The ACME

Back in "the day", I spent most weekends DJing at the ACME Bar & Grill in historic downtown Annapolis. I landed there by accident one Saturday night as a fill-in DJ and the next thing you know, I was part of the ACME Family. At one point in time a couple years ago, I was DJing there Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights each week. On top of that, I was also DJing wedding receptions. It got to be too much for me and since wedding receptions pay way better than bar gigs, I abdicated my DJ throne there almost six years ago. I hand-picked and personally trained my replacement who still DJs there two nights a week.

The coolest thing about ACME was the people. ACME had the best bartenders in Annapolis (I think)... Phil Jones, Bobby G., Kevin Eply, and Troy. There were others, but these four stand out. In the golden days of my DJ Rule there, it was wall-to-wall people after 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. I played everything and anything and that's what they loved about me. And I loved being able to look out over a sea of partying people going nuts for the music. And there were the bartenders... facing a hundred thirsty, drunk people shouting orders of beer and mixed drinks. I really don't know how they did it. It was non-stop chaos. Girls would jump up on the bar and dance until a bouncer got to the bar to escort them safely back to ground level. And every so often, Bobby G. would be possessed (drunk) enough to jump up on the bar and lead everyone in a sing-along of his favorite song; "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" by David Allen Coe. There were other sing-alongs that I would initiate... like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Livin' on a Prayer" among others. It was a CHEERS type of place and it had its fair share of "regulars". I knew half of the people by name and most everyone knew me. After 11pm, the crowd shifted from the chilling-out after-dinner crowd to the younger we-came-to-dance-and-party crowd. Naturally, the music was more dance-oriented featuring newer songs intermixed with disco, funk, 80s, and rock-n-roll. It was the best mix in Annapolis. I knew it, the owner of ACME knew it, and the bartenders knew it. ACME was my place on the weekends. I wasn't just a DJ, I was a member of the crew and I manipulated the crowd using music and announcements in order to help out the bartenders and the bouncers. If there was a fight breaking out on the dance floor, I'd tone the music down until the bouncers could neutralize the situation. I'd constantly switch the music up to keep the crowd guessing and surprised. Ah, it was heaven most nights. But like I said, it got to be too much and so I quit DJing there almost six years ago.

A lot can change in six years. ACME's original owner sold the business to one of the the bartenders and another local guy. They kept the name the same and at first the transition seemed quite seamless. I would hear from my replacement how things had changed; mostly all of the original bartenders quit or were fired and replaced by pretty girls with nice figures and very little bartending experience. Suddenly, there was no longer any live music in ACME on the weekdays -rookie iPod DJs seemed a suitable replacement. The menu changed, the walls were painted (baby blue?!), and more LCD TVs were added.

I had only been in the "new" ACME three or four times in the six years since I left. Last night, I got a call from the regular DJ asking if I'd be willing to fill in for him. Short on cash and anxious for nostalgia, I agreed. I came away from the gig with a deep sadness and a slight sickening feeling in my gut at what ACME has become. The management/owners and the DJs they have now are to blame. The feel-good party vibe of the place has been sucked out and the spirit has been trampled by a bad mix of hip-hop and trashy top-40. Nobody really dances at ACME anymore and I can't understand how they get away with charging THREE DOLLARS at the door to get in. The hottie girls are still showing up, but everyone just sort of stands around and drinks. It's disgusting. Really. The sound system is downright pitiful; a handful of 10-inch powered Peavey speakers mounted on the wall behind the bar near ceiling level and tilted down at a perfect angle to drown out customers ordering drinks. The tiny speakers can't handle any bass and they don't do very well with the mids or highs either. The music is just blaring. Two 15-inch JBL powered speakers hang idle -blown out- from the ceiling near the front. They look impressive, I guess. Too bad they didn't work.

All in all it was a sad night and I find myself missing the old ACME. My ACME. I know things have to change, but it's sad when things change so much that something precious is lost in the process. I guess it takes a lot of work and caring to make sure that doesn't happen. And I'm sorry it had to happen to ACME.