Usually I devote these pages to traditional live music. Guitars, drummers and the like. But Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, is a special occasion. And, sometimes I feel like there is some crossover into the art form of live performance. It isn't always just a DJ spinning disks. Erik, Dewey's House DJ, I would definitely classify as live performance. He puts on a good show. His patter is fun and fills the floor. The rap/hip-hop music selection was great. The crowd, was enthused and knew every song. I only just dip my toes into hip-hop, so I was a little less familiar with most of the music. Even still, I knew a few.

The Dewey's crowd was quite a bit smaller than last year, when it was totally packed. Last year, every so often we had to go outside to get fresh air and cool off. Not so this year. This year we had to keep moving on the dance floor to stay warm. The Wife was just happy there was a target rich environment of guys wearing beads. She spent her time calculating her methods to best deprive them of their neckwear. An easy task when the crowd is filled with shy girls.

While at the show, I talked to DJ Erik's brother who is involved in whats called the Fame University project. They are doing a CD release party at Dewey's on February 24th. Admission is free, and if you are into the hip-hop, Dewey's is going to be the place to be.

I also met a guy named Moses, who could have passed for a friend of mine from years past when I lived in the city. It was like going back in time, seeing my friend alive again, and back as he used to look. The friend I had back twenty years ago, was named Richard, his street-cred name was Comfort. He was named aptly. What made him spring to mind was not just looks. Both guys had the same gentle smoothness, dreads and a relaxed smile. Sadly my friend was not smooth enough to stop a bullet when one had his name on it. I wish for nothing but a long life for this new friend, Moses.

But the writing was on the wall for my friend when I first got to know him. Richard was a guy who got involved in people's lives. He just couldn't help it. He meant well, always. But if he saw someone in trouble, he always rushed in. A couple of times I was with him when he would get involved in other people's domestic violence. I remember one day we were sitting in front of a warehouse building, turned art studio, in downtown Minneapolis. It was a Sunday, the streets were quiet. We watched a car weave from lane to lane, for two blocks, as it drew closer to us. Drunk drivers were more of an amusement in those days, and even when they weren't, I was young enough to think I was invulnerable. So that's what we spent two blocks thinking; drunk driver.  It was only when the car neared us, Richard said "It's a fight!", and he stood. We could make out the passenger beating on the driver. A fifty feet from us, the car stopped, the passenger door flew open and a woman emerged. She was yelling at the driver and appeared to be bleeding. Seconds later the driver emerged going after the woman. He didn't look so good either. Blood was being drawn on both sides. Richard sprang into action. Getting into the middle of it. Calming things down, in this case, and at least establishing enough peace for the people to stop yelling and get back into their car. It was nearly the same situation that would kill him at Palmer's Bar few years later.

Mardi Gras is not traditionally such a time for looking into the past. And, it is such a distant past, that it isn't troublesome, certainly it cast no pall on the evening. It was a celebration of the living, and the young. It was a fun night at Dewey's Roadhouse, with some good music and good times.

Visit http://www.deweysroadhouse.com/ for the Dewey's Roadhouse Calendar of events.

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