Everyone's an Actor or Musician

From the wine bar, I got girl talk from a good friend. From the movie, I got laughs and Richmond scenery. From the music, I got a familiar voice and two bands new to me.

With the exception of meeting the man of my dreams, I think I got everything I could need tonight.

For a change, I sat on the couch at Secco rather than at the bar, providing an even closer view of the Hopper-esque view of the interior of The Eatery across the street.

We also had a great view of people coming around the corner, including a man in patchwork pants that were truly something, we just weren't sure what (my friend: "I'm rethinking taking up quilting after seeing those").

I also enjoyed my first Lebanese wine, the 2008 Chateau Muser "Jeune Rouge," a blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cab. It was velvety smooth and full of spices, making me wonder why I'm such a latecomer to Lebanese wines (perhaps it's an availability issue and, if so, thank you, Julia).

My friend had loads of relationship talk she needed to get off her chest while I had only a few minor stories to share (or minor stories about major events).

We did both over a selection of new cheeses, including the Westfield Farm White Buck (soft, flaky, bloomy rind with just a whisper of bleu), the P'tit Basque (smooth, nutty) and the Romero (firm, vibrant, rosemary-infused).

The last was a raw milk cheese and easily my favorite of the three; I don't need no stinkin' homogenization.

We had planned to move from there to the Byrd, but Friend had to bow out, so I went for an evening of independent film alone. Showing was Antihero, a collaboration of VCU theater students and graduates made last summer on a shoestring.

And, of course, using RVA as a location guaranteed me several things. I'd recognize locations (the fight on Monument Avenue, for instance) and there would be bikes and PBR.

Beyond that, I've seen one of the lead actors, Joe Carlson, chew scenery in any number of theatrical performances over the years. Even wine god Bob Talcott had a role as a mean drug kingpin, although he looked very dapper in his seersucker suit.

The movie told the story of two RVA guys partying and breaking into houses once they discover that one of them has psychic powers. Despite their less-than-lawful start, they wind up doing all sorts of good deeds (reviving an overdosed girl, preventing a rape) along the way.

The dialog alternated between bro-speak (everyone called everyone "dude") and under-the-breath witty ("Why do they call it a grilled cheese when it's fried?").

The good-sized audience cheered, laughed along and generally showed support for the offbeat comedy and its local crew. I have no doubt but that many PBRs were raised in celebration shortly after the screening ended.

With the movie over by 9:00, it only made sense to stop by the Camel on my way home. Tuesdays they always host a couple of jazz bands and there's no cover, making for a tempting way to finish out the evening.

This week it was the Lucas Fritz Quintet followed by Old Soul, two bands about which I knew nothing. That was corrected pretty quickly after I arrived when musician Lydia Ooghe came over to say hello. Only then did she tell me that Old Soul is her "side project."

LFQ got things rolling with some original material; I especially like "Ultra Hang" and "The O." I got a kick out of Fritz introducing the song "Just In Time" as "from the Old American songbook."
I think he meant the Great American songbook, but technically he's right; they are old songs It just sounded funny coming from someone of his tender years.

In addition to Lydia on vocals, Old Soul also had Marcus and David from No BS Brass Band and Matt, the drummer I had befriended at the Zakir Hussain show at the Folk Fest last fall.

So I didn't know the band by name, but I was familiar with four of the seven members, which actually isn't all that surprising. It's a fact; Richmond's music community is as incestuous as its restaurant community. When it comes to music, I'm not sure that's a bad thing, though.

Old Soul had a very full sound with both alto and tenor sax and fabulous keyboards, not to mention a vocalist on many of the songs.

A highlight was the two-part piece, "Sleeps Vary" and "Morning Doubts," as was the last piece, written by Matt and featuring drumming that had the entire crowd quiet and enthralled, which unfortunately had not been the case throughout the entire evening.

It was a terrific way to finish things up. Like I said, except for the obvious, I got everything I could have wanted this evening.