Always Live

From Columbus to Philadelphia, Lodge Bar Assistant General Manager Trevor Day advanced his career. General Manager Pat West may headline the venue’s staff. However, Trevor was a singular superstar. He is extraordinarily impressive. He will own Philadelphia.

Concerning his successors (as no one will replace him), Mike Material and Matt Delight are stellar choices. Mike is the calculated and consummate professional. Matt is entertainment exemplified. Both merited promotions. Both will perform superbly.

While We Were Away

From Columbus to Philadelphia, Lodge Bar Assistant General Manager Trevor Day advances his career. Mike Material supplants him. Kattie Minx renounces her superstar slinger status. McFadden’s, General Manager Damien Fuller, and Emily Rose Perfection separate… Gossip CBUS has been away awhile…

We’ve returned and Always Live will recount what we’ve missed…

Present As You Seek Infamy

Every evening, I ask myself one question… Where’s the news tonight?

On this evening, I thought that question could remain unanswered. The streets were vacant. The venues were vacant. Several churches and synagogues this weekend will have superior energy. Why was this? Park Street Festival was last weekend… Ohio State students have vanished… Opposing activities were occurring… Any reason is sensible… No reason is sufficient…

If you’ve read this website (and I know you have), Drink with a Lodge Bar employee night is an identifiable phrase. When last call echoed this evening, Lodge Bar employees were the only identifiable people… Trevor Day… Joe Information… Mike Material… The contingent was superb… However, Lodge Bar prefers this contingent’s alone presence prior to the venue opening…

While Lodge Bar’s night was regrettable, Matt Delight’s sentences were spectacular… He mocks his colleagues and this nation’s premiere comedy writers should applaud… He offers insight about the opposite sex and those who penned proverbs cringe… I know I typed he has never spent one second not amused with the thoughts in his own head… When those thoughts are spoken aloud, a column material encyclopedia is available…

Whereas Matt Delight was Lodge Bar’s lone highlight, Park Street Patio accrued their third consecutive victory. I know what you’re thinking… I said every venue was vacant and victory is utilized? This was not an evening when one venue survived an incomprehensible competition… Park Street Patio governed an evening when they were merely adequate…

Since our initial encounter, Jamie Precious has accrued four column appearances… You would assume one would run out of adjectives and then you realize the obvious… There are spectacular bunnies who are forgotten in five minutes and there are bunnies who speak for five minutes and are unforgettable… Jamie is the latter…

In a contrasting manner, Mia Charisma is another unforgettable slinger… Mia isn’t the precocious showcase… She isn’t the scandalous provocateur… She is simply an off the rack perfection… If the choice is the glitzy slinger who struts or the subdued slinger whose soul is visible within their eyes, Mia is the selection… Her soul is exquisite…

On Saturday, Lodge Bar Assistant General Manager Trevor Day raised expectations and won… Tonight, Sugar Bar Promotions Superstar Avi Primetime attempted a similar speculation… And speculation reestablished it’s definition… Sugar Bar was only buzzing… No section ever challenged or equaled swarmed…

And Sugar Bar’s evening deteriorated further… A fight ensued which included four security personnel, three randoms, two police officers, and a heifer in a tutu (and no that’s not the conclusion of a joke)… Conflicting reports exist concerning the scrap itself… According to witnesses, two women commenced fighting… Their boyfriends intervened… Security and police intervened… A Sugar Bar security person was inadvertently pepper sprayed in the mele…

Mia Charisma, Matt Delight, and Jamie Precious were excellent conversations… However, the preceding paragraph illustrates why my exit is never early… If I had learned about this incident via someone else, I would have remained regretful… I abhor missing the news…

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.

Park Street Festival Recognition

On Saturday, Gossip CBUS racked 193 twitter tweets. Thank you, Joe Boxer, Jonathon Ciancetta, and Gandhi (WNCI); Randy Haffey and Tori Lioness (Park Street Patio); Pat West, Trevor Day, and Mike Material (Lodge Bar); Jeff Lauback (Callahan’s); and every venue manager, slinger, and security employee.

Crawl For Cancer Recognition

Crawl for Cancer Live would have been impossible without substantial support. Thank you, JP Ratajczak and Beth Keller (Crawl for Cancer); Pat West, Trevor Day, Mike Material, and Kattie Minx (Lodge Bar), Jeff Lauback (Callahan’s), and every venue manager, slinger, and security employee.

Miracles, Spectacle Satiate Lodge Bar

It has been said that dogs resemble their owners. While this expression can either be dismissed or derogatory, it is accurate when one compares the personalities of a pooch and their purchaser. Aggressive individuals own aggressive dogs. Energetic individuals own energetic dogs. Introverted individuals own introverted dogs. Outgoing individuals own outgoing dogs.

Upon my arrival for Dogs on the Deck, Lodge Bar was buzzing. The crowd wasn’t the obligatorily late collection of most charity endeavors. This was an assortment determined to enjoy every moment of a charming event and it’s picturesque weather. What had been an afternoon of precipitation predictions turned into a sun soaked and stellar early evening.

If only my focus were as stellar… Instead of focusing on instantaneous coverage (which was already made difficult by a temperamental phone), I enjoyed a half dozen scattered conversations within twenty minutes of entering the venue. Assistant General Manager Trevor Day may be an exemplary exchange. He may be one of the most articulate and relatable people this website covers… However, twittering was the objective… I have to learn to shut up and concentrate…

Since I’m not shutting up now… I know I’ve discussed various venue employees and their personalities… It is appropriate that I extend similar courtesy to the Columbus Young Professionals, an ensemble with triple the eclectic characters… From post graduate geniuses to ordinary workers… From city pillars to consultants, the Columbus Young Professionals (CYP) possesses enough personality for a three-volume set…

Melanie, an engaging and insightful accountant, is the organization’s Social Chair (appropriate enough as this was Greek week). She may not champion the organization, that responsibility is President Derek Grosso and Vice-President Kristin Mele’s… However, Melanie solidifies the entire organization…

An organization can possess the greatest management and promotions, but if they don’t have sustained inspiration, they will not succeed. Melanie, who spent twenty minutes talking with me, before returning to the table to continue and greet new members, is this organization’s person… Derek and Kristin are important… However, Melanie is imperative…

Whereas Melanie is an unheralded force, Erica is simply forceful. She is engaging. She is insightful. She is a grand conversation. However, Erica prefers certainty over pensive reflection and her actions exhibit this… As I stand talking with another CYP member Nick, Erica and Amy (her friend) walk past. Erica stops for a moment and engages Nick in conversation, where upon she discovers that Nick is single. Her friend Amy is also single.

Instantly, Erica pronounces the pair a match and says they should go out. The fact that either might object for any number of reasons is irrelevant. Erica has made a decision. She has reinforced her decision. She has stated her decision emphatically. Amy and Nick should go out because Erica knows them both. (I don’t think this is how dating is supposed to work, but I think argument would be useless).

Since I’ve mentioned two female members of the organization, I should mention a pair of male members CYP Athletics Chair Dan Brown and Garrick, one of the first people I ever met at a CYP sponsored event… Neither strikes one as persons who would feel comfortable addressing two thousand people on a weekly basis… Instead, they epitomize the inclusion of this organization… Consultants, White Collar workers, Blue Collar workers, teachers… Anyone, not withstanding their personality or social standing can join…

While Crown Princess Kadi is not a CYP member, I couldn’t conclude this section about characters without mentioning her… Wearing a chaotic multi-colored silk top and scrumptious jeans, Kadi arrived with a friend and Bristol, her ferocious Yorkshire terrier… Now, Kadi is unique and normally a pooch only adds to one’s individuality… However, Bristol was the perfect personality compliment… He enhanced Kadi.

As adorable as Bristol was, the unrivaled superstar of the evening was Derby, an eight-week-old spotted miniature dachshund. Lying across her owner’s arms, eyes half closed, Derby seemed intimidated by the crush of people and pooches around her. It was this innocence, this shyness of her features that set her apart. Other dogs seemingly wanted the spotlight. Derby simply wanted a pat on the head…

From mammoth and miniature to playful and relaxed to sassy and silent, there were dozens of dogs who merited attention this evening. CYP President Derek Grosso’s dog barked as others passed, several owners carried their dogs on their shoulders, and others sat with theirs, as they sipped happy hour pitchers… The panorama was expressive and exemplary… Man and woman’s finest friend with their premiere pastime…

Every table and chair of the pit and the railing was occupied… For every four people at a table, two dogs were present… I would estimate that upon the evening’s conclusion, almost four hundred people and two hundred pooches had enjoyed the unique event…

As Dogs on the Deck started elapsing, I encountered DJ Legend and DJ Steve Chase, both of whom were arriving for the evening… Standing inside the patio entranceway, our conversation included the Gossip Awards, Callahan’s, Lodge Bar, several other venues, this website and our personal lives (like any of the three of us have time for one of those)…

As one can imagine, I have met fifty or sixty nightlife and venue notables since this website commenced… What separates those who consistently make the coverage from those who do not is their professionalism… Legend and Chase are both magnificent mixers… However, this alone didn’t earn my respect… It is their professionalism… Their absolute professionalism that make them worth covering…

When Chase, Legend, and I’s conversation concluded, I stared toward the deck where a dozen owners and dogs remained, still drinking and talking under the darkening sky. Obviously, this evening was a success. The Capital Humane Society received money. Dogs and their owners were fortunate enough to enjoy an unpredictably enjoyable day.

However, the success exceeds this. The success was a tribute to a pair of superb entities, Lodge Bar and the Columbus Young Professionals. On Thursday, they presented every facet I assumed they would. Yet, the visual was still incomprehensible. There may be better-managed organizations in this city than those captained by Pat West, Day, and Jen Bunny (Lodge Bar) and Gross, Mele, and Melanie (CYP), but one must strain to locate them.

As I stood on the patio, observing the final owner and dog’s departure, I reflected upon the visual of the proceeding three hours. Within the scenery, one could have viewed reasonable justification for that quote about dogs and owners. They could have also viewed obvious justification for another canine axiom… Dogs are miracles with paws.

They Made the Evening

Concepts attract crowds… Details make the crowd’s evening… It isn’t enough to advertise a theme and request the audience’s participation… There are hundreds of venues in this city where an audience can spend their money… The audience expects reciprocation… They expect a genuine effort in exchange for their money…

Upon my arrival for the Lodge Bar Derby, the weather was apocryphal… (I will simply say this, if the actual Kentucky Derby is run in weather resembling this, it will be about as enjoyable to watch as the Donnie Wahlberg-Sugar Bar crowd)… Fortunately, a robust crowd, intrigued I’m assuming, by the horse racing theme, defied the weather and layered the venue… They would not be disappointed…

From the streamers to the tables, the décor should have inspired a rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home…” As impressive as the aesthetics were, the minutia was even more superb… I registered to bet and received a racing form, which included odds, jockeys, stables, and sires… The odds were a given, how else would they calculate winning without them? But, the effort of concocting a third and fourth level of information, a level only diehard horse enthusiasts might understand, was exemplary…

What makes this even more remarkable is the fact that the races were via a videotaped presentation… I know what you’re thinking; they weren’t going to show live races… Of course they weren’t, which I why they could have stopped with horses names, post positions, and odds… The fact that emphasis was placed on details, not only on the racing form, but on the tables, where cards could be found explaining the various positions… The wagering procedure itself… The entire concept matched anything attempted by any venue…

My one critique is the money… Whereas Sugar Bar’s Casino Night currency was more inventive, Lodge Bar’s currency was borrowed from monopoly (I felt like I should have been handed a thimble or race car upon entrance)… With that said, the event’s overall detail exceeded even my exacting standards… The experience was worth challenging the ghastly weather, which finally subsided two hours after I arrived…

General Manager Pat West and Promotions Superstar Jen Bunny, as well as their staffs (which I will mention later), merit applause… I knew Lodge Bar would present an interesting evening… They always excel… However, and I cant say this enough, their attention to detail was precise… It is efforts such as these that place them amongst the elite venues in this city…

While the Lodge Bar Derby was perfectly scripted, spontaneous moments always, always provide the preeminent column material… One such moment and the highlight of the evening, commenced with Alexa, simply acting like her precocious self…

Approximately, forty minutes after the derby concluded, Lodge Bar Friday Night DJ Shawn played the Cupid Shuffle… Standing behind the bar (appearing as always gorgeous and I assume waiting for an order) was Alexa, who naturally started imitating the popular dance… Two other servers started mimicking her and three minutes later, they were commencing their own version of the dance in the entrance way…

It was at this moment that Pat West seized an opportunity… He approached Alexa and friends and pointed them toward the stage… What started as peppiness, concluded with three employees on the stage, joining the crowd in an outstanding version of the shuffle…

Following an hour and a half away (it’s called Always Live), I returned to Lodge Bar… Despite the weather (have I mentioned it was putrid), Lodge Bar had improved their crowd… The venue wasn’t crushed and there were only some choice bunnies… However, Lodge Bar wasn’t sitting virtually empty as some other venues were… Which on this night was an accomplishment…

What made the crowd even more enjoyable was the Lodge Bar staff (both on the clock and off)… On one of my first nights in the venue, Joe (whom I’ve mentioned previously), joked that there was one night which was labeled “drink with a Lodge Bar employee night”… This wasn’t that night, but that objective was entirely possible… Crown Princess Kadi, in a dazzling white coat… Jessie, in a scrumptious black and white dress… And Trevor, in what he normally wears… were all enjoying the view from the patron’s side of the bar…

Serving them their drinks (and occasionally speaking with me) were the remainder of the venue’s equally talented ensemble cast, Jen Bunny, Mike and half dozen others whose names (I apologize for this) escape me at this early hour… I know I’ve said this previously, but it’s not only the superstar drink slingers, it’s the servers and security… Every level of Lodge Bar makes every visit truly enjoyable…

And therein lies the success of this website… Without Princess Kadi and Jen Bunny, Genius Rick and the intoxicating tart, Superstars Pat and Trevor, the writing would be simply words… I dedicate this column and all previous and subsequent columns to them… They are the rock stars… They are who everyone wants… They made us…

Always Live

Lodge Bar is the unquestioned Thursday night champion… I am unaware of a triumph above a championship, but if one exists, Lodge Bar scored that accomplishment this week… Seven days ago was crushed… Last night was conquered… From the bar areas to the dance floor to the street, boys and bunnies were everywhere…

You may come to Lodge Bar for the bunnies… You stay for the conversations, which were copious… Crown Princess Kadi, who worked a rare Thursday… Rick, still one of the smartest bartenders in this city… Trevor, whose vision continues to impress me… And the most amusing morsel of all, Jen Bunny, who was obviously enjoying her evening…

With DJ Legend showcasing his skills and enough bunnies to consume one week worth of observation, Lodge Bar once again stated it’s presence with authority… One wonders how long until other venues suffer under that presence?

Always Live

If one thought Gonzo’s return to Sugar Bar was triumphant, his return to Lodge Bar could only be labeled titanic… The crowd (which we will return to in a moment) was spectacular and Gonzo’s artistry was stellar… I know several mixers… I admire them… But, I am amazed by Gonzo… His talent is infinite…

And on this evening, the crowd appeared infinite as well… From my perch upon the stage, I viewed a besieged bar area and a drowned dance floor… The reservoir of people was incessant… The reservoir of bunnies was imperfect… However, the most important bunny, Crown Princess Kadi, was present, dancing and grinding, showcasing her eighteen carat smile and her thirty-six carat personality…

I could gush about Kadi for the rest of this column… However, the evening’s real superstar was Assistant General Manager Trevor Day… In four months, he has transformed Lodge Bar’s Thursday evening from sidelight to spectacle… Lodge Bar is now the unquestioned Thursday night champion…

Always Live

With Lodge Bar’s dance floor and walkways crushed, I sought a stable reporting refuge… I acquired the perfect position, across from Gonzo, on the stage, and next to Joe (whom I’ve mentioned previously)… Joe is the second smartest and potentially the most informative person at Lodge Bar… We observe the crowd (and the bunnies), swap opinions, and he imparts the employee experience (which is valuable, as I tell their stories)…

While bunnies were omnipresent this evening, Alexa once again reduced most… The intoxicating tart, who was walking the floor with a tray of jello shots and a can of whipped cream, appeared more personable and scrumptious than our previous encounters (which I didn’t think was possible)… Without question, the most memorable moment of the evening was when Assistant General Manager Trevor Day, Alexa, and I discussed her potentially spraying the crowd with whipped cream… The idea was a joke, but one I supported…

Two Grand Venues & Two Graceful Answers

The two questions I receive most often are why do I write about, instead of, enjoy this city’s nightlife and am I interested in seeking a relationship with any of the venue bunnies that I have previously complimented (or more than complimented)… My pair of answers are as simple as the questions themselves…

Anyone who walked or viewed Park and Vine streets pre and post the Fleetwood Mac concert should a comprehend why five nights out a week (writing or not) is a coveted existence… From the bricks to the sidewalks to the venues, the bunnies were omnipresent… There were black dress bunnies, eighteen carat bunnies, fashion savvy bunnies, off the rack bunnies, and score bunnies… There was, literally within five blocks, a hookup for every hangover…

Regrettably, some of the bunnies (or not so bunnies) had finished hooking up for life… When did April 18 become official bachelorette party day in this city? The plastic crowns, the sashes, the pink balloon penises… Seriously, whatever happened to a bride’s beauty sleep before she wears off-white? Save your e-mails… I’m not demeaning weddings… They are a wonderful institution… With that said, the level of tackiness within the five blocks was enough to induce vomit…

Enough to induce applause was the spectacular evening enjoyed by both the Frog Bear and Wild Boar and Lodge Bar… I know I’ve discussed both venues previously, but what I haven’t discussed (and will in moments) is how similar the pair are… If one skims the obvious, the comparison is easy to botch… One is located on the bricks, the other on Vine Street… One has a club interior; the other has a wood interior… One is locally owned, the other is a franchise…

As I said, the comparison is easy to botch… What one must observe is the similarities in management and staff, in performance and personality… On this evening, the comparison of those attributes was simple and spectacular, as the pair waged an epic, easily stranding the other venues, who performed well, but were not on their level…

While Lodge Bar can occasionally appear gargantuan, given the sheer volume of size that the front door to the bar patio encompasses, the venue appeared as small as ever post-Fleetwood Mac… When I arrived, every bar was occupied and swarmed, the tables were swarmed, and the dance floor… The dance was floor was over crushed… Between the bunnies, the chasers, the post concert revelers and those to drunk from the Blue Jackets loss to depart, the venue was impassible…

Thankfully, Lodge Bar’s patio (according to them, the largest in the city) was finally open… And it was crammed with people… From the Blue Jackets fans, drinking on the second level and lamenting their loss to the patrons playing corn hole (yes, you can play corn hole on the patio), the all night, country bull session vibe was evident… The patio provided the perfect escape for those who had found their bunny and now wanted a conversation or those who were looking to ditch a heifer…

Since I mentioned patios, I’ll switch the conversation to Frog Bear and Wild Boar, which (as always) set the standard for patios in this city (due respect to Lodge Bar’s size, skill is involved as well)… I could take three hours and discuss the crowd, which was also over crushed… The bunnies on the patio alone were enough to make one not enter the venue… But, the entire scene… DJ Bombay’s spectacular spinning in open air, the makeshift dance floor (which was incredible), the bunnies dancing behind the bar as they retrieved your orders… If the Blue Jackets played with this much energy for one period, they might have scored a victory…

What Frog Bear and Wild Boar’s greatest attribute was, on this evening, is what it always is; they are a place for all palettes… If you want a club, enjoy the patio… If you want sports, they were offering the UFC Fight… If you wanted live music, Fat Dog’s performance was outstanding (we will hear more from them in the very near future)… They were, seamlessly, three venues in one venue…

Potentially, the grandest and most similar attribute Frog Bear and Wild Boar and Lodge Bar share is stellar management…I could spend another three paragraphs discussing Frog Bear and Wild Boar Owner Tom Selvaggio, but what I said on twitter is sufficient… I simply get smarter every occasion we speak… He knows the band and their strengths and weaknesses… He knows how the DJ will perform… He knows the players in the nightlife game and how the game is played… He is, quite simply, an encyclopedia…

Not to be overshadowed was, and I know I’ve said this before, Lodge Bar Assistant General Manager Trevor Day, a superstar among management in this city… I’ve yet to meet in this industry, someone more willing to discuss any subject, someone who understands more the value of information… He is supportive of any venture, whether he directly benefits or not… There are other managers in this city I respect as much as him… There are few I appreciate more than him…

The final similarity is the amazing staffs that both venues possess… It’s not only the superstar drink slingers, it’s the servers and sellers and promotions… For Frog Bear and Wild Boar, it’s the royal trio (and if you don’t know who they are, you haven’t been reading), Matt, Sarah, Grace, and the half dozen other people I spoke with last night whose names escape me (I apologize)… For Lodge Bar, its Jen Bunny, Rick, Joe, Nick, Jessica, Barbara, and Alexa (who was for some reason, rocking the librarian look last night)… Each execute their role and allow their counterpart to execute theirs, insuring an enjoyable evening, no matter the chaos…

Of course, I can’t talk Lodge Bar staff and let a column slip past without mentioning the thirty-six carat perfection, also known as Crown Princess Kadi… You think ultimately, I would run out of adjectives for her, but every moment that I speak with her, her personality amazes me… From our first conversation in the afternoon, where we discussed everything that we hadn’t in three weeks and she was captivating to our last conversation of the night, when I had a terrible experience and she was the concerned friend… Kadi again showed why no one, and I mean no other person, is on her level…

Which walks this column into the answer for the second question… Crown Princess, the Lucky Charms, the royal trio, and others are only subject matter… I don’t write out of attraction to them… I simply write these lines of their pretty face…

Rites of Spring

For one week each spring, this city slumbers. The restaurants and shops may have customers, the streets may have pedestrians, and the venues may have boys and bunnies, but the city navigates the week sans the electricity that pulsates the entire summer or fall… Then, our students return… Their one-week menagerie of alcohol-induced insanity concludes and they ignite this city, which was starved for their attention…

If one thought Alexa was exquisite in Lodge Bar’s black, form fitting attire, one would have to revaluate their entire opinion after witnessing the purple and black ensemble she wore last evening… The intoxicating tart appeared absolutely scrumptious as she pranced and twisted… There may have been other bunnies dancing around her, but none that compared… Alexa owned Sugar’s stage…

As for Sugar’s dance floor, the energy was evident from my arrival… For the first twenty minutes, the crowd was somewhat random and scattered, thanks largely to the fact that the bunnies had remained in Park Street Patio to adore Kirk Herbstreit (more on that in a subsequent column)… Eventually, enough migrated over, mixed with the crowd, which had not attended the Celebrity Bartender Competition (why not?) and they exploded the scene…

Sugar Bar, on it’s best nights, is defined through an impassable dance floor… This evening reaffirmed that formula… There were bunnies on the walls, bunnies in the middles, bunnies in collections and cuddling their boyfriend… The array of color, glam, and sex was incredible… The array of people making out on the dance floor was another discussion… Seriously, how many occasions have I said this… If you want to make out, exit the premises…

Which is exactly what I did (and no, not to make out with someone)… While I could have remained at Sugar Bar until close, I walked the reenergized corridor to Lodge Bar, which equaled Sugar Bar in bunnies and intensity… The bars were crowded and the dance floor was crushed… And while Sugar Bar’s DJ deserves an honorable mention (especially for his “Wonderwall” remix), DJ Legend rapidly eliminated any comparison with another stellar evening…

As I enjoyed the view from inside Legend’s laboratory (the DJ booth for those of you with no imagination)… I marveled at the brilliance and precision with which he worked… Obviously, I knew Jay had skills… But, I had no concept of his organized chaos approach… Play this song, mix that song, select the next song, consume a shot, and take a request from the random bunny that wants to hear “Like A Prayer”… I was simply amazed…

After spending twenty minutes watching Legend mix, I walked from stage to floor, encountering three employees and conversations I hadn’t enjoyed in multiple weeks (and I didn’t even enjoy Spring Break)… Between the person who routinely plays Bucky, Trevor, a superstar among management in this city, and Rick, who I know I have must have labeled this city’s smartest bartender… I was reminded of the brilliance of this venue…

Amidst last call lights and one random frantically searching a coat she had lost (seriously a coat? Did she know what the temperature was?), I exited the evening… The air possessed that electricity… The ritual of early April has been realized…

Revenge of the Scourge

Mardi Gras is an exquisite contradiction. The event itself is magnificent… The celebration, culture, and concept are rich and unequaled. The event’s crowd is at best mixed and at worst putrid… For every bunny that attends, there are five societal lepers, who I swear, show up on this day thinking that they are something superior to what they have ever been…

Upon my arrival for their Mardi Gras spectacular, Lodge Bar’s crowd was outstanding… The composition of their crowd fit my above description… Now, before I go any farther, I must defend Lodge Bar (and this has nothing to do with the fact that Snowed Inn occurs Friday)… Their typical crowd is normally two-thirds bunny and one-third respectable looking bunny chasers… They are not a haven for skeeze (that’s another bar, who shall remain nameless)… But, this was Mardi Gras…

And never have I seen so many societal pariahs… A large, refrigerator shaped person in a shirt that read “I heart sluts…” A bald guy, whose head was tattooed, saying a girl was built like a mule… An Axl Rose wannabe, complete with the stovepipe hat… Every time I saw one of these people, I wanted to grab them, and remind them of the obvious… No matter how many future baby feeders they see and how many beads they give away, they had no chance of sex… None whatsoever…

Again, I like Lodge Bar, but these scrubs, clearly weren’t paying attention that day in high school when popularity was established…

Also not paying attention, was another faction of bunny chasers, who obviously didn’t read my column last week… I hate repeating myself… but, for the good of these wardrobe challenged chasers, I will this once… Layers… Collared shirts (polos or button downs, it doesn’t matter)… and color coordination… None of this is hard… But, you make it seem hard and you make this speech necessary when you show up wearing hoodies with decade old Cincinnati Reds or Cleveland Cavaliers logos on them … Lodge Bar is a class establishment… Pretend you know what class is…

As an hour and a half passed, the energy increased, the dance floor continued to flood, the bunnies kept arriving and unfortunately, so did the cast of Freaks and Geeks… I didn’t know Columbus had so many castoffs from Tales From the Crypt… It was horrid, often near vomit inducing to watch these bunnies (and there were a few worth writing paragraphs about), being accosted by these letches…

I’m certain I don’t have to explain the concept of Mardi Gras to anyone (and I’m not going to, so if you don’t know it, google now)… And there were a few bunnies that were just handed beads because they were that angelic… But, the vast majority, I am certain are having nightmares tonight because of the people who approached them… Every time I walked past the Axl Rose wannabe, who was always carrying a few strands, in addition to the dozen he had around his neck, I wanted to grab the nearest bunny and stick her in a closet… I understand that this day, is one of the few days where the objective is supposed to be the same and every male is supposed to be equal, but the more I looked at these guys, the more it was obvious that there is a reason that we’re not all equal…

I know it sounds like I am hammering Lodge Bar… I’m not…. The energy that rippled throughout the crowd was amazing… Every bar and available space on the dance floor was jammed, the stage, at times, overflowed with bunnies, and the night itself was memorable… Lodge Bar, although I wish they could, cant help the morons, who think for this one-day a year, beads make them popular… (Losing a hundred pounds, changing their wardrobe or doing something with their appearance might make them popular)…

Intermixed amongst the societal scourge (who I am mentioning for either the last time or the next to last time, I promise) were several of this city’s venue icons… Notably, Brian, a co-owner and lead promoter of Sugar Bar and Park Street Patio… We spoke for a minute, consumed a shot, and as I walked away, I marveled at how, even though Sugar and Lodge are competitors, there is no spirit of competition between the employees… They all value each other…

Speaking of valuable, I can’t type this column without a paragraph on Gonzo, who, in tandem with DJ Legend owned this evening… This wasn’t the first time I had heard either one of them, this wasn’t even the first time, in the last week at Lodge Bar, that I had heard either one of them… Still, both elevated their art for this evening… They manner in which Gonzo can skirt from “Poker Face” to “Live Your Life” to “Show Me Love” (yes, he played Robin) is unbelievable… Combine the talent with Legend and Gonzo’s personable microphone work and they were almost enough to make you stop noticing Axl Rose, still seeking a bunny, even though, none would have him…

Since, I am mentioning bunnies, this is a perfect opportunity to mention the reason (besides the alcohol and great events), that anyone in this city should visit Lodge Bar… The staff… On this night, the two Lodge bunnies, most worth writing about were Haley and Jen, both of whom were (and I cant use this word strongly enough), enjoying their night off… Jen, consuming shots, reading our twitter, and interacting with everyone like the beautiful social butterfly that she is… Haley, showcasing her gorgeous smile and dancing on the speakers…

As gorgeous as Haley, but not as smiley this evening was (my personal favorite) Crown Princess Kadi… As I watched her work behind the bar (and work is the operative word, I don’t think the bunny ever stopped moving), I couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous eyes were present, the jeweler’s crafted looks were present, but the sparkle was missing… Then again, a diamond is a diamond, sparkle or not…

And since we’re talking diamonds, I have to mention a treat, who I had seen working Lodge Bar previously, but I didn’t learn her name until this evening… Alexa, potentially the shortest employee Lodge has, but you know what they say about good things and small packages… She is worth eighteen carats… Chocolate brown eyes, a gorgeous complexion, and a personality that is captivating from the first second of conversation…

It’s employees like Alexa, Kadi, Jen, and Haley, and beyond… It extends to Trevor, Rick, and Pat, and all of the bouncers, who names (and I apologize for this), escape my mind at the moment… I walk into Lodge, I spend five hours talking and twittering and it doesn’t feel, for one moment, like work… I’m in, I’m out… It’s routine, normal, and even enjoyable… Hello, good-bye… Just another of the typically not societal pariahs that inhabits Lodge Bar on a nightly basis…

Fiesta Bowl 2009: Lodge Bar (Volume One)