ALANIS MORISSETTE- Tramps Bar

Written by Backstage Bruce

She wants us to know that she's happy for us. 

     One hot summer day few people outside Canada even knew her name, the next day they all did, worldwide. Wow! Her first hit 'You Oughta Know' was a smash around the globe. It was the first single released from her third album 'Jagged Little Pill'. The radio stations started playing it every hour around-the-clock. She was getting ready to embark on a lengthy tour taking her to numerous countries, but first she had to stop in New York and do a show for the industry peeps at a small, intimate club, Tramps Bar. 

    There were a lot of people from the label, A&R and such plus their guests. Also radio folk, DJ's and execs and then all their guests. (I have found over the years that these industry shows are kind of stuffy, like they know they are getting in so there is none of that door drama. Plus they wouldn't be seen dancing.) Thank goodness I was there to kick it in to gear and get that party started. There were also a few dozen radio station contest winners which is a good thing, they bring the excitement level. 

    I didn't have a way in. BUT since Tramps is only a mere nine blocks from my apartment well... I decided to just walk on over there and get a gander of the scene. I stopped at the deli and grabbed three beers. Two for the walk and one for the sock! I will drink two on my walk over and stuff one into my sock to drink inside later. 

    I get there and it was a fortress! The number one song in the world was going to be performed on stage inside and it was a zoo outside! There were hundreds of people trying to get in, no scalpers anywhere. There was more security that night than I have ever seen at Tramps, huge intimidating bruisers too. You didn't feel safe trying to do any normal door hustle: "I'm on the list", "Can you check again?", "Oh, I'm on the other list" "No, not the bands list, the promoter's list" None of that was an option with these guys standing there.

30 million copies sold, six-hit singles

    I got one look at the security and realized right away that I was not going to get in through the front door nor do I want to get on any of their radar so I kept walking. I walked right past Tramps Bar about 10-feet down west 25th street and stood in front of Tramps Restaurant while I contemplated my next move. 

    I went to college for Hotel & Restaurant Management, I have taken enough 'Facilities' and 'Design' classes to realize that the bar and the restaurant are probably sharing the same kitchen. I walked up to the restaurant and looked in through the glass windows. I see all the way in the back that there were a pair of swinging doors that were leading into the kitchen. I think "if there is a pair of doors leading into the kitchen, there has got to be another pair of doors leading into the bar." I see that in the back of the restaurant that there was a bank of pay phones as well. 

    My plan was to walk in and get to the back to further investigate. If I was stopped by the hostess I was going to say that I was meeting friends for dinner before the show. Then play it off like, "Oh, I don't see them, I'll go give them a call'. I would then walk over to the phones and make a pretend phone call. That would position me where I would be able to look right through the round windows, on the swinging doors to the kitchen, and see what I could. You got to have some sort of a game plan. 

    Batter up, I swing for the fences, I walked inside the restaurant, no hostess stopped me. No one at all stopped me in fact, so I went right over to the phones and stayed on plan, I fake phone called someone. The whole time I was looking through the round windows, on the swinging doors, and I saw what I was hoping for immediately. Another set of swinging doors with round windows on the other side of the kitchen. These lead into the bar area, the showroom. I knew it.

 
    I hung up my fake phone call and went into the bathroom as I thought out my next move. I needed a minute. The two beers were calming  my anxiety a bit but I was still nervous. The thoughts running through my head "Was there security posted up in the kitchen?" "Was anyone going to stop me?" "What about any managers?" There was absolutely no other way in. 

    I had to pull it together and do it. I left the bathroom and walked right into that kitchen. The overhead light was so bright, it felt like a spotlight shining directly on me. I didn't break stride, I acted like I belonged. I walked across the kitchen floor directly over to the other set of swinging doors and right through them very confidently. I was out from under that grueling, overhead light, back into the comfortable, familiar darkness of a bar, finally, my college degree was starting to pay dividends. I mingled into the crowd very deep and quite hurriedly, just in case.

    After about two minutes, the heart had a chance to calm down. I reach into my sock and pull out my third beer, crack that open and the show gets underway. Alanis, along with her band, took the stage and performed. She was very well received, love was shown. 

    

    She/they played for one hour, enough time for the entire album plus band intro. Their energy level was up, you could feel the excitement in the air. She was able to showcase her vocal and musical talents to a lot of people who were seeing her for the very first time. The entire show was fantastic. It is available through Wolfgang's.com. link:  Alanis Morissette- Tramps Bar, August 16th 1995

    The tour was great, very successful. The album would go on to yield five other singles in addition to 'You Oughta Know': 'Hand In My Pocket', 'Ironic', 'You Learn', 'Head over Feet' and 'All I Really Want'.

    Sadly, both Tramps Bar & Restaurant would go on to close like many other great venues have before it. I did happen to make it to Tramps Bar again. This time to see Soul Asylum. That too was a really fun, entertaining show, good times. I didn't have to sneak in through the kitchen that time.