I've been busy
So in terms of places I've been the last couple of nights, I feel obligated to offer some endorsements. I went to Atomic Cowboy to meet up with Michael and Claire and hear former RFT music editor, published author, and writer for nearly every publication in town Thomas Crone spin a particularly good mix of new wave and electronic music (nota bene: he spins at Atomic Cowboy the fourth Wednesday of every month). Atomic Cowboy itself, need I repeat myself, is quite worthy of multiple visits - we didn't really get anything this time, but I'm a big fan of those gaucho fries of theirs, which come with an aioli of some sort and a spicy ketchup, and they make a really good espresso martini. The space itself has all sorts of cool bells and whistles, with illuminated panels of Bob Reuter's black and white photography, loads of screenprinted concert posters, an indoor bar, a coffee bar, free wi-fi, an outdoor patio with its own, second bar, and to top it all off, a big campfire in back.

And as I found out, it's also the current culinary home of Blake Brokaw, the man responsible for several of my favorite restaurants in town (Tangerine, Hungry Buddha, Chocolate Bar...). No longer running the grill at the Cabin Inn at the City Museum, Blake's been in charge of their specials, and looks to possibly be refining the AC menu in the future. Sometime in the future, he looks to be opening a Sicilian restaurant in the FPSE/Grove neighborhood, and having recently gorged myself on the Penne Siciliana at Gino's (verrry good, marinara sauce with Italian sausage and ricotta), the idea of Sicilian food coming from the hands of Brokaw is sounding really, really good to me. So I very much recommend that all y'all get yourselves to the Atomic Cowboy as soon as possible, eat some of Blake's specials, make able use of the wi-fi, dance to some DJs, and sit around the campfire.

I also ran into Rob Thurman, who I'd actually met and talked to at AC before, during one of Bob Reuter's Friday night acoustic gigs around the campfire, but never put two and two together that it was Rob Thurman, the guy whose witty, often hilarious blog I've been reading now and then for a couple years or so, and talked with him about photography. Visit his site, it will improve your life 150%! Amanda Doyle from the Commonspace was also there - there's gonna be a Free Candy at Hartford Coffee Company this Sunday, and you all should go.

Speaking of Hartford Coffee Company, tonight I met up with Michael and Claire there for a 52^nd City (another Thomas Crone endeavor) trivia contest, in which we came in at a respectable 4^th. Afterwards, I went to Joe's Cafe at Kingsbury and Des Peres, which - along with its next door neighbor operation the Sci-Fi Lounge - is run by the people in charge of Beatnik Bob's at the City Museum. And oh, does it show. Joe's, as I gather, is a word of mouth little place, and even some of the people at Vintage Vinyl tonight weren't aware of it. It's one hell of a place, though. They book shows every Thursday - this week was the Dave Stone Trio, and next week will be local band The Orbits (including Jon Ferber, who once upon a time taught guitar at my dad's store), and a band from New Mexico whose name is escaping me at the moment, for $8 in advance, $10 at the door. But dare I say it, the place may be even cooler than the Venice Cafe. There's an upper portion, a cool downstairs, they sell soda and popcorn, and have an outside patio with huge sculptures, unique seating areas, and a creek. Even outside of the two places, there are sculptures set up, some seating areas, and what looks to be a stage. It may just be one of the coolest corners in the entire city. Next door, the Sci-Fi Lounge was pretty cool itself, filled with Star Wars memorabilia, some Flaming Lips playing on the stereo, and copies of the arcade games Golden Axe and X-Men (the one-on-one Street fighter-style one, not the 6-player beat-'em-up). I wound up watching Chappelle's Show with the guy Coyote there, a woman named Tori, and Rob Lee. Such cool places, and cool people. Methinks I'm going back next week.

Also, Dave Chappelle really needs to start doing a TV show again. It'd be too sad if he didn't. And God knows I'll be going to see Block Party. Dave Chappelle and Michel Gondry? I'm in.
- posted by Eric @ 3:01 AM