I was looking for something to do tonight and decided I needed some live music. I looked up a jazz club, but it was downtown and I didn’t feel like dealing with the traffic and parking. So I searched for rock and discovered that The Suspects were playing at a nearby lounge called Jewel’s.

The Suspects is (was, actually) a Houston-based ska band that was pretty well known in ska and punk circles. Since I had never seen them, I was pretty excited to finally have the chance to see them, all for the low price of $5. I shower, race out of the door, get lost, and finally find the venue. Upon walking in, I see a bunch of cheesy-looking tired old guys playing covers. I had the following conversation with the super-cleavage bartender girl:

me: this is The Suspects, right?
scbg: yeah.
me: I thought The Suspects was a ska band.
scbg: what? what’s that?
me: (pause) never mind.
girl down the bar with pink hair: the Suspects are a ska band, or they used to be. There’s The Specials too.
me: yeah, exactly.
pink hair girl: this is another The Suspects.
me: yeah, no kidding.
scbg: (blank face)

I chugged my beer and split. I don’t know how a bunch of old guys can get off calling themselves The Suspects.

I checked The Suspects’ website and they broke up in 2002. Damnit.