Weekend happenings... Updated
Update: I fixed the audio link. Sorry about that.
Left to right: Jonah, Aaron and Bass-player Art make "Fresh Young Blood".
So this weekend I had an opportunity for a guy's night out and I decided to call my high school-best-friend/aspiring-rockstar pal, Jonah Wells whom I haven't spent time with in almost a year and see what he was up to. Turns out (as aspiring rockstars are wont to do) he was playing a show at a local bar with another old pal, my cousin Aaron (it's a small town). I'm not a guy who frequents bars but I thought that it would be worth it to hang with some old friends. I had a great time but afterwards I still don't "get" the whole bar thing.
First, this bar was dirty. Aaron pointed this out, saying: "This place is dirty. It's disgusting. I feel like the bartender could scrub the floors with a toothbrush and bleach and it would still be dirty. There's nothing anyone can do about it. It's gone too far for cleaning."
Second, everyone was drunk. "Duh," you say. "It's a bar." Yes, but I don't like "everyone is drunk" situations. I'm not a drinker (I've never been able to enjoy the taste of beer) and I think to enjoy an "everyone is drunk" situation you have to be a part of the "everyone". You won't have a good time if you're a sober father-of-two, trying to ignore the raucous dancing by women that look like your mom. I hope I don't sound stuck-up because I understand that there's a wholesome side to going out and having a few beers with your pals. But I'm just not experienced at it and I don't think I'll ever be.
I did enjoy Jonah and Aaron's band "Fresh Young Blood". My cousin Aaron is sickeningly talented and he's probably the best singer that I know personally. Jonah is an animal on the drums and it's always fun to watch him play. I think Aaron is secretly the happiest guy I know because only someone really happy would want to write such dark lyrics. If they're in your area go see them. You won't be sorry.
Listen to Fresh Young Blood on MySpace
After the show me Aaron and Jonah were standing outside the bar when a classic "drunk guy" walked up to Jonah and proceeded to have the following conversation while bear-hugging him and wringing his hand in a sloppy handshake:
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY: "You guys rocked, man."
JONAH: "Thanks."
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY: "Dude you look like Kurt Cobain." (Makes bowing, "I'm not worthy," motion.) "Kurt's the master, man."
JONAH: "Thanks."
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY: "But I have one suggestion. At the end of one song - I don't remember which one - you need to say EPIPHANY."
Jonah: "Epiphany?"
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY (to Aaron, who's trying not to look like the lead singer): "HEY! You're the lead singer! Man, you've got to say 'Epiphany' at the end of that song... I swear it would make that song. I don't remember which one. It was about war or something but just let it ring out and... Epiphany!"
AARON: Nods.
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY (releasing Jonah's hand and stumbling away): "Remember: epiphany. It'll be a hit!"
I guess that's the third reason to not like bars: You have way to many people trying to get you to randomly insert the word "epiphany" into your lyrics.
Left to right: Jonah, Aaron and Bass-player Art make "Fresh Young Blood".
So this weekend I had an opportunity for a guy's night out and I decided to call my high school-best-friend/aspiring-rockstar pal, Jonah Wells whom I haven't spent time with in almost a year and see what he was up to. Turns out (as aspiring rockstars are wont to do) he was playing a show at a local bar with another old pal, my cousin Aaron (it's a small town). I'm not a guy who frequents bars but I thought that it would be worth it to hang with some old friends. I had a great time but afterwards I still don't "get" the whole bar thing.
First, this bar was dirty. Aaron pointed this out, saying: "This place is dirty. It's disgusting. I feel like the bartender could scrub the floors with a toothbrush and bleach and it would still be dirty. There's nothing anyone can do about it. It's gone too far for cleaning."
Second, everyone was drunk. "Duh," you say. "It's a bar." Yes, but I don't like "everyone is drunk" situations. I'm not a drinker (I've never been able to enjoy the taste of beer) and I think to enjoy an "everyone is drunk" situation you have to be a part of the "everyone". You won't have a good time if you're a sober father-of-two, trying to ignore the raucous dancing by women that look like your mom. I hope I don't sound stuck-up because I understand that there's a wholesome side to going out and having a few beers with your pals. But I'm just not experienced at it and I don't think I'll ever be.
I did enjoy Jonah and Aaron's band "Fresh Young Blood". My cousin Aaron is sickeningly talented and he's probably the best singer that I know personally. Jonah is an animal on the drums and it's always fun to watch him play. I think Aaron is secretly the happiest guy I know because only someone really happy would want to write such dark lyrics. If they're in your area go see them. You won't be sorry.
Listen to Fresh Young Blood on MySpace
After the show me Aaron and Jonah were standing outside the bar when a classic "drunk guy" walked up to Jonah and proceeded to have the following conversation while bear-hugging him and wringing his hand in a sloppy handshake:
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY: "You guys rocked, man."
JONAH: "Thanks."
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY: "Dude you look like Kurt Cobain." (Makes bowing, "I'm not worthy," motion.) "Kurt's the master, man."
JONAH: "Thanks."
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY: "But I have one suggestion. At the end of one song - I don't remember which one - you need to say EPIPHANY."
Jonah: "Epiphany?"
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY (to Aaron, who's trying not to look like the lead singer): "HEY! You're the lead singer! Man, you've got to say 'Epiphany' at the end of that song... I swear it would make that song. I don't remember which one. It was about war or something but just let it ring out and... Epiphany!"
AARON: Nods.
CLASSIC DRUNK GUY (releasing Jonah's hand and stumbling away): "Remember: epiphany. It'll be a hit!"
I guess that's the third reason to not like bars: You have way to many people trying to get you to randomly insert the word "epiphany" into your lyrics.
11 Comments:
That was a great post Levi. I felt your whole fish-out-of-water thing.
I have been to bars with your mom, in fact, the last two times I have been to a bar was with your parents and various other adult relatives of ours. (I say adult because although we are adults--we are in a different class of adults than our parents).
That's really the only way to enjoy the bar scene--with people who are just as sober as you and who like to dance.
I love to dance at bars. Everyone is way more out of control than me because they are drunk so I can dance how ever I want.
Levi--I bet you'd have fun listening to music and dancing with Dan and I. Don't give up the bar scene just yet.
Sadie: I agree, I'd need a good crowd of sober adult-friends to really feel comfortable. And I probably would enjoy some music and dancing with you and Dan - that is if I don't get bounced at the door like the last time I tried. :)
That is so crazy you wrote a post about Aaron and the band. It was this morning that my brother said to me, "Hey, did u hear Aaron is done with their album?" And sure enough, I come to your site, and boom, you are talking about the band. Thats awesome.
But I truely agree that Aaron has the best singer I know personally. I have a couple of his solo albums, which are awesome. You are lucky you heard them.
Also, I cant imagine what its like to go to a bar.... 1. cuz I am underage and have never expierenced it, and 2. just because I would never want to go because of its filthiness. You know that scene from Along Came Polly, when he tells her not to eat the nuts in the bowl, because of all the hands that have touched it. That is what I think of , when I think of bars. Everything have been touched, slobbered on, and thrown up on. Nasty. And just the smell of beer makes me want to gag. It just makes the whole thing worse when u have a whole bunch of psychos runnning aroung because they are drunk, trying to make sense , but they cant. Its ridiculous.
Amber: Yeah, Aaron is quite a talent. He's got an amazing range. That was the first time I've ever been to a bar and I can't reccomend it based off that experience. Although Sadie does seem to have a different opinion so I guess it all depends.
Gee... I would think that if all the women dancing there "looked like your mom" it would be a beautiful and festive atmoshphere, full of talented and lovely dancers.
Despite that disturbing comment, this was a good post, my sober son. Alas, though, I couldn't get the music connection to hear the band. Is anyone else having trouble?
Sorry, beautiful mother. That's not what I meant. I just expect people that look like you to also have the dignity and grace that you radiate. It was disturbing to see otherwise.
You won't have a good time if you're a sober father-of-two, trying to ignore the raucous dancing by women that look like your mom.
Heh. That's too funny.
I haven't been drinking much recently because I'm underemployed and we have to watch our cash. So now being completely sober, I'm realizing how annoying drunks are when you're with them but you're not one of them.
And there's nothing like having some drunk guy trying to give advise. I don't know why, but when some people drink, they suddenly think they're the Dalai Lama.
Zach: Fresh Young Blood is excellent. Thier CD is really growing on me. It's probably the best Aaron band that he's been in yet.
Zombie: I always liked your opinion that you shouldn't drink when you're unemployed. It seems wise.
And yeah, why do drunk guys suddenly feel the need to dispense wisdom?
In defense of random people dispensing wisdom at bars...
Dan and I were having some "issues" early in our marriage.
We got in a HUGE fight. I left to cool off and I met up with some friends. They were going to see a band play at a local bar and I decided to go with them.
During the night, I noticed this strange, little man watching me. At one point, he came up to me and said," Are you a Christian?"
I said," Uh--yeah."
From there, we had this conversation in which I poured my heart out. He finally told me to go home and "fix" my marriage and start acting like a Christian.
It was very surreal and it changed my life at that time in my walk. Anyhoo...
Yep, I love that story, Sadie. God is watching out for you and apparently he doesn't mind frequenting bars. :)
I hear you David. It is funny when people do that. "You're the best, but..."
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