4/20/19

Hickoids were back up in Denton with Hammel and Slobberbone at Dans Silverleaf. Since Denton is on the opposite side of the DFW metroplex it feels really far no matter how clear the roads are... the distance practically doubles when you make the drive home, after the show, late late at night. 

We were last, Hammel was first. He did basically the same set as the night before. That is not a complaint. That fucker is still killing it after all of these years. Still at the top of his game. No way to complain about that. 

Slobberbone did the same in the middle slot. KILLIN IT!! 

Since it’s their hometown club the majority of folks there were out to see them. So by the time we went on it was pretty thin... that happened last year when we played there with them. Oh well. It’s not like we are gonna cheat on our set and play half assed. Too dumb to know how. 

Near the end we did “Canada” and half way through I noticed a woman with a Rush shirt on! After she told me she was VERY happy. They love that Canadian rock everywhere! 

4/19/19

Last night the Hickoids were at the Buzzmill in San Marcos. We were last on a bill of three. I got there after Hammel On Trial had already started. He was second....  chronic I tell ya. 

Hammel did his usual kill it thing. That dude is a machine, his right arm is a fucking piston. Pretty amazing.  And it’s been that way for 25+ years!!

We went up and had a pretty wild set. Nothing specific happened, it was just one of those totally unhinged shows that goes all over the place and (somehow) still stays focused.  We do that. 

And speaking of stuff we do, we ended the night with “The New Canadian Leaf Leaf Rag”. Five Canadian rock tunes mashed together in a ridiculous way. We haven’t played it live since we were in Canada last year and we kinda pulled it off with no major fuckups. 

Dentin tomorrow! 

4/13/19

Had a last minute show the other night, Hickoids at the Texas Music Ranch. It’s a place way east Austin and there was a local band fest going on, we were second to last and it was cold as hell outside, where we were playing. 

There were about a dozen people there to watch the show... that is the unfortunate reality when it’s 45 degrees out and it was 80 the day before. Don’t know how they paid for this. Not really my problem. Mine was freezing fingers. 

We got there and Amplified Heat was on. That’s a name I’ve seen for years and somehow I’ve never seen them play. Those dudes were great! Really impressive stuff.  And they have a shitton of gear! It was crazy. I loved it!

We went on and did as good as we could... it’s hard to play when it’s that cold. The wind kicked up and It cut right through ya. It’s not easy keeping time when you are shaking off a fresh chill. 

Anyway we finished up and got the fuck out of there!  There’s heat at home!

4/3/19

Another Sahara/Bigfoot/Danny/Pinkus first Wednesday of the month. That is some sentence.

Of course I showed up right when Pinkus was finishing.... chronic. I can’t make an opener. It’s something I’m trying to accept but I do not like it at all...

Danny had a rough start. Apparently before Pinkus went up there was a band that needed eight vocal mics(!?!?!?!?) and for some reason they rewired the PA (also !?!?!?!?....)   They played a lengthy instrumental medley while this guy put the PA back in to working shape. Man... what a pain in the ass. It’s a good thing they have so many tunes they can throw in to cover when shit like that happens. That band is deep!

Our set was really solid. We actually had a chance to rehearse the other day so we could work out some of the finer points, it really helped.  I go from not wanting to play something at all to “can we do that one again?” in no time.  

We aren’t doing May, but we will be back Wednesday, June 5, lookout!

3/30/19

The San Antonio night of the Hickoids anniversary was at the Bang Bang Bar!

This place is pretty sweet.  Big club and not stuck in some corner in some busy part of town. 

We missed the first band.... and only caught a few of the Next’s set.  Sometimes that drive is longer than you think...

But we did catch all of the Beaumonts!!  Almost the same set as the last time I saw them. But they ended with the Bowie AND the Melvins!  I got extra lucky, the “Ice Cream” song was dedicated to me!!

There is a good chance I could eat all of that ice cream.  At a minimum I’m up for the challenge. 

Our set was pretty damn good. If I’m being picky (and I am...) not quite as unhinged as the night before but pretty sweet.  The only guests were Wade, Tommy, Arthur Hayes for one and Odie replaced me on three. 

I had to run back home ASAP so I didn’t get much of a chance for post show bullshitting.... It’s not all parties ya know. 

3/29/19

Hickoids at the Lost Well last night. It was our 35th anniversary show.... uhhh what?!?!?!  Yup. I honestly can’t remember how long I’ve been in the band. Somewhere in the ten to twelve year range... before I started writing this blog.  

Anyway, typical of me I missed the first band and got there while Mean Motor Scooter was on.  They fucking killed it. Never seen them before and I can’t wait to see them again! They also seemed like a sweet bunch of folks. 

Gringo’s were next. Another fine set of Gringo goodness. 

Then it was us. It was the current lineup, Lance, Cody, Tom, Patrick, Smitty and me. Jacob Schultz played the whole time with us so there were two keyboards and three guitars the whole time!! We were fucking massive. 

Wade Driver got up, Walter Daniels got up. Jonnie Hell (he was the first drummer I played with in the Hickoids!!) and Tommy Rowsey as well. I got to play with ALL of them! 

Lance and I were subbed out for two songs by Hunter Darby and Steve Mccarthy. I had no idea what tunes they were doing until Hunter told me.... “I was hoping to do longer songs to give you guys more of a break!”  I told him I was thrilled I didn’t have to play that fucking Eagles song...

Anyway we ended it with Truck/Donkey, it was a beautiful, drunken love fest. And one hell of a good time.  And  part two is tonight in San Antonio!

3/16/19

Late late!....  oh well. Took a long time to recover from the big festival. Even though I didn’t do that much I kept busy every day. And since I am a very lazy man this is a couple of weeks late!

Swishin at the ‘04 lounge. Ususally this is a gig I look forward to. Hicks (and the ladies/Bantam) have played it a bunch over the years. Generally it’s loads of happy folks having fun with great people working it. I guess half of that is ok?

Bar staff was terrible! Three people working and only one was serving anyone with any regularity. The “non-servers” were acting like they were doing you a huge fucking favor IF they looked your way....  That didn’t mean you were gonna get served but they might look at you. 

It’s the busiest week of the year for bars in Austin, guess they already made enough and said fuck it. 

Anyway we were on after Dinola, I loved their set. They’d played earlier, somewhere in town so they were way warmed up and it showed!

We played the best set we’ve had in a while. I like playing right there on the floor with all the people walking by you.  And some good person waded through the surly bar staffs bullshit and bought me beer!!! He must have gotten it from the one dude who was actually working.  

And that was it. The last day of the big festival. Anniversary shows are next!