3/1/19

Double billin last night in Lafayette. The Swish and the Hick mostly ready to bring it. 

We were at the Freetown Boom Boom Room. And we barely got there before the first band started.  

The traffic was awful along the I-10 corridor. Felt like battle most of the way.  I punched through Houston and Lance took a bad shift in a traffic jam near the TX/LA border. That shit took forever.  

Cool little joint with a nice crowd. Not massive but active!  And they let you bring your drinks outside to the street!!!  Of course there is a police camera on the pole across the street. They let you be free but they want a record if anything goes bad. And they charge bands full price for beer....

We Are The Asteroid  were on second. I thought we had a couple of shows with them this trip but last night was it. Don’t know what I was thinking. They fucking whipped it. No shocker. 

The swish set was ok. I’d been busy climbing a pile of personal bullshit for the last couple of weeks (last year and a half really, but it ratcheted up in a big way these last couple of weeks) so I was way out of practice.  Fortunately I had a little whiskey and beer and it give me the courage to play loud and dumb in my short shorts.  

Hicks were next Cody couldn’t make the first couple of days of this so Tom Rowsey filled in.  He’s been fired twice from the band already so he kinda knows the set.  

Swishin in New Orleans tomorrow! 

2/24/19

Sunday night!....  a little hard to drum up the excitement. We were ready to play but you could tell before we headed out it was gonna be a slow night at The Mohawk. 

We were last of three The Beautiful Delilah’s were on first. Followed by another band of Walters, Polarizado. It was their CD release.  

As I loaded in the first bit of my stuff in to the club, Two dudes were with the door guy, $10 cover. For three bands with barely any pull.... One of the guys said “That’s ok, we don’t even know who those bands are.”  

Right on the nose. 

Anyway the show was fun. All three of the sets were solid, but my guess is there were five people who paid, so it wasn’t exactly the kinda night where the crowd pushed the bands over the top. Oh well. 

1/4/19

We had a swishifyin time at the Empire Control room last Friday night.  It was free week so no one paid to get in...  but it worked!  Loads of people there for every band. I even think we got paid?! Should that be every week? 

We went up in the middle of five, inside.  Thank god it wasn’t outside. My shorts are shorter than ever and I’d be freezing my ass off. The set was pretty hot. We’d never played for that many people before and we were all pretty amped to rock them. We did. Smiling faces looking up at us the whole set. We were loving it. 

Beautiful night. 

1/2/19

It was cold and damp as hell Wednesday night. A day and a half of nonstop rain and it was in the 30s all day, I knew the Sahara would be dead. I didn’t know that all they have for heat is a few space heaters and window units set to heat instead of cool. They don’t really help much when it’s summer and they blow “cold” but I can deal with sweating... I moved to Texas for a reason.  That damp cold made it fucking miserable in there. 

Danny did his usual killing it. He was playing through an amp that was a pedal (?!) and a speaker cabinet. Pretty cool setup. Technology touches everything nowadays. 

I wore a jacket for most of our set. We played everything too fast and we were sloppy as hell. I think we wanted to get it over and get home and warm. Which we eventually did. 

Looking forward to next month when I hope there is a heatwave. Lord. 

12/22/18

We swished it up the other night in San Antonio. Joined at the Bang Bang Bar by our buddies from Bend, Dr Green Dreams and Austin’s own We Are The Asteroid.  

The drive down was nice and easy. The Holliday slump had traffic moving fast down the 35 corridor. Of course that means the crowd was guaranteed to be thin. Ehhhh.  I was still ready to kill it. 

The Green Dreams crew tore it up. Different drummer than when we played with them back when were on tour. I think he is based in Houston. Didn’t really have a chance to talk to him to find out...  but he complimented their style in a really nice way. 

We were next and had a good set. Not the best but solid. Had some folks up at the front for some of it and we rocked them all the way down the gangplank.  

I missed the asteroid.... had to head home to take care of a dog that was cooped up in the house too long!!!  Wish I’d stayed but we’ve got some shows with them coming up in Louisiana around carnival time. I’ll get to see them plenty then!

12/21/18

Hickoids were in Houston last night. 

Fitzgerald’s is closing?!!!!  Zeldas too... talk about the end of an era. I played both back when I was only a solo act. Twenty plus years ago...  first place they ever miced the stage to make my stomp extra loud.  It’s gonna be gone....

There were bands upstairs and down. I showed up when Texicali was on. The Beaumont’s were after and Dash Rip Rock after them. Hicks last. 

 I dug all the sets I saw. Ours was not so hot...  it’s how it goes. We haven’t rehearsed much with all of us in the same room over last few weeks.  

Oh well. We gave them what we could and they seemed to like it.  

Gonna miss that joint.  

12/5/18

Another late-ass post...

Bigfoot at the Sahara with Danny B, again.  

Kinda the same as the other months we’ve done this, pretty sweet “problem” to have.  Playing in a band you love, in has a sweet monthly gig at a cool club. AND a world class guitar player opens for us and likes us!!

That become reality and it’s kinda weird how you can get acclimated to it. Something absolutely amazing becomes commonplace and part of your normal life. 

I could just be a spoiled child...jury’s still out.