September 2006 Archives

That's my boy. But is he really a "news" anchor?? Thanks, April.

ha Ha! Way to go, David Banh. Completing your [U.Va.] undergraduate degree in one year pretty much makes you the antithesis of just about everyone I know . . .

UPDATE: Maybe no comments here, but 111 over at MetaFilter.

A collection of sorts.

It's now officially been a week since I saw the Flaming Lips here in Charlottesville. One of the best shows I've ever seen and not for its theatrics, but for the whole package -- the energy came straight from the band, spilling over into the crowd. I gushed to a pal that this Lips concert restored my faith in humanity and while a great exaggeration, I say it again, now, leaving out the usual stench of sarcasm.

This was the first time I've seen performers, in particular musicians, wear emotion on their sleeve not in the way of those sappy emo bands, but genuinely being happy in the face of tougher stuff given that the Lips are actually quite political even when dressing it up with lights and confetti and in the silliness of animal constumes and nun puppets. If pressed to speculate on the theme for their shows, I could imagine Mr. Coyne et al sitting down and thinking, "you know, life is really hard, guys. Let's go out there and have some fun tonight." It's pretty amazing that they honestly get to spread joy for a living. I know that all sounds *very* cliched but there's a lot to be said for that, especially when it's obvious they were not trying to ignore what they were being political about. More like a pep-rally so their fans can go out and attack social injustice after the show, perhaps after a good night's rest.

Sadly, though I took an exorbitant amount of pictures and even made a video or two, something happened with my camera and I was not able to reproduce any of what I saw last Tuesday night. Thankfully, that kind of technology is everywhere and plenty of other folks picked up where I left off. Thanks to all of you. Here is a short list of some really great images I have been able to find from September 12th. (If anyone else has pics I should post, please let me know.) From the C'ville show:

billyhunt's pictures at Flickr [set]
*brainfax's concert gallery at deviantART [via]
Images from Stanley Sparks' Flaming Lips Concert set [set, via]
Avoid Self Deception's post about the show
Pics from nailgun

I also encourage a trip over to YouTube. Go ahead. Search for "flaming lips" or "space bubble". And here's the Pavilion show in 1 minute, 47 seconds. Funny part is, though they certainly rocked-out, I don't remember it feeling this cacophonous, perhaps because, though close, I was on the opposite side. I just wish I could've scored one of those alien costumes or Mrs. Santa Claus suits so I could've landed on stage.

Also, a quick thanks to Calin and Amy for getting me up-to-speed with The Soft Bulletin, my fifth Lips album. I love it.

Charlottesville has a newish “club” of sorts, the X-Lounge, derided by hipsters and hippies alike. Quoth someone who works at another Glass Building establishment (both the person and place shall remain nameless), “you’re not even cool enough to think about the X-Lounge." But let’s face it folks, you’ve noticed, too: every weekend, that place is packed. People are enjoying its smoke-free atmosphere and its lofted sitting area above the bar, open and spacious among the tree canopy inside The Glass Building’s former floral shop. But see for yourself: DocMultimedia posted some great pics.

What I do find a little odd, however, is the posh, sleek interior juxtaposed with their outdoor seating area on a concrete slab, bordered by Tiki Torches. ::shrugs:: I have yet to eat there but apparently they serve tapas along with expensive libations. Most nights people pack the inside of the bar, spilling out into the parking lot. Such a different scene from the weekend-morning Bluegrass Grill breakfast crowd.

The X Lounge seems to pull rank with the likes of C’ville’s other happenin’ bars, Blue Light and Zocalo, bringing in similar clientele: mostly young professionals or professional UVa graduate students (think Law, Darden or Med students [sorry, guys]). It’s hard not to chuckle at the ’Lounge’s incessant thumping bass sans dance floor -- some are calling it a wannabe NYC spot. I admit I find it a little ridiculous for Charlottesville, but don’t mind it so much. The smoke-free aspect is almost worth the price.

That is, I didn’t mind it so much until I looked at my bank statement last Monday, Labor Day, after an evening there the previous Friday. Being a holiday weekend, some purchases I made the week before were being held in queue until Tuesday. I gave my online statement a once-over and noticed something rather strange. An entry read,

PURCHASE THE X 09/01 - $50.00

What?! I scratched my head. Now, I had been fairly inebriated, but I remember signing for my tab. Fifty dollars would’ve caught my attention (at least I certainly hope so). I had purchased five drinks: four draft beers and one cocktail. Could that plus tip really add up to $50??

This got me very curious. I did a little searching and found one other instance of a mysterious $50 charge at the X Lounge. Chris Carlson posts on outskirts.com:

I went there for the “best of C-ville” party last night and bought one mixed drink for a friend. Today my bank statement says they charged me $50!!! Their phone number isn’t listed, so I have to walk over there to dispute the charge apparently. This is the only time I’ve set foot in the place, mind you. I feel burned and won’t go back there again if they don’t somehow make it up to me.

Wow! Was I also overcharged? I discussed this with a few people, thinking that maybe each beer cost $5, the cocktail $10 and perhaps a $10 tip. But then I kept reading and Carlson posted again:

My mistake!!! The charge was a preauthorization. I just walked over there and JF brought out the credit card log. Apparently check cards work this way where they pre-authorize a certain amount and that’s what is initially encumbered against your account. X lounge is NOT to blame!!!

Sure enough, I found my receipt: $30.19, and when the pending “X” charge cleared late last week, I was only charged that amount.

Two things:

First, I can understand why a bar might do this. Levying an initial $50 charge at least lets them know if the patron is good for the cash -- this helps them decide whether or not the person may open a tab in the first place. Fine. But what if I only had $100 in my checking account? Though I probably shouldn’t be opening bar tabs in that case, if this had been a Saturday night, and then I tried to make a $60 purchase on Sunday, my card would be rejected as the actual amount of my tab would still be held as a $50 charge until cleared by my bank the following business day. This seems a little ludicrous to me.

Second, have I just been caught completely unawares? Is this what is practiced at most restaurants/drinking establishments? Have I just not been going out enough to notice? Doesn’t anyone else regard this as a moderately shady business model?

I suppose the part of all of this that is upsetting is that there was no indication, verbally or otherwise, that this is what would happen when I handed the bartender my check card. If there had been a clearly visible sign, I could fault no one other than myself for my ignorance to the ways of open tabs. Luckily it wasn’t an issue, but I can definitely imagine scenarios where it could have been.