Our guide introduced us to her friend Big Pants, the doorman at the local goth/metal bar. It was hosting a "Dance in Your Underpants" party, where the $2 cover paid for Depends that you could wear on the outside. Wonder if they ever saw the Big Brother video? Thanks to the big guy, a loyal GR reader, for letting us in for free. Apop Records, the indie music store that sells GR was closed, but Cinemacafe was open. The DIY movie theater has first-run movies, couches for chairs, and dirt-cheap popcorn. Good times, but we couldn't chill like that because we heard there was vegan ice cream around the corner.
Even if Sparky's Homemade Ice Cream didn't have a really tasty coconut-milk-and-carob-based scoop of chocolate, we probably would have been attracted by its decor. On the walls hang various knitted creatures rescued from thrift shops around the country. Think Sonic Youth's Dirty cover by Mike Kelley and you get the idea. The ice cream is syrup-free, dye-free, and tasty, and the store just got a liquor license so it can serve "adult" ice cream beverages. (Not on Sunday, though, because this is Missouri.) Scott, the owner, is a super cool guy who reads GR. We hope he wasn't just messing with us when he said he wanted to open a Sparky's in West L.A. Mary said she'd drive us back to the hotel, but first she wanted to know if we'd mind dropping by her place. Sure. It wound up that she lives at "The Ranch," a house where a bunch of punkers live and host shows in the basement. We were there a day after Lesbians on Ecstacy and just before Deerhoof. Eric was given a choose-your-own-adventures style zine from Mary's housemate Asia, and I walked away with a 7" single from local band Andy Cigarettes. But the biggest impression was made just hanging out in the laundry room with some nice folks.
After being delivered safely to the hotel, we got a few hours of sleep, had free continental breakfast, took the long two-hour bus ride back to the airport. No, it wasn't New York city, but it was definitely one of our best trips.