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Vic Easton: It was early in the day still, but the place was indeed open. Serving more of a brunch crowd, only a few sat here and there at the bar. Mostly people were coming in and out for the record shop, though things were still slow going in that department. The baby establishment was still learning to walk as it were.
Behind the bar, Vic was on top of a ladder changing out the bulbs for one of the giant bay lights. In ripped black jeans and a slouchy t-shirt that read VIVA WISCONSIN across it in green. Her hair was down in a messy fishtail braid, cascading in loose folds down her back. Her two gigantic dogs were lazily sleeping among the empty tables in the bar.
Jeremiah Hamilton: As she worked in walked a dark-haired gentleman that easily caught the eye, even dressed casually as he was in dark jeans and a shirt for a small music house in Los Angeles. He looked towards the record section first but the movement behind the bar caught his attention and Jeremiah glanced over, smiling a touch. "Need a hand up there?"
Vic Easton: As Jeremiah neared, he'd see another man through the pass window in the kitchen, ducking his head to look out, but making no way of greeting. Vic stood on her tip toes, trying to screw in a bulb and hang on to the hanging pendant bay light at the same time. "What I need is to be 6 inches taller." She huffed. "Story of my life. 6 inches and some illumination." scoffing, she reached again. "Be with you in juuuuuust a second. Did you want a drink or .... buying a record?" she asked, not having looked back down at him yet.
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Can't help much there, unfortunately." Jeremiah said with a smirk, eyeing the lights for a moment like he was mulling over something before looking back to Vic. "Maybe both. Heard about this place through the grapevine and thought I'd come by and check it out."
Vic Easton: "You're telling me I'm on the vine?" she asked, and he could hear a pleased little smile. "Well, welcome!" She grunts a little after the greeting and finally the bulb is in and tightly screwed. She lets go of the light and it gently sways casting a halo of light above her. "Phew... that was a pain in the ass." turning to finally look at him, she made her way down the latter. "Have a seat, let me just put this out of the way and I'll be right with you!" Carrying the ladder back into the kitchen and disappearing momentarily.
Jeremiah Hamilton: "You are indeed. Always keep an ear out for new record stores opening up, and the bar's a bonus." He replied with a smile, giving Vic a nod when she looks his way. "Sounds good to me."
Vic Easton: She'd return after a moment, a paper towel in hand indicating she'd paused to wash her hands while in back. "Okay! What can I get you? I'm Vic by the way," offering her hand as she met him on her side of the bar. "Owner of said joint."
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Hmm...let's go with a stinger for the moment." He took the offered hand and gave a firm shake, smiling all the while. "Most folks call me Jay. Good to meet you."
Vic Easton: "Likewise." she gave a generous easy smile. "A stinger? How bougie! Okay..." she'd nod, turning and grabbing down the Cognac. "So a music aficionado then? Have a band you're after or just a blanket all of them?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Bougie...that's a first." He replied with a chuckle, claiming a seat for himself at the bar. "All of them's a good way to put it, yeah. Never saw the point in cutting myself off from certain genres, if only because you never know what you might get inspiration from."
Vic Easton: "Right?" she'd agree while mixing his drink, her motions looking rather effortless. "Do you play then?" she looked up briefly, but focused on pouring now.
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Mmhmm. Piano and guitar mostly, plus vocals and a bit on drums. I work with a number of local musicians as a mentor of sorts, so I've picked up a bit here and there."
Vic Easton: "No shit?" her eyes lit up as she set the fancy rocks glass down in front of him. "Well the you're the guy to know, huh? I used to play, forever ago now. Have teency tiny little dreams of one day having a band again, but probably not until all of this gets going." she looked around. "How long have you been mentoring?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "No shit." He nodded with a smirk. "Tried to get big in Los Angeles but the city ate me alive, and after I got straightened out I moved out here to help other people find the spotlight for themselves."
He took the glass and had a sip, nodding with approval. "Close to six years at this point. I run a cafe in Spring Garden where we host a lot of local performers, along with a studio upstairs for lessons and recording and whatnot."
Vic Easton: She lifted a hand in understanding, "Same, but New York." There's a brief moment where she waits to see if he likes his drink, more than sure he would, but she always liked to know her work was approved of. "Well that's amazing. I'll have to come by and check it out. Around the corner there, by the front door is a big bulletin board. Feel free to hang some of your info if you'd like. I met a girl the other night, her name's.... Jolene? Yes, like the song. She plays. I was trying to convince her to be part of my first open mic night."
Jeremiah Hamilton: "My condolences...I've heard it's just as bad up there sometimes." He smiled as she continued, glancing over at the board as she mentioned it. "Will do, thanks. If you've got some flyers for here I can put them at my place as well."
"Nice...I'd be up for coming by for that. You spot some really good performers that way."
Vic Easton: "We shall do a swap," she grinned, happy to support fellow artists and those in the field. "So were you in anything I'd know you from?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Doubt it. We didn't really get past the smaller venues for a number of reasons."
Vic Easton: "Ah, one of those. Yeah, my band fell apart for all the reasons life throws at us after high school. Babies and families and real jobs.." she'd laugh a touch and reach back for her water bottle, taking a hefty swig of it. "So? How is the Philly music scene? Lots of promise or is it a ... barren landscape? I know this place isn't LA or Nashville, but.."
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Was more of the 'party hard, fuck you I've got mine' thing on our end. Well, my end, at least." He shook his head, a wry smirk on his face as he took a sip of his drink. "Got a big wake up call, though, and was able to pull myself out of that nosedive before it was too late."
"Pretty solid, actually. There's a lot of talent here if you know where to look."
Vic Easton: She seemed to know that sort of life too. Perhaps she'd been a bit light hearted when explaining her side of things. Still she didn't dive back in for comparison. "I take it your cafe is the place to be? I'll have to see if I can get this place covered for a night so I can come out. When it's this new, it's hard to let it go for too long, you know? How long have you had the cafe then?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "I like to think so, anyway." He said with a smile, giving a knowing nod. "Yeah, know how that goes. There's a reason the studio upstairs has a bedroom worked into it. About six years as well; started setting it up when I got here in 2015."
Vic Easton: She beamed a moment with happiness for him. Perhaps hoping she'd have a similar success story. "That's great. There's so many stories that fail, it's fucking rad to hear of one that took off. Lots of hard work of course. You have any big projects or clients for 2021?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Indeed. Here's to this place being just as lucky." He lifted his glass in a salute before taking a sip, nodding at the question that followed. "A couple, yeah. Working with Flout on their next album as a producer, if you've heard of them."
Vic Easton: "Mmmmm. Flout." she tried to place it. "Uh what was that album called. Hemlock? Soft guitars. Dreamy sort of back porch vibe?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Nah, diferent group. More Purity Ring or The Naked and Famous. Synth-heavy indie pop sort of stuff."
Vic Easton: "Oh okay. That'll be fun. Is your cafe all set up for acoustics too?"
Jeremiah Hamilton: "It is, yeah. Got a stage area set up in the back of the cafe that's worked out pretty well."
Vic Easton: "Where is that girl's number..." she searched. "Of course I want her all to myself but I'm not so greedy I won't send her your way." She said, pulling up her phone. "She plays violin, sings... I'll have to tell her to come by too. We'll urge her from both ends." She wrote Jolene Logan's name and number on a piece of paper and handed it over.
Jeremiah Hamilton: "Works for me." Jeremiah smiled at that, taking a moment to pull a slim card case from his pocket while Vic hunted down Jolene's number. He offered her one of the cards from within as Vic slid the paper over, the information for the Green Room one the front and a hand-written number on the back. "My cell's on the back, feel free to give me a call anytime. We local business owners need to stick together, yeah?"
Vic Easton: "Hell yeah we do," she grinned taking the card and looking it over. She'd grab one of her own and place it next to his drink in exchange. "I'll try and be out there sometime this week. Now I'm dying to see it."
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