Do you remember the Cove Cabaret? This Superior hotspot – located at 705 Tower Ave. – was simply the place to see and be seen, beginning with its opening in the 1970s, until it closed permanently in the mid ‘90s.
Their popular slogan, “Come on and fly to the Cove Cabaret,” still lives rent-free in many Superiorities’ minds. And now, these memories are being revisited with a popular photographic slideshow, celebrating “all things Cove.”
Here, Positively Superior will share some highlights of this event, and some memories of the Cove. Things went so well that its hosts – the owners of the Belknap Liquor & Lounge – plan to host an encore showing next winter.
Setting the Scene
The Cove wasn’t simply a nightclub. It was a vibrant discotheque with a lit up, multilevel dance floor. Superior had never seen anything like it.
There were drinks. There was dancing. There was live music. A few of their popular acts included Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, John Kay (of Steppenwolf) and Bruce Cockburn.
There were beautiful women. And, there were some – spicy – events, such as “best legs” contests, bikini contests and ladies’ mud wrestling.
In those pre-social media, pre-digital camera days, photography was handled the old-fashioned way: with a film/analog camera. Due to this vulnerability, much of the Cove’s visual history was almost lost forever. More than 14,000 photos and slides, which were snapped during the Cove’s heyday, were ready to be tossed into a dumpster.
Enter a couple of unlikely heroes: former Cove bartender Vicki White and her sister, Lisa Newman, who rescued these artifacts from being destroyed. A chance encounter and an overheard conversation ultimately led to a special event: “The Cove Cabaret: Lost Photos Resurrected,” held at the Belknap Lounge in January, February and March 2026.
From left, Jason Beagle, Jenna Askelson, Debbie Bergstrom and Alan Jaques at Cove Night.
Belknap Liquor & Lounge
Alan Jaques and his wife, Debbie Bergstrom, are the owners of the Belknap Liquor & Lounge. Jaques is also the Vice-Chair of the Douglas County Board. Jaques shared how he got involved in hosting this event, commemorating the history of the Cove.
“About six months ago, Vicki White and her sister, Lisa Newman, were here having a drink, and talking about these photos. I overheard them, and we started talking.
“I said, ‘What if we were to digitize these photos and have a ‘Cove night’ here at the Belknap?”
The women loved the idea and agreed.
Scanning and Digitizing
In order to present 14,000 vintage photos to an entire bar of patrons, someone had to scan and digitize them. And, that someone was Art Petrey, who has bartended at the Belknap since 1991.
“There were about 14,000 images,” Petrey said. “It took me about two weeks to digitize them, working on and off from my home office.”
Petrey himself didn’t have any particular ties to the Cove, however. “I think I was only there once in my life,” he noted with a chuckle. “But I had the equipment and the ability to handle this project.”
Other Players
A few other “stakeholders” were brought on board to help, too. Local resident Gary Androsky, who collects all things Cove-related, lent a few vintage Cove signs to the Belknap to use for the event. Attendees enjoyed getting their photos taken in front of these relics. Scott Hauswirth was hired as the event DJ, providing fun, era-appropriate music from the ‘70s and ‘80s.
And, the Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) also played a big role. Petrey worked with DCHS to number the photos that were shown on screen. That way, participants could take note of the number(s) they were interested in, and contact DCHS to request a digital copy. DCHS also sold fun disco-themed t-shirts as a fundraiser.
Photos
Jaques shared a bit of backstory behind the Cove, and some of the content of those 14,000 photos – many of which were fairly spicy.
“For many years, the Cove was owned by Fred Piper and Mickey Nilsen,” he explained.
“Those guys flew out to New York City to visit Studio 54, and brought some ideas back to Superior, to use at the Cove. This included hiring a professional photographer for ‘big nights’ at the Cove.
“Looking at the images, 95% of them were of good-looking gals,” Jaques added. “Their hair was done, and their makeup was done. Everyone in the photos was incredibly fit.
“There were photos of bikini contests, and mud wrestling contests. At first, they used real mud. But it was too abrasive, so eventually, they switched to a food-grade pudding product. There were also photos of some of the ‘best legs contests.’ And, there were a few images we couldn’t include,” he noted with a chuckle.
The Event
“The Cove Cabaret: Lost Photos Resurrected” was held on three separate nights: one in January, one in February, and one in March 2026.
“We got six, 75” Samsung TVs, and six or seven smaller monitors to show the photos,” Jaques said.
“There would be a 20-second delay on the smaller screens, so people could look closely at the photos and write down the numbers showing themselves or their loved ones, to request later. It took a total of four to five hours – on each of the three occasions – to get through all the photos.
“My customers absolutely loved the event,” he said. “Originally, I thought it would be people coming in to look for photos of their parents. But I was wrong about that. It was mostly people who were between 55 and 70 years old, and they were looking for photos of themselves! The event went until about 11:30 at night, and it’s really a big deal to get people of that age to stay out past the news.
“It started a lot of conversations; almost like a high school reunion. One gal saw a photo of her late sister, and she started crying.
“That first night, our lounge was as busy as it’s ever been in my 46 years here,” Jaques added. “We plan to do it again next winter.”
Vicki and Lisa
And, as for the heroes of the evening, Vicki White and Lisa Newman? They were also thrilled with the turnout. But it was a labor of love for these ladies.
“They never wanted any payment,” Jaques noted. “So, we paid them with a couple cocktails.”
As noted, “The Cove Cabaret: Lost Photos Resurrected” was a smashing success. Interested in attending the reboot of this event next winter? Stay tuned to the social media accounts for the Belknap
Liquor & Lounge for dates and details.
Andrea Busche is a Twin Ports-based freelance writer and small business owner.
