Wednesday in the Old Port

So I'm on my way to the absolute launch at the Pavilion, I walk by the alehouse on Market St. I heard some Grateful Dead coming from from inside. I thought "Isn't that nice that someone is playing them on the jukebox." Then I realized that it was Wednesday and that A Band Beyond Description played here on Wednesday. My friend Todd plays the bass for them.

I have missed live music. And these guys rock. Mostly Grateful Dead covers artfully played. It would be nice to hear some original tunes but I could listen to them play all night.

The Ratings

The Venue 3.2 It's a dive on Market St where Erik's used to be. They've put up a fence on the stairs so it's a little safer to walk down but you wonder what else it's there for. But they are smart enough to realize that a house band can be essential on a wedsnesday night and they picked a good one. 3 dollar cover not psyched about that but I suspect that that is what the band gets. It's worth the cash though.

food and drinks NA I had just come from a focus group for the Casino Question and they fed me so I wasn't hungry and I gave up alcohol for Holy Week. Yeah I know that giving up things for Lent is more normal but I'm not big into sacrifice.

People 3.5 Saw Todd and someone I recognise as someone I like but even though we've known each other for more than a decade I don't think either of us knows the other's name. They both played very well and it was good to say hi. I did find myself explaining to some lovely lady why it was that I was not drinking which I really do not like to do. One because it doesn't matter why I'm not drinking and because I really don't like trying to yell over a band to make myself heard. Course she could have just been trying to talk to me and couldn't think of anything else to say.

The music 4.3 Some glitches. They understood what it was that they were doing. They obviously enjoyed what they were doing and they did it very well. Tight so that hours of rehersal paid off. Flexible enough to allow an unplanned glitch to turn into an outstanding solo.

Overall 3.9 Great tunes. Worth the three bucks.