Nini: "So, the next day in class, Ricky and I shared with everyone our idea for booking the Blues Brothers to the 'End of the Year' show. We did a ton of research last night and, as it turns out, there's still a Blues Brothers band performing at the House of Blues restaurant in Chicago."
Ricky: "And we placed a call to the restaurant manager – his name's Eduardo – and, unfortunately, he says that the band isn't accepting long-distance gigs."
-----------------------
"Well, didn't you tell this 'Eduardo' what the gig was for: a non-profit, end-of-the-school-year performance show?" Miss Jenn asked.
Nini shrugged. "We were too embarrassed to say."
"It is non-profit, which is an immediate deal breaker," Ricky admitted.
"So much for that idea," E.J. said. "What do we do now?"
Miss Jenn looked on E.J., a little offended by his give-up attitude. Ever the driven one, she declared, "We are still getting the Blues Brothers here and on that stage. I'm going to Chicago myself and bringing them to Salt Lake, even if I have to drag them by their fedoras!"
Her declaration ensued some applause from some of the Wildcats, particularly Carlos, Seb, Ashlyn, and Kourtney. Carlos was most of all inspired to tell Miss Jenn, "You're not going to do it alone. I'm going with you."
Miss Jenn was touched by his offering. "Aw, honey. I can't ask you to..."
"I'm going, too!" Ashlyn stepped forward.
"You can count me in!" Kourtney followed.
Then the rest of the class followed, save for E.J., Ricky, and Seb – each of whom provided specific reasons for being unable to go along on this bold class excursion:
"I've got to make sure my dad is cool with it," Ricky said.
"I've got to see if I have any off days I can take from my job," E.J. said.
"And I've got to see if the farm will be well-tended," Seb said.
In spite of their hesitation and engagements, they were able to make the necessary provisions to allow their field trip to Chicago. Miss Jenn forwarded the idea over to Acting Principal Bluth, who was more than willing to fund the trip, much to the amazement (and skepticism) of Miss Jenn and the Wildcats.
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Carlos: "Is it just me or does Mr. Bluth want us to get the Blues Brothers to our school more than Miss Jenn does?"
Kourtney: "Something is very sus about that man."
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Two days later, the drama club arrived in Chicago via three-hour plane ride. Despite being there for business instead of fun, that didn't stop them from taking in much of the city sights on a shuttle bus. After all, they had to do a bit of sightseeing to find the House of Blues venue.
Their search brought them to the slums of Chicago – a rougher-than-anticipated community that was predominantly African-American and Puerto Rican. There were a lot of gang-ridden territories, claimed by the spray-painted callsigns along the outside walls of rundown, abandoned zones.
"Everybody keep your personal belongings close to you," Miss Jenn guardedly advised, clinging tighter onto her purse.
Eventually, they found House of Blues at one corner of the slums.
The establishment looked worse for wear with one of the windows boarded up (possibly due to looters), the neon sign flickering without purpose and loudly buzzing like a bug zapper, and a few vagrants loitering outside to beg to the occasional passerby.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Big Red uttered as he looked over the property.
"This is where our 'legends' perform?" Kourtney scornfully asked.
"I smell pee – fresh pee!" Ashlyn indicated, doing everything in herself not to vomit. "I think it's coming from...Ugh, yep...That homeless guy over there is urinating near that stop sign!"
"I'm cool with pretending we were never here," E.J. said. "Anyone else?"
It seemed as if most of them were in agreement and ready to leave the slums before ever stepping foot in the House of Blues. And then, Miss Jenn spoke up, "Guys! We've come this far! We're not gonna let a little pee get in our way, are we?"
There was still much disgust and uncertainty in the Wildcats.
It wasn't until Ricky bravely stepped out of the shuttle bus and walked up to the building that everyone else was motivated to do the same.
Entering the House of Blues venue, they discovered it to be just as derelict on the inside.
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E.J.: "You know that show Bar Rescue? Well, let's just say Jon Taffer wouldn't have enough rage in himself to fix this place!"
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As Miss Jenn and the Wildcats took in the putrid odorous mixture of cigarette smoke and bar nuts, they were soon approached by a Puerto Rican man with a goatee and a toothpick hanging from his mouth. He was dressed exactly like a Blues Brother with his black fedora, suit, and sunglasses.
"¡Parar! ¡Parar!" He yelled in his Spanish tongue as he rushed up. He then said in English, "Nobody under 18 allowed!"
Ricky and Nini recognized the man's voice. "Eduardo?" the former identified.
Eduardo glanced at him questionably. "Do I know you?"
"We talked over the phone – my name's Ricky."
"Ohh, yeah! The Mormon kids!"
"Well, we're not..."
"You mean to tell me you mendigos still came all this way, even after I told you 'No'?" Eduardo let out the heartiest of laughs, giving Ricky a friendly (albeit very hard) pat on his shoulder. "¡Maldita sea! I respect that!"
"Mr. Eduardo..." Nini addressed.
"Please, querida. Call me 'Ed'."
"Ed, you never told us you were a Blues Brother," Nini said.
"The last hard-working one in existence, babe," Ed proudly professed.
Ricky began to get a little upset. "That's not what you told us over the phone. You said the entire band still performed here."
Ed shrugged and dismissively admitted, "I lie, kid. Whaddya expect?"
"But...why?" Miss Jenn asked. "Why lie to these kids about such a thing?"
"Look around you, lady," Ed indicated his shack of a joint. "It's tough these days to find real work since the Blues Brothers went their separate ways. I'm sorry you and your niños came all this way for nothin', but you're welcome to stay and enjoy our next show. Just bear in mind, we don't sell no Aquafina, Red Bull, or whatever it is you kids drink these days."
Ed guided them to the nearest available booth – although pretty much all booths were available. Miss Jenn and the Wildcats hesitated to sit, as the seats were as worn and sticky as the table. She tried to make light of the situation by pointing out, "One Blues Brother is better than none."
"Miss Jenn, it's over," Ricky said. "We can't ask Ed to perform any less than ask him to give up running this 'palace'."
Finally admitting defeat, Miss Jenn sighed. "Well...since we're here...anyone want to order anything? My treat."
Carlos could barely pry open the decades-old menu. "Yeah, that's a hard pass."
"Don't worry, hijo," Ed told Carlos. "The only thing I'd recommend you to try is the Caldo Santo. The recipe's been in my family for centuries and is muy fantástico!"
They briefly considered Ed's recommendation before the House of Blues emcee emerged onstage and announced to the few patrons in the club, "Alright, ladies and gents! It's that time again! The only real reason you all came to this dainty lil' club of ours: to see the finest pair of performers this side of the Windy City. Put them hands up for the lovely Juliet and big bad El-J! They are...THE BLUES!"
There was scattered applause as two individuals replaced the emcee onstage.
One was a woman with long blonde hair; her clothes looked unkempt with a loose necktie and an untucked white blouse with an unbuttoned collar. She wore them with a black jacket, black leather pants, black high-heeled boots, a black fedora, and sunglasses to complete her more modern and feminine take on the "Blues Brother" look.
The other was a tall, brawny black man who kept to the classic Blues Brothers apparel, just like Eduardo, minus the toothpick.
Their presence onstage baffled Miss Jenn and the Wildcats.
"Wait," Ricky addressed Ed. "I thought you said the Blues Brothers disbanded."
"Do those look like Blues Brothers to you?" Ed posed to him.
Only a second after they came up onstage, Juliet and El-J burst into their performance with a rousing tune that woke up most of the sleeping patrons and even got the vagrants outside on their feet...
JULIET:
Well it's too long living in the same old lives
I feel too cold to live, too young to die
EL-J:
Will you walk the line, like it's there to choose?
Just forget the wit, it's the best to use
Won't you follow me into the jungle (Yeah)
Ain't no god on my streets in the heart of the jungle (Oh Lord child)
Won't you follow me into the jungle (Yeah)
Ain't no god on my streets in the heart of the jungle (Oh Lord child)
Won't you follow me into the jungle
JULIET:
I lost my mind, in the city of lights
In the backstreets bills in the neon lights
EL-J:
When I heard the thunder, I could feel the rain
It's the same religion (Oh Lord), just a different name (Oh Lord)
JULIET AND EL-J:
Won't you follow me into the jungle (Yeah)
Ain't no god on my streets in the heart of the jungle (Oh Lord child)
Won't you follow me into the jungle (Yeah)
Ain't no god on my streets in the heart of the jungle (Oh Lord child)
Won't you follow me into the jungle
Juliet and El-J's high-energy performance was exactly what the decrepit venue needed. The outside vagrants and even some gang members – willing to put aside their differences – stepped in just to watch these new-age Blues Brothers performers. The men whistled predominantly for Juliet, who moved flirtatiously along the stage, twerking her booty and rubbing her hand up and down her body.
"They're amazing!" Miss Jenn approved. "A little inappropriate, but amazing!"
"I don't get it, Ed," Nini said. "Why didn't you tell us about them?"
"Juliet and El-J got no interest in living up to the legend of their father, Elwood Blues," Ed explained. "They mostly keep to performing strictly here at the House...unless there's 10G involved."
Suddenly, Miss Jenn blurted, "We got 10G!"
Everyone, including Carlos, shot her a stunned look. "No, we don—!" Carlos began to say, only to be cut off when Miss Jenn elbowed him in the gut.
Heavily motivated, Eduardo told her, "¡Ahora estamos hablando! I'll run it by Juliet and El-J tonight. I'll call you in the morning when we've come to a verdict." He was so thrilled over this deal that he offered to Miss Jenn and the Wildcats, "The Caldo Santo is on the house!"
After Eduardo left to get the food, the students confronted Miss Jenn on her fib.
"Miss Jenn, with all due respect, but what are you thinking?!" Kourtney asked.
"None of us have $10,000!" Gina said.
"I don't think even the school can afford $10,000!" Ashlyn surmised.
"Look, guys, I know I went way in over my head on this one, but we'll come out alright just like we did after the Menkies and when I faked my résumé," Miss Jenn reassured.
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Carlos: "Those are terrible examples and only make me more terrified of what Miss Jenn has gotten us into. This is 10G we're talking about! Who knows what the Blues will do when they find out we don't have it! Did you see them? They look like professional hitmen...and hitwoman!"