Even music seems purer.
A bar with no smoke.
Yes, Jiangjinjiu last night was suprisingly deserted: only 15 or 20 people at peak, hardly any Chinese, and not a single smoker (well, except for guitarist David Mitchell in the break between sets). It's a bijou venue and easily gets uncomfortably overcrowded. It's also poorly ventilated, and, since about 95% of Chinese men - and a very high proportion of peer-pressure-conforming laowai, of both sexes - smoke like chimneys, the atmosphere in there is often reminiscent of a Napoleonic battlefield.... the band scarcely visible through the fug, although they're no more than 10 or 15 feet away. Last night we enjoyed a completely smoke-free environment: a rare treat indeed!
This was the first time I'd seen the 'real' Panjir in a few months: sadly, I passed on their big show at Star last Sunday because I was suffering with my bad back, and because I couldn't find anybody to go with; and David and Akbar, the core members of the group, have only recently returned from a two-month field trip to Xinjiang, so the Jiangjinjiu Thursdays have been featuring a substitute guitarist for a while. Maybe it was just my pleasure in seeing them back again; or maybe it was the energising effects of the unexpectedly breathable air; or maybe, maybe the boys have drawn fresh enthusiasm and inspiration from their recent travels. Whatever it was, they were sensational last night - one of their best shows ever (and I've seen them dozens of times now, over the last 3 or 4 years).
I taunt you, Tulsa. I taunt you.
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