We went out for a beer Friday night. Heard a great band from Austin. Three guys playing original bluegrass with range from Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" to Etta James' "At Last."
The owner was there. He has a special appreciation for music. It's reflected in the beer he brews: Miles Davis, and events he hosts: Record Store Days. He also appeared at his pub as part of a Rap duo!
He's about to end one chapter and begin a new one. In a few weeks Pat or one of the other wonderful folks behind the bar will draw the last pour.
They'll take down the old beer joint and we'll all move next door to the glorious new beer palace! There'll be a balcony, the artists will have their own green room and maybe it won't be so darn cold when someone opens the front door in February!
But my heart will rend. I've been going there regularly for almost all of the 20-some years it's been there. The canoe, the row boat, the Pure sign, no clock! Its feel, its smell, the scruffy booths; he did get some new barstools a few years back. It's nostalgia.
Character of the community, some people will whine. Doesn't fit in. But, we evolve. An expert came to town back in the fall and said change is going to happen; you can plan for it or you can just let it happen. The new place will look different. Hey, have you seen the new City Hall?
Nostalgia is difficult to maintain. It's easy to lose control. It's expensive. We must plan for the future, the expert said. And, actually, we have.
But an even more important issue is community investment. The new chapter could just as easily have begun out on the highway. All the aficionados and pilgrims could be lined up somewhere else. For the businesses west of City Hall as well as tourism citywide there's going to be an even better anchor. The Funland for adults will continue to be an attraction for all.
It'll be the new nostalgia. So relax, have a beer and listen to some music!
Hoyte Decker
Rehoboth Beach
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