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| - OK, here's the deal. Donna Jean's is not my kind of hangout. But that doesn't mean she hasn't met the needs of her regulars and neighbors.
When we pulled up, we could hear the opening band covering "Beat It" with a decidedly head-banging guitar solo during the bridge. There were some pickups in the parking lot, and a long-haired, white cowboy boot wearing rocker unloading equipment.
I was nervous.
See, my good friend's band was scheduled third, or would never even have traveled so far North and West for drinks. The crowd was full of several Westside rollergirls and their entourage. They were there (according to the onstage shoutout) to listen to the country-rootsy-metally opener. To be honest, I expected the kind of cool service at the bar that one can expect from "locals-only" types of hangouts, but Donna Jean--I'd like to think it was the real DJ, even if it wasn't--was friendly, if a bit reticent.
Once my friends got on stage, many of the rollergirls left, but the locals stuck around. The sound guy was a bit pushy, resulting in an over-fuzz that was distracting, but otherwise the sound was good. The stage seemed roomy, and was even decorated with many intense black-light posters, which took me back to my stoner youth.
The beers are reasonably priced, the drinks seem strong (if the wheeling around and crazy-eyes of the other patrons are any indication), and there are a lot of things to do in this trim little Glendale bar.
Libations has pool tables, darts, videogames, even a cigarette machine. Plus bands, many of whom are actually good, and a ton of high pub-style tables and stools with a good view of the stage.
They definitely lose a star for the curtains-instead-of-doors decor in the ladies room.
Will I be back? Probably not unless my guy's band plays there again. But I'm not going to hold that against Donna Jean and her regulars--they've got their thing going on.
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