It was the early 1970s, and University of San Diego accounting graduate Dave Hodges was looking for a place in Solana Beach to relax with friends at the end of the workday. He and his business partner searched for months before they saw potential in a waterbed warehouse and showroom that had gone be lly up. With $10,000, Mr. Hodges and Greg Gilholm transformed a Quonset hut, with a distinctive semi-cylinder design, just east of the railroad tracks into their ideal neighborhood bar. The Belly Up Tavern opened in September 1974, and in the beginning, the space was simple: pool and ping pong tables, games and pinball, beer and wine, music with no cover charge. Dave Hodges (Courtesy the Belly Up Tavern) “Around 5 o’clock every afternoon, they would open up and it was a community gathering space,” said Michael Huse, former Solana Beach city manager. The neighborhood watering hole proved to be just the start of Hodges’ commitment to the community, small businesses, and live music. The Belly Up grew into a world-famous, 600-person-capacity music venue that has hosted music legends and locals alike, from The Rolling Stones to Atomic Groove, and it was the start of the transformation of South Cedros Avenue from small manufacturing businesses to a thriving business district. Hodges died Feb 4. He was 79. The family declined to provide a cause of death. “I was in the city management business for 30 years, and seldom have I ever met someone as nice as Dave and as eager to improve the community as Dave,” said Huse, the Solana Beach city manager from 1986 to 1994. “He was a gentleman, but he was also a gentle man.” By several accounts, Hodges and his partner turned to live music to keep their new business afloat. Eighteen months after opening, they built a small stage from scraps left behind by the waterbed business, and started booking music artists. It started out hosting mostly blues acts, but by the early 1980s, the Belly Up became the place to play for musical artists making a stop in San Diego. “San Diego wasn’t really known as a music town back then, it was sort of a stepsister to Los Angeles and there weren’t that many venues here,” said Belly Up Presents President Chris Goldsmith. “(Dave) was providing a quality stop on the road for these acts when there didn’t used to be any place for these acts (in San Diego). He really dedicated himself to making sure the bands were treated well, that the production was world-class quality, and he constantly invested in making it better and bigger. … And Dave loved it all. He really loved a good live performance.” Many artists have benefited from Hodges’ generosity, band leader and vocalist Carrie Weiland said. “(We are) deeply indebted and forever grateful for the opportunity Dave provided for us,” said Weiland, who’s been performing on the Belly Up stage since 1987 with bands such as The Mar Dels and Atomic Groove, which continues to perform at frequent Atomic Groove Friday Happy Hours at the venue. “He is a big reason why Atomic Groove is still around today and still flourishing.” Hodges had a great sense of community, Huse said, and his vision for Solana Beach went beyond his own business. He was the driving force behind what is now the Cedros Design District. “He loved Solana Beach and he loved South Cedros, and he always wanted to do the right thing,” said Huse, adding that Mr. Hodges met with him shortly after he became city manager in 1986. “He talked to me about South Cedros and what the city could do in cooperation with the property owners to improve the appearance, make it more viable, more exciting. It wasn’t just for himself; he thought it would improve the area to everyone’s benefit.” Hodges bought the stretch of Quonset huts and invested in upgrades, and rather than rent to corporate businesses, he focused on retail space for local entrepreneurs, Goldsmith said. “Dave is iconic in Solana Beach for being a great businessman,” Goldsmith said. “He was always a good landlord, always a good community member, and always supported nonprofit organizations and individuals. The people he would give opportunities to, I was one of them. If it weren’t for him I don’t know if I would still be in the music business.” As for the music side of Mr. Hodges’ legacy, he saw his neighborhood bar become a live music destination that’s endured for a half-century. “For those of us who grew up in Solana Beach, the Belly Up was the spot,” said Tim Grenda, an Encinitas resident who plays drums in the local B-52s tribute band Hot Lava. “I went there on my 21st birthday and have attended dozens of shows there over the years and been honored to play there, too, many times in various bands. It’s the best live music venue in San Diego, and that’s all thanks to Dave’s courage and vision.” Michelle Breier is a freelance writer. ...read more read less