Free Booze and a Good Time

Yesterday was the first time I was bored in New York.  Mainly because I was too lazy to drag my ass out of bed to go and do something.  So after sitting in front my computer for 5 hours watching movies, I decided I needed to get my ass in gear and do something awesome.  Thank jeezus for http://www.myopenbar.com.  It gives you a nice long list of all the places with open bars in the city.  The first place I came across happened to be 3 train stops away.

I didn't really know what to expect at all, they had it listed as performance art.  I get to the loft and I stand outside looking at the door, unsure if I was ready to commit to this.  But free beer? Who am I kidding, so in I went.  They suggested a donation, I suggested much less and that was fine.  It was a very open "performance space" and there were a handful of hipsters and artsy types milling around smoking hand rolled cigarettes.  I walk over to the bar and order a drink.  High life out of a keg, could I have asked for more?  

Unsure of what to do with myself I approached a pair of seemingly nice guys who I had actually assumed were gay.  They were very welcoming, and turns out they didn't know anyone there either, so we sat and chatted until the show began.  And oh what a show it was.  Me and the gentleman were trying to guess what was going to happen since there was a display of props in different formations for the different pieces.  But no matter how good a guesser you are, artists will always surprise you.

The first skit started, a woman comes out dressed in full Luchador costume and appears to "struggle with womanhood" by wrestling a sheet (sex), a balance ball (exercise), a baby (self explanatory) and a bunch of junk food (also self explanatory).  I must give the lady props because she really wrestled these inanimate objects as if they were fighting back.  I did some fighting of my own, fighting back the damn laughter because all these people were so serious and in to it.  Give me a break.

The woman finishes up and everyone goes back to drinking their beers and discussing the "power of the piece".  There are still 3 more artists to go, so I am just trying to keep an open mind and a straight face.  For the sake of the beer, of course.  Ten minutes or so go by and the hipsters just keep flooding in.  All with such looks of amazement and enlightenment.  As enlightened as you can look wearing fake lenses in a pair of Ray-Bans, I suppose. 

The next guy to come up was actually by far the most straight forward and entertaining.  His piece was a commentary on the diseases and illnesses that the media and pharmaceutical companies try and convince people they are afflicted with.  Although it was still bizarre as hell, it had group participation, which is always fun.  Yelling out random diseases.  Its amazing how many a group full of people can think of.  By the time this guy was done sprinkling turmeric in everyones mouth, we were all pretty drunk and I had made a few more friends.  

I wont even bother wasting my breath on the nonsense that was the final 2 pieces. Completely ridiculous, and whatever the meaning, it was lost on me.  Good thing me and my comrades were properly buzzed making things still fun.  As the show comes to an end, many people had filtered out, it was only 11:30 and that's just warm up party time for New Yorkers.  The owner of the loft who was a lovely man with his lovely wife, declared that the rest of us couldn't leave until the keg was finished as he did not want to lug it down the stairs.  Fine by me! 

I spent the duration of the night sitting at the bar talking with all these fascinating people.  And met a really nice weed dealer who also happened to be the disease performer.  Also met a drummer (of course), who invited me to his show this evening. Describing their music as Tropi-cool.  I even made it on the guest list.  So after helping a blind homeless man to the bus stop, I headed home.  What went from a rather lonely evening ended in plans for the weekend and even more excited outlook on New York.  This is one hell of a town.