Taverner

It’ll be 27 years in August, right?

April. Yeah, 27 years in April. We went to 24-hours-a-day, like, three years ago. I don’t know when.

And you guys have watched midtown develop.

Evolve—completely. It was always a little sketchy. Later on, you’d never know who was going to walk through the door. But now, with it being midtown, and it’s nice to walk down the street or whatever, we get a diverse, eclectic crowd—that’s for sure. We get the guys that come in after a long business day in their ties and suits, and then we go to, at nighttime, having the punk rock kids. It’s for everybody. We don’t just stick to one clientele.

The music is pretty eclectic too.

Yeah. Tonight I have a folk artist. Last weekend, what was it? Last weekend I had electronic rock. The next night I had a punk rock show. And then the next night after that, it was a rock ’n’ roll show. On Saint Patrick’s Day, we have Hellbound Glory, which is like country. And then we also have Deadly Gallows, which is folk punk—so like fiddles and violins.

Same bill?

Yeah, so it’s a crossover bill, which I think works really well—because somebody who might not usually listen to folk or punk or rock ’n’ roll comes in for their specific genre, and they end up hearing another genre that they actually didn’t know they’re interested in.

Talk to me more about Saint Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick’s Day is our busiest day of the year. It overcomes New Year’s—any other holiday. That’s our bread and butter. It’s going to be on a Saturday this year, which I think it’s only been on a Saturday three or four times in the 27 years we’ve been open. I have a feeling with us being open 24 hours a day, we’re going to start on Friday night, and it’s not going to end until Sunday afternoon. … The whole weekend is just going to be full of fun.

It’s funny—I hope it’s not offensive—I actually don’t immediately think “Irish bar” when I think of Shea’s.

Punk rock bar? Or what do you think? What do you think of first?

Yeah, a punk rock bar. I think of music, of the bar packed with bodies and cigarettes.

Yeah, and that’s what makes it so fun. And I think that’s why we win best dive bar every year in Reno News & Review, you know? We have something for everybody.

Wow. Saint Patrick’s is bigger than New Year’s Eve. Any drink specials to speak of for the holiday?

Oh, yeah. On Saint Patrick’s Day, we have, of course, Irish Car Bombs, Irish coffees, PB and J’s. I know I said bread and butter—but that’s our bread and butter—PB and J’s. We’re like around 25th in the nation for top sales of Pabst Blue Ribbon, in the whole nation. A lot of Jameson will get drank that day. That’s for sure.

Oh, I get it. PB and J is a Pabst and a Jameson.

Yeah. That’s one of our main things people come in and order—a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and a shot of Jameson.