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ZahZoo
06-26-2012, 02:31 PM
NEW YORK – The waitresses at Twin Peaks wear skimpy plaid tops that accentuate their chests. In case you didn't catch the joke, the chain's logo is an image of two pointy, snow-capped mountains. And the sports bar doesn't stop there: It promises "scenic views."

Twin Peaks owner Randy DeWitt downplays all of that and insists that the appeal of the restaurant goes beyond the obvious. Hearty meals and a focus on making customers feel special, he says, are what really keeps them coming back.

"We believe in feeding the ego before feeding the stomach," he says. Or as the website of the mountain lodge-themed restaurant states, "Twin Peaks is about you, `cause you're the man!"

Twin Peaks is part of a booming niche in the beleaguered restaurant industry known as "breastaurants," or sports bars that feature scantily clad waitresses. These small chains operate in the tradition of Hooters, which pioneered the concept in the 1980s but has struggled in recent years to stay fresh.

Instead of relying on lust alone, the new crop of restaurants is growing by offering new themes (think: rustic lodges and Celtic pubs) and varied menus (think: pot roast and shepherd's pie instead of just burgers and wings). In other words, they're hoping maybe people really are coming in for the food.

'We believe in feeding the ego before feeding the stomach.'

- Twin Peaks owner Randy DeWitt

The nation's top three "breastaurant" chains behind Hooters each had sales growth of 30 percent or more last year, according to Technomic, a food industry research firm. They still represent less than 1 percent of the nation's top restaurants, but the upstart chains are benefitting as other mid-priced options like Applebee's and Bennigan's have experienced declines during the economic downturn.

"The younger crowds want to go to a newer place, not where mom and dad took them," says Darren Tristano, an analyst at Technomic.

Tovan Adams says he frequents Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Tempe, Ariz., where waitresses wear matching tartan mini-skirts and bras that fit in with the restaurant's Celtic theme. He even brings his daughters, ages 6 and 9, with him for lunch.

"If you come in the evening, you'll see a lot of kids here," says Adams, an electric engineer who likes the menu's variety. "Everyone's still got their clothes on. If you go to the beach, it's a lot worse than being here."

Lynette Marmolejo, a college admissions worker, dropped in at the Tilted Kilt for the first time recently. She likes that the restaurant is dominated by the "corporate crowd" rather than the "college crowd." And she says the half-dressed waitresses don't bother her.
"Prices and the food -- if those are good, I don't care what anybody's wearing," Marmolejo says.

Tilted Kilt, which serves dishes such as shepherd's pie and "Irish nachos" (potato chips instead of corn tortillas), had annual sales of $124 million last year, reflecting growth of 33 percent. And by the end of this year, the company expects to have 95 locations, up from 57 at the end of last year.

That growth is one reason Tilted Kilt CEO Rod Lynch, bristles at the "breastaurant" moniker. He says the word implies that the company's success is based purely on sex appeal. To the contrary, he says his customers -- about three-quarters of whom are men and of the average age of 36 -- consistently say the experience is about far more.

Tilted Kilt doesn't go so far to call itself a family restaurant. But Lynch understands the risks of crossing a certain line.

"We want to be very PG-13," he says. Its "class in all things" motto also means servers can't have tattoos, piercings or dyed hair.
Rose Dimov, a 22-year-old waitress at Tilted Kilt, says her job is no different from any other waitressing gig; make guests feel special and ensure they have a good time. As an aspiring ballroom dancer, she also says she's not fazed by the revealing outfit that comes with the job.

"Going to a restaurant should be an experience," Dimov says. "We're entertainers."

Although the name might suggest otherwise, the owner of Mugs N Jugs in Clearwater, Fla., says his place also is like any ordinary restaurant with entertainment. Sam Ahmad says his game room, pool table and karaoke are why 40 percent of his customers are families.

Sales at the restaurant grew to $3 million in 2008, from $700,000 in 1998, Ahmad says, but have since declined because of the recession. After selling a second location to a franchisee last year, Ahmad is looking to find others who want to open franchise locations under the Mugs N Jugs banner.

As for the tank tops and shorts the waitresses wear, Ahmad says they don't reveal too much. And those photos on the Mugs N Jugs website showing waitresses leaning over a pool table? Ahmad explains they are purely for marketing purposes.

"They're at an angle because they're at a pool table," he says. "When you're in the restaurant, you won't see that. She'll be standing."

Taking a cue from its much smaller rivals, Hooters is also making changes.

The company opened its first location in 1983 in Clearwater, Fla., with waitresses sporting the now famous tiny orange shorts and tight white tank tops. The chain grew rapidly at first but has struggled in recent years. Sales have fallen steadily since peaking in 2007 at $960 million, as the menu and decor grew stale.

Last year, a group of private investors bought the chain of 365 restaurants and decided to try to revive the business. In February, Hooters opened a renovated location in Atlanta to showcase its new look with upgraded TVs, an outdoor bar and a covered patio. Remodeling is slated for another six to eight restaurants this year.

In April, Hooters also beefed up its menu with items that include a Baja burger, buffalo chicken sliders and a spinach and shrimp salad. The idea is to offer dishes that draw new customers, says David Henninger, Hooters' chief marketing officer. Currently, more than three quarters of Hooters customers are male, with an average age of 45.

As part of the effort to improve its image, Henninger says Hooters is looking to showcase the life stories of its servers, many of whom are studying to go on to professional careers.

"The public can be misinformed about what we do," says Henninger, who was hired this year. "They jump to their own conclusions."
Without explaining how, he says the "curious" name of the restaurant could easily be misinterpreted. He says that the name is "part of the fun" and is about being "in on the joke."

No matter how hard they try to open their doors to a broader audience, Hooters and its rivals remain the subject of criticism. "If it's an adult entertainment business, that's fine," says Mona Lisa Wallace, president of the San Francisco chapter of the National Organization for Women. "Where they're crossing the line is when they expose young children to the objectification of women."

Not every chain is defensive about the reputation of breastaurants.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/24/breastaurant-boom-hooters-style-eateries-experience-mini-boom/

At Twin Peaks, based in Addison, Texas, sales last year grew 35 percent to $44 million from the previous year, according to Technomic. Owner DeWitt touts the 22-restaurant chain's amenities but is under no illusions about the main attraction.

Waitresses, for instance, vary their costumes for special occasions. Around the holidays, servers dress up like Santa's little helpers. Around Easter, they dress up like bunnies.

"We hire only spectacular talent," says DeWitt. "They have to fit into that costume."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/24/breastaurant-boom-hooters-style-eateries-experience-mini-boom/#ixzz1yvP1ZAXs

This thread would be no good without pictures...

Twin Peaks

http://edge.fbrest.com/tpr-wp-uploads/hotconcepts_img.png

Tilted Kilts

http://www.amazingarizonacomiccon.com/images/tilted-kilt-girls-con.jpg

Mugs N Jugs

http://s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/AfAXAy_1yuBXtOkwspkSBw/l.jpg

chefcraig
06-26-2012, 02:40 PM
Oh terrific, getting served beer and pot roast by women 1/3 of my age (and equally unattainable). Now I can simultaneously get fed, wasted and depressed, all while far away from the comfort of my living room.


http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg255/XD45FAN/Gun%20Stuff/AlBundy-ShootMe.jpg

jhale667
06-26-2012, 02:46 PM
Why unattainable? Aim high, Chef! :hee:









:guitar:

Nitro Express
06-26-2012, 04:00 PM
I went to the dentist this morning a the receptionist was sitting behind the reception counter and when I went up to talk to her I could see right into her cleavage thanks to her open blouse. It made all the pain go away. Maybe a Hooters styled dental office would be popular. They can stick their boobs in your face while they clean your teeth.

What can I say, knockers make us happy. When we were infants it meant mealtime and as adults it means funtime.

envy_me
06-26-2012, 04:12 PM
I went to the dentist this morning a the receptionist was sitting behind the reception counter and when I went up to talk to her I could see right into her cleavage thanks to her open blouse. It made all the pain go away. Maybe a Hooters styled dental office would be popular. They can stick their boobs in your face while they clean your teeth.

What can I say, knockers make us happy. When we were infants it meant mealtime and as adults it means funtime.

I think you're on to something here!! In a bar, you already have all you need: alcohol. Put pretty people where the real pain is: the dentist.

PETE'S BROTHER
06-26-2012, 04:19 PM
and the daisy duke version here in az, ....http://www.cogburnsbar.com/

Nickdfresh
06-26-2012, 05:59 PM
Why unattainable? Aim high, Chef! :hee:









:guitar:

They ain't that unattainable actually...

Dan
06-26-2012, 08:07 PM
Damn.:D

qikgts
06-26-2012, 09:06 PM
Tilted Kilt has good food. I've been there a few times in Oviedo which is just outside Orlando and about 2 miles from the UCF campus.

I also like the breaded wings at Hooters. Very few places seem to offer them.

I'm not sayin' I go just for the food, but when it's good it makes it worth it...

motherchicken
06-26-2012, 09:22 PM
Tilted Kilt has good food. I've been there a few times in Oviedo which is just outside Orlando and about 2 miles from the UCF campus.

I also like the breaded wings at Hooters. Very few places seem to offer them.

I'm not sayin' I go just for the food, but when it's good it makes it worth it...
Ovieda? Are you a friend of the chickens? My pal Tom Rhodes the comedian is from Ovieda.

motherchicken
06-26-2012, 09:25 PM
Red Neck Heaven in Texas is another one of these. At least at Red Neck Heaven the prices were quite reasonable during happy hour.2 pm - 7pm 7days a week. Good grub too.

VAiN
06-27-2012, 01:44 AM
Part of me thinks this is great because young girls, 18-27, around here are complete whores... then part of me is sad because young girls, 18-27, around here are complete whores...

ZahZoo
06-27-2012, 09:23 AM
I think you're on to something here!! In a bar, you already have all you need: alcohol.

You must have some amazing bars or set your standards real low...

Most bars I've been to across full spectrum generally have everything I don't need except the alcohol...

envy_me
06-27-2012, 09:32 AM
You must have some amazing bars or set your standards real low...

Most bars I've been to across full spectrum generally have everything I don't need except the alcohol...

What do you need in a bar?

I'd rather have a hunk working at the dentist then the bar. You HAVE to go to the dentist, and considering it's all pain and sufferung, without even booze, you need at least somthing to make the visit nicer.

jhale667
06-27-2012, 09:55 AM
Part of me thinks this is great because young girls, 18-27, around here are complete whores... then part of me is sad because young girls, 18-27, around here are complete whores...

:lmao: You can't win, y'know?

ELVIS
06-27-2012, 10:18 AM
I don't need aging stripper rejects serving me anything...

There are much hotter women walking around the grocery store...

Nickdfresh
06-27-2012, 12:38 PM
I live around the corner from a local Hooter-ish type restaurant. Due to their decent selection of beer and excellent happy hour prices I'm a regular, so I know most of the girls and consider some friends, including a bonafide 9+ on a 10 scale. Most are working their way through college or at least want to go back, and are decent people. The food is spotty and this reflects on some of the reviews on the the main restaurant rating site and they tend to be in the lower end of the rating-spectrum, largely because most women, whether they're middle-aged house fraus or attractive 20-somethings tend to be pretty catty towards the waitresses and bartenders and the ownership-group kind of sucks. But as for being "washed-up strippers," several of these girls would make a lot more money being strippers because they have good bar-game and some brains. Incidentally, their uniforms aren't as elaborate or revealing as the above as they mostly wear low cut tee-shirts and jean-shorts. Just sayin', these girls are people too..

Nickdfresh
06-27-2012, 12:58 PM
Incidentally, based on my own experience the "breataurant" fad really isn't a great business model as most I've seen get panned on the web in reviews...

VAiN
06-27-2012, 12:59 PM
I don't need aging stripper rejects serving me anything...

There are much hotter women walking around the grocery store...

You're hanging out at the wrong pubs but the right grocery stores. The girls in question are hot pieces of ass with daddy issues, not strippers on their way out. At least not yet.

chefcraig
06-27-2012, 01:01 PM
The girls in question are hot pieces of ass with daddy issues, not strippers on their way out. At least not yet.

I like strippers on their way out. They have less expectations, and tend to tire easily.

Nickdfresh
06-27-2012, 01:17 PM
You're hanging out at the wrong pubs but the right grocery stores. The girls in question are hot pieces of ass with daddy issues, not strippers on their way out. At least not yet.

The girls I know don't really have "daddy issues" anymore than most chicks...the strippers are the ones with issues...

ZahZoo
06-28-2012, 12:45 PM
What do you need in a bar?

I'd rather have a hunk working at the dentist then the bar. You HAVE to go to the dentist, and considering it's all pain and sufferung, without even booze, you need at least somthing to make the visit nicer.

Your previous point about being in a bar... "you already have all you need: alcohol" struck me as no matter what else is in the place, alcohol is enough.

I get the point that going to a bar the general, primary objective is alcohol consumption.

But having been in some of the places I have... Clearly there's a few other needs that I require in a drinking establishment beyond the obvious... alcohol. Simple things... like climate control, enough cleanliness to where your health is not in eminent danger, functional restrooms separated from the drinking area is nice...

Then the atmosphere and other life forms... music that I can tolerate or at least doesn't cause suicidal thoughts, humans or near human-like people is a huge plus... people with enough front teeth who don't spew an equal amount of saliva as noise out that hole is preferred... Drunks who just have to fight anybody they can engage... nah don't need that. I prefer to avoid losers who just finished their 5th divorce and want to whine and tell their horrid stories/life history... don't need it.

Point is... I need a decent place with interesting and enjoyable people... then add the alcohol. Because in some hell holes I've been unfortunate enough to walk into... alcolhol is never enough.

ELVIS
06-28-2012, 01:10 PM
Thanks for reminding me why I don't go to bars...

Nickdfresh
06-28-2012, 01:18 PM
I like strippers on their way out. They have less expectations, and tend to tire easily.

I was giggling about this post long after you posted it last night. I don't even know why... :biggrin:

envy_me
06-28-2012, 01:18 PM
Your previous point about being in a bar... "you already have all you need: alcohol" struck me as no matter what else is in the place, alcohol is enough.

I get the point that going to a bar the general, primary objective is alcohol consumption.

But having been in some of the places I have... Clearly there's a few other needs that I require in a drinking establishment beyond the obvious... alcohol. Simple things... like climate control, enough cleanliness to where your health is not in eminent danger, functional restrooms separated from the drinking area is nice...

Then the atmosphere and other life forms... music that I can tolerate or at least doesn't cause suicidal thoughts, humans or near human-like people is a huge plus... people with enough front teeth who don't spew an equal amount of saliva as noise out that hole is preferred... Drunks who just have to fight anybody they can engage... nah don't need that. I prefer to avoid losers who just finished their 5th divorce and want to whine and tell their horrid stories/life history... don't need it.

Point is... I need a decent place with interesting and enjoyable people... then add the alcohol. Because in some hell holes I've been unfortunate enough to walk into... alcolhol is never enough.

I just took for granted that sanitation is good. Same with climate control and other obvious things you mentioned.

But you're right about the music, that is important.

Good company, I bring with me. What staff looks like is the least priority and a bit snobbish if you ask me. As long as they are friendly.

I have worked as a waitress in couple of different places and I have of course visited bars as a guest. And I have to say that the most fun is in non-glamorous places. As a waitress I liked to have a non formal and relaxed contact with guests. It works best for me.

So, the alcohol is not the only thing i expect from a night out. Some things i took for granted, some things i take care of myself. But you're right about the music.

Seshmeister
06-28-2012, 01:36 PM
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/529555_10151082544526159_990903818_n.jpg

sadaist
06-28-2012, 01:39 PM
I like to go to Hooters, order a plate of great wings and a beer, talk with my friends, and totally ignore the waitress 100%. For all I care she could be 73 years old & named Flo. Nothing pisses off a girl who thinks she is super hot more than a guy totally ignoring her & her exposed parts. Not even a pity glance at her boobs. HHA! Try it sometime. They have no idea how to act towards you once they start to realize you don't give 2 shits about their breasts.

chefcraig
06-28-2012, 01:41 PM
I like to go to Hooters, order a plate of great wings and a beer, talk with my friends, and totally ignore the waitress 100%. Nothing pisses off a girl who thinks she is super hot more than a guy totally ignoring her & her exposed parts. Not even a pity glance at her boobs. HHA! Try it sometime. They have no idea how to act towards you once they start to realize you don't give 2 shits about their breasts.

Either that or they figure that you are a fag and simply hope you are capable of at least leaving a decent tip.


http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g216/Temmi_2006/frau15_517.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f226/PsychoPsonic/Funny/hootersprotest.jpg

Seshmeister
06-28-2012, 01:52 PM
It would worry me that market forces means that the bar has to pay extra for better looking waitresses which in turn is going to be added to the cost of my booze.

The best barmaid in my city is in her 50s and 250lbs but when I see she is working I know everyone will get served in half the time and she'll remember every persons drink from the second round so you don't need to keep repeating the order. She can do this on a busy night where the bar is three rows deep, the woman is a genius and I would have her over 100 hooter types.

Seshmeister
06-28-2012, 01:57 PM
I went to the dentist this morning a the receptionist was sitting behind the reception counter and when I went up to talk to her I could see right into her cleavage thanks to her open blouse. It made all the pain go away. Maybe a Hooters styled dental office would be popular. They can stick their boobs in your face while they clean your teeth.

What can I say, knockers make us happy. When we were infants it meant mealtime and as adults it means funtime.

Somewhere on facebook you know there is a post...


That creepy old guy came into the surgery again today. I can't wait to leave this job and get away from guys the age of my dad that stand there staring at my tits and think that I'm interested in talking about how the banks are talking over the world or how he used to be an astronaut. Pleeze...

envy_me
06-28-2012, 02:14 PM
Somewhere on facebook you know there is a post...

LOL


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onmpLoPah6Y

at 08:21, is this what happend at the dentist?

ZahZoo
06-29-2012, 10:46 AM
I just took for granted that sanitation is good. Same with climate control and other obvious things you mentioned.

But you're right about the music, that is important.

Good company, I bring with me. What staff looks like is the least priority and a bit snobbish if you ask me. As long as they are friendly.

I have worked as a waitress in couple of different places and I have of course visited bars as a guest. And I have to say that the most fun is in non-glamorous places. As a waitress I liked to have a non formal and relaxed contact with guests. It works best for me.

So, the alcohol is not the only thing i expect from a night out. Some things i took for granted, some things i take care of myself. But you're right about the music.

Sounds like your experiences have been fairly tame...

Summer of 1980 I was visiting a musician buddy up in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It was during Loggers Fest and his band was playing at a local bar... A fight had broken out the night before and they somehow managed to knock out most of the wall separating the Mens bathroom and the bar. They used a tarp to patch it... needless to say that didn't hold up past 9pm... Use your imagination with a bar full of drunk loggers with no social graces...

Then for some real fun... performing in several biker bars in the early 80's in the East Bay (San Francisco) are around Oakland, San Leandro, Berkeley... that was a real hoot!! Hells Angels and their Prospects and the barbarian horde that follows them... I count my blessings for being alive to this day. Only escaping with broken ribs when brawl broke out and one of our mic stands became a projectile... right in the middle of our lead solo playing Free Bird no less...

Then there's the Buckhorn Saloon in Vacaville, Ca New Years eve 1984... right across the street from the Vacaville state penitentiary... Picture the Blues Brothers country bar scene, but with no chicken wire up around the stage. Who says idiot rednecks and hillbillies only exist in the South..? I swear California was worse back then...

After all that... I've become a little picky when it comes to hanging in bars...

Nickdfresh
06-29-2012, 12:12 PM
I like to go to Hooters, order a plate of great wings and a beer, talk with my friends, and totally ignore the waitress 100%. For all I care she could be 73 years old & named Flo. Nothing pisses off a girl who thinks she is super hot more than a guy totally ignoring her & her exposed parts. Not even a pity glance at her boobs. HHA! Try it sometime. They have no idea how to act towards you once they start to realize you don't give 2 shits about their breasts.

Um, Hooters' wings ain't great, broh. I know that maybe I'm a Buffalo snob, but any of those wings I've had are shit. The funny thing is that the national chain Buffalo Wild Wings is trying to make a push here after their local flagship restaurant closed in Buffalo that was on Elmwood. Their wings are also shit and are as "Buffalo" as Nordic fish-pies. Incidentally, all the of the local Hooters closed a while back. But I briefly stepped into a Canadian Hooters across the border and saw a very hot bartender with big hooters. Pity I couldn't stay...

As for your other point, sometimes not paying too much attention to a hot waitress and treating her well, like a person actually, gets them to like you a lot more and ironically would lead one to having a much better chance of actually dating or hooking-up with one...

Nickdfresh
06-29-2012, 12:16 PM
Somewhere on facebook you know there is a post...

Just pissed myself!!! :gulp:

Nickdfresh
06-29-2012, 12:27 PM
It would worry me that market forces means that the bar has to pay extra for better looking waitresses which in turn is going to be added to the cost of my booze.

The best barmaid in my city is in her 50s and 250lbs but when I see she is working I know everyone will get served in half the time and she'll remember every persons drink from the second round so you don't need to keep repeating the order. She can do this on a busy night where the bar is three rows deep, the woman is a genius and I would have her over 100 hooter types.

Funny thing, the "breastaurant" I go to around the corner (and their uniforms aren't nearly as intricate or revealing as the above example photos) have young women working that vary widely in the looks and breastage category. I don't particularly care whether my bartender is hot or not. But the best, most friendly one there who seems to love me and is extremely talkative is one of the best looking--to the extent that the other bartender/manager/waitresses are jealous and even a bit catty of her. Not only is she pretty hot, educated, and congenial--she also happens to be one of the best pure bartenders there considering her limited experience. She never seems to get rattled even when very busy and actually seems to enjoy the challenge of keeping up with a big crowd (which they seldom get anymore) whereas some of the other not as hot ones often seem to get rattled...

PETE'S BROTHER
06-29-2012, 12:32 PM
Funny thing, the "breastaurant" I go to around the corner (and their uniforms aren't nearly as intricate or revealing as the above example photos) have young women working that vary widely in the looks and breastage category. I don't particularly care whether my bartender is hot or not. But the best, most friendly one there who seems to love me and is extremely talkative is one of the best looking--to the extent that the other bartender/manager/waitresses are jealous and even a bit catty of her. Not only is she pretty hot, educated, and congenial--she also happens to be one of the best pure bartenders there considering her limited experience. She never seems to get rattled even when very busy and actually seems to enjoy the challenge of keeping up with a big crowd (which they seldom get anymore) whereas some of the other not as hot ones often seem to get rattled...

strippers use that angle too.... ;)

sadaist
06-29-2012, 12:41 PM
Um, Hooters' wings ain't great, broh. I know that maybe I'm a Buffalo snob, but any of those wings I've had are shit. The funny thing is that the national chain Buffalo Wild Wings is trying to make a push here after their local flagship restaurant closed in Buffalo that was on Elmwood. Their wings are also shit and are as "Buffalo" as Nordic fish-pies. Incidentally, all the of the local Hooters closed a while back. But I briefly stepped into a Canadian Hooters across the border and saw a very hot bartender with big hooters. Pity I couldn't stay...

As for your other point, sometimes not paying too much attention to a hot waitress and treating her well, like a person actually, gets them to like you a lot more and ironically would lead one to having a much better chance of actually dating or hooking-up with one...


Weid dude. A bunch of Hooters in So CA have closed too. Buffalo Wild Wings nearby but it's the one Andy Dick keeps getting arrested in. Dead serious. I stay away from that one.

Nickdfresh
06-29-2012, 12:43 PM
strippers use that angle too.... ;)

LOL Of course, I do tip her well, so yes there is some "bar-game" in there. But we go way back there from before she was on the bar. Most bartenders there started as waitresses. And if someone is a dick to her (i.e. asking her "if [she] likes it hard" or goading her into doing a shot she didn't want to do with a bunch of middle-aged creepers), she's pretty much a dick back. And not all of the bartenders there are so friendly, and friendliness also doesn't seem to correspond with looks....

envy_me
06-30-2012, 03:09 PM
Sounds like your experiences have been fairly tame...

Summer of 1980 I was visiting a musician buddy up in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It was during Loggers Fest and his band was playing at a local bar... A fight had broken out the night before and they somehow managed to knock out most of the wall separating the Mens bathroom and the bar. They used a tarp to patch it... needless to say that didn't hold up past 9pm... Use your imagination with a bar full of drunk loggers with no social graces...

Then for some real fun... performing in several biker bars in the early 80's in the East Bay (San Francisco) are around Oakland, San Leandro, Berkeley... that was a real hoot!! Hells Angels and their Prospects and the barbarian horde that follows them... I count my blessings for being alive to this day. Only escaping with broken ribs when brawl broke out and one of our mic stands became a projectile... right in the middle of our lead solo playing Free Bird no less...

Then there's the Buckhorn Saloon in Vacaville, Ca New Years eve 1984... right across the street from the Vacaville state penitentiary... Picture the Blues Brothers country bar scene, but with no chicken wire up around the stage. Who says idiot rednecks and hillbillies only exist in the South..? I swear California was worse back then...

After all that... I've become a little picky when it comes to hanging in bars...

Yeah, they have been pretty tame. I have never been in any bad situation that I can remember. Thank god. Sweden is pretty lame anyway.

EDIT: Actually I now remember two incidents at bars, one was when I was working, and we, the staff, were in the bar after closing, drinking and hanging out, when a bloody, half naked man started knocking on the door. Eventually we let him in and called the police and ambulance. It turned out he and his friend were using their own homemade fireworks, and it went wrong, go figure, and he blew up his leg and balls. The whole area was closed down, we weren't allowed to leave, the hellicopters came, with the bomb-group, we weren't allowed to leave they wanted to make sure no gunpowder was on the guy, since he used some sort of sencitive powder that can go of just from the movement.

The other time I was on vacation in Croatia, and the bar was closing, it was about 5 in the morning, I was again hanging out, and some guy came in conflict with somebody, so he went home to get his gun. He was one of the heaviest criminals in the area. So he came back, stood outside and waved his gun, while we were ducking inside.

Angel
06-30-2012, 06:33 PM
Use to go to this nasty bar in Victoria to get drugs. Down there waiting for the dealer to show up one day and all of a sudden the place is full of cops, and we're all locked in. They wouldn't let anyone leave until the entire place and everyone in it was searched.

Then in Edmonton, the bar closest to us had a bad rep as well. Saw this guy push a woman and call her a cunt. Off went my jacket and I was calling him to step outside. The bouncer quickly pulled me aside and informed me the guy was a pimp, and he'd just gotten bail on attempted murder charges. They wouldn't let me leave until they could free up a staff member to drive me the 2 blocks home...

I did witness a good ole fashioned bar fight one time. Started when someone threw a bottle at the band...not to worry, they were behind wire a la Blues Bros. It was WILD...also a la Blues Bros.

ELVIS
06-30-2012, 06:42 PM
Use to go to this nasty bar in Victoria to get drugs.

You use to or you used to ??

I thought you said you were educated and well read...

Angel
06-30-2012, 08:03 PM
You use to or you used to ??

I thought you said you were educated and well read...

That's the problem with posting on the run on a phone keyboard. Surprised you haven't picked up more. Whoops.