Switchblade Comb

(photo of me and Jason Miller by Kat Swenson)

Drunken Post is a feature on Switchblade Comb wherein The Joe and RichmanVA get wasted and post nonsensical / non topical videos or musings at very early hours of the morning.

I’ve been sitting here for the last hour and a half trying to put together my final thoughts on the Uptown Bar closing and I just can’t do it. How do you vocalize the biggest part of your life leaving you after so many years of it being a constant source of comfort and familiarity? The answer is… sometimes you don’t. Sometimes all you do is thank the people that made it your home and you cherish the memories that were made there. There will never be another place like the Uptown Bar (until the new one opens, but even then it’s not really the same) and there will never be another establishment that I feel such a profound connection to. From Bob Flom serving me my first drink at the Uptown 7 years ago to Jason Haire giving me the last bottle of Miller High Life to ever leave the bar I have had nothing but great times at that place. Even when my nights were bad (which were numerous) they became good the moment I stepped in the Uptown because I knew I was not alone. I knew I had a family there. A family that I miss greatly right now.

At some point I’ll write a real eulogy for the bar but for now I’d just like to thank the following people for making the Uptown my home away from home for the last several years. Even if they don’t know it, they’ve all had a tremendous impact on me.

Steve Barone – For hipping me to the Premium with a lime (which I really don’t like that much) and gettin’ super stoked about video ideas with me at 1:45 am on innumerable nights. Also, he was in Lifter Puller. How sweet is that? Super sweet!

Jeff Chapin – For being a dick, and an awesome one at that. But also a pretty rad dude.

Tanner – For being the best door guy / cover band starter you could ever want to know.

Bob Flom – For being the reason that I started hanging out at the Uptown. I’ve still never met a person aside from him who could pack a bar just for the fact the they were bartending.

Douggie – For just being fuckin’ Douggie.

Al Weirs – For being just as stoked on power pop as I am and for actually knowing who Off Broadway is.

The Sarah’s – Words can’t express. I love these girls and hope I continue to know them for a very long time.

Larry Romanowicz – Fuck you Larry!!

Michelle Kohner and Megan Venner – For never kicking me out no matter how drunk I got, always being the nicest people in the entire world and for never finding out about the huge crushes that I had on both of them. Wait… fuck!

Sky Audsley – For being my partner in crime the past few years on Monday nights and for wearing a Misfits shirt even though he’s never listened to punk rock. Dis!

Brian McDonough – For always being down for getting wasted with me and for letting my shitty bands play the bar whenever we wanted.

Jason Haire – For not only being the best bartender in Minneapolis but for becoming one of my best friends in the world. I love you buddy.

Now, here is the second to last song I played the other night at the bar while DJ’ing the last show. It’s fitting and appropriate for far too many reasons to mention.

Oh, and PS. Fuck you Frank.

Paul Westerberg – “Here Comes A Regular”