The E-Glares chose that name because of an early gig where the stage lights were so bright that none of the band could read the set list. “We’d laminated it. We were going to be the cool, extra-prepared group,” recalls guitarist/songwriter Napoleon.
How far they’ve fallen. Last week, The E-Glares found themselves without paper to scrawl a set list on. Seriously, no fliers that they wouldn’t feel guilty about ripping off the walls. No trash (Q had just thrown it out, along with a bucket from the kitchen which made dumpster-diving for scrap paper particularly unpalatable. And they were going on so soon that there was no time to run down the street to Pastrie Stationers (which would’ve just been closing for the weekend), or to tape a bunch of business cards together (though that was discussed) or perhaps to manufacture their own paper out of watery pulp.
That’s when Napoleon noticed the chalked-up hopscotch court on the sidewalk right outside the door of the Bullfinch.
It had been drawn earlier that day by a little girl who lives in the neighborhood. We’ve met her before. She drew our picture once. We wave at her whenever we see her. We’ve even, like a lot of drunkards exiting the Bullfinch, leapt about on her well-drawn hopscotch courts.
We don’t know the girl’s name, but Napoleon wants to buy her a Shirley Temple. See, she’d left her chalk right there on the sidewalk. The E-Glares wrote their set list right on the wall of the club, near the dartboards. When they loaded up at the end of the night, they left a big “Thank You” mural on the sidewalk next to the hopscotch court.
And wouldn’t you know it? The E-Glares have a song with the word “hop” in it. They played it twice. So we drank scotch twice to celebrate
Flaky & The Phyllos at the Bullfinch, with solo opening set by Choux… Tom Pouce and Shortcrust at Hamilton’s, following a rented event to tout the new CD by Viennoiserie, the classical quartet from the college on the hill… Huff Paste and Konditerai at D’Ollaire’s, way overpriced yet oh so good…