Sunday, in celebration of this freakshow that has been my life for the past week, we went to one-eyed jack's to see a local band called Bingo! For those of you who have never been to oej it has the vibe of a converted movie theatre and always reminds me of the Ritz in Austin, before it was returned to its original status as movie theatre. The evening began with a tour through the French Quarter that was called the Haunted History Tour. A good time was had by all, mainly because of the vibrant and at times ridiculous history of this city. Of course, the fact that we were allowed to bring drinks didn't hurt one bit. The tour guide was even kind enough to allow us a pit-stop during the tour so that I could refill my empty glass with another excellent gin and tonic. As the tour came to a close and the laughs faded into the recesses of the memory, we made our way to the Bingo! show.
After a few days of over-consumption in New Orleans, it is commonplace to forget the things that others take for granted. Th
ese tasks can range from the mundane to the complete boring necessities of life. On this particular evening it wasn't showering or changing clothes that fell through the cracks, it was this tradition that most of us enjoyingly refer to as dinner. With stomachs that were filled with booze and little else, we marched into the converted movie theatre with little knowledge as to what lay ahead. Our host had merely described the band as a freak show that reminded him of a circus from hell.
Upon entering, we continued to imbibe with a thirst that could rival any other. The gin flew off of the shelf and into our depraved bodies. After paying the cover charge we were allowed into the second chamber where the festivities were about to take place. The band took the stage, some dressed as barkers, and others like some demented clowns bent on some sort of dark mission. The band raged through the night offering their own special entertainment. There was an intermission in which the audience is invited to play bingo and watch strange movies on the screen. Who knows what the winner receives from this group of misfits. All that I can report is that the remaining freaks in attendance are rewarded with one of the greatest shows I have ever witnessed. My thoughts drifted to the memory that our host had imparted. Last year these guys played a show opening up for the Butthole Surfers. That must have been some combination. I would be surprised if anyone left with their sanity intact.
Throughout the evening, I was blessed with many truly great surprises. I ran into old friends that I didn't know were back in the city. Christy, an old acquaintance, had
last been seen 6 years ago in this same venue celebrating her birthday. During the show I turned around and there she was, looking exactly the same as she did then. Once I overcame the shock and decided that she was not an apparition, we exchanged numbers and decided to meet up after the show. We danced, we laughed and we sang the night away. Somehow after the show we made new friends, tested the effectiveness of child locks on and adult male, and won money at the casino. It was a truly great evening.
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