Whenever the vocal chords are tuned in
If you are only going to have one, real, night out on the town, you want to make it worth while, right? Well, this is how Maureen, Tara, and I operated. After the message was delivered to the Clam (see other article) and Tara had shook her 22 year old waiter from a different bar who was decked out in his Sunday's best, we headed to a nice little bar with the two cycletrek guides, Rob and Chris.
I was busying myself trying to convince everyone (the waiter included) to go to a bar within walking distance from where we dined, the girls and the cycle trek guys were making plans of their own. It would have been nice to have clued me in on this plan, as it was chance that I gave up on trying to help a brother out (albeit in a plaid hat) and hopped in the cab with the rest of the gang.
The cabbie took us, from what I can remember, to Darcies. It was a nice little bar with a live band playing some pretty sweet cover tunes. Our repeated requests to play some Bon Jovi were denied each and every time. I don't think it was to spite them, it probably was to commend them, but while they wanted to take a break, we cheered for another song. This time our cheers were answered and they kept on rocking. They skipped their break and ended the night with "Hey Yah" and just enough time for us to do our thing.
Not knowing what our thing was - I hit the instrumentals/air guitar for "Livin' On a Prayer" while Maureen and Tara belted out the best a capella rendition of this Bon Jovi classic anyone has ever heard. I'm still not exactly sure how all of this happened, but I clearly remember us hitting the back track button, starting over once more as the lead singer of the band looks over to see if this is really happening? It was, and it was glorious. I also now know why Tara sports a shirt that states: "I'm from New Jersey and I don't like Bon Jovi" on the front "I love him" on the back." After that night, we all love Bon Jovi, except all the bar patrons that hurried out of the bar thanks to my horrible horrible improvised instrumental.