Small print: Generally open Mondays through Thursdays from 5 until 11 p.m. or so, with bluegrass jam sessions on Mondays and Thursdays and country music on Wednesdays.
Why you should go: Fans of Christopher Guest's movies need to be targeted by the organizers of the Bulldog Cafe's bluegrass nights. Authentic folk music, as depicted in Guest's movie "A Mighty Wind," is intertwined here with unique characters.
On a recent Monday night I had the pleasure of meeting a man cradling his tiny white dog, a la Paris Hilton.
My fellow music lover and drinker, Sally, complimented the tiny white dog. This led to a lengthy monologue on the subject of dog shows (as seen in Guest's movie "Best in Show").
PHOTO BY CHRIS HALL
The musicians were indeed friendly and welcoming, and shifted from old mountain songs to baby boomer favorites like the Beatles and Queen ("Fat Bottomed Girls" is even better played by men with white hair on acoustic instruments, if you didn't already know).
I have good reason to suspect that they began performing pop songs to please Sally, a younger woman.
Occasionally, the venue is host to loud rock concerts. A weekly goth night ended after a very brief run; it's not really that sort of neighborhood, you see.
The room is big and smells of many nights of drinkin', smokin' and rockin' (though smokin' is no longer permitted inside).
The video games haven't been updated in 20-some years, and if you're looking for a drink that isn't a beer -- well, I already told you it's not that sort of neighborhood. Did you forget already?
Bottom line: Beer, music, friends … what are you waiting for? A written invitation? Well, here it is. Fairdale's just around the corner. You tell me a better way to spend a Monday night.
