Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
thoughtsaboutthedesirability ofclubcommodification; thatis,thedegreetowhichthis
kind of change should be pursued. For, Jackie's desire to induce change in the club will
be a response to her sense of club strengths and deficiencies, the degree to which her
ideals can be met. If she cannot forge a Beebe's that fulfills her social desires, economic
dreams, and cultural aspirations, club change would appear as an attractive possibility.
Thisevening,JackiebodilyandstylisticallylocatesherselfandherclubasSouthSide
blues insiders. On the one hand, a bodying and social style works to retain the current
social space of Beebe's and to resist excessive commercialization. Most poignantly, she
nonstopperformsasaweary,overworkedattendanttotheclub'sveracities.Allaretosee
a person strikingly dedicated to an important task: serving the club's and community's
bluestradition.Thus,inherdailyround,Jackietheatricallyhurries,gyrates,andgesticu-
lates the difficulties of nurturing this club. In one moment, an exhaustive body and face
cringes at having to clean up messy tables. In the next moment, she unveils a tired but
courageous whirl across the club to take drink orders from customers. Moments later,
Jackie displays a weary patience for customers who take their time ordering drinks. Her
message, that she is engaged in an elaborate self-sacrifice to keep Beebe's vibrant, re-
verberates across the club. Throughout these rhythmic movements, Jackie's bodily as-
semblage—face, arms, legs, gait, hands—becomes a perfectly synchronized text for all
to read.
I am not exempt from this treatment, tonight being greeted with a visibly tired hello
and query about having my usual (a beer). “Hey, you, welcome back, what will you
have, the usual,” Jackie says to me with a slight, tired smile. She stands stooped and
seems to have difficulty supporting her body weight. Upon my receiving the beer, we
make small-talk for five minutes. We talk about the music, the latest poster mounted
near the stage, and the whims of trying to manage a South Side blues club. Then, Jack-
ie abruptly cuts off the interaction, and moves deftly across the bar to talk with other
customers.She,again,bringsoutthesly,wearysmileandunevenstance.Alwaysshoot-
ing quick glances across the club, the gait quickly becomes a bold, confident trek as she
moves hurriedly across the club floor to service newly arrived customers. Throughout
this microcircuitry of embodied practices, Jackie cuts a visible swath through the club.
She, in her own words, “is constantly hustling to make ends meet … to keep this place
going.” Her body, projecting a martyrdom, asks the clubbers not to feel for her, but to
feel for her club—a supposedly struggling venue that needs customers and loyalty to
club ways.
Inanotherway,Jackieactivatesherbodyandstyleofengagementtonourishthesense
of a proud, struggling blues club. This evening, Jackie engages customers in a shift-
ing,strategic offeringofemotions andbehaviors: Sheisatoncefriendly,terse, demand-
ing, theatrical, calm, disciplining, and fawning. Engaging customers—taking drink or-
