The numbing sound of the bass line seeps through the glaze-coated walls of the ominous Rosary bar, a vermilion-tinged neon sign marking its place of sacredness. For a mere thirty minutes, the featured band will marry the handful of listeners who lay claim to the black, vinyl stools with an earful of sanctimonious sound.
The guy who leaned outside smoking his white cigarette has entered the bar, sporting a shaved head, and Buddy Holly glasses that mask an expressionless gaze. As has the chubby girl who kept her hand draped across her body, with her Revlon red lips and charcoal hair.
The blood-red light emanates from the red light bulbs donning each fixture in the Rosary bar. A black church-like pew spans along the wall. Images and effigy of the Virgin Mary are meticulously disseminated in the shadowy corners. Plastic Rosary beads hang from the candles.
“ Today it rained all day and the sun never came out, a rare occurrence in San Diego, yet it seemed much more appropriate for the mood. Thank you for coming tonight. This is a new song, “Argument Against the Body.” We are The Tall Ships.” They begin to play, the images of the Virgin Mary, her arms open, embracing their sacred sound.