Very much alike, but totally different.
The city mouse is attracted to the bright lights and big noises, while the country mouse, feels just as strongly about the quiet calm and introspective moments.
The fast, upbeat aural excitement of a seventies dance tune, or the slow, even-paced steady tones of a sixties, timeless classic love song.
Two distinctly different vibes, yet inhabiting the very same host.
That, my friends is the Three Blind Mice Irish Pub in historic, downtown Mount Clemens, Michigan.
Two guys, playing acoustic music in the same venue, on the same night, experiencing two totally different vibes.
Walking in to the Mice at seven thirty, there were hardly any tables left unattended. That alone will illicit smiles from Carl and I. We were greeted cordially by some new staff members on our way in, and that made us feel even more excited about the evening ahead.
Setup was a breeze, and soon we were ready to launch into our opening song.
Somehow though, we lost all control at about that point, when a young lady from the bar shouted, “Play Seven Old Ladies!”.
After a moment of careful reflection in which Carl and I struggled to decipher if she wanted us to PLAY Seven old ladies, or PLAY WITH seven old ladies, we decided upon the former, and put our Irish hats on to begin the nights’ entertainment in earnest.
Of course it was an instant hit, and paved the way for several more Irish favorites to the delight of all those attending.
Turning from the Irish music, we dove into country, then Island and finally some old time classics that delighted each table in attendance.
The night got off to a wonderful beginning, complete with smiles, laughter and audience participation. Everything was going according to plan; until the music stopped.
When we took a break after an hour and a half of playing, two thirds of the tables stood up, thanked us for a great evening and went home.
We know that folks are not staying out nearly as late as they once did, for a variety of reasons.
To begin our next set, there were many less patrons to sing to. Carl and I muddled on, entertaining our little hearts out as we went.
The middle hour of our night was quite sparse, but still enjoyable. We did have plenty of song suggestions to keep us occupied.
Having about a half hour left, we began out last set of the night at eleven thirty. We were all set to finish out the night and pack up our gear for home, until . . .
That was until the doors opened and another entire generation of music lovers arrived to fill the Mouse back up for good.
Seeing the bar full once again stoked us to finish the night on an strong note, complete with a forty minute encore!
The evening began strong, then diminished into a quiet introspective one-on-one complete with several eclectic requests. By evenings’ end, the night finished loud with a crescendo of epic proportions.
The Three Blind Mice is many things to many people. It can be quiet and calm, or loud and boisterous, sometimes within minutes of each song.
It has become home to many different types of patrons, some calm and some loud and obnoxious. Like the country mouse or the city mouse, we play the music that attracts and entertains them all.
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