Last week I vacationed in the Midwest—the Detroit area and Cleveland—to visit family and friends. While in the latter city, I hit the small bar/venue Now That's Class (think the old Comet Tavern, but with much less history) to see Obnox, a caustic, exhilarating garage-punk-blues duo led by my friend Bim Thomas of the Bassholes. Their set smoked, and if fellow Ohioans the Black Keys had any nerve or smarts, they'd ask Obnox to open for 'em on their next tour.

Before Obnox played, I had ample time to peruse the surroundings. (There were four bands on the bill and things didn't start till 10:30. Nobody seemed to care, though; patrons were content to drink shitty beer and watch the Indians lose to the Red Sox on the teevee.) The sign in the photo above (sorry for the poor quality) caught my eye. It reads GOT A BUN IN THE OVEN? 2 FOR ONE ALL 9 MONTHS, as a fetus drinks alcohol in the womb. At first I thought the bar staff was having a laugh, but looking around at the clientele and knowing the general horrid level of care that many Clevelanders take with their bodies, I wasn't entirely sure if this was comedy or a genuine deal. There's no way any establishment in Seattle could get away with this sentiment.