Bye bye Barman, bye bye

Ray's Marlin is no more and the liver is a tad heavy because of it. Sold to a new owner i fear the place will become another Lawrenceville hipster bar on a street full of hipster bars. Ray's was the place that hipsters, scenesters, wannabes, drag queens, etc. hung out for quiet drinks and the old alternative music that made one misty eyed for the early days of MTV.

It began with the Saturday at Ray's dj sessions where Ray himself would spin from a spectacular selection of old vinyl. The third floor would be packed and when enough uncoordinated white people shook their collective asses the records would skip. It was bliss for me to get wasted and hear Madness, The Stone Roses, New Order, The Charlatans, The Farm, XTC, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Sex Pistols, and pretty much anything else you wanted to hear. It felt like someones apartment more than a bar. The people were friendly, friends were made, lovers met, wrongs amended... in a nutshell a perfect evening out.

Ray's was also the place of a colossal New Years Eve party 2005/06 when a motley collection of septic tanks and limeys partied like rock stars into the new year. With guest appearance by the always lovely Marsha Mello and Slave Boy it was a night to be remembered by all. If you were lucky enough to be there you won't soon forget the midnight medley of Fairytale of New York into Don't Look Back In Anger which culminated in a coalition of the willing singing so loudly that the people from the private party on the second floor had to come down and take a look to see what was going on.

So raise a glass every one and say goodbye to a great Pittsburgh bar and sing one more time, good and drunk so we fuck up the words.... "So Sally gained weight/ you know it's to late when she's walking on by/ So fuck your face/ Don't look back in Anger i heard you say.