Shayan dragged me out to see Bonnie Prince Billy on Monday night. Shayan’s brief description didn’t make him sound too impressive… and Shayan hadn’t really seen the fellow perform before, but I went anyway. I mean… how often do close personal friends visiting from the other side of the country invite you to a show?
We walked into The Social (formerly Sapphire Supper Club, formerly Orlando Jazz & Blues Club… for all you O-Town historians) to find a three person band playing a slow dirge of a song that made shuffle quickly to the bar for a beer.
After talking to various people I know… and mostly answering the question, “Where’s Liz?”. Shayan spots a balding blonde guy with thick mustache in overalls, wearing a pink headband and matching wristbands. “That’s him, Bonnie Prince Billy.”
So you can imagine my surprise 30 minutes later when he’s on stage blowing me away with music and voice and harmony and soul and everything in between. I didn’t know any of the songs, but I nevertheless felt a connection to the music. Good show!
After the show… we stepped over to BBQ Bar to say hello to John Davis, a friend of Shayan’s. I went straight for the potty… odd thing is BBQ Bar and The Social are now owned by the same group of people. They also happen to own the patio behind Independent Bar (formerly Barbarella, formerly The Beach Club)… so I basically walked into the old Barbarella outdoor restroom. Weird.
I finish my business and find Shayan sharing a shot with John. We then walk through the maze behind BBQ Bar and onto the aforementioned patio to make our way to Spy Bar (formerly the goth bar that was part of Barbarella). We sit, chat and watch some people play a game of pool. It’s late… so we decide to go home.
We then returned to BBQ Bar to find the place all a-titter. Dave Atell, the comedian is at the bar having drinks. A ginormously-breasted blonde girl is talking to him… and John Davis is pouring him a drink. Shayan wants to say goodbye to John so we wait a couple of minutes as a group of people seem to hover around the section of the room where Dave is seated. Odd behavior from people who appear to be the disaffected youth of America, but who am I to cast judgment (and since when did judgment start getting spelled without the “e”?)
Goodbyes said and done… we walk to the car and ride home. A good night for music… and a good night for hanging with an old friend.
–sam
That isn’t the John Davis we went to school with, was it?
And so far as I can tell, judgment has been e-less for some time, even though it came as something of a surprise to me as well, when I found this out a year or two ago. I kinda wondered to myself, “How long has that been going on? And how silly have I looked spelling it the wrong way?”
Nah… different John Davis.
As for judg(e)ment… it’s silly I tell you… silly!
–sam