Good thing we don't have real jobs, or we probably couldn't be posting about how much fun we had in Hartford tonight right now, much less having so much fun on a Monday night. Lucky us!
It all started with trying to be a little more cultured and checking out the Hartford Jazz Society's "Monday Night Jazz" in Bushnell Park. Tonight's performers were the Fela Kuti Tribute Band featuring various folks we "totally know" (Margaux Hayes, Jim Matus, Steven Haynes, etc.) and the Nat Reeves All Stars.
We got there a little early and decided to check out the notoriously bad public art on display in various empty store fronts around downtown. Apparently this shiz is supposed to reveal "the inherent dignity and promise of [Hartford's] people." But frankly, it just looks like some Sears portrait studio hack work, and we can't figure out why they didn't at least use the laser background. There's more inherent dignity in a one night stand. (We would totally know.)
I mean, no offense people in those portraits, but how is that any different that this?
(bank advert, btw)
While the art left us flat, we were encouraged by the large crowd of peeps on the lawn at Bushnell Park in front of the ever-so-scenic capitol building. We weren't sure the legal status on drinking at the park, so we "recycled" some Dunkin Donuts cups from some coffee drinking friends.
We're pretty sure you're not in this for our ability to critique Afrobeat. Let's get to the good stuff. The band featured an all-star cast of CT musicians, but so did the audience! Probably the very best thing that happened, ever, in our lives, was coming across Rob the Drummer's motorcycle after getting wasted on barely any Woodchuck Cider and that Hunter S. Thompson beer. We pointed the shit out that thing. Rob is pretty famous around these parts for being on Sesame Street one time and also having a big, you know...*
One of our friends from the band had plans at Tapas after the gig, so we tagged along and checked out live music by The Shinolas. We've heard of that stuff! We enjoyed their sophisticated country vibe, but more than anything, in the world, ever, we enjoyed talking to some actual fellow bloggers from My Left Nutmeg, our new favorite blog, after CT Scenic.
Alas, that party ended too, but the night was young-ish (like us?) and a magical text message told us some friends were down the block at McKinnon's fake Irish pub. Hey, look, it's all our karaoke friends! Singing karaoke! The karaoke set-up there is pretty horrible - performers facing away from the audience, but the super casual vibe invited plenty of audience participation. Perhaps best of all was the classic Pac-Man game. Our friend Cambria hooked us up with some quarters, and shit got pretty intense. We also tried our hand (with less success) at the ATM machine. We lost. Our buzzes. And went home.
Dewer's? I barely knew her.
*Ego
It all started with trying to be a little more cultured and checking out the Hartford Jazz Society's "Monday Night Jazz" in Bushnell Park. Tonight's performers were the Fela Kuti Tribute Band featuring various folks we "totally know" (Margaux Hayes, Jim Matus, Steven Haynes, etc.) and the Nat Reeves All Stars.
We got there a little early and decided to check out the notoriously bad public art on display in various empty store fronts around downtown. Apparently this shiz is supposed to reveal "the inherent dignity and promise of [Hartford's] people." But frankly, it just looks like some Sears portrait studio hack work, and we can't figure out why they didn't at least use the laser background. There's more inherent dignity in a one night stand. (We would totally know.)
I mean, no offense people in those portraits, but how is that any different that this?
(bank advert, btw)
We're pretty sure you're not in this for our ability to critique Afrobeat. Let's get to the good stuff. The band featured an all-star cast of CT musicians, but so did the audience! Probably the very best thing that happened, ever, in our lives, was coming across Rob the Drummer's motorcycle after getting wasted on barely any Woodchuck Cider and that Hunter S. Thompson beer. We pointed the shit out that thing. Rob is pretty famous around these parts for being on Sesame Street one time and also having a big, you know...*
One of our friends from the band had plans at Tapas after the gig, so we tagged along and checked out live music by The Shinolas. We've heard of that stuff! We enjoyed their sophisticated country vibe, but more than anything, in the world, ever, we enjoyed talking to some actual fellow bloggers from My Left Nutmeg, our new favorite blog, after CT Scenic.
Alas, that party ended too, but the night was young-ish (like us?) and a magical text message told us some friends were down the block at McKinnon's fake Irish pub. Hey, look, it's all our karaoke friends! Singing karaoke! The karaoke set-up there is pretty horrible - performers facing away from the audience, but the super casual vibe invited plenty of audience participation. Perhaps best of all was the classic Pac-Man game. Our friend Cambria hooked us up with some quarters, and shit got pretty intense. We also tried our hand (with less success) at the ATM machine. We lost. Our buzzes. And went home.
Dewer's? I barely knew her.
*Ego
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I never knew Rob had a big UNO.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is amazing! Making CT look and sound this good is no small feat. I felt compelled to comment on two things. First: Those portraits downtown, purported to showcase "the people's dignity" or whatever, and spark dialogue to magically combat poverty and a lack of opportunity, are a bit of an insult to "the people's dignity," don't you think? What wouldn't be an insult would be to invest in Hartford's infrastructure and maybe create livelihoods that would be befitting all Hartford residents' dignity... right? At least the people seem to be working/ have jobs in the bank art!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I used to take drum lessons from Rob the Drummer when I was in 6th grade, and he was really intense! It was not unheard of for him to grab my hand and crack all my knuckles when I wasn't holding the sticks properly. The lesson usually culminated in him sitting me down at his 360 degrees of totally excessive drum set and saying "just play!" followed by a big bear hug. I remember when the Gulf War broke out, we just watched the news. Last time I was in WH I spotted him leaving the Goldroc parking lot and I proceeded to tail him, honking and waving, but I don't think he recognized me.