On an unusually cool summer Saturday recently, an mix-n-match collection of bar groupies gathered at the Taberna de Gallo, located in the Colonial Spanish Quarter on St. George Street. Ladies old and young, smokers and non, with or without glowing hairpieces, collected around picnic tables in a courtyard lit by torches. ‘Twas a gathering of the Bilge Rats, heavy on the beards and light on the pretensions, which drew these enthusiastic crowds.

By Chuck Shepherd

Not My Fault

Amy Mueller filed a lawsuit recently against Samy’s Bar and Grill in Joliet, Ill., after she willingly tried to climb onto the bar to dance in May 2006 but fell and broke her ankle. Samy’s should have had a “ladder” or other climbing aid, said Mueller’s lawyer.

Drug Law Enforcement

Chicago police arrested three alleged dope-sellers in June after casually spotting one of them inside a garage with the door open, bagging $670,000 worth of marijuana. The police came upon the garage while chasing a man who had been urinating in public.

Mondays

Stu Weaver from 6-10 p.m. at Harry’s Seafood
Soulo at the Flamingo Room of Cortessés Bistro
Sam Pacetti at 9 p.m. at the Milltop Tavern
Mike Howard plays at O.C. White’s

VERDE
THE UNDESERVED CURRENT
BAKERY OUTLET RECORDS 2006

Sean Mahan is well-known around the North Florida indie scene for his paintings on album covers of bands such as Floor, Planes Mistaken For Stars, and Twelve Hour Turn. But this Neptune Beach native skillfully handles his musical endeavors, as well. On The Undeserved Current, Sean creates a quietly layered mishmash of fuzzy guitars, echoing melodies, and recycled drumbeats. Even more remarkable is the fact that Sean put the Verde project together himself, eight-tracking the entire album at home and of course deftly executing the nostalgic artwork.

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
KHALED HOSSEINI
RIVERHEAD BOOKS 2007

Following up his debut novel-turned-international bestseller wasn’t very difficult for Khaled Hosseini. “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” like its predecessor “The Kite Runner,” personalizes the plight of Afghanistan’s citizens, examining the cultural consequences suffered during the country’s revolution and Taliban takeover. Although Hosseini was applauded for his unflinching depiction of violence in “The Kite Runner,” the scenes of horrific abuse found in “A Thousand Splendid Suns” are even tougher to stomach. But those instances, like one where a husband beats his wife unconscious and locks her in a tool shed, serve to show the Western world the oppression and injustice historically inflicted upon women in Afghanistan.

By Cassandra Helton (Clothing designer and owner, The Closet)

Pan’s Labyrinth was above and beyond my favorite movie of the year. Mexican director/writer Guillermo Del Toro directs his fairy tale through the eyes of young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) during Spain’s Civil-War.

Sadness, horror, and the repercussion of war are evoked via Ofelia’s eyes. Meanwhile she is attempting to escape the world of suffering, to a beautiful, enchanting, childlike realm, of fairies and a faun’s labyrinth. This is a remarkable adult fairy tale, with emotional depth, and phenomenal: set designs, costumes, and special effects. Pan’s Labyrinth exudes a magnificently beautiful world of innocence and honesty within a sphere filled of corruption.