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| The High Beck Tavern |
We are coming to the end of an era. "What's that?" you say. "Is Donald Trump about to outlaw great music?" Well, not that I know of. And if he did, that would just herald the next great wave of rock n' roll anyway. We all know that rock n' roll is truly outlaw music. But no, I am referring to something else.
David the bartender (hell I don't even know his last name) will soon no longer be bartending on Monday nights at The High Beck Tavern. " So what, right? I mean he might be a great bartender, but other people can serve a beer. I just go for the free pizza anyway." (It's true. They serve free pizza on Monday nights.) And that's all true. But David's playlists, that's what I'm gonna miss.
I first met David several years ago when he was tending bar at another Columbus establishment when I suddenly realized that the music playing was one of my favorite albums, and one I had only ever heard played in my own house. We had a nice chat then and that was the end of that. A couple years later I realized that same dude was bartending one of my favorite weekly hangouts.
The great thing about High Beck on David's Monday nights is you would hang out and at first you might not notice the music. Oh there's a great Bob Dylan song...not so surprising. Hey there's a great David Bowie song. Yeah I like that Lou Reed song. Tom Waits, yeah he's cool. Ooh, that's Nick Cave right now. The Stranglers, YEAH! Hey...now that I think of it, I don't usually hear so much great music just playing on the PA at a bar. Hell yeah that sounds like The Seeds. Wait what was that last one? Ceramic Dog, who are they?
So the point is, it's not that David played ridiculously obscure music that showed "Oh I'm so smart and I know more than anyone else." No, he just found a way to make it an inviting atmosphere where the masses could still feel comfortable that they would hear something familiar, while someone like me could totally geek out ("What's gonna play next?") And the great thing about it is, I could go into each song unbiased. If you would pull me aside and say "No man, this Conor Oberst song really kicks ass," there's a possibility I would have shut my ears off. Ryan Adams? He's just some darling of the hipsters, I don't wanna listen to him. But instead, every song was "Something David played, so it could be great." Some songs (like the Ceramic Dog and James McMurtry songs below) just sneak into the air and eventually I find they've reached into my brain and yanked my attention away from some actors arguing about paying college athletes.
I'll miss David on those Mondays, but I'll still be there. Those of you in Columbus should be there too!
The lesson David inadvertently taught me is that if I haven't heard it, I don't know if I'll like it. Just give the music a listen. I spent years seeking out new music to love. Thanks David, for helping me get back to that at least a little bit here in my middle age. Here's a sample of some great songs I never would have heard if not for David.
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