[Dixielandjazz] Tipping at Scholz's

[Dan Augustine]

Tipping fans--
     In Austin's Wurst Band, we have anywhere from 10 to 35 players on 
any given night, and the enlightened management of the Scholz Bier 
Garten has for about 20 of our 25 years graciously provided free beer 
for the band.  In fact, when the daughter of the manager was in 
charge one night, she arbitrarily and capriciously decided we 
wouldn't get free beer.  Our esteemed (sometimes just 'steamed') 
leader, Mr. James H. Bryan of Alpha Music Center, succintly explained 
to her, "No beer, no band."  We played.
     We play three sets in two hours and the waitress brings us a 
meagre three or four pitchers per set (usually the weak American 
swill, but that's OK), at something like $8.00 per pitcher.  Assuming 
10 pitchers a night (well, maybe 15 sometimes), that's $80 to $120 
retail (Scholz's actual cost, of course, is a small fraction of that).
     Scholz's gets two hours of exemplary German polkas, Sousa 
(occasionally 'soused') marches, dixieland, popular songs, and "In 
Heaven There Is No Beer", for a few measly bucks.  But what does the 
waitress get who brings not only the beer, but iced tea, water, and 
ice, in addition to waiting on the paying customers?  (I don't 
particularly like that sentence-structure nor the diction, but the 
hell with it.)
     Well, between the second and third sets i take up a collection 
from the band of a dollar or two from anyone drinking beer.  I 
usually wind up giving her $20 or $30 in tips, which we feel she 
earned, even though we paid nothing for the beer or service.
     Now, does that make us professionals?  Ha.  Reminds me of what a 
Pogo character said when someone asked him if a cartoonist was a 
newspaper man: "Is a barnacle a ship?"

     Dan
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**  Dan Augustine     Austin, Texas     ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu  **
**    "Meddle ye not with Dragons, for we are crunchy and good with   **
**     ketchup." -- bumper sticker seen in Austin                     **
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