Journal

Last Thursday I expected to go see Mr. Cheeks at Club Rockafello’s. After hearing his songs for most of the day on 97.9 The Beat, I couldn’t stop humming “Lights, Camera, Action.”

I arrived at Club Rockafello’s at 11:00 p.m. I got in for free and even got a coupon for a 50 cent drink. That should have raised an eyebrow since it wasn’t 50 cent drink night, and it only was supposed to be free admission until 10:00 p.m.

When I got inside I did the obligatory stroll around the club to see if there was anyone there I knew. No one. So I found a seat and watched the random hoochies gyrate alone on the dance floor.

After about 45 minutes, I saw a guy I’d met at a club last month. I said hi, but he didn’t remember me.

Of course not, I only called him once. Whatever. Back to watching random hoochies.

I got tired of this foolishness after a while and went to use my drink ticket. I wanted an apple martini but I could only get a drink with rum, vodka or cognac. Silly of me to think martinis had vodka in them. I wasn’t in a mood to fight over a 50 cent drink so I ordered a Cape Cod (vodka and cranberry juice) instead.

On the way back to my seat I finally saw someone I knew, a local stand-up comedian named D. Ellis.

Well thank the club deities for D. Ellis because watching the sparse dance floor had me quite bored.

We had a ridiculous amount of fun making wisecracks about people in the club.

We talked about the people who were overdressed, the ones that were sorely underdressed, the half-naked girls that looked like they could teach a pole-dancing class, and the people that had on things they just plain ol’ had no business wearing.

For some reason, the night seemed to drag on. Felt like I’d been there forever and it was only 12:15 a.m. – I’d been there for an hour and 15 minutes, and D. Ellis was about to head out.

DJ TDK was spinning at Club Babalu and he figured the crowd would be better than the ghetto fab one here at Rockafello’s.

I don’t know why he thought that – all of these clubs are pretty much the same once they drop the dress code.

He invited me along, but I forced myself to endure solitude at the bar again to wait for Cheeks. This had better be a good show.

Not 10 minutes after D. Ellis left, I ran into a friend of mine from 97.9 The Beat.

Feeling better now because I had a new companion and a few free CDs, I was content – that is, until I got word that Cheeks reneged on the show.

I didn’t get it. I passed by the club earlier and there were a few stretch limos out front – but I guess they were there for aesthetic value. You know, to fool people into thinking a star was on the premises.

So he flaked on the show. I credit this for the free cover charge and drinks tickets.

I’d thanked my anonymous informant and headed home. I guess it’s all for the best. It was almost 12:30 a.m., and I needed to wake up in five hours for work.