Suck Bang Blow

Did I mention it was Bike Week? That means lots and lots of Harley Davidson’s of every make and alteration, riders from every corner of country and culture and plenty of business clamoring for their patronage. To get the full experience, you best go the heart of the beast. Time to head to Suck Bang Blow!

The first time that I saw the establishment, with these words presented boldly on the roof, it made me do a bit of a double-take. But then I thought, ‘this is biker country and we are in the south.’ What surprised me was that people from all walks of life mentioned it so frequently. To a knee-jerk judgmentalist it would appear both chauvinistic and hedonistic. I mean come now! They spray paint girls there! But if you are to truly capture the essence of a place…

After my shoots I inched along Hwy. 17. Bike Week had packed the roads. I pulled into the make-shift lot for autos, as the main parking lot was for bikes only. It was actually kind of fun. Walking through the rows and rows of bikes, an array of chrome, and wonderful paint jobs, it was easy to appreciate the art of construction. Even if you didn’t care for motorcycles, you could acknowledge the wonder of the machines. There were lots of booths selling belt buckles, shades and chaps for $50! The food options looked good (but I held back). People were very friendly and I was approached by a rider from PA and a shop owner from Lebanon. I’m always game for such a diverse convo! You could find that here.

The bar inside was quite huge and had a somewhat random layout. It had the headroom of a school gym, with banners and lights hanging all around. There seemed to be about 6 different bars – some islands, some long. Almost all of the tenders were scantily clad girls and you could pay $5 for a ‘coochie’ shot. Peanut shells covered the floor and bikers (both men and women) joked and chatted amongst themselves. The atmosphere was friendly and non-threatening.

It’s good to come to a place and let it be. You may come into with initial hesitation and judgment. Once I got over my cringing reaction of the flesh show. Really, instead of being arousing, it seemed to showcase more bodily imperfection than anything. It’s like watching high definition TV these days. You get to see very pore, every mole, every bit of normalcy. I think most people lwant only themselves and their immediate loved ones to have any knowledge of that. So, if you got your whole bod on display for the world, in bright sunlight, you are there in all your nude glory.

So, back to letting it be. It was quite easy. I had a beer or two to see the place as everyone else saw it, had some conversations, was happy for the people there, and then I left. I got plenty of good video footage (the main reason I was there) but the only camera I had was my phone. Otherwise I'd have some more pictures for you

Then it was back to eat at Magnolia’s and a conversation with a girl from Russia. I've been able to use Russian at three consecutive meals!

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Even in my love of the south, it can occasionally catch you off guard or make you stretch your comfort level. I’ve always loved the genuine hospitality and friendly gestures and habits down here. Even if I’m deep in thought and have an angry scowl upon my face, I’ll hear someone pass, saying, “how’s it going buddy?”

I was approached in the parking lot the other day by two men who came up and asked if they could help me take my bike down. I put up my internal guard. But they were under the impression that my motorcycle was the one up on a trailer and were offering their help. When I smile at people they will sometimes wave and smile back. I hear plenty of “buddy, sweety, honey” and all sorts of invitations and extended pleasantries.

But, yes, there are those parts that one from the north might feel awkward with. I've heard a few racist comments and witnessed things at the wider edge of our cultural spectrum. There are other things we might not feel quite at home with. Perhaps it’s not understanding the meaning of that Confederate flag or not caring enough to do so. Or, you could hear that sexist radio ad that is so much more common down here. Whatever it is, try to place it in context. Like when I was eating at Mammy’s. As I ate, I looked down at the advertisements on the placemat. Most were for Christian businesses and churches. There was also a take on Mary had a Little Lamb. In this version, the reason for drugs and crime was because laws made it impossible for children to bring the Lamb of God to school anymore. If God was brought into the schools everything would be saved.

It’s easy for any liberal-minded individual to scoff at something like that. While my privileged upbringing brought me to defensive thoughts about the second amendment, Thomas Jefferson and yada yada, it mostly made me think of those with belief. It's strange, but the people I’ve found to have the deepest respect and understanding for Muslims have not been the liberals I’ve known, but the fundamental Christians. Anyhoo, enough tangent and more pot roast.

Seek to understand, walk in the shoes for a bit and share a pipe or two. In the end, you may not agree, but you’ve at least shared in each other’s most important commonalities.