Jazz Night Review

My first week of reporting for class has come to an end. As I had mentioned in my last round of blog posts, I covered the local Jazz Night at Bar Argos.

This event was super cool and super Ithaca. When I walked in, the band was setting up, just three guys. One was in a zipped hoodie, the other was in a collared shirt, and the third was standing at the bar wearing a winter hat and jacket.

It was a snowy night and the Ithaca roads were slippery, particularly the road turning into the Argos Inn parking lot. I had no idea how to get to the actual Bar, or whether it was located in the inn or in a separate building, so when I walked in and I saw the space I was surprised. The high ceilings made the space feel more inn-like, but it appeared to be just like a house. The front door opened up to an entryway which led back to a seating area and to the left, I walked through the door frame to the bar.

There was a bookshelf in this entryway, also decked out with ivy and brochures as well as magazines representing the Ithaca area. Vintage lamps made for moody lighting and there were plenty of pieces of art on each wall. I could tell this place was packed with history.

The event itself was incredible. It was a bit more nonchalant than I had expected, each song starting with some sort of "warming up" and random notes, flowing into a calming tune or later on in the night some recognizable songs. At about 7:10-7:30 p.m. the band drew a crowd. There were probably seven people there the whole beginning of the night. One of my favorite characters was an older woman who sat in a chair with her cocktail placed on the table in front of her. She clutched a book the whole night, reading it on and off and she sported a comfortable outfit. She looked like the older woman that you read about in romance novels on a solo-retreat visiting a quiet beach town in during the off-season. I know that certainly isn't Ithaca, however, she reminding me of someone of that kind.

That peak hour, when the crowd started flooding in, was also when the bartender stepped out from behind the bar and joined the band. Her and the bassist sang a duet, bouncing off of each other, creating an energy in the room that was new to the night. The college students who just got IDed for their drinks chatted through the song, but seemed to enjoy what they were hearing. More students filled the couches in front of them. Others payed close attention from the bar.

Overall, I really enjoyed the night. It is fun writing about these types of events because there is so much to them. In my opinion, an article can't completely encompass the feeling of being there. It can show you the opportunities that are out there, but it is on the readers to go find that feeling for themselves. I love that I have the chance to take these things in.

A performance by Argos Grove at Jazz Night (source: Parker Schug)