A bunch of people invited me out last night after the lacrosse game to meet them at a bar. There was some confusion as to which bar they would be going to, but they finally picked one, and I drove over there to meet them.
* It's in the "heart" of LoDo, which on weekend nights is like driving (and walking) through a sea of endless partiers.
* Parking was at least available, but was expensive as hell.
* I had to wait in line for quite some time before we could get in. Not sure how THEY got in so quick - maybe they know the door guy or something. Maybe I should have angrily announced "Don't you know who I am?" At least there was no cover charge.
* The place was nearly jam packed. As in, one step from the door, it's shoulder-to-shoulder people. It's like that throughout the bar. The bar wasn't very large, but getting from the front to the back took planning, and up to two minutes.
* As is common, the lights are turned down WAY low. Trying to find my friends was something of a chore. Luckily, most of them were wearing suits, so it was easy to simply try to find people in suits.
* The music was, in my personal opinion, pretty terrible. "Bak Dat Azz Up" was about as good as it got. Admittedly, I'm way outside the demo, but still. And, as common in bars like this, it was played exceptionally loud. Even when I could get close to my friends (usually in small groups), it was hard to join their conversations, since they all had to stand with their heads next to each other and yell really loud.
* Due to the crowd, getting a drink took forever. I just decided not to drink anything.
* After about half an hour of wedging my way through the crowd, getting near my friends, and having a few brief snatches of conversation (screamed at full volume), I decided I'd had enough and headed home.
I did that self-evaluation on the way home. Do my friends actually LIKE those sorts of bars? I know a couple of them seemed to be having a good time, but a few others bitched about the loud music and crowded venue. Did they invite me over just so I could hover near them for a few minutes at a time, not really interacting with them much?
Am I just old? Kinda, I guess, but I've never liked that sort of venue. I remember being taken to one in college, not having fun at all, and deciding I just wouldn't go to that bar anymore. I think I've just added another one to my list.
Lex