Here comes a regular: Oskie's vibe earns loyalty

Photo by Greg Wood

Fred Postlewaite, left, makes a point of talking to everyone at the bar at Oskie's. Jason Goolsby, right, appreciates the bar's"chilled-out" vibe.

Photo by Greg Wood

Fred Postlewaite, left, makes a point of talking to everyone at the bar at Oskie's. Jason Goolsby, right, appreciates the bar's"chilled-out" vibe.

Photo by Greg Wood

Samantha Whaley and Tommy Perry enjoy a beer at Oskie's.

KNOXVILLE — Until my recent Saturday night trip to Oskie's in Farragut, I hadn't pumped dollar after dollar into a jukebox while playing pool at a bar in months. There's no good reason for that - rocking out to the Rolling Stones and shooting pool is a classic nightlife experience and I should be doing it regularly.

But something about Oskie's finally pulled it out of me.

My crowd and I arrived around 9 p.m., keeping in mind that the West Knoxville bars tend to peak earlier than bars in other areas. However, when we arrived the crowd was sparse. With Oskie's being packed into a small shopping center off West End, it became immediately apparent the venue's a regular-heavy bar and I misjudged their customer flow.

It's set up like a typical neighborhood sports bar - one large room, full bar, dart boards, seemingly countless TV sets. There's a separate section with three pool tables, a big screen, a jukebox and a lengthy table against the front window. We grabbed a table in this section since it was vacant at the time.

We started off slow with a pitcher of beer, which was on special for $8 (steep for being discounted) and some food, while watching a Braves game that was already a blowout on the large TV.

As the evening went on, the bar filled out. A group grabbed the table next to us and started playing pool, occasionally making small talk. They explained to me that the bar is mostly regulars and the people who have been going there longest all sit at the bar. Although the crowd is mostly people who live nearby, our neighbors explained they no longer live in the area but still make it back at least every couple months.

Before long a jovial character donning a bright orange polo shirt, Fred Postlewaite, stopped by my table and explained that he always, "talks to everyone at the bar." After brief chatting and some poor jokes, he went on to colorfully and loudly explain to the rest of the bar and to say that he believed I wasn't working on an article for the paper, and that I was "full of (it)." For the rest of the evening he challenged people to games of pool (most of them accepted), went on at length about how he used to be a lawyer, and explained that his grandfather owned every paper in Sevier County. His stories and storytelling method brought smiles and laughter to the rest of the bar.

Everyone I struck up conversation with seemed more than happy to tell me about why they hang out at Oskie's. Even at some of the most laid-back venues, I rarely find people so willing to talk.

"It's a chilled-out place," said Jason Goolsby. No one I talked to really specified any earth-shattering revelation of why they attend Oskie's, but, after hanging out for a few hours, the simple explanation of "we just like it here" started making more and more sense.

By that point I was inspired to grab a pool table and claim the jukebox, taking it upon myself to cough up too much money to ensure that only Rolling Stones songs would play for a full hour, even going so far as to pay extra to download a track off Goats Head Soup that I especially needed to hear.

I suppose I could have done this anywhere, but, even though the Stones, beer and pool never get old to me, I haven't had an evening full of that combination in quite some time. The pool tables costing 75 cents per game (it's usually at least a dollar elsewhere) certainly helped, but Oskies' small, sporty-bar vibe took over and provided me with the classic nightlife experience.

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