Viewfinder Extras
By Mike Mathes, Kiel, WI
Thoughts and happenings in every day life in Wisconsin
Monday, April 02, 2007
Bluegrass is where you find it!
By Mike Mathes
Bluegrass is where you find it. And, sometimes it takes a long search to get to just the right place. Saturday night provided an interesting example.
A few members of our local group, Red Star Express, were searching for a place to jam after performing at the annual Milwaukee Area Bluegrass Musicians Association festival in Mequon.
The ride home was diverted by a quick stop at Silver Creek Brewery in Cedarburg, where a glass of porter can be a substitute for an entire meal.
We knew the beer would be good, but we were hoping for a small corner to pluck a few tunes and get the jamming bug out of our bones. For some reason, Cedarburg was hopping like a hornet's nest, and not only the brewery, but everywhere we stopped was crammed with people.
Instead of a jammin' spot we had to settle for a great bowl of chili and one of those draft-horse size meals they call a sandwich at T. J. Ryan's. Ryan's was once home to another bluegrass combo known as Pike Creek, which performed on more than 100 occasions over the past several years.
Ryan's is a small place, but a great place to grab a bit and a bit of conversation. Some of the local music fans suggested we try Pike Creek's new home — Morton's WisconsInn, just around the corner. They too were bursting at the seams with patrons. Lacking a good spot, we set sail north for home, and maybe a quick look into Port Washington.
They say we are guided by strange forces at times. That's likely what steered our vehicles into downtown Port Washington, after the hour of 9. It seemed we hit paydirt on the edge of downtown, locating a spot called Wooster's Pub. The place looked all the part of a great jamming bar, but the bartendress gave us a heavy frown. "We don't have a cabaret license," she noted. "You can't play in here."
Disappointed, but not downtrodden, we decided to give downtown Port one last shot.
We wandered the streets to the continued disappointment of our foursome. A bowling alley, a martini bar and a supper club. A thought of playing on the street corner faded quickly in light of the cabaret license discussion.
Almost out of ideas, we wandered up the hill to the last beer sign on the right. Sir James Pub the sign said. If nothing else, the whistles needed a little wetting after the walking.
As the door creaked open, we spied a long, slender bar, partially filled with patrons. But, what we heard was music to our ears. An old wailing Hank Williams tune stirred from the belly of the juker.
We sat down to order refreshment and calmly asked if our hostess minded if we picked a little. One of the patrons overheard the query and jumped to life. "Bluegrass? I love bluegrass!" Immediately requests began to surface from both sides of the bar, and we hadn't even pulled out our instruments yet. We walked a few blocks back to reposition our vehicles and hauled out the guitar, banjo and mandolin cases.
A few requests turned into an unrehearsed two hour jam.
As Sir James' likeness (one of the most photographed personalities in Port Washington) stared from behind his wooden visage, even he seemed pleased at the goings-on.
Patrons joined in singing. Some shook a leg and danced to the rhythm while the jammers played as if transported magically to bluegrass heaven.
Why our group stumbled onto the Sir James Pub we will never know.
That we did will be a great story for the ages. We made new friends while sharing music, and most of all, we were invited back to help celebrate the owner's 79th birthday.
Already looking forward to our next bluegrass rendezvous in the Port city. We'll keep you posted so you can join in the fun.
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