Venue Type: Restaurant

Year of First Show: 1987

Year of Last Show: 1989

Address: 114 S. Baird Lane

Jabb’s International Cuisine started off as a Mediterranean restaurant owned by a Nigerian couple, Joy and John Obie. Joy was an MTSU student in the nursing program and John needed something to do with his time. Their restaurant was not very successful, so the couple decided to diversify their revenue streams with drink specials and concerts. The scene was largely high school punk and metal bands, such as Speed Metal Mania and Guillotine (the latter was known for showering the audience with raw meat and baby doll parts full of spaghetti).

Before it was Jabb’s, the building was home to the MTSU Bookstore. It was designed by Hal Christiansen, who also built and operated the Cinema One movie theater at 726 S. Tennessee Blvd. As Michael Fletcher describes it, Jabb’s “had a central stairway leading to a second floor that overlooked the first floor. To the left of the staircase were the kitchen, bathrooms, and bar area. On the right was open space leading to the 3 foot tall stage in the back of the building.” Today, when facing the Domino’s from Baird Lane, the parking lot on the right was the Jabb’s parking lot.

Like all bars with too-good-to-be-true drink specials, Jabb’s found itself dealing with rowdy and “scandalous” clientele. Jealous girlfriends, weaponized liquor bottles, and gunfights with the asphalt are among the topics of stories told. John Obie was known for overindulging in the sauce and casually threatening show-goers (particularly those who made fun of him), citing his experiences in the Nigerian army as proof that he could do it.

The owners eventually closed up shop and returned to Lagos, partially because the Domino’s slated for construction would take away their parking lot. The building was eventually torn down and the lot remains vacant to this day.