Concert goers live in a world they believe to be loud and free. But there is, unheard by most, an outer world, a barrier between in and out, just as loud but not as free as they thought — the world outside a venue, where the door guy simply wants you to pay the cover charge. Welcome to a few nights in the life of Tin Roof’s door dude, Rex Stickel.
Thursday
8:24 p.m.
A lady walks up.
Me: “Hi. Here for the show?”
Lady: “Show? What show?”
Me: “Bands. Playing music.”
Lady: “Music? What kind of music?”
Me: “Well, most of the bands have either one or two members so probably chill, acoustic music.”
Lady: “Coostick? What’s coostick?”
Me: “Acoustic.” I mime playing guitar. “Acoustic guitar.”
Lady: “Coostick …”
Me: “A-coustic.”
Lady: “Like a banjo?”
Me: “….”
Both of us at the same time: “No.”
Me: “Not a banjo, an acoustic guitar.”
Lady: “… coostick geetar … OK. I’ll tell my daughter.”
9:09 p.m.
Me: “Hey, gang. There’s a $7 cover tonight.”
Lady: “Honest to God, we just wanna play pool. We’re looking for someplace we can play a game of pool real quick, hand to God.”
Me: “OK, so…”
Lady: “I swear to God, if we stay we’ll pay the cover. Swear to God.”
Me: “I got it, I got it, you don’t have to get Him involved, you can go play pool.”
Friday
8:11 p.m.
Me: “Hey, man. We’re taking a $7 cover for the bands tonight.”
Guy: “So, there’s a show? What if I don’t like the bands? Do I get a refund?”
Me: “Depends. Do we get a refund of our time if we don’t like you?”
Guy: “Fair enough.”
9:22 p.m.
A couple walks up.
Me: “Hey, gang. It’s $7 tonight.”
Guy: “What type of music is it?”
Me: “One of the band guys called it psychedelic progressive.”
The lady retracts in horror.
Lady: “Psychedelic? I don’t like psychedelic. Do I, John? We don’t like psychedelic. No, thank you.”
Me: “So, that’s a no on the psychedelic?”
Lady: “What’s psychedelic mean?”
Saturday
8:22 p.m.
Two ladies walk up, one carrying a large metal case.
Me: “Hello ladies, we’re having a show tonight and we’re taking $10.”
Lady 1: “Even for the wifey of a band member?”
Lady 2: “She’s even carrying their merch!”
She lifts up the case.
Me: “OK, that makes sense, I thought she may have been a DJ or something.”
Lady 2: “Well, we were hoping to go on between sets …”
9:42 p.m.
Me: “Hey, gang. We’re taking $10 for the show tonight.”
Lady: “There’s a cover tonight? For everybody?”
Me: “Well, no, not everybody. Only people that wanted inside.”
Sunday
7:47 p.m.
A couple walks up.
Me: “Hey, gang. Tonight we have a comedy show, so there’s a $5 cover.”
Guy: “Comedy? I thought it was trivia tonight.”
Me: “Oh … no, we have karaoke at 10 … but trivia on Tuesdays.”
Guy looks at the girl he’s with.
Guy: “Wanna flip this dime I dropped?”
Girl: “Heads and we stay?”
He flipped the dime, they shrugged and walked off.
8:17 p.m.
Guy making a beeline for the door.
Me: “Hey, man — you here for the show?”
Guy: “… I just came out to my car real quick. I paid already.”
Me: “…………. I know. I’m just being thorough.”
Thursday
8:27 p.m.
Me: “Hey, man. There’s a $7 cover tonight.”
Guy: “For what? To have a beer?”
Me: “Nah, man, for the bands that are playing.”
The guy steps closer to get a better listen. He pauses awkwardly, says, “Nope,” then turns around, jumps in his van, and drives off.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.