The Noise Ordinance is Pure Bologna

"I do NOT want to go to jail. They call fried bologna bacon."
~Chad of the Florentines

But we'll get back to the noise ordinance. Tonight was a night full of familiar faces, starting at Lamplighter where I met a friend for dinner on the patio. I had the Lamplighter, a mixed green salad with strawberries, nuts, Gorgonzola and red onion with chicken salad and a vanilla balsamic vinaigrette; my friend had his chicken salad as a a sandwich. The problem with Lamplighter is the difficulty of choosing your meal while all those beautiful donuts, pastries and moon pies stare you in the face. I find it's best to turn my back on them while looking at the menu. I can't concentrate on savory when sweet is at hand.

As we sat outside enjoying our meal, a musician friend walked up and I asked if I would see him at Gallery 5 for music tonight. But no, it seems he had a date with a girl who had written her phone number on her check when he was waiting on her the other night (aren't all musicians also servers?). Like me, he doesn't date people who don't enjoy live music, here, but since there had been a band playing that evening, he felt fairly confident about tonight's possibilities. Dating is hard work, I know, so I wished him luck.

Just as I got back to eating, I heard my name shouted from across the street and two friends I hadn't seen in six months rode up. They've been woofing in South America and just got back a few days ago, so it was just wonderful to see them. We made plans to get together and catch up on what they'd been doing down there and what they'd missed in rva. Jameson is one of my very favorite people and it made my day for him to happen on me that way.

Moving on to Gallery 5, I met up with an exhausted girlfriend and, a bit later, a tardy music fanatic friend. I was looking forward to a superb evening showcasing four folk-type bands: Low Branches, Englishman, Jonathan Vassar & Speckled Bird and The Florentines. The band order had been arranged sonically, quietest to loudest, to accommodate the last band using a drum set. That order only became an issue later.

Low Branches' hushed sound could almost be considered lullaby-like in its beauty. Englishman, from Kentucky, have a 70s singer/songwriter sound with just guitar, keyboards and harmonies; I remembered being so impressed the first time I heard them. I've been following JV & SB for almost two years now and their sound just keeps getting richer and more mature. Jonathan even gave me a shout-out from the stage about my comment to him earlier about the line -up (it was essentially the First Listening Room bands with his band also included). Come on, everyone likes to hear their name from the stage, right?

By the time the Florentines came on, it was nearing the bewitching hour of 11 and the lead singer acknowledged the noise ordinance that is being enforced of late, with musicians being charged with misdemeanors. "I've been to jail once and I don't want to go back," he said, explaining why they would do two loud songs and then switch to quiet mode for the rest. It was when he heard that it was 11:02, that he made the comment about bologna.

Even a music lover like me wouldn't expect a guy to pump up the volume when he risks a bacon-less stay in jail. Life, even a few days, without bacon? That's asking too much of anyone.

In fact, that seals it. I won't be having a second visit to the City Jail.