ruining an otherwise pleasant meal

[slide_advantage_redoux]

The wife and I went to our favorite mexican restaurant earlier tonight. We tolerate the solo guitarists who play there for tips.

But tonight it was an entirely different situation. They had a guitarist and his wife singer/pianist. Okay fine I thought when we walked in.

Then they started to play.

OMG, I know that drum machines have come a long way. I only wish these two knew it too. The rhythm was coming out of her cheap ass keyboard. Then he started to play. Okay, his rhythm accompaniment was fine. But then he soloed. Grrrrrr. I don't raise the bar too high when it comes to duos playing for tips in a restaurant on a saturday night. I assume that if this is the best they manage to book, they must be hobbyist/weekend warriors.

But this guy's lines were downright dreadful! I tried to explain to my wife musical improvisation and how musicians strive to develop a vocabulary. No need. She too was not entertained.

This was one tine when we didn't linger over the margaritas.

"Check please"

Sometimes I wish restaurant owners would just opt for no music rather than hiring any Tom Dick and Mary.

Oh well. I made it home without having an aneurism. so I guess it wasn't all that bad.

Edited September 2, 2012 by slide_advantage_redoux

[rostasi]

Which restaurant?

They got rid of the two guys at Dos Charros - which was a relief.

They would always come to our table

and expect me to ask for a love song.

I'd confuse them by asking for "Volver Volver."

[slide_advantage_redoux]

Which restaurant?

They got rid of the two guys at Dos Charros - which was a relief.

They would always come to our table

and expect me to ask for a love song.

I'd confuse them by asking for "Volver Volver."

Pancho and Lefty's

I know Dos Charros. Good food.

P&L is closer to our house. And their food is very reasonable (and good).

[JSngry]

These are the guys you always hope to get

But you never do, for some reason.

[JSngry]

Which restaurant?

They got rid of the two guys at Dos Charros - which was a relief.

They would always come to our table

and expect me to ask for a love song.

I'd confuse them by asking for "Volver Volver."

I still as for "Tu Y Las Nubes" or "Tres Palabras" before settling on "Sabor A Mi". If they don't even know "Sabor A Mi", hey...try another table, ok?

Tres Palabras is a badass jam, too.

[A Lark Ascending]

I just wish public places in general would hold back on the background music, live or piped. If I find myself with an hour to kill in a city I like to go to a pub or cafe, read a paper or book etc. Finding one without piped 'atmosphere' is nigh on impossible - usually the repetitive thump of the dance beat (or the same 50 or so classical snippets or Rat Pack tunes).

In this era when personal music players are ubiquitous, is it really necessary? I understand that for certain establishments it's important - bars at night, dedicated music joints etc. But too often it seems to be there because it's done.

I really don't need Vivaldi or Ella Fitzgerald to help me browse the book shelves.

And then there's Christmas. 'So here it is....'.......

Harumph!!!

Edited September 2, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[rostasi]

Pancho and Lefty's

I know Dos Charros. Good food.

P&L is closer to our house. And their food is very reasonable (and good).

I haven't been to Rowlett in nearly a decade, so I haven't been to P&L's.

Distance isn't a problem as long as the food is good. Lunch is usually a 20 minute+ drive.

I still as for "Tu Y Las Nubes" or "Tres Palabras" before settling on "Sabor A Mi". If they don't even know "Sabor A Mi", hey...try another table, ok?

Yes, nice tunes - very. I'm not a big fan of the strolling type

of musician. Just stay where you are and I'll find a reasonable

distance to sit and put a tip in the jar when I leave. I'll have to

say that I had a weird aural encounter with an accordionist in

an Indian restaurant(?) a few years ago - accordions are just fine,

but I'd rather have a Van Damme, Jordan or Jimenez than a Contino

in most settings.

I just wish public places in general would hold back on the background music, live or piped.

I rarely go into these large corporate restaurants, but you can't help hearing

the boom and blare coming from them when you walk by. Restaurant music

can be a bugaboo if it's not presented in a respectful manner. There's a restaurant

where I provide the recorded music and I suggested that we divide the sound into

day and night-based. Lunch people have only an hour at most and want to feel

good, filled and energized to get back to work and the owner notices faster turnaround

when the lunch music has more uptempo tunes. Evening tunes, as you guessed, are

less active, but aren't sentimental "smooth jazz" based crap. The volume is kept to just

slightly above ambient. I told the owner that I thought it good to set the volume at a level

that's comfortable for only two people sitting together. When there are more, it would be

OK for the sound to be drowned out by chatter because it's presence would still be felt.

It's not suppose to be a concert.

[Jim R]

So, if a restaurant hires bad musicians, does the usual cacophony of people trying to talk (yell) above the level of noise in the place get worse (if the musicians don't drive everybody out of the place, that is), or does it improve? If I was really hungry, and the food was good, I might stay and endure the bad music if I could hear the person sitting next to me without them having to scream toward my ear from six four two inches away.

Can you tell I don't like how loud restaurants are getting these days? Have we discussed this?... Oh, sorry. HAVE WE DISCUSSED THIS?

[A Lark Ascending]

All I'd like is that there be a range - that you can find a few restaurants/cafes/pubs that have a music free policy.

If I'm with people then I hardly notice the music if it's quiet or get really annoyed (like Jim) if I have to shout. Sometimes it's nice to have music you share in common going on quietly as that can be a conversation point.

If I'm on my own, I want somewhere where I can sit quietly or put my iPod in. Not asking everywhere to be like this - but just some places.

I wonder if anyone has actually tried it as a marketing strategy - 'Cafe Silencio - the Muzak Free Coffee Shop' or, perhaps 'The King's Ears - The Pub where you can use them.'

Maybe I should just repair to a library.

Edited September 2, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[Jim R]

Maybe I should just repair to a library.

Now we may be onto something, Bev. A restaurant/library hybrid! Have a nice quiet meal and enjoy a good read. I can see it now- barbecued ribs and a copy of... Well, perhaps not.

[A Lark Ascending]

Maybe I should just repair to a library.

Now we may be onto something, Bev. A restaurant/library hybrid! Have a nice quiet meal and enjoy a good read. I can see it now- barbecued ribs and a copy of... Well, perhaps not.

Coffee shops in book shops can serve that purpose if you are just after a sandwich or a cake. Now if they could just dispense with the obligatory Sinatra, Vivaldi or Nick Drake.

Actually, while they are at it, they could stop serving those silly coffees - the one's needing chocolate bits, marshmallows etc; if ever there was a sign of a civilisation in an advanced stage of decadence! Nothing worse than being stuck in a queue behind someone ordering for a table of 300, each requiring some personal foible. But that's another grumble.

Edited September 2, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[Jim R]

Anyway... back to Mexican food. Please!