Classing up the joint

I was about halfway through my jukebox picks (and half in the bag) last week at my uncle's bar, Massa's Tavern, when Chuck Wepner and his entourage (actually, his wife and another couple) walked in. I was in the middle of my Husker Du set of Turn on the News and Celebrated Summer when they arrived. For a man approaching 70, he's still an imposing figure. This wasn't the first time I had met him. The Bayonne Bleeder and I had once donated blood at the same time at the Catholic War Veterans post. Chuck immediately bought a round for everyone in the bar. This is what makes Massa's so great. You go in for a couple beers and before you know it every one's buying you a round. And by the time you reciprocate, you're on your tenth beer. Even more amazing, you can usually do this for less than $20. For a drunk on a budget, it's a dream come true! After a while, the tall man who was with Chuck approached the Internet jukebox. Strangely enough, he was wearing a beret and had unusual facial hair. He seemed to be having difficulty negotiating the jukebox menus. As it turned out, he was having trouble spelling Edith Piaf's last name. I helped him out. Unfortunately, I still had about ten songs to go in my set and he and Chuck left before he got a chance to hear his selection which, of course, was resoundingly sneered at by the regulars. Having felt the wrath of the regulars before, I wasn't surprised. There's only so much class you can take when you're getting your drunk on.