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"The Phyrst 50: A Bar in a College Town" The Story Behind the Iconic State College Bar, The Phyrst
Gildan Ultra Cotton T-shirt
- Sizes S - XXXXL
- View Sizing Guide
About this campaign
YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP BRING THE FILM TO LIFE
Proceeds from t-shirt sales will support production of "The Phyrst 50: A Bar in a College Town." This full-length documentary film will capture the stories of the people who have helped a beloved local establishment persevere in Happy Valley for half a century. Production is underway and principal filming will take place this summer, including during the daylong 50th anniversary celebration at The Phyrst on August 5. The film is being produced by The Nittany Valley Society and BlueWhiteTV, and it will premiere at The State Theatre in State College on November 17.
The official art work featured on the shirt was created for the film by Bellefonte artist and Penn State alumnus Brian Allen of Flyland Designs. It is intended to capture our commitment to sharing the full breadth of The Phyrst's fascinating history. Each element is a callback to a significant or recognizable aspect of the bar’s 50-year history, including its famous cowbell and mug collection, long-time proprietors Ernie and Becky Oelbermann, and artifacts resurfaced during preproduction, like the original lease and legendary Phyrst Cup rugby trophy.
THE STORY OF THE PHYRST and WHY IT'S WORTH TELLING
Fifty years ago, a 22-year-old landscape architecture student named Don Bartoletti signed a $250-a-month lease at 111 ½ E. Beaver Ave. for a bar he had wanted to create since arriving in State College four years earlier. This bar would be a welcoming place where businessmen, students, Viet Nam vets, and those just passing through could have a drink, tell a story, sing a song, argue about politics, and do so freely, without prejudice.
In 1969, “Bart” would be joined by a 44-year-old father of six, a WWII vet and an engineer at one of the Defense Department’s largest contractors. Together, the unlikely duo of Don Bartoletti and Ernie Oelbermann would prove the power of a bar was not unlike that of a church. Ecumenical. Sincere.
College towns need these places. At Penn State, dozens of them have come and gone throughout the years, impossibly important for a group of people for a fixed time, and then gone and forgotten just as quickly. And yet, The Phyrst persists.
The wooden door. The Phyrst Family. Table wars. The sign. Ernie. The Mug Club. Saturday Night. Oh yes, something there is different.
Countless thousands love The Phyrst. Few know its story.
http://www.phyrst50.com
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Supporters
We are table at the wall.
I enjoyed many nights at the Phyrst
Great memories of the Phyrst!
Many, many great times at the Phyrst with my Chainsaw East roommates - and I even remember them!
Best memories were at THE PHYRST! Loved THE TARNISHED 6 ...1969-1970
Love the Phyrst!! Ernie&Becky!! Already got my shirt. Buying one for my son who is also a PSU grad who loves the Phyrst