Thursday, November 16, 2006

Christina Aguilera 'Back To Basics'


Wednesday night, I dropped by the Flying Anvil club here in Greensboro. It has been a long while since I saw Benjomatic. They have a new bass player named Jeff and I have yet to meet him. I hear that they’re a little different with the new addition.

When I walked into the club, there were 30 or less in the expansive building and I could hear Benjy playing alone with his acoustic guitar. When I walked around to the stage, the rest of the band was nowhere around. I asked Dan Green what the deal was and he told that Scotty Irving had a migraine.

I’ve known a few people over the years that get migraines, so I completely understand why a drummer wouldn’t want to put up with making a lot of noise while having one. I’ve known people where their migraines are so bad that they wear sunglasses at night and sometimes the pain is so intense, they shed a few tears and have trouble eating.

I settled into a chair with a Red Oak and enjoyed Benjy’s time on stage.

In this morning’s Greensboro News & Record, I read an article about the Flying Anvil’s uncertain future. I wasn’t all that surprised because I had a conversation about that very thing with Dan Green.

The Flying Anvil opened up with much fanfare and with the sale of liquor you needed a membership. I got one online and only had to pick it up when I got there along with a couple of dollars to pay for it. Well, I never saw many things on the bill that made me want to go to the Flying Anvil. If something caught my attention to where I wanted to go, I couldn’t because I had to work. I would get the emailings from the Anvil and I looked over them, but nothing ever made me do a double take.

Before last night, the only other time I ventured into the club was with my friend Cheryl when she was looking over bands for the outstanding Fashion Rox event at The Garage. I asked to pick up my membership and Wesley E said they no longer sold liquor and memberships were no longer required. A small red flag appeared before my mind’s eye.

There were maybe sixty folks there that night when Cheryl and I attended. It was nothing out of the ordinary for a bill of original rock bands. Oh, but hordes will turn out for a cover band. Not that I have anything against cover bands, I just like hearing someone perform their own songs and tell me what THEY have to say instead of hearing the same songs over and over again. In my opinion, life is too short for cover bands. Give me something real and homegrown!

I remember telling Cheryl that night about what I thought the biggest problem with the Flying Anvil was… The Anvil is a non-smoking joint.

Last night, I heard several folks complaining about not being able to smoke. Any other time I heard from my friend’s experiences at the Anvil, they too complained about not being able to light up.

I’ve spent over 24 years going to clubs and bars to see bands. Cigarette smoking and rock n’ roll have always gone hand in hand. I personally don’t smoke, but I know that when I’m checking out a band in a bar, I’m walking out of there with my clothes permeated with smoke. I have accepted it. As a matter of fact, I carry a cigarette lighter just in case a lady needs a light. After all, Miss Right may have a butt between her lips.

In my experiences, the majority of folks out after 10pm generally carry a pack of smokes with them. They drink and smoke… And if you throw rock n’ roll into the mix, they tend to smoke and drink more. Smoking and drinking are perceived as sinful and a lot of folks commit these sins in great earnest. And a lot of these sinners are out to commit other transgressions by picking someone up and fornicating. If they want to smoke, they have to step outside and take a few quick drags off a Marlboro.

Lets say smokers pass over ten of their hard earned dollars to get inside the club. What’s the point of doing this if you’re going to miss half the show because you’re outside smoking?

I wouldn’t do it unless you have something I can’t get anywhere else. And unfortunately, smokers will go somewhere else. They will go to where sinners hang out in great numbers.

Perhaps I am wrong with my views. I don’t want the Flying Anvil to go away. I don’t want to see the demise of any club that supports live and original music. But I do hope they relax on the non-smoking issue to see if that’s the problem before shutting the doors for good.

Lets give sin a try!

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:53 AM

    As a non-drinker, I don't go to many bars, but I do know that one of the main things that annoy me about them is that when I come home I smell like an ash tray. I guess it may make it more fun for some, but if you can't make it through a concert without smoking, maybe a less-addictive habit is called for. And also: cigarettes contain urea, and so does your pee.

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  2. Anonymous3:54 AM

    Christina Aguilera?! Come on now...

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  3. Anonymous11:41 AM

    Let me be the first to wish you an official Happy Birthday today.

    A little birdie told me that it's today.

    Happy birthday, old man. Welcome to the club. ;)

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  4. All right, "me again"... The Christina Aguilera CD is really good. I particularly like disc two in this release. It's nothing but dirty ditties that sound like the Manhattan Transfer.

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  5. Thank you, Bebo!

    From the blowout over the weekend, it's a nice club to be in.

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