There are certain establishments where the day’s ails can be washed away with nothing more than a whiskey and a reliable selection of songs on the jukebox. At places where quarters aren’t able to bestow instant DJ power, and someone else is posted up behind the wheels of steel, disappointment often prevails—especially when you’re looking for a mellow-style evening free from top 40, pounding beats, or trendy mash-ups. Weekends at Havana are permeated with just that, but Mondays are a whole different song and dance, all for a little less change and a little more tears in your beer. Sad Bastard Monday is like a jukebox fully loaded with choice cuts both classic and current as resident DJ (and singer/songwriter himself) Michael Vermillion brings out stacks of his heartstring-tugging favorites. A recent Monday heard rambling troubadour Townes Van Zandt follow Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” along with locals Jesse Sykes and Damien Jurado played back to back. Three in a row from the Band—“Cripple Creek”(!) and “The Weight,” both off The Last Waltz, finishing with “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”—even tore a few folks away from the bar and onto the dance floor. The rest were content to just sit, sip, and listen.
