One of the privileges of working in Hartford is that someone in charge paid attention to Julius Caesar, who said, “Give the people bread and circuses.” By circuses, I do not refer to the limitless entertainment afforded by my fellow lawyers. I mean that on Fridays at noon, if one is inclined, it is possible to walk to State Street, acquire a nicely greasy lunch, and hear live rock ‘n’ roll.
On a recent Friday noon, I wandered down there. I stayed for two songs. I checked out the sound equipment: Crown amps, a good sign. The band had a chick singer. The drummer was solid. They used Shure SM-58 microphones, another sign of excellent professional judgment. For a moment, I felt nostalgic for the old life. There I was, a gray-haired ex-hippie pretending to be a suit, and wishing, just transiently, that I were on the terrace, belting out numbers to the largely indifferent crowd. I missed it.
