current tavern number is 21

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:21 AM

Well suit yerself, you dedicated glumdrop,

I understand you need to relish your heartbreaks, savor them carefully, and distill their essence so that you can draw on the experience later on, when it comes in handy to demonstrate your profound feelings, your poetic sensibilities, your delicacy of spirit, and thus serve as a great help in getting laid!.

See right through you, man, but, been there, done that, so soak in your miseries and let them arm you for your future conquests, sez I, and rottsa ruck :>)

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: GUEST,Mbo
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:29 AM

Well that's not it AT ALL Amos! It's something totally different. Now it's time for a song from everybody's favorite glum-rockers (well at least mine) Radiohead. I'm gonna do "Street Spirit (Fade Out)." Can I get an arpeggio in here? Immerse your souls in love.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:38 AM

You get an arpeggio in here, you're gonna hafta clean it up yourself!
RtS
"I'm not an insurance agent, I'm an insurance agent's son
I've got a big endowment if you want me to show you one
Why hesitate, honey?"
[one verse, Gary Davis didn't think of, and proof I'm no lyricist]
RtS

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:44 AM

Yeah, I understand, man. The meme disguiseth well her folly,
the gene her hidden end;
But what them blues is all about
Is gettin' laid. my friend
Bring on your true-heart stories, friend,
Let hearts say what they may!
But when thy wick again doth dip
Them blues will go away!

A

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: GUEST,Mbo
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:48 AM

Did I ever say it did in the first place?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: MMario
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:53 AM

"You get an arpeggio in here, you're gonna hafta clean it up yourself!"?!?!?

thanks....I have coffee all over my screen and keyboard now.....*grin*

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:55 AM

Did you ever say what did what? I missed the referent.

A

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 12:36 PM

I ain't no Java Programmer, no Programmer's son
But I can nibble and byte 'til a programmer comes

Ain't no modem, no modem's son
But I kin modulate your bandwidth 'til that modem comes...

We must always remember we can do better....

A

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Peter T.
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 02:22 PM

The door squeaks open, and a man in a 3-piece dustball enters carrying a familiar box. He looks around for the barkeep and the old drunks, and not seeing any, smiles wanly, and makes his way to Mbo's table.

"Excuse me, sir, but I couldn't help overhearing your valedictory, ave-atque-vale, vale of tears song, and thought that you might be interested, in these days of pyramiding value, in a new product!!!!" Sets box down on table, which emits a squelchy sound, and proceeds to open the side flap. "Sir!! I present to you, the new improved, Internet compatible, SAD-O-METER!!!!!Some here will remember the old mechanical version -- they of little faith -- but I have now reengineered this baby, T1-ready, and subject to listing on the NASDAQ, depending on the wisdom of the new entrepreneurial generation!"

Pulls out keyboard from box, attaches to jukebox/robotic outlet. Types furiously. Machine glows translucently. Suddenly a 3-D projection of George Jones flickers to life in front of row of barstools. Machine puffs. "He Stopped Loving Her Today" begins to play.

Yahoo, Altavista, AOL-Online seize up: all search engines vainly seek out lost loves across millions of internet lines, to no avail. Java goes cold. Internet Explorer wanders out into the night, weeping for she who comes no more, and is not heard from again. Netscape sees the barrenlandscape of the future and curls up into a whimpering ball. HTML stands for Hearts Tragically Missing Love, and dissolves into wordless grief. All are caught in a universal web of loneliness and heartbreak.

The SAD-O-METER.COM spins on. George Jones' voice breaks, comes to a halt.

"Well, sir?" says the dour figure, with a proud smile on his grey face,"What do you think?"

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: MMario
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 02:39 PM

watch who you calling old, or I'll...I'll..

have another drink.

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 03:26 PM

A paunchy balding business man in an inappropriate trenchcoat wanders through the open door.
"Excuse me," he says to the room at large, "but is there some monstrous hack emanating from here? If there is, I want apiece of that action right now, and I'm ready to provide up to three million intialy and 25 for second tier financing if they have what I think I just saw crashing portals all over the 'Net! They were folding up like offended maidens all over cyberspace!"

He walks anxiously over to the table where an entranced Mbo is listening to a dour eccentric engineer with a strange electronic box in front of him.

"Is that yours? What is it?!! How does it work??", he demands, waving a pigskin checkbook in one hand. I'll give you 10% of the founder's shares if you'll bring it up to my office and sign some papers..."

Mbo sighs melancholically, but the eccentric engineer with the gift of gab stands up slowly, a glint in his eye.

"Sit down," he says, waving his hand to a chair. "Mind the jello pit. We should talk. Don't mind my friend here -- the world is with him overmuch tonight."

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Mbo
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 04:37 PM

Wow mister! That's exactly what I need right now--but it's not some much the lonely heart, it's the guilt, remorse and anger at myself that I feel. I fear, that like Joe Jackson and Mitch Williams, I have been branded UNFORGIVEN.

--Mbo (Now could you get that thing to play "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"?)

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 08:38 PM

The gentle thunder of a 1947 Indian motorcycle penetrates the walls of the quiet Mudcat Tavern. The glistening machine rolls up to the Tavern door, and the tall stranger in the slouch hat and cape comes in. On his shoulder is a small capuchin monkey, holding on with one hand and looking brightly around. Nice day, glad it's winding down. Made eleven cuts and burned a CD. SIngle Malt, sir Mario, an' you would be so kind. My wife went off to Arizona to visit her Maw, and the kid's gone skiing, so I bought a monkey. He throws some bills down on the bar and tosses off his shot of fine golden whiskey. Reaching into his cape pocket he draws forth two golden disks in protective jackets. H eplaces them reverently on the bar.Mario, if the Gaelic Goddes graces this greasy garage again, give her these with my most profound respects, s'il vous plait. Here's one for Max, even though I know he never comes down here. Just in case...thanks.Gotta go, friends -- hope that deal work for ya Peter.He turns and heads for the door, pauses at Mbo's chair and gives him a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Grow your hair long and they will come...", he says softly. He turns and is gone. The moist, deep throated thrumming of the Indian again seeps powerfully through ther walls of the Tavern...and fades into the endless moonlit night.The fiddler takes up her bow and another tune floats over the still evening airs of the Tavern, touching every corner with gracenotes and a haunting vibration of long-lost love.

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 09:46 PM

When the fiddler finishes playing a sweet, slow and tear-jearking version of Maggie (When I first said I loved only you Maggie, and you said you loved only me) she wipes away a tear, then looks over to see the sad poet, and two strangers at a table with a familiar box.

Oh RATS! I thought I threw that thing into the jello pit a while back. I HATE it when I cry on my bow. It ruins the hairs. I thought I was going to play Whiskey Before breakfast and then . . . Oh well, I guess I'll just go over and drink with MMario.

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: MMario
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 09:52 PM

And good company you are. Beautiful rendition of Maggie, hope you didn't mind my singing along. Amos is in BIG trouble if he doesn't cut another copy of that golden disk for the Tavern......

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 10:00 PM

Thanks MMario. Maggie really should be sung. Hmmm, maybe we could play the goddes's disc before she gets b. . Well, maybe not such a good idea. D'you suppose Max would let us listen to his?

Now if he doesn't shut off that box I'l have to do The Bonnie Hind Sir Patrick Spence Young Waters Henry Martin Bonnie Susie Clellend The Bonnie Boy is Young Tell Laura I Love Her Honey Don't It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue What Have They Done to the Rain AAAAARGH

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Mbo
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 10:18 PM

Now I'm playing "Once Upon A Time" by ELO Part II.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 10:24 PM

Beats "Me an' Bobbie McGee", Mbo! Glad you're stirring about!

("Wear it long and they will come, Mbo!" whispers the wind at the Tavern door)

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 10:30 PM

Finally, the fiddler can take it no more. Straining every muscle, shestarts in on a slow, dirge-like rendition of whiskey before Breakfast. Gradually through pure force of will, she speeds it up, then walks haltingly through Harvest Home, joggs through Arkansas Traveller, trots trhough Fisher's Hornpipe, canters through Smash the Windows, gallops thorough Rakes of Mallow, and grins madly as sparks fly from the box, yelling at the top of her lungs Where's the bloody Bodran player when you could really use him. Mikal, where are yooooooooooooou

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 10:38 PM

Yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!! Fire On the Mountain!!!

The crowd stomps on the bar, the tables, the floor, the rafters and the window panes (briefly) in a passioned frenzy of thund'rous rhythms and the ice-clear euphoria of a blazing fiddle permeating the very seams of the old building.

The grills and coffee pots are shaken from their somnolent solidity, and the jugs, jars, juicers, pints, shots, gimlets, shakers, grinders, fifths and jeroboams start vibrating to the wailing lovely madness of a fiddler running amok in music, making the dustmotes move to her time and lifting the logs from their joints in 16th rhythms.

This joint is jumping...

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 10:56 PM

Sally Goodin' Soldier's Joy, Garey Owen, White Cocade (no wisecracks here) The Scholar, Irishman's Heart to the Ladies, Kitchen Girl, Rockberg Castle, Finally, she lowers her bow, reaches for a mug of Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, downs it at a gulp and says, and that to your little box. and slumps against the bar. MMario barely catches the fiddle and bow as they slide from her fingers.

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:23 PM

The room stills in an awe of gasping, catching breaths, eyes-fire damping as the tones rebound and fade from the timbers, the shaking settles in the stones of the foundation, and an atmosphere of amazed peace after the storm settles on the enchanted tribe of blessed listeners.

Then the applause begins, as the fiddler reaches weakly for a single malt placed there by the impassioned, watchful MMario, and sips her way back to consciousness. Enthralled, bled, drained and electrified the crowd's applause rises and rises, storming the corners and echoing from the rafters.

Shivers of remembrance fuel it again, and the electric air of the Tavern is charged, recharged, and sparks to the heart of God in the moonlit night as they pay the fiddler her tribute, still dancing forever down the back corners of every heart in the room. As the applause subsides to a gentle hum of warm recollection, a new presence is felt in the room....

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Willie-O
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:32 PM

Hey Mbo, I love that tune "Sitting in the Stern of the Boat". Never heard anyone else play it either. I do it on guitar, in DADGAD, with "Skibbereen Lasses".

Willie-O

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 11 Feb 00 - 11:47 PM

Hey, Susan ... could I get a tape of that?

A

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: MMario
Date: 12 Feb 00 - 12:10 AM

just popped in to see what I was doing....and grab another brew before toddling off to my bunk. Amazing what one can do with multiple personalities on the job...

If anyone is interested, just sent a midi of "Marilee" off to Alan. It should show up on the MMudcat MMidi site sometime soon.

MMario

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Amos
Date: 12 Feb 00 - 12:36 AM

Dig it -- I have a dark stranger packing heat on an Indian out therein the night somewhere and I'm trying to go to bed my own self! He'll have to let himself in when he gets back from baying at the moon, I guess.

Thanks for serving all those drinks while you were out...your alter ego should fill you in on the fiddling that nearly broke the old Tavern apart.

Good night, Gracie.

A

Subject: RE: current tavern number is 21
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 12 Feb 00 - 09:37 PM

G'day,
MMario posted the words to Marilee earlier in this thread. He has also provided the tune which can be found at The Mudcat MIDI site.

Cheers,
Alan