Two More Is Two Too Many
Teresa and I tried to attend the Horse Feathers Saturday night show at Mississippi Studios. We didn't know advanced tickets were the best option. Upon arrival, we weren't able to enter the venue. More on this in a few. The evening wasn't completely lost. We enjoyed a tasty meal in Alberta at the Tin Shed Garden Cafe. We also stopped in our local bar, the Concordia Ale House. It wasn't a terribly cold night. I was glad to get out of the house.
As we continue to explore our local area, we have been relying on internet reviews for ideas. The Portland Mercury and Willamette Weekly (pronounced will - AM - it) are now mainstays in my daily reading. These two weekly newspapers have helped guide us through Portland. They have even helped us find other web sites with useful information like An Exploration of Portland Food and Drink. This web site has a neat tool that allows a user to find reviews of restaurants in a certain area. We used it to find the Tin Shed in Alberta.
The Tin Shed is located on the edge of Alberta toward MLK. The bus ride from our house is very short and simple. We were prepared for a long wait, but there wasn't any wait at all. I assume the wait occurs in the warmer months. It is a tiny and eclectic restaurant with a large outdoor patio. Even in the winter, the patio is open. They have erected a metal enclosure lined with plastic walls. Hanging from the the ceiling are numerous heat lamps. At the end of the patio, there is a raging fire, but only two guests can sit next to it. There are large blankets available for use. It is safe to say, you aren't cold on the patio. I was thankful for the patio. It allowed us to escape the children in the small dining room.
The food was spectacular. The focus on local food that tastes great is a wonderful concept. I had the BBQueen with Broccoli soup. I love BBQ Burgers. We finished our meal with the Crisp dessert. They used boysen-berry for fruit and topped the warm crisp with dripping ice cream. The beer selection is decent with a rotating Micro brew on tap. I can't wait to spend a few hours on the patio in the summer. Their mission statement reads, "To cook really tasty food in a warm and unpretentious environment, and to have authentic interactions with our guests." I believe they have achieved it.
The ride from Alberta over to Mississippi is easy. We've figured out the bus route between these two neighborhoods. I'd say these two neighborhoods are the most accessible from our new home via public transit. We arrived at the bar Mississippi Station just before 10pm. Mississippi Studios is the music venue attached to Mississippi Station. It is definitely not obvious that you must enter the bar and exit around back to find the venue's "front door." We had to ask a server for help.
Once we found our way around back, a lined had formed to enter the venue. It appears the venue is a converted bungalow. I was excited to see the inside of the place. We figured, the line would be moving shortly. For some unknown reason, a dude was sitting there in a horse or cow costume. I guess it was a horse costume, and he took Horse Feathers very seriously. We waited some more, and the line didn't move. More people arrived and surpassed the line. Then people behind us explained: We were in the line of people without tickets. Huh, that didn't make any sense to me. If a venue pre-sold tickets, shouldn't they know how many people they could fit at the door? Why make us wait in line to enter? I guess they wanted to double sell the space.
For the next fifteen minutes we waited in the "I didn't buy tickets but still want a shot at attending the concert" line. Every few minutes, the door lady let a few people into the show. Teresa and I made it all the way to the entrance. At that moment, the opening band, The Botticellis, took the stage. I wanted to see these guys. Their reviews pinned their sound somewhere near the Shins with more layers. During the first song, a few more ticketed guests walked past the line. About the third song, the door lady exclaimed there wasn't anymore room. I was the next person in line to enter. Teresa was the person after me. She couldn't fit two more people? We waited in line for over a half an hour. Normally, I don't mind waiting in line, but this was run very poorly. At least we learned to purchase advanced tickets.
Defeated and annoyed, we stopped into the Crow Bar. I really like this smoky and inviting hallway of a bar. It is the type of place you stop for a drink and stay for eternity. We did just that over the summer. On this night, we only had one drink before retreating back to Concordia. If we caught the bus sooner than later, the total ride would be shorter.
Even though we didn't stay over in Mississippi, that didn't mean we went straight home. The bus practically lets us off into the front door of the Concordia Ale House. This little slice of heaven is a beer lover's dream. They have at least 20 beers on tap at any given time. You can sample brews from the Pacific Northwest to Belgium and beyond. On this night, we even ordered some chicken fingers which were delicious. I am happy this establishment is close to home.
The night was not a complete loss. I was hoping the highlight would have been some new local music, but that was not to be. We were two people too many. From now on, I am going to call Mississippi Studios for advanced tickets. I can't wait to laugh at the "I wish I could go in but this venue doesn't have its act together so I'm gonna wait for awhile" people in line. We did enjoy some great food and drink. I really appreciate the amazing beer and tasty selection.
Comments
Um, you forgot a few key points that may make this slightly more interesting: 1. Let's talk about Mississippi. . .First, we are jeans and t-shirt type people. I don't wear berets, tight blazers, or skinny jeans. Not that I have anything against those who do. The thing is, everyone, or nearly everyone in Mississippi dresses this way. I totally felt out of place. 2. Horse costume. . .picture a white hooded zip up sweatshirt. Have a few drinks. Picture a stuffed horse head protruding 1 foot from the top of said sweatshirt. Picture legs with hooves taped, pasted, stapled and/or sewed on the front. Corresponding legs and tail are sewn on the back. When this person stands in line, he is literally about 1 foot taller than the rest of the people waiting in line. Now have a few drinks and wait in line and try not to laugh every minute because he's two people behind you. 3. The bus ride. We're going to have to work on this, Sim. There is definitely an eclectic mix who ride the bus on Friday and Saturday nights. It doesn't take much imagination to know what I'm talking about. Yowzaa!
