The Way | Tara Rose | Factory 380 | Banc Bar Cafe | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
The Way by Fastball came out on January 7, 1998. This is a song I and many of you remember being on the radio all the time. That’s because it was. It peaked at #5 on US Radio Songs by Billboard. VH1 put at #94 on their “100 Greatest Songs of the ‘90s.” This is one of those songs that I’ve listened to a million times and know most of the words but have never actually comprehended what the lyrics meant. Oh yeah, and this was on in the background at one of these fine drinking establishments.
This song is based on a true story. Fastball’s bassist, Tony Scalzo, was looking for some inspiration on the band’s 2nd album when he saw local news reports on a missing elderly couple from Salado, Texas. In June 1997, Leia and Raymond Howard left their home for the Pioneer Day festival in nearby Temple, Texas. (Source: KVUE)
Leia had Alzheimer’s disease and Raymond was recovering from brain surgery. They never returned back to Salado, Texas. Scalzo came up with the idea that the couple just wanted to get away from it all. As he put it, "It's a romanticized take on what happened. I pictured them taking off to have fun like they did when they first met." (Source: Song Facts)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but unfortunately, after 13 days of the couple being missing, they were found in Hot Springs, Arkansas. They had gone about 400 miles from their destination and the car was totaled after veering off the side of the road. "I didn't think it would be anything but an abstraction of their story, so I wasn't really thinking about that," said Scalzo. "Also, I wasn't expecting it to be this massive song that everybody liked, so I was unfettered by any of those concepts."
The children of Leia and Raymond Howard, do take this song as a tribute to their parents. When it first came on the radio during the summer of 1998, they started to question if it was indeed about the elderly Howards and they were blown away that Fastball was able to draw a positive inspiration from what happened. This became a massive summer hit in 1998 and Fastball’s breakout song.
@YouTheReader… man I’ll tell ya, sometimes Guinness leads me to the most obscure places on the internet, we’ll get back on track with some awesome spots in New York City you can grab some fine pints!
Guinness Challenge Season #1
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, who I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Siobhan is the bartender, she’s from County Longford and has been out 7 years. She loves it here, “no place like it in the world.” Brick Chicken and Sunday rolls are her recommendations, they also have a banging southern fried chicken sandwich. The cocktail, “We Make This For Molly” is recommended. The owner was told a bar should be “named after where you are and where you’re from.” He’s from a town called Tara in Ireland and this part of The City used to be called Rose Hill. “My favorite game to play is the Guinness Challenge.” Tara Rose has a flower vibe and their brunch is bopping. Behind the bar is a massive face of an old boiler that is from an Upstate Brewery.
Siobhan is a big fan of Guinness as well and has done her fair share of Guinness Challenges! I still couldn’t believe I shook Roger Federer’s hand that night. Tara Rose’s Bottomless Brunch on the weekends is $25 per person For 90 Mins and the choices of great drinks include jugs of mimosas, Aperol spritz, or watermelon spritz. They also have Trivia Tuesdays which also draws a fun crowd. Although the bar is located in what most people refer to as Murray Hill, Tara Rose is actually located around Rose Hill which was what the area was called for most of the 18th & 19th Century. Pretty cool of the owners of Tara Rose to keep that bit of history going and Siobhan was good craic as well! I look forward to getting another pint of Guinness at Tara Rose!
Song On In The Background: **The Way by Fastball**
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Celtics are blowing out the 76ers in Game 2. A live band is on in the background playing “The Way” by Fastball so I can’t hear the bartender. Women from Barstool either live around here or have guest bartended here, according to Sioban. Alex Cooper? Alex & Jordyn? Not sure. “Yes, I’m a rascal” sign hanging up on the wall. They have a disco ball. Live music during the week and a movie projector that is huge is also hanging on the wall. Very nice couple sitting next to me and they asked for the Week to Week Notes, thank you!
The live band was great, they sounded just like Fastball! Matt next to me was very interested in my Raycon earbuds case and the two of them were very nice people to talk to while the bartender was busy serving drinks to the packed bar. Barstool Sports does have some association with The Factory 380 as just yesterday it appears they had shot Out Of Order episode 5 at their location (I saw this on Factory 380’s Instagram). The name of Factory 380 comes from Andy Warhol’s Factory. According to The Factory 380, Warhol’s Factory was a congregation of artists and musicians such as Mick Jagger, Lou Reed and Bob Dylan who were the embodiment of edgy sophistication. A collaboration of Warhol and The Velvet Underground & Nico in 1965 led to Warhol designing the band’s debut album featuring an image of a plastic banana. Warhol later went on to design the Rolling Stones’ classic Sticky Fingers album cover. We set out to create an Old New York and funky modern bar with a secluded speakeasy named “Edie’s” in celebration of THE Factory Girl. Edie Sedgwick was an aspiring actress, model, and artist. She was a wealthy girl who inspired everyone else around her to break out of the ‘every day’ and reach for the stars. She had a unique style and was fascinated by Andy which began one of the most iconic and controversial, yet creative, partnerships in art to date. (Source: The Factory 380) I look forward to grabbing another drink at Factory 380 again soon!
Song On In The Background: The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby, The Range
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Teresita is the bartender. She has been here for 1 year. The bar is pronounced bank. The Bouncer Burger is recommended. The Espresso Martinis are $10 for their brunch special. Dinner spot and becoming a brunch spot. Used to be a bank in the 1920s. Teresita is a Knicks and Mets fan. “I love New York City. The environment. The fast pace. You’re never bored and it’s a beautiful city.”
Banc Bar also offers plenty of options for things to do. They have a Whiskey Bar vault which is perfect for parties 15 or above. They have live music every Thursday and Saturday night. A great spot for brunch, lunch, or dinner as well. The name of the bar comes from the fact that this neighborhood bar-restaurant occupies the site of a 1920s bank. The décor is inspired by nineteenth-century Parisian establishments. (Source: Banc Cafe) Their menu changes seasonally led by their Executive Chef John Loughran. The Whiskey Bar vault is stocked with over 100 types of hard stuff. I look forward to grabbing another pint at The Banc Bar Cafe again soon!