Lucky 13

The scene: Friday night, the Vandalia Lounge, Charleston WV, the newest happening in the city. This is Charleston's answer to Cafe Society; all the hip , stylish, suave ( or would be suave) perfectly coiffed, slick back, high heeled and pseudo riche' were in attendance.
Another pretentious night in the city? Oh no, not by a long shot...
Much to the credit of the establishers of the Vandalia Lounge they've raised the bar on entertainment, class and fun. Not only have the Carpenter Ants done well there, but also, we've met some pretty fascinating folks and as they used to say back in the day some "beautiful people."
Over the years that I've been in this band we've made several forays to clubs in the downtown area of Charleston ( now mind you Charleston is not some sprawling metropolis... in other words, it ain't New York), all with the hopes of getting accepted in our hometown dashed by people who just didn't get the point of what we do.
Here's an example: once, we played in the now defunct (thank goodness) club called Mulligans, and a woman there and I got into a heated argument because she was angry that we would have the "audacity to play gospel music in a bar, that we would disgrace the Lord by even eluding to references of HIM in a place where people were having drinks and letting their hair down." Follow me closely here... 3 months later, I was asked to come to Mulligans to be a guest speaker about my religion, Islam; at a series that the club was starting on Tuesdays at the time aimed at bringing the church to all people, everywhere, even in the pub. Well much to my amazement, in attendance that night was the very woman who argued me down when we played there. She completely forgot that just a few weeks before she wanted to kill me for doing what we did, in the same place ( is that not ironic).
It seemed that almost anytime we played anywhere outside of the Empty Glass this is the resistence we'd meet.
If you have a copy of our CD "Picnic With the Lord, " Michael wrote in the liner notes something that has truly stuck with me lo these many years and it's something that anyone who listens openly to music should know, and accept: "Often there is far less distance between the saints and sinners then the sanctimonious would have you believe. Our aim is touch hearts and souls whether they be in the tavern or the church." A very well said line indeed.
Which brings me back to the Vandalia Lounge; these people get it, and I mean they get it on all levels. They have the correct balance we need to be playing music in a situation like this...THEY ARE OPEN MINDED. Yes there are unbeliveably beautiful women there, yes there are ultra successful business people there, yes the bar staff and waitstaff wear uniforms, yes the clientele mostly are dressed to the nines, and yes to some degree it's a meet market, but that's why you have bands like us there; to help it all along. Nothing I know will win a woman's heart more than if you make her feel special and worthwhile. If you're asking your lady to be your wife, don't you want the world to know how much you love her? You tell me, what says it better than music?
Although all of what I said is true, you still have to be in the frame of mind to have some fun and really let your hair down, and that is what you'll find in spades at the Vandalia.
On a day like Friday the 13th, a seemingly unlucky day, by the accounts of the naysayers, it is truly a good feeling for me and for my bandmates to know that we smoked the place, burned down and blurred the barriers holding people's minds, and helped to loosen the shackles of their week.
For this Black cat, lucky 13 is the number, and I won it at the Vandalia Lounge.

This blog post is dedicated to the staff, management and patrons of the Vandalia Lounge, congratulations, you got it right...continued success.