Three songs, ten minutes or when the first beer bottle gets thrown.

So, last night, Arnica did what he does best. He was the best performance of the night at the local open mic. The competition was nominal. There was a timid female singer who closed with a beatles song, Chick, please! You don't do beatles at an open mic. That's like drinking wine at a frat party. It can be done but folks are gonna call you queer and beat you up if you are not careful.

There was the guy with a Irish wool cap who talked too much and then sung and made you wish he would talk again just so you would not have to listen to him sing.

There was the required Metal band that played loudly. They had a cute name, Surgical Chaos.

There was another band that was playing out for the first time. Yes, they sucked.

And then, there was Arnica. Oh, you should have seen him (no, really. where were you?). Arnica rocked the house with three songs, Lights of LA County [by Sir Lyle Lovette], When the River Meets the Sea [by Paul Williams], and an Arnica original [Dont ever go to Texas]. It was marvelous, if Arnica must say so himself—and he must.