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JILLIAN MILAM FEATURESEDITOR JGM726@CABRINI EDU

The lights dimmed, the music started and the audience began screaming with anxiety. Rob Thomas took the stage and the crowd went wild.

“What’s up Philllllllaaaay?” he asked as he grabbed the microphone with one hand. Even though the theatre was relatively small and intimate, the love and excitement could have filled thousands of football fields and then some.

The concert, held on Oct. 8, at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA, was one that rocked every person in the audience. His upbeat, enthusiastic songs with his down-to-earth style and lyrics truly made everyone engaged with the music. Didn’t know the words? You tapped your foot and waved your arms in the air. Didn’t know the beat? It didn’t matter. The music lifted the spirits of everyone, while not a soul was standing still.

Rob Thomas performed a lot of his new songs off his debut album “Something To Be” however, he also sang a number of songs that were popular when he was the lead singer of Matchbox 20.

He showed off his talent, not only his extraordinary voice, but his guitar and piano-playing skills as well. He weaved his performances in such a way that he got you standing, dancing and screaming so that your throat felt numb, and then slowed it down with his acoustic songs and profound lyrics. His passion seemed to project into the audience and grabbed the essence of everyone in the place.

Every song on his new CD sounds like a potential hit. He might have a new haircut, a new style, and no Matchbox 20 band behind him on stage, but he most certainly still has his exceptional voice and ability to write beautiful and fun songs. It was the best concert I have been to so far, and I plan on going to as many concerts of his as I can.

When a singer sounds better live than on the radio or CD player, that’s when you know they’ve got it. Rob Thomas, you’ve got it, and I don’t want you to “Be Lonely No More” either!

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

DIANA ASHJIAN A&E EDITOR DA725@CABRINI EDU

Standing at a jam-packed bar on any given Friday or Saturday night, a young adult looking to see where the party’s at usually can’t see much past that when it comes to the actual contents of the drinks they order or what it really is they’re paying for in the meantime.

“Everything from draft beer to liquor and even wine aren’t always exactly what you order,” a bartender at Cavanaugh’s on the Riverdeck in Philadelphia said. She continued to say that cheaper liquor is typically used for most drinks even when the better liquor is specified, but that topshelf prices still apply so that the bartenders can keep the difference and split it all up at the end of the night since they share tips.

Atypical night in tips for a nightclub bartender can be anywhere from between $200 dollars up to as much as $600 dollars depending on the crowd, the music and yes, how good the bartender is at getting your money.

“I see a group of guys standing at the bar and ask them who’s ready for shots. I put a round of Jager-bombs on the bar and just throw a price at them. It’s usually too packed and they’re usually too loaded by then to bother questioning the price,” the anonymous Delaware Ave. bartender went on to say.

Binge drinking is very popular among people between the ages of 18-22 and bartenders throughout the city of Philadelphia see it as the perfect opportunity to make them say, “cha-chiiing.”

Not only should money concern the half-buzzed, but also exactly what they’re drinking. It’s important to keep in mind that bartenders could care less what it is their customers really prefer when they’re slammed.

Another bartender in the city had this to say about ordering drinks in packed clubs.

“You should keep your drinks simple and not get too fancy One thing that everyone learns when it comes to bartending is ‘when you can’t think just make it pink.’And that same notion doesn’t just apply for cosmopolitans, which by the way shouldn’t be ordered with top-shelf vodka because the citrus in the cranberry juice dilutes the distilled liquor. If a customer orders a Miller Light draft, but that keg happens to be kicked, chances are they’re drinking Budweiser and have no clue. When asked why that is the ready and willing bartender explained that it’s just easier to pour a beer than go back and explain it’s not available.

That could explain all those massive headaches in the morning for draft beer drinkers.

Another Old City bartender said, “Come midnight, I have a good idea of who is tipping and who is sitting. I make the cheap drinkers wait behind good tippers and then I overcharge the cheap drinkers and pocket the difference. It really is a game. My customers may be out with their buddies having a good time, but I’m doing just fine playing their game.”

Even more importantly, it’s important to always ask for an itemized receipt if using a credit card for a tab.

“Some bartenders are too good at what they do for their own good,” the beer slinger from Cav’s said. “They start to get ballsy after awhile and learn how to play with checks. If someone runs a tab and pays cash then the bartender can swipe your card right on their bill to pocket the dinero. I see it happen all the time.”

And remember when out boozing back that little pigs get fed, but big pigs get slaughtered. So, just take it easy and let the good times roll carefully and responsibly

“There’s nothing more hilarious than a girl who’s obviously bombed and all over the place. Right before it gets busy we sometimes take bets on who the first girl to get wasted and start acting crazy is. You’d be amazed at how often we’re right,” the bartender said.

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com. The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.