The Hawley Arms

Tonight I went on a walking tour of Camden Town, known for its large weekend markets and musical history. Though I hadn't signed up for the NYU event, Natalie and I endured the 35-minute walk from our dorm. I was creepily standing to the side, pretending I was on the phone when they were taking attendance. Thankfully Sabira checked that they didn't care and called me over. Imagine trying to explain yourself to an angry Londoner, I don't even know what an angry Londoner looks like.

Anyway, the tour was semi-interesting but mostly cold. I learned that I am completely unaware of British music. The tour guide was talking about Blur and Madness practicing in a couple buildings, but absolutely no one in our 30-person group recognized either band. However, we did nod our heads when he said Oasis, The Clash, and Led Zeppelin played in many of the same venues.

The highlight of the night came when, after the tour, Natalie and I went to The Hawley Arms, a bar that the tour guide had introduced as one of Amy Winehouse's stomping grounds. Obviously we didn't see Winehouse, but we did see two live bands - Euphoria Audio and Isaac's Aircraft.

I am no music connoisseur by any means, but Euphoria Audio reminded me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and John Mayer (I think Gravity by them on YouTube is a cover). Isaac's Aircraft is more extensively covered on YouTube so I won't even try to classify them. In person, I liked Euphoria Audio much better with their lyrics and passion, but listening to the music again on YouTube, I think I'd be more likely to have Isaac's Aircraft on my Ipod. Both were good bands, definitely worth a listen if you have some free time on your hands.

The bar's atmosphere was awesome. On the first floor was traditional rock music and bar while on the second floor were the live bands. I was surprised by the ranges of ages of the listeners. Natalie and I were probably the youngest ones there while I'm sure some of the others were in their mid-forties to fifties. Everybody was enjoying the music, and no one, at least on the second floor, seemed to be drinking to get drunk. It was a very peaceful and conducive environment for chilling out and just enjoying the music. Of course, I'm sure Winehouse doesn't come only for the music. Nonetheless, I'd still be up for visiting The Hawley's Arms another night, and maybe even spotting the hot mess herself.