As I was driving down the parkway on my way to see Holme I came upon an overhead sign that read “Don’t Drink & Drive, Come Home Alive”. An instant Blog entry title! Kathy was staying at the Molly Pitcher in Red Bank & invited me to stay over. I had the shore house but a place to crash with pool privileges was too good to pass up. I dropped my bags off at the hotel, jumped into Kathy’s car & we were on our way.
Kathy wanted coffee so we stopped at D’Jais snack bar before going in. As he walked through the snack bar to his personal entry way into the bar I heard Kip tell someone he had just come from his wife’s birthday party at home & everyone was upset he had left it. Harry came by & hung out for a short time. We talked about good coffee. Harry said he likes his own best. He told us Joel had filled in for Billy for one of their non-Holme gigs. An older man came over to us & asked “Why don’t old Italians die?” when we said we didn’t know, he said because they “Just pasta on”. All the snack bar workers had Holme t-shirts on. I suddenly realized the snack bar workers always wore t-shirts related to the theme night they were working. Like a D’Jais pirate t-shirt on “Pirate Night”.
Inside the place was packed! Nearly everyone was there - all of the band’s wives & girlfriends, Cowboy Bob, Star-Ledger Mike, Beautiful Barbara (with a new cute short haircut), DJ Todd, my brother (a complete set of Koslow kids!) and Sharon (who only stayed for the 1st set). Stanley was (still) there also.
I had thrown up for 5 hours straight the night before so I was a little scared to be drinking but I sucked it up to suck them down.
It was Mrs. C’s birthday. Both of her daughters were there to celebrate (a complete set of Conners!). Her younger daughter had never seen her father play professionally. Her older daughter would be off to college soon. Both work at D’Jais. There was a birthday cake & Patty was kind enough to offer me a piece. It was strawberry shortcake & one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever had. I was surprised to learn it was from Shoprite! I also discovered Mrs. C and I have something in common – we both love the Stones/Mick Jagger.
Billy’s hair looked like he crimped it. I noticed he sang love songs to his wife from stage. The Big Bopper did 2 songs, DJ Charlie 3. One of my favorite Holme songs now is Harry’s “Viva Las Vegas”. However, every time he does it I hear “Viva Viagra” (from the commercial).
It was a fun crazy night. Star Ledger Mike said it was the best night of the Summer and I concur! A woman asked Kathy if she was drinking a Cosmo. Kathy thought she said “Are you a Koslow?” and proceeded to answer her. Kathy thinks it’s more fun if you go out after work. I think there’s something to be said for showing up late and drinking to catch up.
At one point Kip from stage said “We’re having fun tonight, YEAH BABY!” Cowboy Bob was dancing like crazy. I look at Peter Schuelle and think he should do Rod Stewart, Emotional Rescue or Miss You. Frank uncharacteristically asked if we are hot. Kathy pled with Frank for a D’Jais camouflage hat for our niece. Frank told her they don’t have anymore but he’ll take one of Teresa’s from her – she has 3. Kathy tells Teresa of the planned theft. Teresa is very sweet & doesn’t mind. She tells us she just came back from Florida and the last words she said to Frank before she left was “Please don’t give away my clothes while I’m gone”. He gives her clothes away all the time. Because of the Belmar bicycle bell incident I tell Frank he should have the last song of the night, every night, at D’Jais be Ring My Bell (by Anita Ward). Frank nixes the idea by telling me he loves the Belmar police. Would ya think? There was football on the TVs - a sad sign Summer was coming to an end. The DJ was playing the worst music for such a happening bar (Toploader’s Dancing in the Moonlight, Frankie Valli’s Sherry). Something made me remember the time Kip had me thrown out of D’Jais by the bouncers. I had thrown a wet wad of napkin up into the DJ booth. It landed on the record playing at the time putting Kip into a tail spin. I later reminisced about it with my friends. It seems almost a lot of people have been thrown out of bar. Camille was escorted out of the Tropical once for throwing a drink at Tony Slater,Tropical bartender and friend of her husband Tom, because he thought he was so funny telling her Tom was in an accident when he wasn’t. Donna was asked to leave Martell’s Tiki-Bar. Apparently she broke their no kissing on the premises rule. On her 1st ever trip to Belmar, Kathy K got thrown out of Mary’s Husband’s Bar. She had gone there with her friend Debbie Simmons who the bar discovered, had fake ID.
Todd asked me to get drinks from Justin for him & my brother. Justin waited on everyone else but me. Todd thought he was purposely ignoring me. I said, no Todd, Justin loves me. When Justin finally took my drink order I told him to tell Todd he loved me. He did - loudly & clearly he said “I Love Her” and then with emphasis said “A LOT”.
When I use D’Jais ladies room I always think the Mexican girl is doing one job an American certainly would – tearing off a paper towel to dry your hands.
As photos will show/have shown, I've become obsessed with what happens to the air vent over the horn player;s head each night Holme plays..
And 6 days later......
It seemed all of the planets were aligned on 8/19/07 when on the same day: Holme played a benefit for a Sheriff running for election, Glen Burtnik & Joel Kraus were both playing at the Clearwater Festival in Asbury Park & Bobby played The Columns.
The 19th was the beginning of the worst vacation of my entire life (not counting the year my boyfriend died). I started the day off good by going to the Tropical Pub’s Breakfast Bingo. I made sure my friend Diane & I were on line early. The 2nd person on line was a cute curly haired guy named Rob who told us it was Bring Your Parents to Tropical Bingo Day. For those of you from Greenville - Rob was Blackshaw cute! He & his friends made the day up but actually brought their parents! Camille & her husband Tom came. Tommy thought we were nuts to be on line so early but changed his tune when he saw there were 144 people on the line when the doors opened. Tommy had worked at the Tropical in the 80’s & it’s the place he & Camille met. Diane won a round of Bingo, her prize a tee shirt. The owner, George, told Tommy he had sold the bar & the Tropical would be closing for good in November. Houses were going to be built in its place. I was truly upset to hear this. I love the Tropical – 2nd to D’Jais.
Later in the evening Kathy came down & Diane & I went with her to The Columns (a/k/a The Tombs) to see Bobby. It was raining hard & the place was somewhat empty. It’s a small world. Diane ran into a guy she knows a long time from Jersey City. Then Cowboy Bob ran into us. We had seen Bob earlier at Tropical Bingo. He seems to get around as much as we do. Anyway, he knows Diane’s Jersey City friend & after chatting a bit we find out he knows Maureen & Kathy Moore from St. Paul’s school in Jersey City (also mine & Kathy’s church growing up & where we attended Catechism). In the course of the night I had leave the bar & go out to my car 3 times. The 3rd time I had gone to get my camera. On the way back I fell flat on my face in a puddle. My camera & cell phone went flying. I fell so badly a car actually stopped to help me. I wound up with black & blues on both knees, 2 toes, on my shin & my hand was bleeding. In addition, my pants were soaking wet. When I got back to the bar Kathy told me people had lined up to speak to Bobby. She did too & told him she felt like a groupie. He said don’t. He looked very early Bob Dylan-ish. I got to say hello to him. His son was there too. We left shortly thereafter because I couldn’t take the air-conditioning & being wet.