Well, I'm officially done with Christian's, the bar down on George Street. I don't often go downtown, but when I do go it's usually with Ash, and when I do go we usually visit Christian's at least once, mostly because we're just amused by the irony of the name. But it's really not worth it, all things considered. It's a dark, small, crowded bar and everything there is way more expensive than it really ought to be. Including forgetting your credit card, apparently.
But normal bullshit first. For example, when I'm downtown I usually drink sourpuss in pepsi, because it tastes like candy and I am basically a child who is for some reason everyone thinks is an adult. Every other bar on the street charges $5.25 for my usual drink. Or at least I think they do. Every bar I've been to and bought a drink at charges that much, at least. Christian's, on the other hand, charges either $7.25 or $7.50, I can't remember because after the first time they told me the price I didn't buy another drink any time I went there. I also have never used the ATM in the back of the bar, because it turns out they charge you ten fucking dollars to take money out there. I've never seen a store's ATM charge over three dollars on the outside to use their machine, so that's just highway robbery, it's obviously just to take advantage of anyone too drunk or distracted to read the screen as they put their PIN in. Especially since there's an ATM just a few feet from the door outside, not owned by the bar, that charges a perfectly normal small-change amount.
But still. Even considering the complete lack of atmosphere and the naked profiteering, I'd still stop in with my friends now and then just to see if we can find a seat and hang out to talk before hitting another bar when we get thirsty again. But after reading this news article, I'm so grossed out by the place I don't even want to do that any more. Apparently someone left their credit card at the bar one night, and when they came back for it the next morning Christian's straight up robbed and insulted them by putting a 25% "idiot tax" on the card. That bar officially gives zero fucks about their customers; that shit is credit card fraud at the very least, since the owner of the card obviously didn't authorize the charge, and the bar owner doesn't even act like it's a problem. He implies that the multiple people coming forward talking about the 25% charge are lying by claiming it's a (still unauthorized, and thus thieving) 15% charge, never apologizes, and then acts like serving drinks that they pay for is some special service. He goes on about how so many people cancel their cards so he's losing tons of money all the time over it, but like I was pointing out earlier, the bar is overcharging everything to a ridiculous degree (seriously, ten fucking bucks to use the damn atm wtf), and I haven't heard about any of the other bars (who don't act like thieving bastards and seem to get by well enough) complaining about this or charging people to get insulted for making an honest mistake. I even asked a bartender friend whether or not this was a common thing, and he was all "Wtf no way! That's insane, we NEVER do that, Christian's is the only place I've heard of that pulls that type of stunt." If people cancelling their cards is such a huge problem for the bar, there's a pretty simple solution: stop accepting credit cards with open tabs! Either it's worth it and you don't need to rip off innocent people for not pulling that shit, or it's not and why the hell would you do it.
Also dang, it has been like a whole month since my last post. I gotta work on that.
Showing posts with label George Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Street. Show all posts
Monday, December 9, 2013
Monday, October 29, 2012
Mardi Gras on George Street
So I went down to George Street the other night for Mardi Gras! It's not real Mardi Gras, though. That's in February or something. In St John's Mardi Gras just means Halloween Party. I don't know why. It's kind of confusing. I mean, why steal somebody's holiday if you're not even going to pretend to do that holiday? Just call it Halloween on George Street, seriously.
But anyway. Costumes! This is the first year in a while I actually did a costume, instead of just throwing on some awesome stuff I had lying around. I went as Wesley from The Princess Bride! Well, sort of. The Universe was pretty insistent on me being Stripper Wesley, because when I went to look for a shirt the only ones I could find with the right sleeves were transparent. The only non-see-through shirt I could find was too small for me, so I couldn't do up the top button properly and my cleavage was pretty visible. Looked good though. Not Quite Stripper Wesley is a good look for me.
It was a quick and cheap costume, for the most part. I already had the sexy boots, and most of it I bought at Value Village. Except for the leggings. They were surprisingly expensive, but at least I was allowed to try them on. I've been burned by leggings before. You gotta be careful when you buy them, because a lot of the time they are labelled leggings when they're actually just footless tights. You know what the difference is between leggings and tights? You can see your underwear through tights. Always check your leggings for underwear sightings. And wearing dark panties helps too.
I went to Mardiween with Petron, because his friends ditched and Sam didn't have money to get in and then when she could get in she had a headache from shitty glasses, and Ash had to work but she showed up later anyway because she's cool like that. Petron was a blogless mad scientist with a tube of glowy worms. It was pretty cool, he did it by sticking a couple of glow sticks in a jar of milk and water. Then he dropped it and the top cracked, but it still worked. The seal didn't break so no milkwaterglow spilled anywhere. But he kept rolling it all over the table, because he never learns.
We went down around seven, because that was the only time I could get a ride. It is unfortunate, because the weather was crap so most people either didn't go, or waited until nine or ten to show up. Including Ash, who didn't get off work 'till eleven. So Petron and I were kinda stuck on the street waiting for hours and hours for it to get interesting. We passed the time by calling random people, getting food at Greensleeves, and trying to harass our friends into showing up. Also I called Shannon, because Shannon is cool and apparently my phone does reach Clarenville when it wants to, and every other time I've tried to call people in Clarenville it was just being a wuss. I don't know how a phone can be a wuss. Probably by being too wussy to call numbers. Thanks, phone.
But it got cool eventually! Later in the night people in cool costumes showed up, like the Lego Batman people and the Adventure Time characters. I didn't get photos of them though. I should have. And Ash came down dressed as a mob bitch/mobster/mob boss/person in rad outfit.
Petron went home at around one or one thirty, and Ash and I went to another bar and made new friends, Doctor Who, Po the Teletubby and a Free Mammogram machine. Ironically, Doctor Who was the only one without a sexy foreign accent. And yes, I know technically he is The Doctor, but face it everybody calls him Doctor Who. Even the show does it. Calm your tits.
Also what the heck is the deal with stuff on George Street. You have to pay twenty bucks to get on the street, and they give you both a ticket and a wristband, but if you leave the street you can't get back on? What the hell is the point of the wristbands? Either use the wristbands to say "You have already paid for your ticket and been on the street, so if you leave this is proof that you can come back," or don't bother with the fucking wristbands in the first place, what the hell.
But we stayed on George Street till last call, me and Ash and Tom of the Free Mammograms and Po the Drunk Teletubby, and after that we went down to a really cool little bar with a nice atmosphere and stays open serving alcohol past the legal hour, lets you smoke in the bar, and never cards anyone. I love that place. I don't smoke and so far I've always had my ID, but it's cool to know that there's a place like that to go if I am hanging with underage smokers at three am for some reason. Then we went to Celtic Hearth and stood around waiting in the rain for like half an hour waiting for a table. Po ditched us to join a group of strangers who got a table before us, and vanished into the night like a mysterious wasted ninja.
So overall it was a pretty rad night. Well, half and half. The first half was kinda lame, but only kinda. Petron is awesome to hang with, and we got some decent food. The second half was rad as fuck, despite a lack of Petron. I have no idea how I spent as much money as I did, but whatever I spent it on was probably worth it. It was a good night.
But anyway. Costumes! This is the first year in a while I actually did a costume, instead of just throwing on some awesome stuff I had lying around. I went as Wesley from The Princess Bride! Well, sort of. The Universe was pretty insistent on me being Stripper Wesley, because when I went to look for a shirt the only ones I could find with the right sleeves were transparent. The only non-see-through shirt I could find was too small for me, so I couldn't do up the top button properly and my cleavage was pretty visible. Looked good though. Not Quite Stripper Wesley is a good look for me.
It was a quick and cheap costume, for the most part. I already had the sexy boots, and most of it I bought at Value Village. Except for the leggings. They were surprisingly expensive, but at least I was allowed to try them on. I've been burned by leggings before. You gotta be careful when you buy them, because a lot of the time they are labelled leggings when they're actually just footless tights. You know what the difference is between leggings and tights? You can see your underwear through tights. Always check your leggings for underwear sightings. And wearing dark panties helps too.
I'm on the phone with Shannon in this picture. He asked for photos. You're welcome, Shannon.
But it got cool eventually! Later in the night people in cool costumes showed up, like the Lego Batman people and the Adventure Time characters. I didn't get photos of them though. I should have. And Ash came down dressed as a mob bitch/mobster/mob boss/person in rad outfit.
After Ash got there, we switched it up! Instead of wandering aimlessly all over the street like we had been doing, we started wandering aimlessly all over the street and dancing in one of the bars. Took photos, made fun of people, got photos interrupted. Seriously, don't bother trying to do a posed photo around drunk people, they think it is hilarious to jump into it.
Petron went home at around one or one thirty, and Ash and I went to another bar and made new friends, Doctor Who, Po the Teletubby and a Free Mammogram machine. Ironically, Doctor Who was the only one without a sexy foreign accent. And yes, I know technically he is The Doctor, but face it everybody calls him Doctor Who. Even the show does it. Calm your tits.
Also what the heck is the deal with stuff on George Street. You have to pay twenty bucks to get on the street, and they give you both a ticket and a wristband, but if you leave the street you can't get back on? What the hell is the point of the wristbands? Either use the wristbands to say "You have already paid for your ticket and been on the street, so if you leave this is proof that you can come back," or don't bother with the fucking wristbands in the first place, what the hell.
But we stayed on George Street till last call, me and Ash and Tom of the Free Mammograms and Po the Drunk Teletubby, and after that we went down to a really cool little bar with a nice atmosphere and stays open serving alcohol past the legal hour, lets you smoke in the bar, and never cards anyone. I love that place. I don't smoke and so far I've always had my ID, but it's cool to know that there's a place like that to go if I am hanging with underage smokers at three am for some reason. Then we went to Celtic Hearth and stood around waiting in the rain for like half an hour waiting for a table. Po ditched us to join a group of strangers who got a table before us, and vanished into the night like a mysterious wasted ninja.
So overall it was a pretty rad night. Well, half and half. The first half was kinda lame, but only kinda. Petron is awesome to hang with, and we got some decent food. The second half was rad as fuck, despite a lack of Petron. I have no idea how I spent as much money as I did, but whatever I spent it on was probably worth it. It was a good night.
Friday, July 27, 2012
George Street Fest
Alternate title to this post, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LET'S HAVE A DANCE PARTY!!!!!!!
But yeah, the concert was rad. Beauwater in particular was friggin' sweet! I had so much fun I kind of don't know where to start. I guess being in chronological order then get distracted later in the post and have everything be a muddle? That sounds good lets do that.
Went down with Ash of hell on heels, and since both of us had wisely decided to eat absolutely nothing of substance before going down to George Street, as soon as we got onto the street we had to find somewhere to grab a bite. So we get some club sandwiches at O'Reilly's pub and basically chilled there for a while, people-watching. We saw Fat Fabio, this chunky guy in a tee shirt walking down the street with a big grin on his face, long luxurious blond hair blowing in the wind. Actually I should save the people-watching till the end of the post, or else I'll just get sidetracked.
So anyway, me and Ash are just sitting around in the pub half-listening to the pretty awesome music from the opening band, and when we're done eating we go out to check them out. I wish we'd eaten faster, because as it turns out these guys were freaking AWESOME. I only caught the last part of their set, unfortunately, but they ended with a really great cover of Hey Jude, which my camera mostly mutilated with the audio but hey, at least I got it. It sounds kind of crappy in the video, but that's none of it the band. Band rocked this song.
Anyway, Ash and I were totally blown away by these guys. They were crazy good! We were so impressed by them that we had to go up after they had finished their set and ask what the name of the band was -- we'd missed it, since we only got in at the end. And the singer was like "Beauwater -- here!" and gave me an album. I know!! It's awesome!! I'm listening to it right now, it's fun stuff.
The next band was pretty good too. Not as good as Beauwater, but still fun. The guy on keyboards was awesome. We actually met him like hours later, as Ash and I were walking down the street looking for a not-completely-blocked bar (and ended up in Scanlan's, in case you were curious). Turns out the lead singer is his dad. We never would have guessed! He seemed pretty young on stage. The singer. Keyboard guy was I guess a teenager? I'm terrible at guessing ages. I'm gonna say "somewhere between ten and thirty."
Third Eye Blind was pretty cool too. Honestly, the first time I'd ever heard of them was like last week when Ash said "Robin, you're coming to see these guys with me on Thursday." So I was like "Okay," and downloaded a best-of cd to figure out who the heck they were. I listened to them for a while and was like, Oh! These guys! These are the guys that did that one song. Or part of it, at least."
But the...band? Is it a full band or is it like just the one dude, like Owl City or City and Colour? Because only the one guy was doing the talking. Whatever, I'll look it up later. What was I going to say? Oh right, I was gonna say something about how it's always cool when the band/dude is so pumped and energetic and totally into it that he gets everybody in the audience pumped too, whether or not they started out as pumped-up fans. Like I started the evening going "Well, it'll be pretty cool, I guess. Beauwater was rad, so hopefully Third Eye Blind will match up to them!" And they totally did. Guy had glow sticks, hucking them into the crowd. He managed to toss a few up to the people hanging out the second-story windows above the road, that's a pretty good arm! If only the beer girls earlier could throw like that. But they only tossed t-shirts to the people jammed up in front. Which on the one hand, they waited around and jostled to get in front so I guess they deserve a bonus for being good fans? Or something? But on the other hand, did they really have to give all the shirts to the front-row people? Get the beefy guy to toss a few to the farther-back people. Not at me, because I really don't need a beer-shirt in the face. But Fantits next to me was fair shrieking for one. I'm getting off-topic, I'm saving the people-watching for last. I'm still talking about the band, aren't I? I think I am. Band was cool. I like glow sticks. Singer dude was good at making me really excited to see him, even though I honestly didn't really know who he was. I would post the videos I took of Third Eye Blind, but it took an hour and a half to upload the Beauwater video so I'm not gonna do that. At least not today. Maybe tomorrow or next week when I've forgotten how annoying that was.
But yeah, the concert was rad. Beauwater in particular was friggin' sweet! I had so much fun I kind of don't know where to start. I guess being in chronological order then get distracted later in the post and have everything be a muddle? That sounds good lets do that.
Went down with Ash of hell on heels, and since both of us had wisely decided to eat absolutely nothing of substance before going down to George Street, as soon as we got onto the street we had to find somewhere to grab a bite. So we get some club sandwiches at O'Reilly's pub and basically chilled there for a while, people-watching. We saw Fat Fabio, this chunky guy in a tee shirt walking down the street with a big grin on his face, long luxurious blond hair blowing in the wind. Actually I should save the people-watching till the end of the post, or else I'll just get sidetracked.
So anyway, me and Ash are just sitting around in the pub half-listening to the pretty awesome music from the opening band, and when we're done eating we go out to check them out. I wish we'd eaten faster, because as it turns out these guys were freaking AWESOME. I only caught the last part of their set, unfortunately, but they ended with a really great cover of Hey Jude, which my camera mostly mutilated with the audio but hey, at least I got it. It sounds kind of crappy in the video, but that's none of it the band. Band rocked this song.
Anyway, Ash and I were totally blown away by these guys. They were crazy good! We were so impressed by them that we had to go up after they had finished their set and ask what the name of the band was -- we'd missed it, since we only got in at the end. And the singer was like "Beauwater -- here!" and gave me an album. I know!! It's awesome!! I'm listening to it right now, it's fun stuff.
The next band was pretty good too. Not as good as Beauwater, but still fun. The guy on keyboards was awesome. We actually met him like hours later, as Ash and I were walking down the street looking for a not-completely-blocked bar (and ended up in Scanlan's, in case you were curious). Turns out the lead singer is his dad. We never would have guessed! He seemed pretty young on stage. The singer. Keyboard guy was I guess a teenager? I'm terrible at guessing ages. I'm gonna say "somewhere between ten and thirty."
Third Eye Blind was pretty cool too. Honestly, the first time I'd ever heard of them was like last week when Ash said "Robin, you're coming to see these guys with me on Thursday." So I was like "Okay," and downloaded a best-of cd to figure out who the heck they were. I listened to them for a while and was like, Oh! These guys! These are the guys that did that one song. Or part of it, at least."
The two and a half minute part, specifically.
But the...band? Is it a full band or is it like just the one dude, like Owl City or City and Colour? Because only the one guy was doing the talking. Whatever, I'll look it up later. What was I going to say? Oh right, I was gonna say something about how it's always cool when the band/dude is so pumped and energetic and totally into it that he gets everybody in the audience pumped too, whether or not they started out as pumped-up fans. Like I started the evening going "Well, it'll be pretty cool, I guess. Beauwater was rad, so hopefully Third Eye Blind will match up to them!" And they totally did. Guy had glow sticks, hucking them into the crowd. He managed to toss a few up to the people hanging out the second-story windows above the road, that's a pretty good arm! If only the beer girls earlier could throw like that. But they only tossed t-shirts to the people jammed up in front. Which on the one hand, they waited around and jostled to get in front so I guess they deserve a bonus for being good fans? Or something? But on the other hand, did they really have to give all the shirts to the front-row people? Get the beefy guy to toss a few to the farther-back people. Not at me, because I really don't need a beer-shirt in the face. But Fantits next to me was fair shrieking for one. I'm getting off-topic, I'm saving the people-watching for last. I'm still talking about the band, aren't I? I think I am. Band was cool. I like glow sticks. Singer dude was good at making me really excited to see him, even though I honestly didn't really know who he was. I would post the videos I took of Third Eye Blind, but it took an hour and a half to upload the Beauwater video so I'm not gonna do that. At least not today. Maybe tomorrow or next week when I've forgotten how annoying that was.
Anyway, the people-watching. It's the most fun you can ever have on George Street.* I think I mentioned Fat Fabio earlier, didn't I? We saw Skinny Fabio afterwards, too. If only they could have met. And hipster chicks in weird outfits. There were two of them, with like...I think it was floral bras/tank tops or something, and supertight short-shorts that go way up over their belly buttons. It didn't really look bad, just kind of....weird. It would fit right in on some haute-couture fashion show, but I've never seen real people try to wear the clothes that models wear on a runway. Mostly because those outfits are weird. And then there was Fantits. She was standing next to me for most of the night, and she was hilarious. She was obviously a huge fan of Third Eye Blind, and kind of a bigger girl. She was cute, though. Anyway, she was very loud in her appreciation of the band, and as soon as they showed up she started bouncing. But not up and down kind of bouncing, she jumped really weird. She went sort of rocking forward and back as well as up and down, so it was like she was boob-tackling the girl in front of her. Seriously, I was almost worried that she'd get a concussion or something. Especially odd, she was very concerned with not getting in peoples way and constantly apologized to the people around her for being in their way or blocking their view. But she never seems to notice the girl she is boob-assaulting. Or head-assaulting? Since it's her head getting assaulted, and the breasts are the assault-weapon. Maybe headboob-assaulting. I'm getting distracted again. She was obviously a huge fan, from the superexcited bouncing that started as soon as the band came on and didn't stop for the entire show, and also she knew literally all the words for all the songs. It was kind of impressive.
*Citation needed.
I wish I'd had my iPod on me at the concert. Not to listen to music, but so I could take notes haha. I just know there are a million things I'm forgetting that I wanted to talk about later, but fuck if I can remember them now. I suppose if I remember it I'll write another post. In the meantime, have another Beauwater video! Not one I took, of course, but there are a few up on Youtube. Dang, I like these guys! I should go to another show of theirs one of these days.
I wish I'd had my iPod on me at the concert. Not to listen to music, but so I could take notes haha. I just know there are a million things I'm forgetting that I wanted to talk about later, but fuck if I can remember them now. I suppose if I remember it I'll write another post. In the meantime, have another Beauwater video! Not one I took, of course, but there are a few up on Youtube. Dang, I like these guys! I should go to another show of theirs one of these days.
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