I struggle on evenings like last night getting out during this cold. Single men have no excuse, but I’m locked in and warm; so why would I need to drink copious amounts of inflated beer and deal with chit chat with random dive dwellers? Apparently it’s the wingman factor.
After the thermal liners, the jeans, the beater, the long sleeved undershirt, the over priced small batch artist T, a hoodie, wool socks, a wool coat, gloves, beanie and the Kiehl’s lip balm… I’m dressed for an evening out for the last night in January. I just read somewhere that January was the first time the temperature in New York City didn’t hit 50 degrees in over twenty-five years!!!
First stop was the Blue & Gold. A long standing biker bar on the weekdays and NYU student dive on the weekends. I hadn’t been here in years and the first thing I notice is the well shaved and washed crowd habitating this 70’s rec room garage bar. Who told these people to show up here? Second I noticed their prices have been jacked (where have they not!). I’m ordered a “Dirty Hipster”: Jäger shot and PBR which now costs $5 (that $3 price must be on the weekdays).
Not being a fan of lickerish and throw up, I switched to Jim Bean and PBR for the rest of my time here at B&G. The bar has a cliquey vibe with young boys clustering around the first skinny legged fawn to wonder in. I swear I met a G-eye-Na here (like 40 yr virgin speed date chick).
Next we wondered down to the National to check some random band and grow the entourage. We’re currently rolling 6 deep at this point and pick up a few more girls and loose a few penis. Clean bathrooms, a good Guinness pour and some wacky chicks hang at this spot. I’ve been before for other shows so I won’t associate last nights crowd as typical.
Still headed south we’re now swaying deeper into LES to another 70s garage bar: Welcome to the Johnsons. Somehow they now have 5 second bouncer that can’t remember anyone that was just through the door 5 seconds earlier, whom checks my ID at least 6 times in an hour as I go outside to get some air, catch up on the phone or shat on the stairs.
At this point, I’m done with dive bars, it’s 2 am and I need a break or I’m getting sick. I wonder back towards SOHO, stop in a random new bar, and then somehow make my way to Sullivan room without stopping for food on McDougal. Tonight at Sulli Room is the dj set of Evil Nine.
The guys were cool, looked like they were having it, but the crowd was just flat. They were playing some harder prog funk tracks before breaking out their playlist of choons. It thinned out early which I was disappointed about. I drunk leaned on the bar and check the breakers flail. Too bad this town doesn’t love breaks! I read here that they went off on Sat in Montreal.
Well worth the sickness I have this morning. Check em out:
Evil Nine – Restless (feat. Toastie Taylor)
[audio:http://mail.journal.kmv.ru/pub/02.mp3]