Lenny Brews, or actually Lenny RIPA (which seems like the 21 and over, grown-up version of Cherry Garcia), proves that America's savvy entrepreneurs can invent a product tailored for every conceivable social niche, maybe designed to appeal to those who don't happen to like the idea of Adolf Coors. This news article, quickly outlining a hipster grandma who caught Lenny Bruce at San Francisco strip clubs in the ancient of days, can be cheering to some, but only if you believe drinking a beer allows hip social statements to flow freely. And if you're doing that, why not call the new product line "She-brews" which might honor grandma herself?.

Anyway, I remember hearing a story or two about Lenny (and though I never saw him perform, I actually was in the same room with him once, and that surely must mean I was very hip even as a little kid, eh?, although I don't remember a thing he said for he was semiconscious at the time). Anyway, Lenny came onstage (this is from some hip older person who though maybe not hip per se was old enough to get in the door). Lenny was following the previous act, a small troupe of midget strippers. An act so tasteless and base, and generally sick and unappealing, it surprised even he. So he pronounced, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to science fiction theater."

Another time, a well known and well heeled prosperous hooker came in and she and her date for the evening were seated at a good table. And Lenny announced her arrival breathlessly, and called out a humorous obseqious public greeting to her and had the band play "Perfidia" in her honor, to which he sang "Chlamydia." Stories maybe your own hip grandma will tell you.

Me personally, I never went to such places. I happened upon the addagio dancers performing on the streets of San Francisco.  ¶ 8/05/2006 04:08:00 PM