The Woodward Bar and Grill is gone. Destroyed by a 3-alarm fire yesterday, this staple in the Detroit LGBTQA community had its issues but served as a gathering place for locals, and visitors looking for a turn up, which was almost always guaranteed. This is something I learned early on at age 19 when I first started going to the Woodward. If all else failed...go to the Woodward because you knew that you'd have a good time and the music was always on point. You'd see familiar faces, new faces, and some faces you really didn't want to see. But at the end of the night you went home drunk and already planning for the next weekend. My personal relationship with the Woodward has been up and down over the years but really escalated when a friend of mine was shot and killed there last year. I swore I would never go back. But I never imagined no one would ever go back. I never imagined that this establishment would end like this. Over the years, I can recount dozens upon dozens of memories of my experiences at the Woodward. Like the time some people came in with hoodies on and maced the whole club. The times when it was so packed you could barely do a simple two-step. Celebrating there on the night of President Obama's win in 2008. The first time I saw somebody do coke. Or that one time at the fallout when a few transgender girls jumped on the hood of a moving car, that night was crazy. Or that one time me and my ex came out of the Woodward and his car was stolen lol. That wasn't funny at the time but I can look back and laugh now. The cheap drinks. The time in 2008 when I had to many cheap drinks and went home and vomited over the side of my bed. Seeing friends, and making new friends. The one guy twerking while standing on his head. The laughs. The fights. Yeah, weekends in my early 20's revolved around the Woodward. The Woodward was that spot in Detroit. All you needed was the perfect conditions, a warm and clear Saturday night. The city would be jumping and if you weren't inside the Woodward by 11:30pm you probably wouldn't get in lol. So many good times. I'll take these memories and keep them with me and hope that the 20 somethings of today will have the opportunity to make memories at an establishment as impactful and influential as the Woodward Bar and Grill. Rest in Peace.
Sincerely,
HisEgo
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