Photos: The Long and Short of It @ Casbah
After the Beauty Bar, Rosey and I jetted off to the Casbah. We got there (and waltzed in) just before The Long and Short of It took the stage. I ran into Chris from Firethorn, as well as pretty much every bouncer and bartender that works at the Casbah, in the crowd.
I know Ben well enough by now that we have an understanding (it’s what happens when you frequent the same bar multiple times in a week for about a year). But I’ve probably only ever said about a handful of words to the guy – “Captain and Coke,” “water,” “thanks.” Although by now, the “Captain and Coke” has been replaced by just a nod, as he’s already reaching for the former as soon as he sees me approaching the bar. I am more than okay with this.
But as little as I’ve ever said to him, there’s been even less from his end. Behind the bar, he’s a pretty quiet, unassuming guy – and one hell of a bartender. But my image of him was completely shattered on Saturday night.
He owned that stage. His backing band was incredibly tight, leaving him the freedom to roam around the stage, yelling into the mic and even accepting piggyback (piggyfront?) rides and spray-downs with water from audience memebers. I can’t say that I’ve ever been to a hardcore show before, but it was something else. As Rosey said, “It’s like, The Church of Ben.” Indeed.
The Long and Short of It @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos
Wrong night to wear flip flops to the Casbah. I stood in front for a couple of songs, snapping photos (I owe the dude at least that much), but when things got too crazy, I retreated to the bar area. Part of me wanted to jump in and join the fun, but it’ll have to wait until the next time I see them. Even so, I was exhausted by the end of the night.
