No Country For This Girl

Last night, I helped my friend's husband organize a birthday celebration for her. I am a true believer in customizing the party to suit the person. I really don't like generic affairs that suit the organizer not the guest of honor. So I will do anything the for the friend celebrating whether it is in my taste or not.

I have known Dawn for many years now, and when I met her she was all gangsta - ghetto fab. Then when she got engaged, another side of my dear friend surfaced. The country girl! I found out she loves country and western, hay, rodeos, and umm cowboys - hot please with no shirts!

So we organized a "hootenany" (I have no earthly idea how that's spelled and I don't wanna know) at a trendy country and western saloon downtown - The Dakota Tavern. I have no interest in the genre or its accoutrements, hot wranglers excepted, but "hay" it was for my girl.

This place has been stripped to no frills. The menu is short and sweet. Cajun meets hee haw. Delicious and cheap! The cash and carry bar carries booze at 5 dollars a pop! Holy stirrups cowman! The decor was shabby-shabby basement barn.

She loved it! I have broken ribs to prove it!

The evening started off with the Tin Pan North Festival which featured orignal songwriters. A couple of them were excellent, the rest, well, good thing the butter knives weren't sharp, cause I tell ya, I was tempted to slice myself. Anywho, after hearing about the death of pet dogs and the saga of the cheating mate, that ended uneventfully.

Then, something happened. This staunch No Country For This Girl turned. A band went on who went by the name of The Beauties, and they made me see the haylight! These young men (with a name like that you would expect women) were absolutely amazing with an incredible energy and talent that made my unbooted feet tap despite their blasé reluctance. I was grinning like I swallowed the freshly milked bucket.

But that wasn't the end of the surprise. A little lady came on stage by the name of Samantha Martin and my jaw dropped. The girl has a voice from heaven and a style remiscent of Patsy Kline meets Amy Whinehouse. I was riveted. I could listen to them all night. Unfortunately, we had to leave early because our other friend is a new mother and had to attend to her lovely infant daughter. Dawn stayed behind with her husband and she was in seventh hay loft.

As we walked back to my car, I could swear my feet were doing the jig, and my grin was still in place.