Bar hopping to start the day

Do me a favor before you read this and look at our "Good Bets" calendar in the middle of the mag. Look under live music.

You see where it says Mike Renick will perform at Last Call at 8 a.m.? That's no typo. He's scheduled to play at 8 a.m.

What, you might ask, is the reason for this strange scenario, one that has a bar musician performing when most of his audience is probably sleeping off a hangover?

Why, what else but Homecoming?

Be prepared if you plan to go out in Cape Girardeau this weekend. The city will be flooded with red and black Homecoming cheer.

Between the Southeast alumni -- myself and countless others -- and the Greeks (not ethnic Greeks, but those who identify themselves with Greek letters), downtown will be the domain of the Homecoming throngs.

This yearly university event presents a strange dichotomy, the kind that almost defines Cape Girardeau's position as one of the oddest college towns I've ever seen. On the one hand, you have the frats and sororities, which cap off a week of service activities by doing things like hitting the bars starting at 8 a.m. to get a good, healthy drunk on.

How they make it to midnight and beyond we'll never know.

Disclaimer: By no means am I saying all Greeks do this. I'm sure there are plenty who don't even drink, like the rest of the population.

You'll see them all over the place, probably starting tonight. And you'll know who they are -- the guys and gals having probably more fun than anyone else, because for at least one weekend, they own the town.

Or do they?

Back to the strange dichotomy: While the Greeks are out doing their Homecoming thing, an untold number of Southeast alumni will flood the town, many of them bringing their families for some clean, wholesome fun. They'll do things like check out the Homecoming parade and the football game. On Sunday they'll make the short trip to the River Campus for the grand opening. Some will even be retirees.

Those who chose to see Rodney Carrington Saturday night should hope they left their kids home, unless they want to be answering a lot of unwanted questions about the birds and the bees. Keep in mind the concert is R-rated, folks.

So, at the same time Cape Girardeau will be a town of drunk, fun-loving young people and sober, fun-loving older people with families, seeking family entertainment instead of smoky bars.

But hey, isn't that just another day in Cape Girardeau, a town where family entertainment rules, but college kids still manage to let loose?

Message to the Greeks: Since you're getting started so early, maybe you can work in an extra one for me.