Found out today in my Google travels that the Big Bop is closed. You may not have ever been to the Big Bop (then again, maybe you have) but you’ve been to a place like it. In the late ’80s, early ’90s it was this funky bar in Toronto that had rock on the main floor, “dance” music on the second (that would be New Order, Depeche Mode, etc.), and a set of rec-room-like flake-out rooms on the third floor complete with a tiny black-light-lit room with rainbows and stars on purple walls and a whitish clawfoot tub, for some reason.
The Big Bop was a fearless place. Back in the day, booze was the mainstay of course. This was just before raves (or perhaps just as they were getting popular) so everyone was intent on drinking as much as possible before last call, stashing a few in the dark corners of the bar, and then dancing all night or until four in the morning, whichever came first.
Years later I went back, and the beer barrels and shooter bars were replaced by $5 bottles of water. Of course you could still get a drink if you really wanted it, but that just meant that you were old. Or square — why didn’t you have E, man?
(BTW, here’s another convergence (the week’s been full of ’em) — stumbled upon a story written by a guy in the Globe and Mail about the Big Bop being repurposed soon, a guy I met about 8 years ago at a B&B in Ottawa, a guy who’s business card I just came across a few days ago. Weird.)
I guess I didn’t really go to the Big Bop that many times, all told. But the few I did, they were good times.
Had another good writing session today. Still bent on jacking up the language, and doing alright at it. Things are smoothing out. Tense, but smooth. If that makes any sense.
~Graham
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads