The End Of An Era?

Brian Boru Public House has been my Sunday night destination for close to ten years now. The number of times that I don't visit Brian's House on Sunday in any given year I can count on one hand, usually due to being out of town or simply being broke. Or that one time Phish came to town, and I was forced to move my birthday party to Ruski's (yet another reason why Trey Anastasio can eat shit and die).

The main draw for me is the Irish and English beers they sell for cheap: pints of Guiness, Harp, Bass, and Smithwick's (not to mention Black and Tans and Half and Halfs (Blacks and Tans, Half and Halves?)) for only $3. When I first started going to there they were only $2 a pop BUT STILL! $3! That's some fucking deal!

The usual crew has been swindled over the years. Jimmy quit, and Jodi got married. Nowadays it's usually just Rob and me, and sometimes Regan and/or Teddy. Throughout the years the bartenders have taken care of me, and I've taken care of them, starting with Roger and Paul and up to, and including, the current pourers of brew, Chris and Whitney. I love outside drinking, and their two decks ensure I can sit down and do just that. And maybe, just maybe, I enjoy the bouquet of stale beer mixed with the subtle aroma of vomit.

But that may be changing. A little over a month ago Boru's weekly open mic night moved from Mondays to Sundays. I FUCKING HATE OPEN MIC NIGHTS. I just want to go and talk with my friends over some beer. I don't want to hear some asshole play "Wish You Were Here" or "Karma Police." The open mic night at Brian's isn't as bad, mostly because very few people get up to perform, leaving the emcee, Brendan, to do most of the heavy lifting. I like Brendan (who also works there as a doorman), and his interesting takes on Sabbath and Zeppelin songs usually aren't vomit-inducing. But, like I previously mentioned , I have very clear reasons why I go to Brian Boru on Sunday nights, AND A FUCKING OPEN MIC NIGHT IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

It wasn't all that bad: he played inside, we drank and talked outside. Bearable. But Rob and I posed to ourselves a damn good question: what happens in October when it's too cold to be outside? Do we suck it up, or do we go elsewhere? We both came to the same conclusion that maybe finding another place to go, when the time comes, is our best option.

But it got worse last Sunday. He moved open mic to outside! Nooooooooo! And, AND, to make things worse, Brendan played "Ace Of Spades!" Oh, fuck no! There are two reasons why no one should ever, EVER, cover that song. One, as one of the greatest songs ever written and performed it's bordering on sacrilege. And two, every cover of "Ace Of Spades" sounds like fucking shit. That's science fact, brother (or sister, depending who you are, dear reader)!

So, now I have a more immediate dilemma: do I suck it up and have my ears poisoned so I can enjoy these nice summer nights with beer at the bar that I've been patronizing nearly every Sunday FOR A DECADE, do I spend the nights inside at the bar and deal with the heat (Brian's House does not have air-conditioning), or do I go somewhere else?

I am really really torn. I don't know what to do.