Cheeba H.
Yelp
Remember when there was a cold war on for who could be the punkiest, the most metal, the hardest hardcore kid around? Well the winners of that cold war have grown up to be sad examples of people who went so far to live up to an imaginary self-image that going back now would send them into a spiraling identity crisis.
So they suck it up- and plow forward with more tattoos, still listening to the same genre of music at 26 as they were at 16 even if their coming of age rebellious phase should have long burned out. Maybe they long for the days of Rocco and Birdsie on WAAF.
Its a depressing mix of the above mentioned and lofty thrift store shoppers who could be in grad school or working on their Hopper meets Beckmann art project that they talk about but looks like crap, just like their journalism that never seems to show up in any publications. People who are more interested in showing off their knowledge of a niche scene then they are in actually holding a sincere interest anything.
Its akin to when you meet a girl who plays World of Warcraft- its immediately apparent she has no interest in technology or video games, but needs a conduit with which to be a dork whore and collect a group of erect socially deficient males to compete with one another for her attention as she leads them on just by the virtue of having various slots they hope to one day put their penis in.
At the Model you can meet women who are much the same only instead of World of Warcraft (to fulfill your fantasy induced by all the Liz Vicious/Suicide Girls prono you watch) they use a combination of vintage or torn clothing, dyed hair, possibly long socks, maybe some leather if they're a little older..
The kind of women who say things like "best - xxxxx - EVAR" or have an on going predilection for pirates/ninjas because they feel its cute, makes men smile at them, allows them to be 'girl who like stupid thing A B or C' and once again gets them attention.
The guys range from grungy to suburban hip, from snooty to over the top aggressive/sloppy. The kind of men who wear those stupid looking slip on sneakers that seem to be the rage in Boston- and as previously mentioned will attempt to seduce and impress women with their ability to name drop.
Its a living breathing case study in the way the American society is drawing out childhood to last into your late 20's early 30's. It reminds me of a lamer version of a hip NYC bar except at the Model the t-shirts are all bands you've heard of already. People who think they are an embodiment of some unrealistic image or especially hip when in reality they come across as trendy and desperate for social acceptance.
Its a bunch of kids, no, adults- who play make believe while they get drunk and every time I go there I feel like i'm the only person who realizes it.
That being said- the beer is cheap, bathrooms dive dirty, they got some big stuffed game fish on the walls. The place isnt too bad on a weekday, its mostly just some local drunks and a few 20 somethings playing pool.
It's composed of two halves, one side on your right if your looking at the building that contains the bar and pool table. Off to the left is a room of tables and booths. There is an older lady who waitresses the second half, and an older man who bartends the right.
The staff seems to be gruff but cordial, as are the doormen. I've never seen a cover here although I hear they have bands occasionally and i've never gone to see music.
They are open till 2am, so its a great squeeze in one more hour place.
It is a fun place if your just looking to get trashed and fuck around- but I do feel that the crowd is judgmental. A Malaysian friend of mine who dresses in expensively bright orange and white colored clothing once complained that he had trouble getting served, and was passed by a few times before anyone gave him a beer.
But that adds to the fun of the place, you can take friends who clearly wont fit in, pretend like you dont know them once you get there, and talk lots of shit about them to everyone else at their own discomfort.
Its the White Horse for a different breed of steed.