Then walk a few hundred feet west to the Happy Swallow, which also has live bands, often blues, on the weekends. The place had a reputation which had probably kept me away for a while, but I walked in recently to find that I knew one of the bartenders, and there was a mellow crowd hanging out and a hot band playing. It’s a real funky throwback, an old-time bar with cheap drinks and some food as well.

In an age when so many suburban downtowns are either deserted at night, or taken over by national chains with bland offerings, it’s cool to have some local hangouts like this with real character, even if they appear a little rough around the edges. If it gets marketed properly, this could be a nice little niche to promote as part of the renaissance of downtown.

Also, for anyone who’s leery of going to places downtown at night, I’ve gone many times alone, never had a problem, and always felt welcome in the aforementioned establishments. I’ve been to blues juke joints in Memphis and the Mississippi Delta, and the rule of thumb is that the more beat-up a place looks, the cooler it is, and the better the music tends to be.

So put on your dancing shoes and go jukin’ in your own town!