Friday – April 27th, 2012

And it’s the 4pm shift for me on Friday. It’s my week solidly in the lounge, and I’ll freely admit a little trepidation.

Why?

Simple. We have a new band this week. Being as we’re basically a captive audience, it does make one a bit nervous when an unknown quantity rolls in. However, they appeared to have brought their own fans along with them, which is usually a good sign, one of whom is the drummer for the 50s band that plays in our lounge regularly. So – hope.

At any rate, I got logged into my cash register, and hoped that the maintenance that the IT folks had done today produces positive effect. It’s getting very old, with the constant freeze-ups and the boot-offs and such. Shortly after I got installed, the day barkeep took her second break (as she’d had trouble getting coverage) and then left shortly before 5. The result of this? I got to keep all of the tips for that hour to myself as she hadn’t contributed to the take. (her own unprompted words). To add to the fun, our night barkeep that was backing me up didn’t arrive until 6pm. So I actually ended up with about 2 hours of unshared tips to add to whatever else we earned. Icing for the cake to come.

The band did start to roll in around 6ish, with the drummer arriving first and getting set up. According to the fans we’d heard from earlier, the band played 60-70s dance pop stuff.

So hm. Well that might not be too bad.

I reserved judgement on the matter and went off to enjoy my dinner.

I came back to find more of the band set up and as I was helping the guests, before my evening guy went to his own supper. I noticed something unusual leaning against the wall near the band: A pair of white sticks, each having a ‘foot’ so that it would stand upright, and a third stick, with small cylinders on each end.

“Is that…?” I asked the other bartender.

“Looks like it.” he said, kind of puzzled like. So he went to dinner, and I helped guests, and we put it out of mind for the moment.

While we didn’t get hectic, we did certainly get a respectable crowd going and a modest pace of business by the time we turned the lights low and the band got started.

They did indeed sing 60s/70s stuff, largely dance related. It was very different from what we normally hear, they were good musicians, and the lead singer was very engaging and dynamic. At one point the band performed “Love Train” and the lead singer actually had about 20 people all following along behind him in a ‘train’ as he led them all around the lounge. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before here. Color me impressed.

Shortly after – they got the white sticks off of the wall and.. it was indeed what I thought it was.

Limbo.

Swear to God – not like… dead and in a vague place with no direction or form… but the actual song.. the actual thing. A line of people doing the limbo (including I have to add, the bass player, who limbo’d -while- he was playing.) This was a first. The lounge has -never- had anyone attempt Limbo before. About halfway through? It got better. A bachelorette party or something similar arrived shortly afterwards. Sue me for being a guy, but very attractive young ladies in mini-skirts doing the limbo? Yeahhh. Do math. Those of us behind the bar had the most -incredible- view.

Let me pause here just a moment. I make no secret of my enjoyment of women, and the female form. While I will never toss a mirror on the ground and drool while I stare (kind of tacky) – the flip side of the coin, is that all things being equal, should a female simply show what she’s got, I’m probably not going to turn white and about face. I’m going to simply enjoy the free show, and then continue on with my night. Thus – Limbo.

Now then – moving on.

The band acquitted themselves nicely as well on their treatment of a couple of birthday girls in the crowd, singing a very nice and pleasant first verse of the traditional ‘Happy Birthday’ standard.. and then picking up the pace for a second verse (“Are you getting some tonight?”) and then a third (“We hope it’s with Joe”, whilst pointing at their bass player.)

I like these guys. They’ve got style. They even played a song our other bartender requested, ‘Margaritaville’. At one point afterwards, the lead guy came over to the bar and asked if I’d liked it. I told him it was good, but noted that it wasn’t my request, pointed out whose it was, and assured him he’d been around to hear it. The lead singer then asked ‘Well what do we play for you, then?’

I considered the time period they play in and suggested they kick in with Gap Band’s “You Drop the Bomb on Me.”, which holds a significant tone for me as it’s literally the first song I ever heard on the radio that made me perk up and go ‘Ooooo…” Turns out they don’t know it, but the guy’s eyes lit up when I mentioned it and he said that not only should they learn that one as it would fit very well with their set list, but that they’ll have it worked up by their next stop around. Not sure if they will – but that’d be very cool.

The night otherwise ended without any incident, and we didn’t have to deal with any significant idiots either, so.. score. Our senior cocktail girl, who had the night off to go to a concert with her boyfriend, came and sat at the bar as were cleaning up, and I chatted with her a bit friendy-like until she wandered off. (Her boyfriend, by the by, is so -completely- in the dog house with her. Yowza. That’ll teach him to get fucked up drunk way early on her night off. Or maybe it won’t. Who knows?) Then thus, I also wandered off, and the night came to a close.

Closing Observations:

Mini-skirts and Limbo. ‘Nuff said.
Our cash registers didn’t freeze up or dump us out even ONCE tonight. Hell – I think they may actually have it fixed finally.
I love my android phone, by the by. Watched part of a movie on my break. Thank you, Netflix. Additionally – Thank you, Casino’s public wi-fi network.

Next up : Saturday Night