When Crystal Bowersox began her inspiring climb to “American Idol” fame in January 2010, her bio’s hometown was stated as “Elliston, Ohio.”
Some of us had to consult a map for that exact location, but it didn’t matter; Bowersox’s unofficial hometown was starting to grow. We all claimed her. That hometown entry of Elliston morphed into Ottawa County, then to Toledo, and eventually to all of Northwest Ohio.
Indeed, she was from the 419. One of us.
Idolatry in church
Finding Elliston didn’t prove to be that hard after all. One only had to listen for the shrieks coming from the Trinity United Church of Christ, where more and more were starting to gather for weekly Idol worship.
“One day in church, someone mentioned that our neighbor, Crystal Bowersox, was doing well (on ‘American Idol’),” said Ron Geisler, of nearby Graytown. “After church one day, I happened to be parked in front of (Crystal’s) dad’s house. We said, ‘let’s get together and we’ll just have a little potluck.’ One guy said, ‘we’ll bring a TV and we’ll watch (American Idol) together.’ And every week it grew a little bit as (Crystal) grew in popularity.”
Each Wednesday night, as the number of people attending Trinity’s Idol showings escalated, it wasn’t just church members anymore – people came from all over, thanks in part to a FOX Toledo news story.
Geisler recalls that as the weeks went by and Bowersox advanced, more TV crews visited, including one from Cleveland. Geisler and friends even had t-shirts printed for the growing crowds.
“By the end of the final show, I think I had six or seven TV networks broadcasting live, one out of Cleveland,” Geisler said. “We had people from ‘American Idol.’ It was kind of a remarkable time to see that many people show up.
“It put Elliston on the map,” Geisler said. “Some days people would stop and buy t-shirts just to see where all this happened, because of all the news clips at night.”
Where everybody knew her name
Papa’s Tavern was one of Bowersox’s favorite proving grounds. As young as 11, Bowersox started playing there in front of regulars.
“She performed good whether she had five people or 50,” said Tim Stahl, owner, whose bar can hold 100. “Before Idol, crowds were average, maybe only a dozen on Wednesday nights. During Idol, we went from an average of 12 people on a Wednesday night, to 80-100 people. It was wall to wall people.”
But then things got really crazy.
Bowersox visited Toledo on May 14, 2010 during her peak of fame on the show – just nine days before the finale – and made several stops in the area as part of a show-contrived hometown tour. A parade was held in her honor, she held free concerts in Downtown Toledo and at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds.
She also made a stop at Papa’s Tavern.
Stahl knew of Bowersox’s surprise appearance, but could not disclose it to anyone. Still, that didn’t stop throngs of fans who knew she was in the area, to sit by Papa’s Tavern and hope that their hometown hero would make an appearance.
“You could not believe it, there were 400 people, at least, out in front of a little neighborhood bar,” Stahl said. “We probably had 150 in the bar, and 75 of those were security, FOX crew, and different ones with them. There were no media allowed in at all, yet I had people showing credentials, trying to get in. But, I had about 50 of my regulars that I let in, who were sitting on the floor and just enjoying her music. These were the people that hadn’t seen her since she left the bar (years ago). It was awesome.”
When Bowersox arrived, Stahl said she did three or four songs, and then was whisked away.
“I still do get people, who, to this day, if (Crystal’s) visiting her mom, I guarantee I’ll have 10 people stop in to ask if she’s going to play,” Stahl said. “And I still have people coming in to see where she once played.”
Stahl said he hasn’t seen her since 2012, but still keeps in touch, though her parents stop in regularly. He takes pride in his very blue collar, regular group of patrons.
Although he’d love to have Bowersox back for a return show, Stahl said he’ll never formally invite her.
“Honestly, I’d rather have her stop in stone cold, out of the blue, and just play two or three songs without anyone, including me, knowing,” Stahl said. “The people that really want to see her are already going to be here anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I love the crowds, but we’re more about enjoying the music than packing them in.”
Stahl said he enjoyed the fun five years ago, and Crystal remains a huge part of the tavern’s history.
“It was pretty unreal when it was happening,” Stahl said. “She definitely is a big name now, but if you look all-time, I would say she is one of the biggest from our area. Between us, the Village Idiot and the church, we were the epicenters of it all.”
Village people
At the Village Idiot in Downtown Maumee, Bowersox often played with local bassist Frank May to small crowds. But the crowds loved them, and Bowersox was a fixture at the Conant Street staple known for live music every night.
Although she didn’t visit the Village Idiot during the show’s media-frenzied hometown tour, that didn’t stop the masses from coming on that May 2010 night.
“The Blade had printed that she would be here, but she wasn’t coming, and it was horrible,” said Tom Sullivan, employee of 14 years. “We have 75 seats, and could fit in maybe 100, and the Maumee police were here, and we told people right at the door that she wasn’t going to be here. It didn’t make any difference.”
Sullivan said she visited the Village Idiot once last year, and was soon mobbed by fans.
“She’s just a really nice person,” Sullivan said. “She’s young, and exposed to a lot that someone her age (normally) isn’t.”
