The Doorman’s Diary: 6.17-18.11

A gorgeous night with a modest-size crowd filtering in. Had a crazy couple of women sitting at the bar when I arrived. Because no one else had yet walked in, they assumed the role of long-time customers asking when so-and-so and somebody-or-another will arrive and spouting about how they know the club’s owner. One of them wore a white cowboy hat and free-form danced around when the music started. Keeping in her Wild West role she let out a YEE-HAW during a song, which almost had me escorting her out the door.  This is a jazz club, for Buddha’s sake, not some line-dancing saloon. The quintet, plus exquisite jazz singer, played wonderfully. The bartender commented, “It’s a great night for jazz.” You know it is, pardner, I had responded and thought, “Damn, I’m being influenced by the Patsy Cline wannabe.” Fortunately, the club started to fill and cowgirl and her friend left. Like an idiot, I said, “You gals mosey on back sometime, ya hear?” Things settled back into a comfortable equilibrium shortly after country gal and her friend left. As the night came to a close, a regular customer showed up with his son and son’s girlfriend. He introduced me to the young couple and said his son is a cage fighter. That caught my attention so I went over and said, “Explain.” Turns out he’s on the brink of turning pro in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and has won five of his last six fights.  The match he lost gave him 12 stitches above his left eye (found out that it was better that the cut was on the right-hand side so it bled around his eye rather than closer to his nose where the blood runs in his eye). The 26-year-old kid is strong but he told me that ultimate fighting is more about balance, agility, and chess-match-figuring-out what your opponent’s next move will be. So he’s in intense training now to be prepared to turn pro. A smart, strong young guy with a pretty face that only has one scar on it.