BIG SPACE FOR LOTS OF FRIENDS
By David Frank

—Our writer's friend is celebrating his birthday at It's Brother's, and boy, it's big.

My friend Andrew was celebrating his twenty-something birthday at It’s Brothers Bar and Grill (or just Brothers as it usually called). He’s a friendly and talkative guy, which means he’s a popular guy with a lot of friends. So, Brothers was probably a smart place to hold his party at Brother’s on a weekday night, because it’s not a small place. In fact, it’s one of the bigger bars in the Iowa City area. There’s a winding bar that rides most of a long wall’s length—maybe the longest bar in Iowa City. There are plenty of tables throughout the place, also an area for some large booths, a dance floor, and there’s still room for 3 pool tables. And when it’s warm out, there’s a spacious patio area to boot.

So when it came to picking a place that could at least contain all of his friends, Andrew chose wisely. However, if you go to Brothers on any major drinking night, you’ll find it difficult to get into the bar, much less not get trampled after you’ve entered. Brother’s is a popular place for a lot of students in the Iowa City area. And often lines hang out the door full of kids that are best described as the yuppie youth of tomorrow (i.e. business majors). And Andrew was a business major, and Brothers was his usual hangout. But, I’ve never held it against him.

When I strolled into the bar a little after nine on a Wednesday, it was busy, but not extremely crowed, yet. You could actually notice the numerous metal signs that adorn the walls which ranged from street signs to automobile industry related signs such as an old “Studebaker Service” sign that hung above the fooseball table. But normally Wednesday was somewhat of a popular night at Brother’s because it was “Wing Ding” night. Which means the beer is a little cheaper and Buffalo wings that are either of original recipe or “Ass burner” quality are only 10 cents. But I had no desire for food or even alcohol for that matter. Basically I just wanted to say hello to Andrew, hang out for a bit, and go home before the crowd got bigger as the night went on.

Immediately, I noticed my friend standing by the bar. At a lanky framed 6’4” Andrew isn’t too hard to find in a crowd. I walked up to him, and said, “Hey, what’s up fool.”

“ David,” Andrew yelled, “Look at this, I’m getting some shots with some money that someone over there gave me.”

“ How many have you had so far?”

“ 12. But. I’m well on my way to having 23 for my birthday.”

I laid down a couple of dollars, and told him to have another on me. He grabbed the dough, thanked me, and ordered “another” for him…and me before I could stop him. The bartender placed the shot in front of me. I lifted the shot glass up, said cheers, and swallowed without asking what the hell it was. And as my tongue swelled up, and smoke wafted from my tear-ducts as this vile shit scorched my throat on its way down, I knew that I’d rather chug a jug of battery acid before having one of these again. “Whoah,” I coughed, “Wowzers. I think I’m done for the night.”

“ C’mon, isn’t that’s good shit, man. I love it,” Andrew said before walking toward the area that all of his friends occupied, which was near the dance floor, and took up about half the tables and most of the floor space on that side of the bar.

In fact, it seemed everyone in Brothers was here to wish Andrew a happy birthday—at least 50 people or so when I entered. And while I only stayed a little longer to watch more of Andrew’s friends come in and witness Andrew descend further into an obnoxious stupor on shots that rivaled gasoline for their ability to drive a 6-cylinder automobile engine, I figured, you’re pretty popular and likeable person if you can make such a spacious bar like Brothers crowed with your friends alone.