in the Wilder Student Union basement. And the club’s official name is The Dionysus Disco but everyone calls it the ‘Sco, and when I first got here, I was rather confused. It has a nice bar, with many wooden stools, and gives you the best view of the stage (this club isn’t very big, so even if you sit by the bar, you have a great view of the stage). I got here rather early (an hour before the show started), and was able to loiter by the bar, have a few beers, and chat with the locals. They have 3 beers on tap: PBR, Great Lakes Dortnunder, and Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Since I didn’t know if I would be back in this neck of the woods again, I tried the GLD, and did not regret it. Beer the way I like it: on tap, light, flavourful! But what really impressed me was the $ 1 PBR. You really can’t top that price! They also had a huge selection of bottled beers, and also big beers including Avery The Reverend. I had a sip and wow it had a great hopping aftertaste and a 10% ABV. Needless to say, by the end of the night. my friends were pretty drunk. If I had gone to college here, I would be a barfly at the ‘Sco!

The essence of Oberlin is seeing some math nerd hit the doorway of the Sko, fresh from hours in a study carrel at Mudd, frantically shedding backpack as he passes through the milling crowd at the door and diving headlong onto the floor and into whatever-​the-​hell song is being played and dancing his number-​nuzzling brain off. So unlike any «real» dance club I was ever in because you don’t have to be anybody here but yourself. Yes, I danced. A LOT. Those of you who know my awkward ass now will find that difficult to comprehend. I danced night after night at the Sko. Back in my day (I shudder to hear myself use this phrase) the official name was Dionysus but nobody ever called it that. It was just the Sko. We had some great DJ pairs who never took themselves too seriously and were willing to slip that song you just had to hear on so you could work that last scrap of mojo out. My favorite DJ’s in my day (ack, there it is again) used to close the night, as the fluorescent overheads came on, with Cecilia, the perfect bittersweet tender ending to a night of flirtation, fun, and frustration-​killing.

The Sko has been there for me through thick and thin. Pop night, Britney blaring — it was there. On nights when I craved drama and the sight of drunk sweaty bodies, making out in packs — it was there. On nights when I craved butt rock — it was there. On nights when I wanted to just hang and play casual pool– it was there.
Stumbling in after fourth meal; a good dose of quarter beers was always the perfect serenade or secret recipe for a useful break from studying. I miss the days when the DJ was never too cool to play your requested song. I miss PBR. I miss smelling like it after some guy, in attempting to score, doused it all over me. I miss scoring beer as a freshman. Of being a senior and scoring it for the under 21’s., I miss losing a million and half things at the sko. I miss the townies, that would purposely bump into you. I miss the cage. I miss the Ricks, the Johns, and the Brads. I miss seeing half naked people crammed into the Sko, corsets, and thigh-​highs in abundance. I miss it all. The hang-​overs, the spills, the come-​ons, and the hook-​ups.
The Sko is also home to some of the best concerts I have seen in awhile. It hosted amazing acts and for stellar prices– that still have me kicking myself as I throw out 20 dollars to see Eek a Mouse or the Black Keys here in SF. It’s an Oberlin landmark.