Keep the Fire Burnin'!

The show I was hoping to go to canceled last night, so The Non-Scotsman and I found ourselves burrowing under the Alaska viaduct at The Highway 99 Blues Club.

(The Hwy 99 Blues Club, 2010)

I had no idea we were in for a private blues concert. Seriously, we were the only people in the joint except for two lonely guys at the bar and a married couple dancing off to the side of the stage. The Non-Scotsman and I sat directly in front of the stage – front and center.

(The empty club)

The Jimmy Holden Band was all ours.

(The Jimmy Holden Band, 2010)

The 3 musicians immediately let us know that although there were only six of us in the room, we were the most beautiful and interesting six people in Seattle - and we were in the right place.

The website claims the band as one of “the mainstays of the Seattle R&B scene” and I believe it simply because of their age and comfort on stage. They played a mix of Neo-Soul, funk, blues, and R&B and weren’t afraid to tell the woman behind the bar how "smokin’ hot" she was.

(Bandmates on a break, 2010)

The best part of the night was when the candle on our table went out. The Non-Scotsman reached over to the adjacent table to replace it, causing Jimmy himself to look up inquisitively from his keyboard. Eyebrows raised, he silently demanded an explanation for the movement from the table. The Non-Scotsman saw the question, and explained that “our candle went out. Just grabbin’ another.”

(The Non-Scotsman, 2010)

Jimmy grinned from ear to ear, tipped his head back, and half-sung, half-yelled, “Don’t let that fire go out!”

Suddenly the whole band had picked it up. Steve, the drummer, started yelling out “Keep the fire burnin’! Keep the fire burnin’!” Jimmy was preaching over him, “Don’t you dare let that flame go out!”

I was in tears from laughing after about 2 minutes of this. For a $5.00 cover we got a private show – and the best marriage advice in years.