If you were making up one of those interminable lists about the important things in life; i.e. The Right Stuff, what would you jot down? Mom? Apple pie? The deep blue sea? The Beatles songbook? Barney Fife's bow tie? If I hadda go there, somewhere between Yaz's 1967 stats, filet mignon, and every single frame of Mean Streets I'd have to include a good, reliable, all-purpose drinking establishment. A bar. Not a pub, or a nightclub, or a performance space, or a restaurant accessory, but a pure out-and-out watering hole. A bar. What do I want from a bar? Not much. A straight-up drink, decent service, no frills or nonsense,a shot that's not served in a thimble, exemplary camaraderie, and the warm glow of well-being provided by drinking alcohol in a comfortable environment. Did the recently closed Decatur have all that? In spades, mofos, in spades. What a crying shame, a frightening waste, and a terrible loss its sad and wrongful demise is. In a short time the place had become an oasis in the West End, a joint that rock and rolled with the verve, balls, and smarts of it's proprietor Joanne Seddon, a watering hole that squeezed together young pups, old dogs, salty dogs,and real (bow-wow) canines within it's limited confines, and did it with tough love, beer sweat and a ton of humor. Although The Decatur's lifespan was a horribly short one, it will certainly hold down a place in the alcohol-infused memories of those of us who drink our way around La Prov. I used to tease Joanne that she had accomplished something a bit more special than opening a successful bar and establishing a highly personal tone--She (a smart and devoted Red Sox fan) had somehow miraculously turned a whole clientele comprised of hippies, anarchists, surly rockers, hard drinkers, fast tawkers, avante-sophisticates, and funky but chic artists into a teeming, rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth mob of Red Sox devotees. RIP Decatur. I will lift one (or three) for you this weekend, saluting your rise and bemoaning your fall.
2 comments:
From: Mary Bogdanow
Hey Scotty Scott – Thanks for forwarding the link again. That was a lovely salute to the D. It is a crushing blow to the neighborhood which really pales in comparison to losing your job or your business. There’s also a little piece in the projo today. Not as nice as yours.
Have a good weekend.
M
From: Joann Seddon
Thanks Scott.
From: Eric Fontana
awesome blog , for a very un-awesome event .
very nice work scott, and i will miss everything about
the decatur . my n.y.c. cousins who visit every year
were equally heartbroken + send their respect -i quote
one of them : " first One Up, then Babe's, now THIS
!? what is it with your fuckin' town ! every place
you bring us to that we love closes down!!"
-they will keep the 'gansett swag even closer to
heart now-
cheers all -xoxoxoxox e.f./THE WHIP
Hey Scott--that was a great write-up. Like Mary said it's a huge blow to the neighborhood. And to my life too.
Here's what I wrote on my blog on myspace.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The Decatur is closing tonight and I don't know what the heck I'm going to do
Current mood: crushed
Yup--the place where I spent almost every night for the past 5 years is closing it's doors. The place where I probably spent more time than my own house. And the place where I finally found out that I drink too much. Oh well.
I knew I drank too much...I just couldn't do anything about it. Except to keep on drinking. Funny how that happens.
But anyhoo...I really had a family there. A place where I could walk in by myself and sit at the bar and participate in witty banter with other bar patrons. Shout out crossword puzzle answers. Tell people to shutup. Cheer for the Red Sox. Punch people in the arm without them getting mad. Playing music on the jukebox just to let people know I was there. All the fundraisers we did to help out so many people and organizations. I feel so proud to have been a part of the whole experience. I'm just so sad.
And I'm still sad and will be for a while.
Post a Comment