The night started perfectly alligned with a style of music I have really been enjoying lately.  Only tonight it was the upbeat folk tunes of Greg Greer on the stage at Tommy Nevins's Pub in Evenston Illinois.  It was funny.  His voice, his kind of start-stop rhythm, repeatedly made me think that maybe Greg was going to launch off into a Brian Bethke song.  It was genuinely uncanny.

But, even though he didn't, it was still a great night.  Greg has a wonderful voice and can sing a happy tune with an intensity and sincerity that is infectious.

Musical high points, just because he played it, you gotta love when a folk guitar player goes for something like the Spiderbait song Black Betty.  Greg did a commendable job of folking it up, adding humor, to even be doing this song.   There were several other songs which I would throw into the classic rock category, and each of them were very enjoyable.  I don't know if Greg was playing entirely covers or if there were original works mixed in there or not.  If there were original works, I would have liked to have known.  I didn't hear him announce any originals.

The next hop on the bar list was The Celtic Knot, where there was to be a traditional irish band playing.  But, half an hour after stage time I didn't see anyone with musical instruments, so we left.  Too bad, I would have loved to listen to a jig over a Guinness.

Next stop, The Orrington Bar, where we discovered a DJ was playing.  The drink prices were attractive, because here I was drinking on OPM.  And, the first surprise of the evening.  You see the night before, I met a guy named Steve Schuler.  Now Steve, on the surface, seems like many other people you meet in bars.  Long on talk, and likely, really short on abilities.  When I met him he was already well into his cups.  He expressed a desire to go to some bar where he could climb on on stage and play a little blues harp with the band.  I'm thinking, "Uh huh, whatever fella."  This is the big city, you can't just be some harmonica hack goofball or you are gonna meet the bouncer.

It was at the Orrington, when Greg Greer finished his set at Nevin's and stopped in to join us, that I discovered there was more to Steve than just talk.  I wish I could remember the song.  But, this was bar three, need I say more?  I don't remember, it was something from the late sixties, early seventies and it was a favorite.   But Steve plays a great blues harp!  It was a short stay at the Orrington, the bar suddenly flooded with fossils in suits.  What was it?  Toastmasters?  Retired executives club?  AARP?  I dunno.  The DJ had started spinning those 80's favorites and I was ready to move on.

Last stop, and at this point there were only three of left hopping, Steve, another friend, John and myself.  The final bar was less than a block from my hotel, Bill's Blues.  While we were at the Orrington we heard there was a blues band playing there.  But, just as we walked in the door, the band was packing up.  We thought we had missed out but the door guard told us to stick around, there was another band coming, Niteskool Benefit.  In the meantime a blues-folk guitar player stepped up to the stage. I think his name was Brian Terry.  But, can't seem to find him on myspace, so I might have that name wrong.  He is a good singer and worth seeing.

During the time Brian was playing the entire audience in the bar rotated.  It was like there were "old people go home" napkins passed out or something.  In the span of half an hour the median age of the audience dropped by 20 years, leaving us three guys on the wrong end of the curve.  For a particularly bluesy number Steve again stepped to the stage and totally tore it up with Brian Terry.  It was funny when Steve walked up, there was a certain smuggness on Brian's face.  Less than a minute later though and it was replaced by more of a "holy shit, am I gonna be able to keep up?" look.  I think John said it best, "score one for the old guys!" 

It was getting late, we stayed for a few more songs by Niteskool Benefit, they had a Chili Peppers sound, but the display of nubile flesh was too great. It was time to call it a night.

Greg Greer is plays in the Denver area and is worth seeing.  His myspace page and schedule is at: http://www.myspace.com/greggreermusic

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