Always Live

I know I asked this on twitter, but why were all the platinum bunnies on Park Street this weekend? Another question… How proud can pupils make instructors? If DJ Legend was your pupil, the answer is very… On Saturday, the superstar spun for his mentor and exemplary epitomizes the performance…

Always Live

Mynt Ultra Lounge has fired Maxwell according to sources with knowledge of the situation. Don’t venue executives understand… Talent costs…

Speaking of Maxwell and WNCI, Gonzo, Maxwell, and Marty Scott will appear at Callahan’s this evening. And Gonzo, DJ Legend, Randee Limelight, and the Cheshire Cat will appear at Models and Moguls this afternoon.

Reasons to Relish & Resign

People don’t appreciate the human aspect of this website. The bunny chasers and bunnies, their random actions and fashion, are column material, but they are vastly anonymous. The venues are column material, but they are vastly inanimate. It’s the natural slingers, the camaraderie and friendship, the moments you read and the stories you never will, that make this website.

Tonight, Thursday Night Live experienced it’s second edition. I promise we will discuss the occurrences and results… However, this was an evening when winners were nonexistent. This was an evening when the squad atop the scoreboard didn’t defeat their opponents; they merely outscored them.

While the clutches were scattered and unmemorable, DJ Legend and DJ Samurai were exquisite. Last week, DJ Samurai was patterned and predictable. This evening, DJ Legend’s creativity was equaled… DJ Legend mixed “Love Story” dance remix… DJ Samurai responded with an “Other Side” dance remix. DJ Legend spun “How Do You Sleep” and “Summer Girls.” DJ Samurai responded with “Poker Face” over the “Rocky Theme.”

The clash was an auditory delight. If only the crowd could have merited this skirmish… Pre-game, Lodge Bar appeared to enjoy a minimal advantage. In-game, Sugar Bar scored the initial round, although their swarm induced wincing (and only some of it was mine)… Particularly putrid was their stage, which was inhabited by an amount of weight not seen since the NFL Draft’s top ten selections…

While the heifers were horrific, Emily Rose Perfection’s presence made their repulsiveness invisible. I know I typed that Emily Rose is my favorite Lucky Charm… She may be (although she has a crush of competition) my favorite platinum bunny, venue employee or non-employee, in this city… It’s not simply her fashion (green and white top, form flattering white shorts)… It’s not simply her eighteen carat personality… It’s not simply her thirty-six carat appearance… It’s the elegant, precocious, and scandalous combination of the trio…

From the moment she arrived to the moment she messed up my hair, Emily’s glamour and magnetism were omnipresent… I typed this once with another superstar, but at this moment, the verbiage is transferable… You think ultimately, I would run out of adjectives for her, but every moment, Emily Rose’s personality amazes me…

In the second round, the crowd continued to disappoint me… While Sugar Bar scored the sequence on numbers, Lodge Bar possessed almost every platinum bunny (except Emily Rose)… The venues were polar opposites with similar attributes… Lodge Bar with every morsel and zero mass… Sugar Bar with an impressive mass and zero morsels…

Since I mentioned morsels, I must spend several sentences adoring Sugar Bar Promotions Superstar Whitney Allure, who has accomplished in six evenings, what some bunnies amass six weeks attempting… She has captivated and ensorcelled my attention…

It’s not merely her appearance, which is understatedly scrumptious… It is her intoxicating personality, which compels one to flirt with her, respect her, snuggle with her, and speak with her… You spend five minutes with Whitney; you want to spend twenty minutes… You spend twenty minutes with her; you want to spend twenty hours…

With this evening’s masses, I wanted to spend about thirty seconds less than thirty seconds… Sugar Bar completed their domination and scored a shutout… However, they should not salute or savor this triumph… If this were last week or Lodge Bar could have scraped together (and by scraped together, I mean admit anyone they could find) a crowd, Sugar Bar’s random recital might not have sufficed…

As the evening concluded, my twitter updates abruptly concluded, when I heard the most incomprehensible news… Crown Princess Kadi and Lodge Bar have separated… Crown Princess Kadi was this website’s initial superstar… She was the most referenced superstar and the first person I dealt with on an everyday basis… Her exodus is not merely disheartening…. Her exodus is devastating…

As I walked Vine Street at the conclusion of my evening, I strode with two thoughts… The first was obvious; this will likely be Crown Princess Kadi’s final mention in my column… The second was much more complex…

In the eyes and minds of venue executives, the natural slingers are akin to cattle… They are acquired, raised, and slaughtered without compassion or concern… In my eyes, they are the entire attraction… They are not a reason this website succeeds… They are the reason…

Champions Commence Thursday Night Live

While no one watched, two champions prepared. They assigned their employees… They discussed strategy and tactics… They prepped their entrances… They reviewed their procedures… Their work was rote, tedious, and unappreciated… Yet, everyone labored with the knowledge that this work could win or lose the evening…

As Thursday Night Live commenced, Sugar Bar was scattered… Amidst a conversation with Shawn Money (who I had several conversations with throughout the evening), I observed a line that was noticeable, yet was confined within ten feet… One week ago, the awaiting masses consumed half a block…

The clutches may have been random… However, the platinum bunnies were spectacular… Whether they were flirting with Shawn Money, as one twenty-year-old was or consuming free drinks in the walkway, as an exquisite, black dress bunny was, the visual obliterated any concerns or thoughts about the average arrivals…

Upon my arrival at Lodge Bar, their crowd was also sluggish… This provided me an opportunity to speak with Joe Information, whom I’ve mentioned previously… our wide ranging conversation (our conversations are consistently wide ranging) covers the evening and of all subjects boxing… It’s what I value about the closeness of my relationships with various employees; you are constantly scoring insights into their personalities… (Although Joe’s insight, his hatred of Floyd Mayweather, is ridiculous)…

For Lodge Bar’s first quarter, boxing is the appropriate metaphor… Lodge Bar didn’t win the first round…. However, they weren’t embarrassed either… Their crowd was expanding and respectable… And their bunnies and platinum bunnies were noticeable… As I returned to Sugar Bar for the second stanza, I knew this night could be interesting…

One hour into our twitter coverage, Sugar Bar’s exterior met anyone’s expectations… The line threatened to extend into an alley… As for Sugar Bar’s interior, the dance floor was crushed… There wasn’t visible space… There weren’t walkways… There was simply a cascade of people grinding and shaking….

When a venue’s population increases, I typically count this as wanted… Unfortunately, as I stared toward the collection of heifers and randoms which inhabited Sugar Bar’s dance floor, I reconsidered my entire thought process… Essentially, Sugar Bar swapped their first frame platinum bunnies for second frame total population… Population is population is population and population is needed… Yet, platinum bunnies are not negotiable…

Also not negotiable was Lodge Bar’s vastly improved second quarter… While their dance floor was vacant (which is rare for this venue), their upper and lower bars were swarmed and their walkway was virtually impassable… I stood and viewed the ever expanding crush from several angles and each screamed similar affirmations… This was Lodge Bar’s quarter…

Seconds ago (unless you are a very slow reader), I mentioned that the dance floor was vacant… The bunnies may not have been grinding, but they were present and scrumptious… I know you’re reading this and thinking, how much of a factor was the primping sex in my round by round evaluation… I’ll respond with this… They weren’t the factor, but when the total population is even, bunnies win the contest…

Another factor was DJ Legend, who completely overmatched DJ Samurai… Now, I will say this without hesitation, I sincerely respect DJ Samurai… He possesses skills… Unfortunately, his song selections never change… You can set your blackberry alarm by them… The rotation never alters… The sequence never wavers… I can recount his set list and I don’t even have to attend the event…

Conversely, DJ Legend is eclectic and exquisite… Whenever he spins, I know I will hear sequences or songs I haven’t or I never thought possible… Tonight’s marquee moment, another brilliant exhibition, was “Clothes Off” and “When I Grow Up” played consecutively… You don’t think of either as club or dance selections necessarily, but the pairing was perfect…

As Sugar Bar’s third quarter commenced, random was an apt description… From the overly tattooed female passed out in an alley to the heifer who walked past wearing a camouflage dress, the venue’s swap of quality for quantity continued… Obviously, numbers are important… But, any venue can rack up numbers… It’s the impression those numbers make…

The impression the venue’s interior made was incredible… The dance floor and lower mezzanine transcended crushed… And the stage was as crammed as I had ever witnessed… I knew a moment would occur, a moment always occurs, when one of these venues would draw a line and challenge the other… This was that moment… It took me less than three minutes to return to Lodge Bar with one thought… Could they respond?

Yes is the emphatic reaction… I entered the venue and immediately observed the obvious… The walkway was impassable… The dance floor was crushed… The upper and lower bars were crushed… The stage was crushed… Lodge Bar had taken Sugar Bar’s virtual flourish and responded with a shot to the mouth which would have made Manny Pacquiao applaud…

Eventually, I negotiated the crush and relocated to left of the stage… The platinum bunny visual was spectacular… They were dancing, they were singing, they were grinding… They were canoodling and coercing every chaser they could make eye contact with… Even the random basketball jersey wearers I referenced on twitter… Even one of them collected a cupcake…

When I returned to Sugar Bar, their crowd was scattering… The stage remained swarmed… However, the couch klatch and the lower mezzanine were reduced… The cove was almost vacant… As I shared consecutive shots with Avi Primetime and Shawn Money, the outcome wasn’t announced… It wasn’t conceded… But, it was implicit and understood… Despite the two premiere male promoters in this city, Sugar Bar would lose…

And they did… Lodge Bar was equally scattered as their conclusion arrived… Yet, their dance floor and upper and lower bars maintained the crowd required… their championship label had been thoroughly challenged… But, the championship remained within their hands…

While no one watched, two champions culminated their evening… One had endured an onslaught and survived… One remained proud and unashamed… As both cleaned and counted cash, scoured and swept, they labored with one universal thought… Rematches and victory within them are always possible…

Always Live

Spice Bar, promotion is not placing printed spam onto vehicles… While I’m admonishing venues, Callahan’s Owner Jeff Lauback should counteract recent rumors. DJ Legend and Steve Chase are the preeminent mix pair in this city. They should not be separated.

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.

Always Live

Park Street spies inform me that the Killers after party was spectacular. Evidently, the Killers themselves attended. And DJ Legend was also present.

Always Live

Another evening, another conversation with the preeminent mix pair in this city. DJ Legend is his typical frenetic self. We discuss last night’s Lodge Bar energy and the critique of this site as a running nightlife play-by-play.

Watching Steve Chase work is watching the collaboration of chaos and spectacular… Play this song, select the next song, talk with two bunnies, and quote “Major League.” As I watch him stare into his computer screen, I can observe his mind gnashing… His complete command of his internal commission is incomprehensible…

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

During my extra hour, I visited the preeminent mix pair in this city. Other venues showcase multiple spinners. However, DJ Legend and DJ Steve Chase are unique. Legend is a chaotic genius. He is one of the principal architects of the Scratch Pack. He epitomizes random and exhausts coffee.

Steve Chase is insightful and reflective. He is the former most valuable player, who remains active simply because he appreciates his art form. I know I said this about Lodge Bar Bartender Rick, but with Steve, it merits repetition… When you have the chance to listen to an artist with passion… Savor it… There is nothing better in this world…

Always Live

I know I have said this previously…. However, DJ Legend has skills… His marquee moment, and one of the most brilliant exhibitions I have ever witnessed, was a without hesitation intermix of “Sugar” and “Blue,” the latter serving as the foundation for the former’s baseline…

Amidst his masterful mixing, DJ Legend and I discussed this city’s mammoth size and minimalist mentality… We also discussed the 2009 Gossip Awards, which might just include a very special performance (can anyone say Scratch Pack)…

Always Live

South Campus spies inform me that McFadden’s crowd was impressive. Evidently, DJ Legend made a special appearance.

Always Live

After ten minutes, I reach an obvious conclusion… DJ Legend sizzles… Callahan’s upstairs was crushed… From the entrance to the dance floor, the bunnies were copious… And when Legend spun “Don’t Stop Believing,” they exploded…

Upon my exit, I encounter Callahan’s Owner Jeff Lauback, an exemplary individual… We discuss the concert (which he also attended) and the previously mentioned rooftop patio, which he assures me will open in early June.

Always Live Postponed

Always Live should have started tonight. Unfortunately, this gossip needs their sleep. Always Live will commence tomorrow with Park Street Patio and Sugar Bar Co-Owners Chris Corso and Brian Swanson, Lodge Bar General Manager Pat West, Crown Princess Kadi, DJ Legend, and Arena District drama…

Always Live Debuts Saturday

If Always Live commenced tonight, I could tell you that Lodge Bar was crushed. I could tell you that their crowd included Sugar Bar & Park Street Patio Co-Owner Brian Swanson. I could tell you about the bunnies. I could tell you DJ Legend was spectacular. And I could tell you that Lodge Bar employees Barbara and Joe were insightful conversations… Unfortunately, Always Live hasn’t commenced…

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…

Five, Fun, & Fantastic

St. Patrick’s Day is unique… Before you reactively agree with or roll your eyes at that statement, consider the obvious… On the Saturday proceeding New Year’s Eve, venues do not host events and label the activities “Pre-Ball Drop Day.”

Given the aforesaid, I moderated my expectations prior to Tuesday evening… Saturday was St. Practice Day… Monday was Pre-Patty Day and both evenings were very well attended… It’s Tuesday, we’re approaching the middle of the work week when our minds mush and our focus evaporates and a hangover is not the obvious injection… As I walked Park Street toward Callahan’s, I knew the Irish themed venue would host a crowd… However, my expectations for the evening were tempered…

Callahan’s quickly made me rethink my tempered expectations… As I said, I knew the venue would have a crowd (It’s name is Callahan’s and it’s St. Patrick’s Day)… With that said, the bar was crushed, the energy was intense, and the cluster of green clad bunnies was exquisite… Bunnies munching pizza and dancing… Bunnies who used their Coach purses to match their outfits… The clusters were scrumptious….

They paled in comparison (I can’t believe I am saying this) to the experience I would have minutes later, when I encountered DJ Legend… Now, I had met DJ Legend previously, and he is an outstanding individual… However, I had no clue that he would score me complete access to the venue (which I had never been in and I appreciated)…

We walked up the stairs and a moment later, I was in Callahan’s immaculate top floor club… I can just imagine what the venue resembles on a Friday night when Legend is at the top of his game… We walk through the club and outside onto a rooftop, which apparently, will be converted into a rooftop club… (How sick is that?)… As nearly thirty minutes passed, we stood atop that roof, discussing all manner of promotions… simply two power players looking out onto our city…

Following that conversation, I darted across the street to Park Street Patio, which finally resembled it’s name with a shrunken indoor crowd, a stellar outdoor crowd, and an outstanding DJ spinning in open air… The energy was slightly relaxed and the communal experience of Park Street Patio was slightly less enthralling than the crushed cluster experience of Callahan’s… Yet, the atmosphere would easily trump what I would view later in the evening…

Additionally, (and I love this about the venue), you cannot ignore the excellent intrapersonal skills of Park Street Patio’s management… From Co-Owner Brian Swanson and Promotions Superstars Randy and Tori, the attention, the collegial interaction, is a benefit you cannot encounter at every venue… Especially Tori, a personal favorite, whose five minute conversation, you wish you could turn into fifty…

From Callahan’s crush and Park Street Patio’s community, I walked Vine Street into Lodge Bar and a complete surprise… Now, you read about Lodge Mardi Gras and I will personally divulge that they owned St. Practice Day… But, their crowd on Tuesday, didn’t net them the top of the medal stand… In fact, it was in a fist fight for the lowest spot on the medal stand…

Lodge Bar was busy… The bunnies were copious… and the favorites (with the exception of the Crown Princess) were working, but the energy, the overall encompassing vibe which Lodge has previously produced was absent… It is as simple as this… Lodge Mardi Gras was equivalent to Usain Bolt’s one hundred meter final… Tuesday night resembled a qualifying heat…

I will compliment Lodge Bar on their excellent choice of music however… Featuring a diverse set list and impressive crowd interaction, the Bling Crosby’s were worth every moment spent at the venue… The two man venue is not unlike some acts that have been featured at Lodge… With that said, their individuality made them an act worth mentioning… (Their debut CD drops soon, I will let you know if I get a chance to react)…

A venue not worth attending, mentioning, and I assume, for them, not worth opening on this evening was the Frog Bear and Wild Boar, which conceded the lackluster evening prior to midnight… When I arrived at the fourth of five venues, the lights were on, the chairs were on the tables, and the evening was over… I don’t know why people didn’t come out to the Arena District on this evening…

People did more than come out to McFadden’s… They mashed the venue… As I walked South Campus toward the location, the upstairs and downstairs patios were crushed, making me elated that I selected McFadden’s as my final experience… The craziness I expected from their day’s worth of events and the updates I had been receiving throughout the evening did justice to the madness which was still rocking as I arrived…

The split level energy was unbelievable… Downstairs, the DJ and the dance floor displayed the energy you crave from campus… Upstairs, the band (whose name escapes me at the moment, thus, if they are reading this, I apologize), owned the conversation with an eclectic set list that included “Peaches” and “Under the Bridge.” While I have heard both college and rock sound in this city, I have not encountered the charismatic force which was displayed by this band… They were stellar…

Equally stellar was the complete chaos and the bunnies encircling it… From a drunken Lucky Charm Sytease to Allie, to the always delectable Emily Rose, to the scores of bunnies that were rocking the dance floor, McFadden’s concluded my evening as it had commenced, as it should always conclude and commence, with a bunny crawl…

Five venues, 2.20 miles traveled, a hundred hands shaken, two hundred friends or acquaintances encountered, five hundred or more bunnies, and a thousand random drunken details… Simply stated, the reality crushed the expectations…

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…