Lovers of hot dogs and good music rejoice! Sean Watterson, the owner of the Happy Dog in the Gordon Square Arts District of Cleveland, is bringing his popular combination of food and entertainment to a shuttered University Circle hot-spot the Euclid Tavern. "The Euc," was once the spot for blues and rock and roll in the region, attracting musicians Chrissie Hynde, Mr. Stress, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Joan Jett, and in 1987, Michael J. Fox in the film, "Light of Day." We sit down with the man who’s out to bring the "Euc" back.
The new owners of The Euclid Tavern - the folks who operate the Happy Dog - are known for tater tots, hot dogs and sauces. They are also committed to maintaining the character of their new asset on Euclid Avenue, but with a much different vibe from when people were "Rockin" at the Euc" in the early 1990s. At that time, a hard-core Monday night music scene developed thanks to an artist named Derek Hess. Derek worked in the Euclid Tavern's food service, chopping chicken wings in the basement. But once Derek began booking rock bands at the Euc, he used his artistic talent to attract an audience. Derek created his own black and white flyers which he plastered all across the city at coffeehouses and on telephone poles. Today, Derek Hess is one of the most sought-after poster artists in the world, and in fact, his work is in the permanent collection at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Let's look back on Derek Hess's early career, when Monday nights were rockin' at the Euc.Sean Watterson, The Happy Dog
Derek Hess, Artist