Oh my!! I spent the weekend nights down town watching Keith play at a bar on Printers Alley. The bars he usually plays downtown on the Broadway strip are older vacationers and yuppie 20 somthing locals catching some local culture. Printer's Alley is a different story. Long known for the none too classy Brass Stables "show bar" (a very tactful euphemism for a strip joint) and the run down musician's hang out Fiddle and Steel, the clientele is, in general, a little rougher. Even the 20 something yuppies who venture into Printer's Alley are looking to do something OTHER than mind their manners.
The night started pretty deserted... maybe 6-10 transient patrons in the hours between opening (about 8 pm) and 10 pm. As the night picked up the crowd got drunker. Their were possibly about 35 or 40 people by the end of the night with two notably drunk women left after closing. One had had to be bodily pried of the stage where she'd been grinding on the front man. Both had to be carried out after they couldn't be convinced to leave after closing. The next night the owner of said fine establishment was drunk by 10 pm and continued to drink into oblivion. He made rude, lewd, sexually suggestive, racist and homophobic commentary over the PA. He once again proved the truism : Drunk people should not have microphones... especially remote cordless models that project from far away. They will say ANYTHING to get a reaction.
As is his habit, Keith wowed the owner and the rest of the band. He's been offerred the standing gig... but it remains to be seen if he'll take it. It pays $100 a night, but he works for 8 hours with no break, no tips, and an obnoxious crowd. I hope he gets something else.. he's really worth more, and he's exhausted all weekend.
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