Eaglie's Aviary

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Cheers for Repeal Day!

How often do you get a bevy of cabaret girls opening your TMBG concert? And how often do you get a birthday toast? Plenty, now that Prohibition's gone, it seems! The concert we went to last night celebrated Repeal Day with free Dewar's Scotch drink tickets and a 1920's speakeasy ukelele player. Oh, and jazzy strippers.

In 1933, 75 years ago yesterday, FDR repealed Prohibition with the help of Congress. We have been a better nation for it. A nation freer to sin and screw up, but also to enjoy and forget about the economic depression we were in.

Andy and his mom talked after the concert. She said to him (with me in the room), "You know, your grandfather celebrated in Chicago that day, even if he never observed Prohibition."

He WAS Irish, we said.

Andy's mom noted that was very true. "He was on the North Side, driving a horse and cart around and rooting for the Sox."

Definitely was rooting for baseball on December 5th.

After a pause, she said, "You know, in 1933, that day they celebrated, he would've been 22." Same as Andy.

That's probably important to him.

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