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So, Sarah and her fiancee ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
giddysinger invited us out to dinner last night. The choice was Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring. When Sarah told me it was spelled with a 'z', I admit that I had misgivings.
Prices were a little on the high side, for someone like me used to crappy chain restaurants. But it's a) close to DC and b) the food was tasty (except for the flan. Avoid the flan.). I've been a part of the SCA/Renfestie/people who dress funny crowd for too long that I was moderately surprised to see how kid-friendly they'd tried to make the place. There was actually a children's nook, with pirate books and a flat screen showing "Shark Tales," a caged stuffed parrot, and a few other amusements. And the clientele was mostly either a) parents with children who like pirates and b) people who dress funny. There were a few tables of us who were neither (at the moment).
But the 'highlight' of the evening, the real reason for the visit, was to hear the crew of the Drunken Ferret.
...wow.
When they were tableside, I didn't think they were so bad. Not awesome, but I've heard worse (amateur) performances. You could argue with their settings - for instance,giddysinger really took exception to the tempos they used for "Drop of Nelson's Blood" and I can't say that I cared for the arrangement, either - but hey, everyone gets to play in the great Traditional swimming pool.
Tableside, the guitar and the guitarist's mostly on-key voice dominated the performance. When they moved back to the bar, you could much more clearly hear the vocal train wreck that was occurring. And 'Happy Birthday'? Oy. Y'all, pick someone to pick the key, and then all y'alls got to sing in that key. Get the guitar to strum out the I chord for the key, or something, before you start. Or get a pitch pipe - there's a music store literally across the street from the Tavern. Seriously.
Also, the patter was lacking. Some of the lines were fine - "If you like us, give us money and we'll sing more. If you don't, give us money and we'll go away." But there was something missing... comedic timing, perhaps, or... I'm not enough of a theatrical maven to appreciate the subtleties that go into delivery, but something wasn't there. The rumor was that they were being 'paid' in freebies at the bar; if true, they might want to consider sticking with the free soda. I've certainly found that even a bit of a buzz makes me think I'm much funnier than I actually am.
To their credit, they did interact well with the children who approached them. That was nice.
giddysinger invited us out to dinner last night. The choice was Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring. When Sarah told me it was spelled with a 'z', I admit that I had misgivings.Prices were a little on the high side, for someone like me used to crappy chain restaurants. But it's a) close to DC and b) the food was tasty (except for the flan. Avoid the flan.). I've been a part of the SCA/Renfestie/people who dress funny crowd for too long that I was moderately surprised to see how kid-friendly they'd tried to make the place. There was actually a children's nook, with pirate books and a flat screen showing "Shark Tales," a caged stuffed parrot, and a few other amusements. And the clientele was mostly either a) parents with children who like pirates and b) people who dress funny. There were a few tables of us who were neither (at the moment).
But the 'highlight' of the evening, the real reason for the visit, was to hear the crew of the Drunken Ferret.
...wow.
When they were tableside, I didn't think they were so bad. Not awesome, but I've heard worse (amateur) performances. You could argue with their settings - for instance,
giddysinger really took exception to the tempos they used for "Drop of Nelson's Blood" and I can't say that I cared for the arrangement, either - but hey, everyone gets to play in the great Traditional swimming pool. Tableside, the guitar and the guitarist's mostly on-key voice dominated the performance. When they moved back to the bar, you could much more clearly hear the vocal train wreck that was occurring. And 'Happy Birthday'? Oy. Y'all, pick someone to pick the key, and then all y'alls got to sing in that key. Get the guitar to strum out the I chord for the key, or something, before you start. Or get a pitch pipe - there's a music store literally across the street from the Tavern. Seriously.
Also, the patter was lacking. Some of the lines were fine - "If you like us, give us money and we'll sing more. If you don't, give us money and we'll go away." But there was something missing... comedic timing, perhaps, or... I'm not enough of a theatrical maven to appreciate the subtleties that go into delivery, but something wasn't there. The rumor was that they were being 'paid' in freebies at the bar; if true, they might want to consider sticking with the free soda. I've certainly found that even a bit of a buzz makes me think I'm much funnier than I actually am.
To their credit, they did interact well with the children who approached them. That was nice.
