The Powerhouse
I’ve just discovered Oscar Mayer cheese dogs. A big delish. I eagerly anticipate test driving them with a variety of condiments including Claussen dill spears and of course, Big Bob’s Bleu. Countdown to angioplasty. Harbinger of heartburn and a guaranteed culinary delightful. I need to buy an onion. Excellent texture and authentic whang. Got me plenty of ketchup and mustard.
Can’t always afford those smoked white turkey franks from Ballpark. I’m a whore for good tasting nourishment. Will need to explore cheap asian noodles again soon. Another jar of peanut butter.
I’ll need a glass of Woolite, a glass of Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc. The Crawford is the shit. Very grapefruit with good acid. Order salt & pepper calamari and the seared ahi appetizer at PF Changs. If they don’t have the Crawford, throw a fit and opt for the Estancia pinot grigio. Trust me, I know how to gamble. Do this by yourself and bring a book. Sit at the bar, it’s lovely.
I have an odd fascination with Ernest Borgnine. I named a room in my house after him. I like when he’s spooky, he has the creepiest grin.
Drove by Pink’s today. Marveled at the line. Romanced by the aroma. Lovely perfume guaranteeing a gastrointestinal malaise. I’ll suffer that but not the absurd volume of zombies waiting online. I hate them. Ordinary people.
My first and last hang in Hollywood, The Powerhouse. On Highland just north of Hollywood blvd., on the east side of the street.
When my session ended before two am, you could find me there. They were cool enough to put my records on the jukebox.
Bartenders were, SJ, Steve, Gary and Tracy. I’ve long been a compulsive hand washer, so upon entering, I’d head straight to the bathroom to sate the sticky handed urge. More often than not I’d emerge to find a giant, dry as the desert Bombay Sapphire martini, three olives up at least, in a punchbowl of a pina colada glass waiting for me. I usually had something to read.
You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here, shouted just before two, accompanied by a ringing bell. I was exempt. Once the door was locked, the onus was on me to make my own drinks.
Never cut to the guy getting pasted by the train at the end. That’s chickenshit.
Old wooden bar on the left, red naugahyde booths on the right and shitty green shag underfoot. Pinball and a juke at the back end. Steve was a musician, Gary an aspiring comic, SJ a Republican from Texas and Tracy had amazing oral skills and a very nice rack. I brought the Gotohells with me one night after a gig at Al’s Bar along with a journalist from Flipside and the six of us drank all night while the journalist conducted her interview. Whiskey and pitchers of beer. The bill was twenty four dollars. Quid pro qou, I left a hundred on the bar.
Got my dick sucked on that bar with a nickel plated .38 snub nose above my head. Tracy had mad skills and a gun. It was her birthday and she wore some ridiculous hippie buckskin bra with feathers. Ridiculous but it stirred my loins. She locked the door and only her and I were left. One thing led to another. Paradise by the jukebox light. Mad skills.
I actually got up and did a short set on drums with some band one night. Gesticulating the best I could. Killing myself softly. I was a shitty drummer. I’m lucky to have sucked because it informed my engineering and production skills. My own suckage was positive stuff. Invaluable. A seriously penis whipped drink.
My goal is a deluxe apartment in the sky.
My Sharona is as close to a perfect pop song as it gets. Great production. The solo rips. Fuckin slays me.
Listening to Primus lends me largesse in the form of gristle.
I visited the Powerhouse a few years back. Despite the fact that Joe Power had finally sold the place and it had been remodeled into strip mall austerity, I was with a lovely woman and had a swell time.
But it was absent vibe. You can never go home again. My heart sank a little. My start yanked a little. Nostalgic for the salad days. I just remembered how much I like snowglobes. My eyes have begun to fail me. I need reading glasses.
I want to be Walter Matthau when I get old. It’s a good goal.
Drinks for my friends.
The days of duct taped booths have passed & only the echoes of the jukebox blow-jobs remain…I miss the Powerhouse days…and Bar Deluxe too…the dive bar is gone from Hollywood, what a bummer….but I was glad to have made friendss with you & so many others from behind one of my bother’s toxic Gin & Tonics (o: Cheers, Sam
Yech….typos
Sweet. Thanks for reading.
I still hang at the Power house, it’s an easy last call walk from the house. I think the last remodel has rapidly worn and the back patio is classic. $3 pabst on draft, and one night I brought home an all girl metal band. Wheeee!
Ooooo an all girl metal band, wish i was you
Yeah you do.
Ha!
24 bucks?
I need to get back.
Don’t think we’d get treated as well these days.