wedding bells

This isn't really related to anything about the clones or chiefs or mets or live music. So why am I posting it? Because it is related to drinking, so I have every right to post it, because besides the clones or the chiefs or the mets or live music, drinking is all I talk about. (outside of work of course)

Anyways, Jackie and Steemer have a wedding website, right here.

You can count on most of the people I know getting hammered and doing the chicken dance. So that will be cool.

the valley rats

FYI -- if you get up on stage at People's for Rockstar Karaoke, they record your show and put it up on YouTube right here.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome "the valley rats", Brad Powell and Riley Smith. And no, they are not from WDM Valley:

rockstar karaoke

I'm sure you have noticed that newspapers and other media outlets are putting their support behind different candidates and things like that. I thought that was kinda cool, so I decided that I would put the whole support of the crocked blog behind something. Of course, I only have two readers, and one of them lives on the dark side of the state, so...

Anyways, I am throwing my whole support behind "rockstar karaoke" at People's Court, downtown Des Moines. It's held every Thursday, and I went there this week, and had a blast. I think there were 9 of us, and I think everybody dug it. When I describe it to you, it won't sound nearly as cool as it is. I have been hearing about this thing since the day they started it, and I never once was truly that interested.

Basically, there are two bands, Kountertop, (who is playing my brother's wedding) and Kentucky Fried Mullet. They alternate Thursday's. This week, I saw KFM.

So, the band is up there on stage. There is a mic in the middle, with nobody standing in front of it. Meanwhile there is a list of songs going around the bar. You pick a song, the band will rock out, and you get to sing. Sounds simple, but it is sweet. Mainly because it's not like you are at a dive bar on Merle Hay watching some drunk idiot trying to sound like Johnny Cash. The people that get on stage know they are good. And they are good. I think each winner goes on to some like championship night than that winner gets two tickets to vegas or something.

Trust me. If you have vacation to burn (it's too late now I suppose) take a Friday off and go to this. Even if you have to call in sick, or something. I wasn't even hammered and I loved it. I can only imagine how fun it would be if I was...

silver lining

In case you didn't see this already, I now owe Brady a sixer of Miller High Life bottles.

Why? Well, he is a Twins fan and I am a Mets fan. The thing is, the Mets decided to slump for pretty much the entire month of June, and of course, that is the month I decide to make a little wager in.

But you know what? It's OK. I am so excited, or maybe the word is ecstatic, or maybe pumped? The correct word is probably more like thirsty.

I now have a great excuse to buy a case of high life bottles! Yay for me! All I have to do is peel a sixer out of it, ship it to hell-on-earth, then enjoy the other 18! I think I got the better end of this deal. I cannot wait to open em up!

Weird side-note: I remember talking with a friend during college about getting a tattoo of the lady in the moon somewhere on my body. Would that have been cool I wonder? I think I was pretty serious. I know my wife would NOT be a happy camper. Maybe if I had Cy sitting by the lady in the moon. That would have been sweet.

Last side-note: The Mets are still in first place, and are still going through the hardest schedule known to man. GO METS

evaD olleH

We have a big weekend of Hello Dave shows coming up in Des Moines. The main one I am interested takes place at senioM seD. (I first mentioned it here)

It says it goes from 4:30 to 7:30. I am assuming HD will start right at 4:30. I can't find any information saying anything different. Either way, I will be leaving work early to get down there in time. Should be a freaking blast, I hope the weather cooperates.

Anybody want me to pick them up on the way down there? Right now I am on my own till the wifey gets off work. Whether you are from out of town, or live 15 minutes away, you should come on down.

When that gets done, I have no idea what will happen. We will already be downtown, so the GPBistro is an option as well as High Life/El Bait. Tony is playing at GPB Friday night, so you know that will rock. Don't be surprised to see us there. Also, if you are a cabby, don't be surprised to get a call. We walked there last weekend, and I don't really remember the walk back...

Then, we have Hello Dave playing Saturday night at Keyster's, I will probably/maybe end up going even though I hate the fact that they charge so much for their freaking drinks there.

Although, if Friday turns out like I want it to, it could make Saturday night a nice night to sit in the back yard and drink some Yucca!!

sad news

I know it's old news, but if you haven't heard already, People's, on the corner of Lincoln Way and Welch, is closing. Read this letter from Tom Zmolek. After 18 years 9 months 5 days 4 hours and 30 minutes – @ Midnight on May 31, 2007 – They will be pouring their final drink.

I know some people didn't like People's. I know I have been pissed at their bartenders before: "how dare you charge me full price for my drinks!!! " I have heard the stories of stolen jackets people leave behind the bar, etc. etc.

It doesn't change the fact that that was my FIRST bar in Ames. Well -- besides Hunky Dory's. Speaking of that, how come nobody created a "Save Hunky's" facebook group?

I actually give People's credit for getting me into Hello Dave. If they wouldn't have sold High Life so cheap (and been lax on checking ID's) I never would have watched Magoo play Saturnelia with my High Life bottle that first night. Who would've known the chain reaction that started.

I first learned about the corn cob effect of plastic cups downstairs at Lumpy's. And how to stack empty beer cups to the ceiling. Lumpy's is still my favorite place to play fooz, and quarter draws can't be beat. Of course, knowing the bartender helped, not that money mattered down there. Hell, come to think of it, we even saw HD acoustic down there!

The ultimate dive bar, I have never seen its equal. Wading through beer and urine to go piss outside in a storm drain that is also full, backing up and flowing back into the bar. I also have to mention the only true crappy beer night I have been to, where they toss you beers from behind the bar like you were hanging in somebody's basement. I need to spend a Friday at Lumpy's again real soon.

The only other part of People's left may be my favorite part. The Green Room. Not sure if that is what it's called, but it's the room upstairs where the band hangs out, and we can drink booze right out of the bottle. I about puked up there more than once prior to yet another Hello Dave show. I guess it's not really my favorite, but it is pretty sweet.

My favorite part is the original, true FAC. The ONLY FAC in Ames that was worth going to. Hitting up Beaudelaire, then heading to People's. Get smashed watching Tony Bohnenkamp and others rock out at 4 in the afternoon.

I drank 77 of their 100 beers before my Mets Mastercard got maxed out and I had to quit, missing out on their People's Wall of Foam.

I have never spent less than $100 during a Hello Dave show.

Their big send off is Sunday May 27th. That is why we are only camping Friday and Saturday nights. We will be packing our shit up and heading over to Ames to hang out at People's for one last time.

I am hoping/assuming that Hello Dave will be there sometime again before it closes. Either way, there are a couple of good columns about the closing.

Here's one that interviews the landlords, and here's another one that interviews some former patrons, and there's also this one, and you knew that Juice had to chime in.

You can go to peoplesrocks.com to check their May schedule, all the way up to their finale, May 27th. Currently, it is empty. If somebody notices it up, please let me know.

senioM seD

The Des Moines Jaycees are bring back Seniom Sed (SEHN-eee-um SEHD) this summer. From what I understand it is a "Seniom Sed Reunion"- Before there was Clive After Five, Friday Fest, Cedar Rapids Uptown Friday Night and Ames on the Half Shell. There was Seniom Sed.

Held downtown in Nollen Plaza, it is/was the place to be Friday after 4. It should be pretty sweet with all of the 'downtown' workers being able to walk to it after work. After that, it is another short walk to Court Ave, then you are out for the night!!

The bands they currently have lined up:
June 15th: Hello Dave
June 22nd: Faculty Lounge
June 29th: Backstage Boogie Band
July 6th: TBA

I think they are only doing it 4 times this year to get a feel for it, and see how successful it is. I'm sure there are gonna be initial issues that they will want to get worked out before they schedule it for an entire season.

I am thinking about getting involved in Seniom Sed, if that happens -- I will let you know more info. as I get it. They may be looking for volunteers to take money, pour beers, etc. etc.

jager got bombed

I happened to Wiki Jägermeister today. It was full of the usual cool stuff, like how in Europe it used as a digestif. FYI - A digestif is something you drink (usually alcoholic) after a meal to help you with the digestion of your food.

That explains why we saw it in little bottles in every freakin convenience store over there. They must have thought we had some real poopin problems buying it the way we did.

Another cool thing I read online was the translation of the German poem on the bottle (preserving rhyme and meter):

This is the hunter's badge of glory:
That he protects and tends his quarry,
Hunts with honor, as is due,
And through the beast to God is true.

Sweet, huh? Too bad I'm not a hunter, and I have never been worthy of a badge, let alone a badge of glory.

ANYWAYS. The reason why I felt the need to blog about this is they have trashed a rumor I always like to repeat.

I'm sure you've heard it before. Especially when Jager first became popular.

Did you know that there's deer blood in that jager?"

Well, according to THIS, it isn't true. No deer blood, no elk blood, no blood of any kind.

That sucks. Turns out there never was any either, so when I usually say, "I know they used to, nobody knows if they still do" -- I was wrong there too.

I have been living a lie. Next time I do a shot I will have to let everyone know the truth. Let's hope they don't stone me.

eatin, drinkin and gamblin

If you read Juice, which we do, you will see this article entitled "100 Things You Must do in Des Moines."

It is actually pretty interesting, and even though I have only lived here for 3 years, I have done quite a few of those. There ares some that I have done (the ones involving booze), and there are some I haven't done (the ones not involving booze).

Let me try this experiment. Here are three items off the list that I want to do soon. I will let you know when I get them done, then maybe I will try to list another three.

1. The Boot at Hessen Haus. - If you haven't done this yet, you are missing out. It has been a couple years for me, and I feel guilty that I haven't been back there since Oktoberfest, and I didn't even get "Das Boot" that time! I'm shooting for Saturday if anybody wants in. I know we will need help.
   
2. The T-Bone at the Iowa Beef Steakhouse - I have cooked my own steaks at many of these types of restaurants, and of course, at home on the 'ol 10X10 deck, but never at this place, looks like I have somewhere to go eat before I tackle the boot.
3. Bet on the ponies at 'The Meadows' - Believe it or not, I've never been there for live horse races. I have a history of cheering for things that never win (ISU FB), so putting money on a horse named "Prancin Prospector" only to lose my patience and my voice isn't that wild of an idea. It's like a mini football season every race.