Shit bar
Oh Messy Life #62
Welcome to Human Pursuits, the column that features need-to-know names and stories in media and other creative spaces. Today, a stirring defense of shitty bars, and omnibus updates from Friends of the Newsletter including Kate Lindsay, Alyssa Vingan, Pat Flynn, Staz Lindes, Rob Harvilla, and more.
They come in shapes and sizes.
Lounges and cantinas. Dives and Saloons.
Shit bars. Local haunts. Holes in the wall.
If you’ve ever ordered a boilermaker, or “split the G,” you might be familiar. You might recognize the dim lighting, and the scuffed up tables, the chalk board specials and the restrooms that are always freezing. You might’ve spent a month there one night.
Shit bars are the backbone of the food and beverage industry. The sticky cockroaches that will surely outlive us all. You don’t have to love them, but you do have to respect them. Because they know how to survive.
My first shit bar, O’Malley’s, was a taste of Dublin in northern Alberta. They had live music most nights and a wing special on Wednesdays. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good. It just was. Like a canola field or a summer thunderstorm. A quiet force of nature.
Part of it’s charm was that it delivered a consistently inconsistent experience. Some nights were busy, and some nights weren’t. Some nights the pours would be honest, and some nights they weren’t. Some nights the aforementioned wings would, be slathered in extra hot sauce, and Dan would be happy. Some nights, he wasn’t.
I didn’t realize it then, but this shit bar served an important function. It was what the kids now refer to as a third place. Somewhere that wasn’t home, or school, or a Tim Horton’s parking lot. It was a small but important knot in the social fabric of our lives. As it slackened, so too did our connections to the town, and to a certain extent, each other.
While I’m not sad that O’Malley’s as I knew it no longer exists—it’s under new management, and has a new name—I suspect (hope!) it’s still a shit bar. I’m not sure I’m willing to find out.
Frankly, it’s none of my business.
The beautiful thing about shit bars, though, is that there’s always one waiting to worm its way into your heart.
Last week, I held what I’m calling Office Hours at a unnamed pub nestled in the armpit of False Creek. The pours were honest, and the fish and chips were terrible. From our table on the second floor, the city shimmered like a holographic trading card. They played nothing but David Bowie. The bathroom was an icebox.
It was suboptimal. It was shit. I can’t wait to go back.
Oh Messy Life
ICYMI: Last week’s interview (which I published Monday!) was with Ali Royals . We discussed Snowmaggedon 2026, female friendships, how to dress like a painting at The Met, where she gets ideas, and what she’s reading right now.
‘Industry’ Insider: Alyssa Vingan interviewed Ken Leung about modeling, style lessons learned from his Industry castmates, and what’s next for his character on behalf of GQ.
New York’s busiest creator kate lindsay had a busy day online. She published a new episode of her own podcast ICYMI that explores digital detoxing, appeared on two other podcasts to talk about “flaking on plans as a personality trait” and whether outdoor cats are happier than indoor cats, and had a story published for SSense about Brick’s sudden rise in popularity.
Days after recording a special live episode of Yasi Salek’s Bandsplain, singer and historian Pat Flynn says his band Fiddlehead is returning to Europe. Tour spans a few weeks starting in early June. See below for full routing. Tickets on sale Friday.
Speaking of Yasi—she brought her gift of gab to Lauren Sherman’s popular Fashion People podcast. I haven’t had time to listen, but I’m told they discussed Grammys looks and Sydney Sweeney’s new bra company. Listen here.
Ali Royals is presenting a PowerPoint lecture on her One Direction obsession tomorrow as part of Major Fix. She’s also DJing the Shaad Magazine party (with Gutes?) on Friday at Night Club 101.
The Paranoyds are playing a Fuck Ice benefit show at Oblivion in Los Angeles on February 28th. It’s all ages and you can get tickets here. Staz’s other project, 2m8o, is also releasing a new song on Friday called “angel numbers”.
Lindsey Hartman is calling all lovers and friends to attend a Valentine’s Day gift market this Sunday, February 8th. There will be a Valentine’s themed photobooth with all proceeds benefitting Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights. Full details below.
Return of the King: Podcaster Rob Harvilla is back with a new episode of 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s: The 2000s. It’s about T-Pain. It’s on video, exclusively through Spotify.
Oh, and Brian Moylan wrote about The Traitors hottie Rob Rausch for Vulture.
Proper Chune
The way the light would hit your features
When we were hanging by the bleachers
My next guest is…
One of America’s greatest active rock bands, Joyce Manor.
Meme machine
Let’s talk garms
