The Blue Moon Tavern

Okay, so I went to the Stale Urine concert on Saturday. They were at some sleazy bar called the Blue Moon Tavern . . . dark, grimy, lotsa people wearing biker jackets and so on. I didn't see the ``nudie bar'' nearby, so maybe it's disappeared since -tomy.'s been in town.

Anyway, I went into the venue, temporarily, leaving my under-21 chick idling outside. It was about ten or so, and there was some poet type guy onstage (I heard one guy in the audience ask somebody if the guy was Stale Urine, so I guess there was somebody out there looking forward to it.) On the stage behind this guy I saw the band setting up. I wandered up there (the stage was pretty tiny and low and covered with power cords and stuff . . . I didn't realize I was ``on stage'' until a bit later) and said hi to the guys. They looked fairly under control and confident, despite the crowd which I figured would begin throwing beer bottles once they saw the accordion. ``This was not quite what we were expecting,'' Mike said. Also, it was nice to see some facial hair back on Adam and Kurt.

Anyway, they were carding really strictly at the door, and the guys didn't seem like they'd have much influence with the scary gray-bearded doorguy . . . so it looked like I wasn't gonna be able to get my girlfriend in. Adam suggested they might be able to prop the door open and she could stand outside and listen, but it was like under 40 degress out there, so I feel for Adam's 20-year-old friend who was supposedly coming later. (BTW, I didn't see Connie-Lynne or any other Tech people around, but tried not to look too closely into the crowd.) So I went back out, and we decided to forget it (I don't think she really likes the band too much anyway, yet) and when I went back in to say goodbye to the guys, they were already starting, so I just took off.

We walked down to University Ave. and hung out at Cafe Roma, which had pretty good espresso but really crappy coffee. We also went to this tattoo place (she's looking for a good Celtic knot, but they didn't have any) where this creepy guy in a trenchcoat was sleeping. When we walked back by the Blue Moon I peeked in, but didn't see the guys, so I guess they were finished and (wisely) took off as quick as they could.

Overall, one of the better concerts of theirs I've been to.

Alan McConchie
Independent Music Critic Extraordinaire
October 21, 1996