Four decades of music and memories will be celebrated Wednesday afternoon as Bob Gatewood and Calabash mark 40 years of performing at Put-in-Bay and the iconic Round House Bar.
The 40th anniversary celebration begins at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Round House Bar, where generations of island visitors have watched Gatewood and Calabash perform over the years.
The afternoon will include music, cake, beer, special guests and a display featuring photos collected throughout the band’s history. Gatewood said members of the Lakewood High School Class of 1979 are also expected to attend, along with local dignitaries and other special guests.
The celebration marks a relationship between Gatewood, Calabash and Put-in-Bay that has become part of the island’s musical history.
Gatewood formed Calabash in 1985 after spending his early years performing solo at local bars. The band developed a following in Northeast Ohio and eventually became closely associated with summers at Put-in-Bay.
That relationship also produced Gatewood’s best-known island song, “Friends-of-the-Bay.”
Gatewood has said the song grew out of his performances at the Round House Bar in the early 1990s. After audiences began responding to the original song, recording equipment was brought into the Round House to capture a live version.
When cassette copies were eventually made available, all 250 sold during the first night.
“Friends-of-the-Bay” would go on to become a tradition at Gatewood’s island performances, with crowds joining together as the song closes the show. In 2014, Put-in-Bay Village Council designated “Friends-of-the-Bay” as the official song of the island.
Wednesday’s celebration will add another chapter to that history.
Gatewood plans to record a live video of “Friends-of-the-Bay” following the anniversary performance, with the recording expected to take place around 5:30 p.m.
Fans will also have the opportunity to become part of another Gatewood project during the afternoon.
Throughout the party, director Chris VonWeller will film portions of an upcoming official music video for Gatewood’s song “Getting to Know Her (The Andrea Lee Song).” Attendees can step into a designated filming area and lip sync a line from the song, either individually or with friends.
Gatewood encouraged anyone hoping to participate to listen to the song ahead of time, learn the lyrics and bring their own personality and creativity to the recording.
Filming for “Getting to Know Her” will take place throughout the anniversary party before wrapping up around 5 p.m. ahead of the final portion of the show and the special “Friends-of-the-Bay” recording.
For Gatewood, Calabash and the many Friends of the Bay who have followed them through the years, Wednesday’s celebration is a chance to look back on 40 years of music at a place that has become inseparable from their story.
The Bob Gatewood and Calabash 40th Anniversary Celebration begins at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Round House Bar in downtown Put-in-Bay.