The last five shows weren’t too eventful. Some were better than others. The turn out at Minglewood Hall in Memphis was a lot better than expected and the club is a major improvement over Newby’s or the Young Avenue Deli. We could have done without the drunk jerk standing right in front of Jay complaining that he couldn’t hear the vocals. Jason had to give him a little business when he attempted to turn Jay’s monitors around. Dude responded by giving Jason the bird and playing dumb. Security?
As for Birmingham, I don’t think anyone cares to play the Workplay Theater anymore. I’ve never been a fan of the sterile PBS Jazz Brunch vibe and it’s always been hard to get past that. Unlike the past two times that we’ve played the Workplay, this was not a Sunday which meant The Fish Market was open. James and I both had oysters on the half shell followed by jambalaya for him and Athenian red snapper for me.
While it’s a pity that the Georgia Theater in Athens burned down I was definitely glad to be at the 40 Watt Club. Everyone there is super nice, sound is pretty decent and there is no lack of atmosphere. We went on relatively late for us, 11:15, and judging by some of the YouTube clips we delivered a late-night (sloppy-good) set. At least I did. Thank the lord I decided not to return for the second encore with no shirt and leather jacket. I knew that wouldn’t go over.
A late set time in Athens made for a late night and we were all pretty tired the following day.
To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for Greenville but the Handlebar turned out to be the surprise hit of the last week. Aside from the crappy chicken wings (it’s really the best option on the menu) we had a great night. Good crowd, good energy, and a free bottle of Bushmill’s. Priceless.
Then there was Chattanooga. Again, some way too intoxicated folks kinda ruined the show. But what can you expect at the Rhythm and Brews. Basically, 2 loaded couples standing front and center hooted and hollered and blew smoke in Jay’s face all night. One of the, uh, ladies repeatedly fell on stage, got on stage and really needed a belt. I’m surprised she lasted the whole set. Kind of an anti-climactic ending but that’s usually how it works.
done
