Characters, Storylines Provide City’s Soundtrack

Characters and storylines are omnipresent. Characters are the people and personalities which crystallize an evening’s moments. Storylines pattern and progress an evening’s entirety.

Upon my arrival for the Park Street Festival, the panorama was perfection. Parents and children strolling the scenery… Children smiling as their faces were painted… Couples and singles walking their dog… One could not have requested (and if they did, they would have been rejected) a superior visual to start the sun soaked afternoon…

As announced on twitter, I received the perfect start to my afternoon… Joe Boxer invited me onto his program… I will discuss my appearance momentarily, but I must compliment (and potentially gush about) Joe Boxer and WNCI. In three hours, the radio station’s triad and myself broached twenty separate conversations… A myriad of subjects, including this website’s ambition, composition, and origin, were discussed… These exchanges could have severed merely as icebreakers (and they did)… However, they also improved my intelligence…

Once, I labeled Joe Boxer as one of the most authentic, engaging people that one could encounter… If I continued praising his humanity for the next three pages, my assessment would remain spectacularly insufficient… Joe is not a role model you hope your children emulate… He is the role model you know you should emulate…

I promised I would return to my radio appearance, which I assumed would encompass three minutes… My appearance encompassed three hours and three segments… If you weren’t listening (and you should have been), Joe and I discussed the Gossip Awards, his hosting of them, this website, people watching, and platinum bunnies… If you were listening (I applaud you), I know I spoke with exceeding speed… You attempt twittering and have someone, as you’re typing, tell you your appearance is in thirty seconds…

Since I mentioned people watching (a phrase I never utilize), Park Street Festival’s afternoon was an amusing mosaic. From the lady who strode with a multi-colored purse and a gorilla wrapped around her arm to the Pittsburgh Steelers fans who offset their jerseys with terrible towels (no I’m not kidding), the calamitous cornucopia reaffirmed the obvious… This city needs a stylist…

The Steelers tandem simply epitomized the random and ridiculous montage of sports apparel which was present… The St. Louis Cardinals were copious… And every conference was represented… Big East, Mid American, Citywide Alliance of Kickball Champions… I enjoy sports… However, Park Street Festival isn’t the set of College Game Day… (Replace the gear with a polo)…

Between our initial and second twitter sessions, I encountered Park Street Patio Promotions Superstar Tori Lioness… As we discussed the event, one observance interwove through our conversation… Both of us were on minimal sleep and our work was half-over… When Tori suggested a shot, my conscience opposed alcohol (it’s not a stimulant)… All my mind could articulate is “I will have one with you…”

When Tori and I’s consumption and conversation concluded, Jamie Precious captured my attention… Jamie has amassed three mentions in three columns… We could have discussed the periodic table and she would have maintained my attention… Yet, as we discussed Les Wexner and his impact upon this city, Jamie reminded me of what should be this website’s watchwords… Those are column material are column material…

What is applicable concerning people is applicable concerning venues… And Park Street Patio’s weekend crowds reinforce this… While other venues awaited or exchanged patrons, Park Street Patio acquired and sustained patrons throughout the event… They were never crushed… Yet, Park Street Festival never poached their audience…

After ninety minutes of rest (not relaxation), Gandhi invited me onto her program. I promoted the website. We then shared an off-air conversation about this city; it’s media and nightlife… As I said on twitter, Gandhi has more personality than professionals who have been in the business a decade… For her, randoms are merely unmet friends…

Amidst Ghandi and I’s conversation, Gonzo appeared, munching on a pulled pork sandwich… His apparel (a shirt which read “my mustache brings all the boys to the yard”) and our conversation (whether twittering sounds as a dirty word) assimilated perfectly into the twilight’s random atmosphere… Clearly, the characters would be this evening’s storyline…

One of those characters… Lodge Bar Assistant General Manager Trevor Day, a superstar among management in this city… Superstars do not typically commit colossal mistakes… They comprehend managed expectations… They comprehend exceeded expectations impress, even when the original expectations are miniscule… Imagine my shock when he raised expectations…

Whereas most view cockiness as a defect, Trevor views cockiness as a competitive advantage… His expression and eyes assume victory; they present victory, even when victory is a virtual impossibility… Common sense implored he should minimize expectations… He should embrace the term average night… Instead, Trevor appeared to bet the house on his pair of fours…

As I returned to the Park Street Festival, I encounter Drew Hanson and Jimmy Jam, walking amongst the throng… We locate a somewhat unoccupied space (somewhat at this hour, a relative term) and the pair continue their previous conversation… Now, I have no clue concerning the context or subject matter… Yet, this is irrelevant… Jimmy Jam and the Cheshire Cat’s incidental complaints are as entertaining as any stage production as I have ever witnessed…

Moments after midnight, the Park Street Festival concluded… And the storylines commenced… Park Street Patio was crushed… The entrance line extended into the street and locating one’s friends would have required google earth… Lodge Bar was swarmed… And Callahan’s was merely scattered… Inside the booth, Gonzo was mimicking Mike Gallicchio’s prowl of the previous week… Where was his crowd? Where was his crowd?

One hour subsequent, as anyone walking toward their car, would have been better off walking home, Callahan’s crowd vastly improved… Consistently the perfectionist, Gonzo’s prowl remained ever present… He concocted sets… He connected sets… One glance toward the dance floor and one would assume he would have been elated… Yet, Gonzo’s intensity never relented…

Until one hour remained… It’s not as if there was a sudden influx of patrons… Gonzo’s strut simply reappeared… Gonzo mixed, he spun, he scratched, his hands noted the rhythm of the selection, his head noted the rhythm of the selection, he interacted with the crowd and the selection… For the final sixty minutes, his spectacular personality was palpable…

For the second consecutive evening, Park Street Patio was the unquestioned champion… I could spend several paragraphs praising their performance… However, their inside and outside were virtually impassable… And their bars were stacked five deep… Those scenarios scream for themselves…

When I returned to Lodge Bar, the venue was crushed… I could type never again will I doubt Trevor… However, that presumptive statement would be inaccurate… I will doubt him again… You never assume victory is possible with a pair of fours, until the winner sitting across from you is counting your chips… On this evening, Trevor was counting every single one…

Now, I would be remiss if I exited this column without admonishing DJ Michael. I sincerely respect him… He possesses skills… Unfortunately, there is a miniscule line between genius and madness and he flirted with it… “Barbie Girl,” “Mmmbop…” Did someone invite me to a retirement ceremony for insipid teenage anthems?

Concerning this website, I’ve been asked the question of why? What occurs in the various venues is not relevant… It is not news… Why analyze, report, and twitter every evening? In this city, characters and storylines are omnipresent. Information and stars are nonexistent. All four are coveted and inescapable. I am simply their soundtrack.