"We park out back, behind the creek," we heard the last time we hit the Red Balloon, a strip-mall joint in one of those patches of Johnson County that, spiritually, was ceded to Wyandotte County 15 years ago. "That way, you don't have to drive up 75th. Cops are watching, you know?" The human animal romps untamed at the Red Balloon, a smoky pit packed with troublemakers so lit up and primal, you wonder why management doesn't just junk the tables and lay down some newspaper. But this rough crowd's cool, giving it up for anyone who kicks some ass on the mic. Every night of the week, Ballooners belt Kid Rock, "November Rain" and -- with ringing two-part harmony -- "Seven Bridges Road." You'll be treated to generous pours and the thickest songbook in town. You'll hear passion and fire but not "Fire and Rain." You'll down the 32-ounce schooners (still less than $5!) so quickly, you'll wish you had parked out back.
