“Free Beer Tomorrow” premiered at the Wexner Center for the Arts Friday and Saturday. Credit: Taylor Kiehl with Emma Parker Photography
In 2023, a historical marker was permanently placed outside 2210 Summit St., the building that now houses Summit Music Hall.
It tells the story of Summit Station — originally known as Jack’s A Go-Go — a women’s bar that, for decades, created a safe space for lesbians of all backgrounds to unite, laugh and love in a time when it was unsafe for them to do so openly.?
Just under three years later, a feature-length documentary about the bar’s history and impact, “Free Beer Tomorrow,” has made its debut. The film premiered over the weekend with two sold-out screenings Friday and Saturday at the Wexner Center for the Arts.?
Spearheaded by Julia Applegate, a senior lecturer in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and LuSter P. Singleton, an Ohio State alum, performer and show producer, the documentary features testimonials from the bar’s patrons and its owner, Petie Brown. Together, their stories explore the many ways the bar shaped Ohio’s lesbian community.
Brown, a musician, initially worked as a part-time bartender at Jack’s, accidentally drawing in a large crowd of women after word spread that a lesbian was behind the counter. Though she had never imagined owning a bar, when it went up for sale 10 years later, she bought it and renamed it Summit Station, determined to maintain a safe space for women across the state.
The bar would go on to become Ohio’s longest-running lesbian bar, fostering a tight-knit community of performers, artists, lawyers, scholars — anyone was welcome behind its doors. Summit Station eventually closed in 2008.?
The cultural impact of the space was evident from the energy of the audience alone. Before the screening, introductions were given by Jennifer Lange, director of the film/video studio program at the center, as well as Applegate and Singleton. They asked how many audience members were involved with the film or the bar, and a resounding majority were.
Throughout the screening, neighbors could be heard quietly recounting memories to one another when familiar faces popped up. When beloved community members appeared on screen, such as LGBTQ+ lawyer Rhonda R. Rivera, the room filled with an undeniable warmth and roaring applause.
Julia Applegate (left) and LuSter P. Singleton at the premiere of “Free Beer Tomorrow.” Credit: Taylor Kiehl with Emma Parker Photography
For a film made by two people without formal filmmaking backgrounds, “Free Beer Tomorrow” is impressively well-done in both style and pacing. The film is divided into separate sections, each introduced by a playful, hand-drawn illustration tied to the segment’s theme.?
Applegate and Singleton had plenty of support behind the scenes. The Wex Center’s film/video department assisted with the project, alongside cinematographer Mallory Golski, music, art and story consultant Jenrose Fitzgerald, editor Jules Rosskam and many more. The credits list is miles long — and so is the donors list — speaking to the real community effort that led to the film’s creation.
But the heart of the film lies in the patrons who share their stories. The documentary weaves together testimonials, archival footage and photographs with present-day reflections from Applegate and Singleton on why preserving the bar’s legacy is so important.?
Each person interviewed brings a different perspective, coming from different walks of life but sharing a common experience: finding Summit Station, a place where they could be themselves. Listening to them recount the unexpected friendships, relationships and personal discoveries that the bar allowed to thrive is deeply moving.?
At one point in the film, a patron mentions that all of the lesbians in Ohio go to Ohio State, evoking laughter from the crowd while emphasizing how closely tied the bar was to the university community.
The patrons are also genuinely, effortlessly funny; their personalities truly shine through each story they share. While the film puts the spotlight on an important piece of queer history, it does so with plenty of humor along the way, representing the liveliness of the community.
The documentary comes at a time when community spaces like Summit Station feel as important as ever. Between the bar’s rebranding in 1980 and the placement of its historical marker in 2023, the number of lesbian bars in the United States declined drastically, from more than 200 establishments to just 35. Though a small revival has begun in recent years, dedicated lesbian spaces remain rare.
At first glance, “Free Beer Tomorrow” might seem to be simply about a bar. In reality, it’s far more than that — it’s about what the people inside the bar carried with them, decades after they last stepped through its doors.?
It’s about the actions they took together, supporting AIDS health care efforts, compiling lists of local lesbian-owned businesses and professionals, forming an all-women’s football team and making a name for themselves as the drag king troupe H.I.S. KINGS. It’s about the risks they took to protect their community and advocate for what’s right, no matter the legal ramifications.?
The film’s title not only captures the spirit of the bar, but also of Brown. A green neon sign reading “Free Beer Tomorrow” was situated above the bar, which prompted first-time guests to come back the next day for their free beer; Brown would redirect them to the sign, with emphasis on the word “tomorrow.”
It’s a tricky sign full of wit and charm, just like Brown.??
During the documentary’s production, several interviewed patrons passed away, making the project an especially meaningful way to preserve their stories — sharing memories of coming to terms with their identities and recalling the light they found at Summit when everything else seemed dark.?
While the narrative can seem crowded at times, with multiple stories and sources intertwining, the range of voices is ultimately what strengthens the story it tells.
The film was selected to screen at Cleveland International Film Festival on April 15, where it will screen twice. For more information about “Free Beer Tomorrow,” visit its website.?
Rating: 5/5
