Voodoo Chile

Since my office closed early for the holiday, I had time to kill on Tuesday before heading to the radio show. I decided to get something to eat at Oddfellows in Hoboken and ended up having several beers afterwards. Oddfellows isn't really the type of place to hang out and have a few beers. The food is good, but the beer is overpriced like most of the places in Hoboken. My brand was discounted at $2.50, but a couple construction guys nearby had a hard time swallowing $4.50 for a Bud and left in disgust after one. I wasn't able to determine the source of the music in the background, but it was crap for the most part. I almost rejoiced when "Sweet Jane" came on, the rest of the music had been so bad. Then a red-faced drunk came in. He was obviously drunk, but the bartender served him anyway. As if on cue, Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" came on and the drunk went nuts. He started drumming along to the song on the bar. The funny thing was I was right there with him in spirit. Sometimes when I listen to Jimi Hendrix I think my head is going to explode. No other artist has this effect on me. I think it has something to do with the fact that I can't believe what I'm hearing. It truly is a mind blowing experience for me. Anyway, the pretty boy bartender is getting irritated by the drunk's drumming. Of course, I'm loving all this, waiting for the confrontation. The bartender asks him to stop and he does so for about ten seconds. Then he starts up again with renewed vigor. He's not just pounding the bar to the rhythm anymore, he's interjecting all sorts of assorted hand signals that only he can comprehend. I can't tell you how enormously entertaining this was to me. The bartender is really mad now. He removes the drunk's empty beer bottle and asks him to leave, "I asked you nicely the first time." The drunk knows the drill and doesn't make a fuss. Before exiting, he contorts himself, for our benefit, into some sort of dance move. I approve! Wait. What's this? Jimi Hendrix has morphed into Stevie Ray Vaughn doing the same song! Was that necessary? Hell no! Fucking music geeks with their dumb mashups!