November 8, 2008, 6:37 pm : Montauk Weirdness Redux – The Superheroes
Filed Under: Imagery, Music, Surfing, Travel TalesDiscussion: C[0]mments
This was it. I was waiting for that seminal moment to capture the feeling of true, apparent Montauk weirdness. I was drinking a beer with a friend at the Memory Motel bar, after staying the night and surfing a couple of days. We chose to drink at this dive over the more interesting places in town or on the water solely because it was the watering hole of choice for the Rolling Stones during their stays in the 70′s.
In the middle of round four, as we could swear the vibe of Mick was buzzing through the place, Spiderman and Superman dashed through the door. Not casually dashed, as in woohoo, beer me up, barkeep; literally dashed in, at top speed. Each ordered one beer, as I asked Superman where Captain America and Wonder Woman were.
“Hopefully way behind us. We’re on a super hero drinking race. Have you seen the cops?”
“No,” I said.
“Good, want to get a great picture? I can get on the roof.”
This was good. My camera was loaded and at the ready. Light was failing fast, and I had 100 speed slide film in, but I like it nonetheless, even though off kilter and dark, it shows just what Montauk is all about. No reasoning whatsoever. As I pressed the shutter, the proprietor, who I had only hours before gotten in good with, approaching her as a writer looking for background on the Stones, rushed at me. Earlier she showed me a myriad of artifacts on the Stones’ Montauk visits; now she chased after me, demanding I tell her who my friends were that I shot on the roof.
“Superman and Spiderman, that’s all I can say. They ran in, slammed a beer and beelined for the roof. They know your secret stairway up there. At least it’ll make a good shot.” It did.
