A few weeks ago, my friend Pat wrote a delightful blog posting about how much he hates going to bars in New York City. I am a firm believer that all folks disillusioned with the NYC bar scene just have to get their asses over the Brooklyn Bridge (or over the Manhattan Bridge, or through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel...). I'm not talking Williamsburg. Williamsburg is just an extention of the East Village at this point. I'm talking about my beloved haunts off the ole F Train line. And the best places of all? Red Hook, baby.

Last night, my roomies and I took the trusty B61 down to Hope and Ladder where it's Karaoke night Thursday through Saturday. Andy sang Superstitious and I sang my all-time favorite Jolene by Dolly Parton. There was this little girl there (I'm guessing she was maybe 8...) who sang just about every other song and I wanted to take her home in my pocket. The first time we heard her sing we were all like, "Is this a recording of the chipmunks" and we were looking everywhere for the singer...and then we looked down. This girl was just so fricking cute, and her Repertoire - priceless. I love that about New York/Brooklyn. When I was 8, I had to be in bed by 9pm. This girl is not only awake at 10:30 on a Thursday night, she's in a bar...singing karaoke.

Then it was on to Lillie's, just about my favorite place on the planet (http://www.whiskyrebellion.com/lillies.html). Lillie's is just about as far out in Red Hook as you can get. There are wild dogs roaming the streets (no kidding!) and when you walk in, you feel like you've stepped back in time to 1956. Honestly, I don't think anything has changed in that place in 50 years. Usually, we're the only ones there at first and then a few other people trickle in over the course of the night. We know all the bartenders and Lillie herself usually rolls in with kisses and hugs for everyone. Last night, we ruled the open mic. Andy and his friend from work performed a million songs. Lillie sang one accapella, and then there was Pearl. Oh, Pearl. She was so great.

We had seen Pearl and her daughter earlier getting off the B61. They asked us if we were going to Lillie's (I guess it was obvious...) so we weren't surprised when they came into the bar later that night. Apparently, Pearl is in town from the Ozarks housesitting for Jan, an Irish bartender who also plays in the bluegrass band The Maybelles (I was wondering why Jan wasn't there...). Pearl is one of those people that has seen a lot of things. You take one look at her and think, "Now there's a woman who's lived some life." Her skin is old and wrinkled, her voice is husky, and she probably hasn't had a hair cut since 1982. When she sings, she sings from her soul and you know she's telling the truth. She sang this one song called "I Burned my Dead Lover's House Down on the Way to Work Today." No kidding. She told us she had this friend who had a lover (yes, she said "lover") who died, and one day she casually let it drop that she had burned her lover's house down that morning. Like it was no big thing. Oh, the stories I bet Pearl could tell.

Lillie asked me for the millionth time if I was going to sing, so, folks, next week I will make my big open mic debut. Andy's going to learn a couple songs to play with me and I will sing. There you have it.