There's a new bar in Louisville, and it's based on an old bar in the days of yore. The days of yore are, technically, the days before I was born. Sometime in the early 1970s, my parents used to hang out at the Zanzibar on South Preston. My mom was still a teenager, and either she looked old, or she looked so hot that the bartenders didn't care. Or maybe it was that she was hanging out with an older man like my dad. Or maybe it was the 1970s and nobody cared.
Anyway, I think they may have actually met at the Zanzibar, but they've never told me this directly. They probably don't want to admit they met at a bar. My mom has a old Z-Bar t-shirt. My dad has a green jacket that reads, "ZAC," proving that he was one of the few members of the Zanzibar Athletic Club. I doubt they ever played any sports.
The Zanzibar closed before I was born -- who knows why, maybe it was because they let in underage sneaks like my mom -- and eventually became a charming cafeteria-style restaurant, The Brown Bag. The Brown Bag closed recently and earlier this year some friends of mine bought the building. They excavated the original exterior, exposing a tile front with the letter "Z" in plain view, and completely renovated the place, putting in a great bar and a stage shaped like a free-throw line. They have dubbed it the Zanzabar, which is pronounced exactly like the Zanzibar. It's got good food and good whisk(e(y.
They have live music there, and tonight I'm playing there. Cool, eh? With David Mead. And Butch Rice. My parents will be there too. They're still married, which is probably weird to most of you. They like each other too. I even saw them holding hands last night at the LEO Awards Party (more about that party another time -- what a wild event). Maybe I'll talk them into doing a dramatic reenactment of how they first met. Maybe we should all dress up like the 1970s so as to get them in the mood. I need to go iron my hair now.
See you at the show!
Zanzabar 2100 South Preston
8:00 Butch Rice
8:40ish Brigid Kaelin (that's me!)
9:45ish David Mead
$8
Anyway, I think they may have actually met at the Zanzibar, but they've never told me this directly. They probably don't want to admit they met at a bar. My mom has a old Z-Bar t-shirt. My dad has a green jacket that reads, "ZAC," proving that he was one of the few members of the Zanzibar Athletic Club. I doubt they ever played any sports.
The Zanzibar closed before I was born -- who knows why, maybe it was because they let in underage sneaks like my mom -- and eventually became a charming cafeteria-style restaurant, The Brown Bag. The Brown Bag closed recently and earlier this year some friends of mine bought the building. They excavated the original exterior, exposing a tile front with the letter "Z" in plain view, and completely renovated the place, putting in a great bar and a stage shaped like a free-throw line. They have dubbed it the Zanzabar, which is pronounced exactly like the Zanzibar. It's got good food and good whisk(e(y.
They have live music there, and tonight I'm playing there. Cool, eh? With David Mead. And Butch Rice. My parents will be there too. They're still married, which is probably weird to most of you. They like each other too. I even saw them holding hands last night at the LEO Awards Party (more about that party another time -- what a wild event). Maybe I'll talk them into doing a dramatic reenactment of how they first met. Maybe we should all dress up like the 1970s so as to get them in the mood. I need to go iron my hair now.
See you at the show!
Zanzabar 2100 South Preston
8:00 Butch Rice
8:40ish Brigid Kaelin (that's me!)
9:45ish David Mead
$8
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