I can't get discussion between Jack Reacher and hairdresser

Question

That's a discussion:

Reacher said, “Five bucks? I remember when five bucks got you two hamburgers and the back row of the movies. Plus car fare for her, if you fell out along the way. A shave and a haircut was two bits.” “Was that an homage?” “What?” “Did you say that deliberately?” “Sometimes I let things out by accident, but generally only one syllable at a time.” “Therefore you said it deliberately. It was an homage. You were building the energy.

My first two questions are:

1. Why it was homage. As I understand, homage is showing respect, but I can't see it from Reacher's words
2. What does it mean "building the energy"?

Answer 1

Quoting wikipedia:

"Shave and a Haircut" and the associated response "two bits" is a seven-note musical call-and-response couplet, riff or fanfare popularly used at the end of a musical performance, usually for comedic effect. It is used melodically or rhythmically, for example as a door knocker.
"Two bits" is a term in the United States and Canada for 25 cents, equivalent to a U.S. quarter.

The hairdresser thought that Reacher was paying homage to the famous couplet with his rant. The whole paragraph leading up to the last sentence was "building the energy" for the punchline.