Tin Roof musical treats..
An unplanned evening often is the best kind.
My buddy came by and we decided to go eat
at Yo Bo Cantina in Park Circle.
It is well known for its big, fat, and tasty burritos and its large Mason jars of MargaRitas. During happy hour, they are extra reasonable and not too bad the rest of the night.
I sipped an IPA beer and noshed on the chips and guacamole platter as my buddy worked his way through a veggie Burrito-in-a-bowl.
Burp.
Then he remembered there was a 2-act show at the
Tin Roof, so we headed there, arriving just as the first act -local Lily Slay - finished her sound check.
Naturally, I snapped a few photos with my cell phone.
As stated, this was not a planned event so my camera had stayed at home.
I have enjoyed comic and singer
Lily Slay several times before when she teamed up with Mackie Boles and they perform as the
Royal Tinfoil.
Tonight Lily was solo and opening for her friend Lara Hope, down from New York and ending a grueling regional tour with 3 weeks to go.
By herself - well, with a drummer backing her - I was thinking back to when I had met Mama Cass Elliott on a set at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.
Miss Elliott was starring in a film on the lot and I was a publicist at the time.
Tonight was a mix of comedy and song and I laughed while sipping a beer when she sang an original love song about a wish to make love with a friend's father. A strange May/December relationship if there ever was one
Lara Hope, the headliner, and her 3-piece band took the stage.
She was a whirling figure, in her black cowboy hat, her dress and even her boots were fringed.
Yes, the boots were black and fringed. A cowgirl from the Bronx!
Both ladies had fans who showed their support, loudly singing along, dancing and clapping.
I had worn a t-shirt that said MARINES and a fellow seated next to me at the bar, asked if I were a Marine? He had been one too and offered to buy me and my buddy a beer.
I accepted and added that I was probably more "Old Corps" than he.
We swapped dates we had served and I had him beat by at least 20 years. Both of us had served only a four-year hitch.
As we drank our beers, I noted he was sipping a $2 PBR while we were enjoying a $7 IPA.
I quietly asked Johnny the bartender to not only let me pay for the next Pabst Blue Ribbon for my new former Marine friend but also a meal if he happened to order food.
I wanted to close that gap between what he paid and my effort in returning the favor.
Glancing at the "merch table" for Lara Hope, I saw a posted lyric that I found amusing.
Wouldn't you know it, that was part of the song she sang at the close of her performance.
I hope she and her group safely finished their long, extended tour on the road.
It reminded me that they were "down South" while her hometown suffered through a third Nor'Easter in less than 10 days of blizzard conditions and flooding.
Kind of a good time to
"be on the road again."
(Click on the photos and links for more details.)
Thanks for hanging out with me for some cold suds and music.
Labels: $7 IPAs., Bartender Johnny Puke, Former Marine Travis Schultz for Custom Stonework, Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones, Lily Slay, PBR, Tin Roof
ISO doesn't always mean In Search Of....
There are really only three basic things that go into making a photograph.
1. Shutter speed.
2. Lens opening.
3. Sensitivity of the film.
Back in the "old days" when I started in photography - using film - that sensitivity factor was called ASA. Today, with digital,
it's called ISO.
A film like Kodachrome 25 was less sensitive than say, Ektachrome 125.
Tri-X 400, a black & white mainstay during my newspaper days, was fast and could be "pushed" while developing up to about ASA 800.
That saved many a shot even though it was more rough and gritty than with a slower speed film. That was called "grain." Today, with digital, it's called "noise."
These photos of
The Royal Tinfoil were taken at the Pour House a few night ago under impossible lighting conditions.
Well, not completely out of the question because I found a way to boost my digital camera's ISO from 800 to 6400. Yikes, quite a leap!
The results were very grainy/noisy until I smoothed things out a bit with a darkroom tool called
Topaz DeNoise plug-in.
Shooting at other venues, I have taken very nice crisp shots of Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney with my camera set on ISO of 400. The difference is the amount and intensity of the stage lighting.
A bright white spotlight on the performer lets me snap away at 1/200th of a second which is sharp with very little blur. Last night, even at 1600 ISO, my shutter would have been a slow 1/25th of a second which does NOT stop action very well.
These shots would do OK printed on pulpy newspaper stock but are marginal online or in my blog.
I just feel good I got usable images and will continue to experiment.
(Click on the photos for some details.)
After I saw I had a few good action shots, I put away the camera and had another beer.
More experimenting.
Labels: 1/200 second, a Plug-in, ASA, digital sensor sensitivity, film speed, ISO, Lily Slay, Mackie Bole, Philips Arena, The Pour House, The Royal Tinfoil, Time Warner Arena, Topaz DeNoise 5
Weekend in the Garden.
Well, not THAT kind of gardening.
Not digging in the dirt. More like sampling different
biers un der garten.
The 2nd annual Beer Garden was held in Brittlebank Park on a cloudy Saturday. It did not rain.
Was reminded - as I saw Craft Beer
growlers all around me - that Charleston has come full circle with cars and beer. This event was sponsored by certain
Sunoco gas (and growler) filling stations.
As a teenager growing up here, I recall you could get a beer with your cheeseburger and fries at drive-in restaurants. Where the cool high school kids hung out. (Burp, 'scuse me).
There were plenty of places here to have your souvenir (plastic) pint stein either filled or used to sample 3 ozs. of different beers. Several times.
Picnic tables, white folding chairs and shady spots galore. Also games involving beer themes.
While I was there I enjoyed the sounds of Lily Slay of
The Royal Tinfoil.
Mackie Bole backed her on guitar.
It was just about the right size crowd - plenty of room to roam, quick service at the draft pulls and many of the white chairs ended up scattered around in front of the stage. Comfy.
People -watching was good here.
A yacht was anchored nearby and cigar smokers had a clear field day.
The Bridge radio station signs mirrored the "other" one with the Ashley River bridge in the background.
Body art was on full display. Many tattoos showed real artistic ability.
And some whimsy.
The beer itself offered quite a variety.
Local brewers were represented as well as regional and national brands. All pull together now!
Saw people walking around wearing "necklaces" they had made by stringing small pretzels on a cord.
I settled for a few of the small bags to munch with my Dogfish Stout.
There were games of skill and brawn sited around the park.
Don't know what the prizes were but I saw throw-the-hoop-around-the-growler at one table.
A crowd gathered to watch and cheer the
Keg Toss competition.
The longest throw was marked with a small flag marker and the goal was to make yours land further ahead.
Apparently it was open to both men and women. That's only fair.
I was really impressed until I noted these were EMPTY kegs. Well, Duh.
Didn't see anyone spin around and around and release like throwing the discus.
But it was early yet and the beer had not kicked in sufficiently.
All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon for a walk in the park.
Heard some music, saw some creative and ornate tats, and dodged empty kegs flying through the air.
No surprise where my appetite led me to continue this German-ish celebration.
There I ordered my favorite : a plate of Wiener Schnitzel.
Und ein bier, bitte. Yah!
(Click on the photos for more detail.)
Enjoy beer moderately.
And breaded veal.
Danke.Labels: biergarten, breaded veal, Charleston Beer Garden, danke, Gene's Haufbrau, Lily Slay, Mackie Bole, plastic pint steins, Sunoco growler filling stations, The Royal Tinfoil, weinersnitzel
An unplanned evening often is the best kind.
I have enjoyed comic and singer Lily Slay several times before when she teamed up with Mackie Boles and they perform as the Royal Tinfoil.
Lara Hope, the headliner, and her 3-piece band took the stage.
