I'm CEO, Bitch.

Clayton Gardner

Last night I went with Blair and Kim to the Icehouse at the lake to hear Bleu Edmondson play and hang out with our friend and singer Clayton Gardner. We hit up the bar for a couple of beers, and Clayton shuffled over to say hi in his gray Army t-shirt, black basketball shorts, socks and house shoes. Yes, house shoes. Somehow the guy I rarely see without a baseball cap who sports a permanent scruff of a beard was clean shaven and had a fresh ‘do’ – so I guess he had to make a statement with the house shoes. "Who are you, Mark Zuckerberg?" I asked. "I wish!" said Clayton. So I told Blair I've got to make him some "I'm CEO, bitch" business cards.

Later on Bleu even ushered Clayton up to sing while he took a short break, so the house shoes were a tappin’ away on the rung of the bar stool up on stage. I hope there’s a photo floating around.

Clayton’s got some good tunes, so check out his music.

Bleu Edmondson

After the show we were listening to some of Clayton’s new songs for his upcoming album out at the truck when Bleu stopped by to chat. He said one of the local bar owners had told him to stop on by, so he asked if we were all up for some beers. When Bleu Edmondson says, "Let's go make some wrong decisions," you're gonna go.

My only stipulation for him – the man who I’ve never seen a photograph of without a hat and a scruffy beard – was that he had to go in without a hat on so we wouldn’t get mobbed by 18-year-old girls at the dance hall. Deal, he said.

So, we parked in the back where the artists unload, came in the back door and hung out at the small bar in the back. We joked around –he’s actually pretty down to Earth and hilarious, drank beer and chatted about music while a few feet away two dance floors full of college kids danced and sang away as two of his songs came on while we were there. And none of them had a clue he was there.

A night to remember, for sure.

Poll – beards on dudes. Yes or no? Discuss.