To Gig is to Laugh

Played the Beast last nite with mighty man Ryan. Here's some highlights:

~Saw an old friend's dad there with two of his buddies. He asked me if I had my Apathy cologne. Inside joke, but coming from him, it was a real defining moment.

[cool pic by Al. You da man.]

~Listening to an older guy talk to Miss Very Juiced was really distracting while playing. There were two different conversations going on. Let me try my best to recall some highlights. I'll call him Loud Talk-Over-You Guy

Miss VJ: "Your wife is so pretty."

Loud TOYG: "Yes, I have excellent taste in women. I always have."

MVJ: "She's very pretty. I love her. Sorry."

LTOYG: "Well. I know. Now let me talk about something else totally unrelated."

MVJ: "she suehdts ejfntridspsmdnrosnssh....."

LTOYG: "I ran three businesses and I want to ramble on about myself because I'm a big braggart."

MVJ: "I love you. Sorry. eytrhdteyhshdeshh....burp"

LTOYG: "You can't drive home. I'm not going to try to nail you because you know my wife and my friends are here. Even though you are really hammered, I'm going to get my friend to drive you home."

Folks it's really hard to eavesdrop (they were right next to me) and play music.

~At one point, completely without provocation, MVJ asked me, "What do you want?" This was not an in-your-face New York whatcho lookinat hostility.

I told her politely that I didn't understand the question.

"What do you really really like?"

I thought she was hinting to buy me a drink, so I said rum. "But, what would you want after that?" Hmm... are we going where I think we are going???

I then answered chocolate. That didn't seem to satisfy her. I said sex. "No. after chocolate and sex. What do you want?"

Gee. Most people would have stopped there. I had to edit my thoughts at this point. It's not really fair to be stock sober and banter with someone who's intox pretty bad.

"A room full of guitars." Nope. She didn't like that answer and gave up.

~Right after playing for three hours, I like to grab a bite and a pint. Both food and bev arrived when a friend of a friend came over and started talking about her upcoming birthday party. A very nice and easy to talk to person, but I wanted down time. When the subject of us playing for said party came up, I let Ryan do the talking. It's his gig and I am a closer friend, so he can quote a price without hesitation. Besides, this is what I want- for us to be a unit, not just a pick-up duet. I think it's working.

~Miss Very Juiced came over and took a seat and I offered a friendly compliment:

"I liked your dancing." For the first time, a couple danced at the Bistro. Amazing. Well, she furrowed her brow and looked confused.

"What did I do wrong?"

And no matter how hard we tried to explain the she did nothing wrong, nothing changed. I am certainly glad MVJ did not get behind a wheel.

~Outside, Ryan and I were on one of usual and long conversations about obscure cinema when a car passed by. This seemed to be packed with teenage girls who whooped at us. I said, "If they turn around, man, you're talking to them. I'm old enough to be their dad." Sure as shit, the car turned around. And with that, he turned on his heels and said see ya later.

I was loading my guitar into the car when a girl yelled, "Hi sexy!" Well. I'll take that, thank you.

It was a wacky ending to a night that started out so slow. It just goes to prove something.

But I just can't figure out what.

Without laughing.