Last Thursday was threatening to be a pretty dismal night out. Most of the people I'd been trying to round up to come out with me were unavailable. The one guy who did show wasn't able to make it till 9pm and had already eaten.... so, I was forced to eat alone at home. And then I discovered that my favourite jazz guitar duo, who were the planned centrepiece of the evening, were not playing after all. (Apparently, one of them may have told me at my Marley party the previous weekend that he was about to head back to the States for a month or so; but if he did, I had quite forgotten that in the alcohol & marijuana fug which ensued; no, I only discovered their regular Thursday night gig was suspended when I got to the venue....)
No, not at all a promising start.
But then..... well, Big Chris, the new American buddy who was free to join me, managed to travel down here from his University in the north of the city rather quicker than he'd anticipated, so we were able to kick our evening off at a reasonable time of 8.30ish.
Our first port of call was another favourite recent discovery of mine, an agreeably divey neighbourhood bar that has a half-way decent (FREE) pool table. Neither of us were quite on our game (The Chairman has been his sensei for the last year, so he's pretty damn good), but we had an enjoyable - if comprehensively defeated - few jousts with the formidable local sharks. And the beer was very cheap.
Then, an envigorating short walk to the music bar a mile or so away, where the beer is also cheap (though not quite AS cheap as in the Pool Bar). My guitar-playing buddies were disappointingly absent, and the place was quite deserted.... but we did get to hang with the replacement guitarist for the evening, an amiable young Quebecois. He couldn't actually be bothered to play his guitar - since we were the only punters in the place - but we did shoot the breeze for an hour or so, sharing numerous anecdotes and recommendations about the local music scene. Big Chris was particularly enthusiastic about all this because he is quite the music aficionado, a musician himself indeed - and eager to get back into his drumming.
Then, feeling suddenly peckish, we nipped into one of my favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurants for some cheap snacks and even cheaper beers.
Then we returned to the pool bar - which, we discovered, has become a favoured "after-hours" hangout (not that there are any "hours" around here, but you catch my drift) for various local bigwigs; to wit, the bar and restaurant owners from the 'strip' just around the corner. Good craic. More pool (we may even have won a few games this time - but damn, those 'regulars' are good). Many more cheap beers.
And a new musical discovery: at one point, the bar's boss was playing on the sound system a marvellously husky-voiced and soulful American female singer I'd never heard before, but who Big Chris immediately identified for me as Cat Power (stage name, of course!). Got to check out more of her stuff.
And so, despite all the initially unfavourable omens, it turned out to be a thoroughly Good Night Out. I didn't stagger home till 2.30 or 3.00am - and only quit that early because I'd been feeling ill and short of sleep for so long. Big Chris was still going strong when I left him there.....
I have had many such nights in this crazy city..... but this, this was one of them.....
2 comments:
titled "elements" -I'm expecting some break down of items needed for a good night out... instead I read a narrative.
what might those elements be? (a. dinner at home (is this the sity down with napkin across lap and fork and knife type or the eat out of the can over the kitchen sink type?), b. drinking buddy (only experienced drinkers need apply?), c. free pool table (do the local sharks need to look intimidating or can they be friendly joes?), d. cheap beer (does it matter if the beer is any good? what defines good beer?), e. short walks (I thought you were a walker), f. no music at the music bar (i assume some music would have been preferred), ...)
concur on the "after hours" comment. as far as I can tell, the party keeps going, it's just the ppl who eventually get too drunk/tired to keep going.
Don't be silly!
You want it all tabbed and numbered??
I am suggesting that (amongst) the key things that make for a GOOD EVENING are an element of being unplanned, accidental, pleasantly surprised.
Pool, good company, good music, cheap beer, tasty snacks, intervals of walking - all of these are good too. Interesting new contacts and diverting conversation - 'good craic', as the Irish say.
Failing to round up the hoped-for posse, having a solitary meal at home, finding that Nico & Dan were not playing after all - these were NOT positive things.... but the evening bounced back from that anyway!
On the two more specific questions: Yeah, I guess it's more fun if the pool dudes do look a little bit scary. "Atmosphere", you know.
And there is probably some terribly complicated mathematical formula for balancing the quality of beer with its price, its coolness (or appropriateness of temperature - English bitters, of course, are not intended to be drunk cold), and the circumstances in which it is drunk. The beer here is mostly pretty shite, but - since everything else seems to come together so well - that really doesn't matter.
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