The Friday night Jazz fusion band Eastern Jazz Brigade and the hospitality of the smiling and laid back staff at Equinox brought out people in droves. And I thought it was the rainy season, the quiet season.
It was a strange contrast to see the Western band members perform in front of a cow hide traditional art work glowing red in the background.
The venue began to fill early, and as far as I could make out it was a predominantly youngish lively expat crowd. They were thirsty too and the bar staff were on their feet the entire night. Worked off their feet infact. The band played two cruisy sets ending about 11.30. The music was tight with interweaving guitar rifts, sax solos, and a sound drummer who knew his triplets.
The crowd lapped it up. Not many danced however. But judging from the applause it was going down well. The upstairs bar had boarded up the balcony windows to protect neighbouring restaurants and hotels and it was becoming smokey. Ronnie Scotts Phom Penh style.
The semi circular down stairs bar was also packed. This is built near the street and attracts a local working crowd. A meeting point and a good place to network.
Last night the crowd was spilling out on to the street and the bar queue was three dimensional. Moto and Tuk Tuk drivers waited on the steet like hawks but nobody was leaving in a hurry. And the drink of choice seemed to be The Phnom Penh Sling a sort of orange passion fruit based frog spawn.
My baby sitter had an early start so I had to leave also but the place was still pumping. Actually just can't stand the pace.