Lonelyland

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Monday night we go to see Bob Schneider's Lonelyland at the Saxon Pub which is short distance away. We take an Uber car to Barlata (a new Italian/tapas restaurant we're curious about) for the happy hour/dinner and then walk the short distance over to the Saxon for the show.

Lonelyland is a weekly residence that we've been to several times. It's always entertaining and often pretty funny, sometimes a little bizarrely naughty. When it's good, it's great. Bob Schneider sells out big halls, this is a much more intimate environment and an opportunity to get really silly.

We have reserved seating tickets but there's a large standing room only crowd right behind us and in front of the bar. We're on a banquette with a table and chairs, there are some more tables and chairs in front of us and then the corner stage. Most at these seats are keen to listen to and enjoy the show. There's a couple of young women behind us who are noisily being chatted up by a young fellow their age. After putting up with their chatter for quite a while and casting dirty looks their way I ultimately turned around and asked them pretty forcefully to shut to fuck up! If you're not interested in the show go yammer in the other room, go outside, or go home! This, of course, had little effect. They're interested in the show, but also interested in yammering to one another. Again it's one of those cases where I wish they'd charge twice as much to keep these guys away. There are meat markets with recorded music where young folk can meet and mate.

Anyways, that's one of my constant gripes about music events in Austin. People don't appreciate what they have.

Earlier that day we went to the Bullock Museum to catch the IMAX movie "America's Musical Journey". It's a short show, with some 3D and very loud. It wasn't too busy and we enjoyed the show. It focussed on the various musical influences found around the country. Cindy and I also took in the photo exhibit "THIS LIGHT OF OURS: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement". That's a special exhibit for Black History Month. There are some very sad stories of prejudice and injustice that play out during our lifetime. Thank god for LBJ and the Great Society.

We had lunch at the Texas Chili Parlor Bar. It's a dive but we go often. It's not too busy today -- I suppose because it's President's Day and a lot are on holidays. We chat briefly with the waiter who rides the one speed bike. He tells us he's living in a house that has no heat at all! It's quite cold here at the bar -- it must be awful in his home. Kate and Cindy have the vegetarian chili, Reg has the enchilada and steak plate, we all enjoy some mad dog margarita's and toast Guy Clark who has made the drink and this bar famous. We tip well and hope our server will stay warm.

For more on the mythology of this bar/restaurant see this story in the Texanist.