Mike slowly studied the charts, picking here and there. It was going to be a slow go.
He appeared to be a capable, if somewhat, cautious player. Maybe we were going to be OK.
After a long afternoon, we all retired to our standard issue hotel rooms. As with most traveling bands, there are the customary gratis accommodations the employer provides. Sometimes, these digs are hotel rooms but can also be band houses, trailers and camp grounds. Some are better than others and some are not better than anything.
The Holiday Inn was nice though not luxurious. There were double beds (one to sleep on, one to throw your laundry on), a TV and a gigantic childlike drawing of a turkey framed over the dresser. Upon closer examination, it seemed to be a Native American depiction of a bird. Everyone got one in their room. Standard issue turkey picture.
Since we would be out on the 'road' for sometimes months on end, we would bring little tokens of our other life with us. Just little things to decorate our spaces and separate us from the sameness of life in a hotel room.
Mike Halsey obviously gave this some thought before he struck out on the road. that afternoon we helped him unload six heavy boxes from his trunk.
As we pondered the contents, he must have picked up the vibe. "Hey, come up to the room in about an hour and check out what I brought!" he smiled back.
Our curiosity had been ignited. books? rare albums? Now, we could see what made this guy tick.
It was Beer Bottles.
Lots of beer bottles. He had brought six boxes of bottles with him from LA. The collection was displayed carefully all over his hotel room. Lining the dresser top, along the window sills, on top of the TV. Even in the cramped bathroom. It was a sight to behold.
And he was a man of varied taste. He had Heineken's, Buds, Red Stripes, Coors, and the more exotic brands as well. Right down to St. Pauli Girl.
I wondered to myself if had actually drank all these beers. Then I thought it would be even stranger if he hadn't.
Mike beamed with pride that this collection had crossed the USA several times and had been procured over 5 years. I guess maybe it was a good pick up line at the very least, "Hey! Wanna come up to my room and check out my beer bottle collection?"
St. Pauli Girl was with us there in all her glory at a Holiday Inn in Albuquerque.
To Be Continued.....
