I am at Kent Street and would “live blog”, but there’s not a lot happening, and the internet connection is very slow. It is warm, cosy and quiet here, with Johnny Cash is singing about being a poorrrrrrr wayfaring strangerrrrrr (I know this song, but I don’t know how - Jack White covered it, perhaps) at the moment, which is extremely hum-able.
Today has been quite chilly in Melbourne. Although I understand (it’s okay to talk about the weather, when the weather is so interesting) the temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius today, but not on my watch. It was hovering around 13/14 when I was out and about, though Willo has said the words they’re (The Newspaper people) using to describe temperatures overnight are “viciously cold”. Thank goodness for apartment heating and snugly beds.
I love this bar: it’s snug and the lighting is soft; it’s warm and friendly here at Kent Street. Davey just teased me about interrupted his “rolling” (his cigarette) to pour me another mulled wine, but poured me one anyway. Davey, along with all the bar staff here, are relaxed and amiable. They always have a warm greeting and a banter or two to toss about.
There is one gas heater high on the wall that cooks the air to a t-shirt-sleeve warmth to counter the wintery chilled blasts that the door lets in when each new visitor or smoker slides it open. The air inside is scented with the cloves and orange zest of mulled wine that has just finished brewing on the counter. There are candles and lamps which softly light the conversation nooks and crannies, giving the room soft warm highlights and dark secluded corners. DJs play a wonderful mixture of music, and if you’re lucky, most of the time it’s of a volume that still enables conversation. Movies often play (on mute) on the screen above the front door. It’s so great to watch familiar classics like Jaws, Rebel Without a Cause or Nightmare on Elm Street with the sound off for a change. I see so many details I never noticed before, scenes I don’t even remember seeing.
Kent Street is a place to meet friends, roommates and neighbours. Chaz dropped in for a glass of wine on the way home. Willo and Fox are here too - we all have our laptops and are muddling around doing what we do on our computers. They are writing copy for a new website; I am making the strange (and poor) video you see here which is, by the way, an extremely poor representation of the bar, but will do for now. Think of it as a failed sketch.
A poor, low-light representation of Kent Street on Smith
PS: you may (or may not) have noticed the look of thejamjar.com has changed recently. Previously, the site was built from an old wooden table, two stools, some sticky tape and a vast number of staples. In getting rid of all the botchery, I've lost some of the colour but intend to repaint soon. Please understand that renovations tend to go in fits and bursts, and apply your patience accordingly. Thank you :)
PPS: I remember now, I first heard Wayfaring Stranger from EmmyLou Harris.