Rumors of bars

Word is that The Town Lounge might be shifting hands. If so, it’s unlikely that booze will ever be poured there again. Will it become the new office of the Chico Examiner, and more pressing is where will all those fine citizens of the Lounge go? Duffy’s Tavern, while busy expanding its back room, has little interest in more than 50 percent of the Loungers. Perhaps the patrons without a bar could move en masse to The Red Room (the old Juanita’s); that could work out well for all. And what is to become of ye olde Chico Examiner? Rumor has it that Tim Bousquet has been rewarded with true love and is relocating with the lucky lady to Ashland, Ore. This means his rag, the voice of the people and rallying cry of the underdog, might be in peril. Names are bouncing off the pavement regarding who might take the reins, but no hearty fool has climbed into the saddle yet.

It’s more than a rumor that underneath the happy-smiley exterior of the Saturday Farmers’ Market is the soul of a dark beast. By all means come attend this ritual dance, but watch the interactions on the east side. You cannot miss the gent with the trombone, who tap dances and sings the first part of a hundred classic tunes. He’s eccentric, kooky even, but he’s genuine and original. Problem is, some of the other folks don’t appreciate him as much and blast boom boxes and other modern contraptions that are totally inappropriate. Very bad juju. Let the old guy have his moment in the sun, jeez!

More than anything, what this town really needs is to help the abandoned Mind Games become an all-ages venue for bands. What a perfect spot! And while Moxie’s and the Catacombs have been doing a great job (hats off to Vanessa and Dustin), a dedicated location would really boost the local band scene.

And now that the Grateful Dead spin-off band The Other Ones is touring again, our local shrine of Deaddom, Stormy’s Off Broadway, is refocusing its attention on the matter at hand, which is an aggressive campaign to clone Jerry Garcia. Face it folks, we might never get a decent president elected, no matter what color his party or skin is. But cloning the great one all dressed in black is within our reach. Stop in for a drink and talk to Dean at Stormy’s for more details.