3/18/22

 The season is upon us…

No mater what the endemic thinks, sxsw is happening and we are diving in face first.  

Hicks were down in Hunter at Rileys last night with the Beaumonts and They are Deadly. I was pretty excited about this show. Of course I love the Beaumonts but I’m also a huge fan of a few of the “Deadly” folks and I was excited to finally get to see them. 

But the day job got in the way and I made it to the club when we were setting up…

Fortunately there was a bass rig ready so I just got up and started.  Our set was decent, a little all over the place but we rocked the crowd and gave them the goods. 

I hung for a little bit and talked with a few folks out back, but it quickly became time to run so…

9/15/19

On Sunday the trio played Riley’s for the Beaumont’s Sunday brunch. A very high class and reverent affair, filled with the best of the best. Only the finest. 

We went on second and had a solid set. As Lance said “not inspired but solid as hell”   He summed up what I was thinking before I could articulate it. Fair enough! 

Beaumont’s were on it. This is their regular monthly now and folks show up and are ready for it. No need to sing a song two or three times, the crowd sang when they were supposed to unprompted. 

I even got “Not As Cool As Jesus” dedicated to me!! I left happy as hell after they finished. I love those dudes. 

5/19/19

The Beaumont’s invited the Hickoids out to play their Sunday brunch at Riley’s last Sunday.  The place was  packed considering how fucking hot and humid it was. Summer has finally come to Central Texas.  

Wild Bill was up when I got there.  They were killing it. But I stayed inside, the swamp cooler made it a little nicer than the world outside.  

We went up, plated for about an hour. It was a sweat fest but pretty fun. At one point were doing the medley and  during  the break at the end of “Butfuck Junction” a train whistle blew thirty yards from where we were playing.  Surreal. 

Beaumont’s went up last. I was fried and sat inside near the door facing the stage. I made it three tunes and headed home. 

Old man was whipped. 

12/9/17

One more before the year is up. it’s also late and hell... life’s been getting dramatic and all over me. 

Hickoids were playing Riley’s with the Beaumont’s and Spider Mike.  It was cold as hell out in the country. 

I made he drive in my noisy ass truck, but I made it down there easy. The access road was lined with cars at the exit. Families all ready to go to a three acre chunk of land with Christmas lights on it. They might have had a Santa in there, I’m betting it wasn’t worth it for anyone involved in any capacity.  

Mike stated after I loaded in. His new act had a lot of slide in it.  All is good. 

Our set was decent, the stage is really too small for the size amps we use. And the jumping around, Tom and I kept running into each other. And then there is Smitty... Fucker is all over the place. 

Beaumont’s were killing it but I still took off right after “Not As Cool As Jesus” aka the greatest song in the world!!! Those guys, I fucking love them. 

Next year is comin soon!!

3/13/15

Hickoids were out at Riley's last night. We opened for the Beaumonts to a small and somewhat enthusiastic crowd. I got there after a quick 45 minute drive. Traffic was only messy through the downtown Austin area. Friday night, the first day of spring break and the weekend before the music portion of SXSW. It's the calm before the storm.

Our set was ok. We haven't practiced or played for a couple of weeks and it showed. Riley's isn't a rock club, so we can't play as loud as we usually do. It's weird playing at half throttle.

We finished up and the Beaumonts went on. A fair amount of people showed up for them. I caught the first two numbers an took off for home. That was a mistake...

Fifteen minutes in to the drive 35 was a three lane parking lot that eventually tapered off to one row of cars on the shoulder. It took an hour to go a half mile and two hours to get home. Could have been worse. The truck that had us blocked was crumpled in half and facing the wrong direction. I didn't enjoy the extra time on the drive, but it was better than that.

10/19/13

HIcks and the Beaumonts at Riley's. When you make the drive down to Hunter TX you turn right by the "Zone de Erotic" on I-35 to get there. It's about the mid point between Austin and SA. Nice and easy.

We loaded up and played our "country" set. It's not a big arty city's rock and roll club. It's a roadhouse out in the sticks. Leave the punk rock for the next show. We played ok and had a few high points and then we started "Truck".

Smitty picked up five $2 cowboy hats and five pairs of $1 sunglasses at a Halloween store and in the breakdown we put them on and became the Beaumonts! It was glorious. Smitty was waving his hands around and singing just like Troy Wayne. He had all of the Beaumonts were laughing their asses off. Probably the funniest thing I've ever seen on stage.

It's pretty hard to top that so we wrapped it up and the Lads from central Lubbock took over. They'd whipped about half way through their set when I decided to head for home.

Smitty told me they played "Drinkin" and Troy Wayne took his shirt off on the last song like they were Hickoids. I'm not sure If I believe him, but I figured I'd better put it in this post anyway. If it happened I missed some serious gold. If not I hope it happens soon!

5/3/13

Friday night in Hunter Texas, Yeah! Riley's Tavern has been around since 1933. It's like a lot of joints out in the country, cool as hell. I was playing twice (Ladies and Hickoids) and the Beaumonts were finishing things off.

The Ladies and I were on first. We are an excellent opener... and talented and lovely and...
We kicked some ass.

Hickoids were next. It was the calmest Hickoids set ever. Smitty is playing a lot of guitar and it cuts down on his ability to bounce around. It also saves me from getting fucked with continually, so it's not a bad thing.

I loaded up the truck and ran back inside to get drunk for the Beaumonts. God I love them. At midnight (during last call) the crowd was still pretty thick and they kept going, even after the soundman turned off the PA! Instrumental Ace of Spades. Beautiful.