Goodbye, Grog: A Place to Be Heard, if Not Seen

The "decor" of the dark dive is already being taken down. Goodbye to the moose head, the photo of Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, the bar's somewhat rotted wood, the Budweiser posters, the "Women" and "Men" bathroom signs written in blue pen on a waitress guest check above the doors. (Is it a stretch to think of a couple of intoxicated college buddies laughing as they steal the signs for their dorm room?)

It was owner Hossainkhail who in 1984 brought live music to the Grog, which opened in 1964. (Abdul's two brothers, Khaled and Hammed, helped him run the place.)

Some bigger-name bands played the Grog over the years, recalled Hossainkhail/Hoss, including Vertical Horizon, whose guitarist Matt Scannell was quoted on the Grog Web site as saying, "If it's not happening for you at the Grog, you need to reassess." Shudder to Think, a local '90s punk band, played the Grog, as did Hootie and the Blowfish before they hit it big (guitarist Mark Bryan is from Silver Spring).

"I'm going to miss the fun, being in touch with musicians and customers," said Abdul Hossainkhail.

To some extent, it's hard to say who, other than the musicians themselves, will really miss the Grog.

"Musicians will miss it as a bar where they will be able to cut their teeth. People that don't play music I don't think will miss it," said McBride.

But the bands -- the good and the not so -- will feel a loss.

"Here's the thing: Everybody's a musician on some level," Rustad said. "If somebody works hard enough to put together a set, they'll be genuine. Everyone thinks they've just started the greatest band in the world." The Grog and Tankard, RIP, regularly proved otherwise.