Slapsy Maxie's Neighborhood

I met an acquaintance here after work last night. It was my first time getting my Maxie slapped. I remembered that ten years ago the band of some friends of mine played a show here,  There was music last night--two guys probably in their forties with acoustic guitars and playing all cover songs. Their renditions were quite enjoyable,  which i think is a rarity with cover song duos.
The environment at Slapsy's reminded me of myriad small town bars i've been in: neon signs and beer posters galore, televisions, and wood paneling. Therefore it felt very comfortable to me. The bartender, a guy in his 30s with big arms and tattoos, was friendly and cheerfully made me my favorite wintertime pain-in-the-ass-to-assemble drink, the illustrious Hot Toddy.  I also drank a couple of the local Elevator brewing company's IPAs, and was pleasantly surprised at the $3.25 a piece price tag.  I even sat in briefly on the guitar with the guys gigging there, and i was really quite moved with how well they picked up on the musical motif i introduced. Overall, my night there was a very enjoyable experience. I will go back soon.