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Here's
the 2003 recap: ... the SPOT ODYSSEY!
With
Irma in a questionable state the year was spent way too close to home
for my comfort. Even though she was still driveable I felt reluctant to
commit her to a serious road expedition—until the late summer, that
is. Ya see, earlier in the year I got a new '82 Corolla with 57,000 almost
perfect miles on it for free! Welcome Emily-E to the stable! Imagine...
two Toyotas that both share the same drivetrain. But this new one has
working AC/heat! By the end of the year, after replacing some worn steering
components (not unusual for 20+ years of strictly in-town use, despite
the low mileage) she was ready to head out on the big trek. No problems
at all! Hooray!
January 4— The Parlor • Austin,
TX
I had been doing this gig every saturday night
since October and it was really great (except for those nights when no one
showed up... but we won't talk about that). After this particular show I
decided to step down from my throne and let some other folks do the saturday
night slot for awhile. But not to worry; as Arnie says, I'll be bauhk! It's
a great place with terrific pizza and a good beer selection.
Come to think of it, I think I'm still owed a coupla pizzas from past nights.
Yeehah!!
February
28— MacHenry's Upstairs • Fort Worth, TX
I
had always wanted to do a festival eve gig and here it was!
Traditionally, friday of the NTIF weekend is that heady evening when performers,
friends and festival staff convene at the host hotel ready to socialize,
session and unwind. It's a great mood and there are usually some local
shows that night as well. Well, ours was in Ft. Worth but it didn't stop
some folks from coming over from Dallas. It was a lot of fun and it gave
me and Albert Alfonso a chance to "acid test" some new tunes
and arrangements, if you know what I mean.
March
1-2— NORTH TEXAS IRISH FESTIVAL
• Dallas, TX
The MacHenry's gig the night before really paid
off!
All in all, I behaved myself pretty well this year. No hangover performances,
no lingering tales of things I did but didn't remember (but I did get
pretty shnockered sunday night when it was all over!). This year I was
booked as a duo with Mr. Alfonso. It was pretty damned interesting and
we definitely played some things that were "outside of the box"
but I think it worked. And, fortunately, I managed not to clam up too
badly on "Mayfield's Jig"—the new composition dedicated
to Curtis himself. It's always a bit of a worry debuting a new original
tune at such a festival but there's no substitute for that feeling of
accomplishment.
March 13— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
This was a "non-official"
show right smack in the middle of that damn "schmoozing debacle"
that happens here every year. Y'know, people who think they're gonna get
a fuckin' record contract or a glimpse of someone who "was kicked
off the island"? I said it once, I'll say it again: FUCK THE MUSIC
CONFERENCE BIZ!!!!!
At least this year Jenn at Lovejoy's threw a wingding
featuring all the musical employees at the bar. It was me and Heather
Bishop and Blair and Charlie's Holy Happy Hour and Russell
the brewmaster's band and Eric the webmaster's band.
Yeah, we don't just brew good beer and tell ya good stories and make sure
ya get your sorry ass into a cab when you've had enough... we sometimes
sing about it!!
Strangely, while standing out front of the bar waiting to play, I had
a chance meeting with someone from my past who was promoting some punk
rock book. I have to give people like this a hard time! I ain't mentioning
names here yet but later that night I realized that we knew each other.
Talk about yer ships passing in a 20-year night!
March 17— Opal Devine's • Austin, TX
Another year, another
St. Paddy's Day Fest. This year it didn't get smothered by that aforementioned
yearly Schmooz debacle! It was a fine affair and let's hear it for Ms.
Nicky with those snazzy greenie pants! Fine girl y'are!
June 21—Room 710 • Austin, TX
Owing to the fact that I had once worked on one
of Ed Hall's recordings (way back in the day when I did that sort
of thing) and owing to the fact that the band rehearsed for their reunion
gig at the studio where I was wrestling with a new recording by the band
The Lusties (way back in the days when I did that sort of thing
again) and owing to the fact that there was a lot of good, ol' fashioned
cheap beer—the kind that comes outta a can—during those moments
of crossing paths between a studio, control room, bathroom, refrigerator,
lounge area, hallway, parking lot, etc, there was no way I could say no or even think of saying no. Sometimes
good ideas can't hold a candle to the bad ideas. So when the Ed Hall(night
long)ers asked me to dust off the fiddola and join them on stage for a
recreation of the song "Deth" I simply said yeth. That was a
good idea. And then the good ideas went bad... which was better.
July
17— Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse
• Austin, TX
This
is one of my favorite haunts. I had been a partner in a similar venture
(since '98) but before my coffeehouse went under in late '02 I had begun
to install myself at the counter here. A man needs a place he can go,
get away from worries at hand and just think into a cup o joe with a bagel
on the side. I had known Leslie, the owner, since the mid '90s when she
worked at the Magnolia Cafe. When she asked me to play a show there it
didn't take any thinking on my part to say YES! Of course, it had been
since March that I had faced an audience. All in all, a kinda rusty, awkward
performance. But hell, I wasn't afraid!
August
22— Rudyard's • Houston, TX
This
was one night of the club's 25th anniversary celebration weekend. I hope
they have 25 more years! Headliners were Pong (composed of members
from the old Ed Hall) and das Meat Purveyors (on the Bloodshot
label; i mixed one of their albums a few years ago). All in all, a great,
fun show!
In
a fit of frustration and/or ambition, I threw myself out on the road for
a short 2-part tour in the late summer (driving Irma; Emily-E wasn't ready).
The first part I booked around the Upland Breakdown. The second leg was
originally supposed to be me and Albert A. We had been offered a slot
on a Celtic festival in Philadelphia the weekend after the Jackson festival.
Why not tour our way out there, eh? But then the Philly deal somehow dematerialized
(after it seemed pretty definite. oh, the humanity...) so I opted to do
those shows myself:
August
27— Kirby's Beer Store • Wichita, KS
August 28— Larimer Lounge • Denver, CO
August 29— Climax Lounge • Denver, CO
August 30— Upland Breakdown • Centennial, WY
August 31— Aggie Theater • Ft. Collins, CO
Sept.
4— Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse • Austin, TX
Sept. 5-7— CelticFest • Jackson, MS
Sept. 8— Aroma's Coffeehouse • Florence, AL
Sept. 10— The E.A.R.L. • Atlanta, GA
Sept.
18— Sweetish Hill • Austin, TX
Here
was a good fluke. This bakery cafe offered me a gig an hour before it
was to start since, at the last minute, the previously scheduled performer
dropped out. It was one of those background music gigs playing whatever
I felt like, however I felt like. No p.a. or singin' required; all I needed
to do was play. Just PLAY!
Nov
1-2 — Austin Celtic Festival • Austin, TX
Yep,
once again I did the gig with Albert Alfonso. And, of course, this year
Liz Carroll, John Williams
and John Doyle were the headliners. Geeezzz... it doesn't get much better
than this! Three of the finest (and did I say greatest?) Irish musicians
and composers who have ever walked the face of this or any other planet.
And, being the Chicago sports enthusiast she is, Ms. Carroll had been
present at the infamous 6th game of the National League playoffs. We did
indeed get to talk about it!
And
here was the last tour... notably, the first with Emily-E. She performed
flawlessly, and did I mention she has a kick ass heater?:
11/21—Beerland
• Austin, TX
11/22—66 Bowl • Oklahoma City, OK
11/23—Kirby's Beer Store • Wichita, KS
11/24—Eighth Street Taproom • Lawrence, KS
11/25—Frederick's Music Lounge • St. Louis, MO
11/26—The Hideout • Chicago, IL
11/27—Thanksgiving Dinner in Milwaukee!
11/28—Mother Fool's Coffeehouse • Madison, WI
11/30—The Mill • Iowa City, IA
12/3—Davey's Uptown • Kansas City, MO
12/5—Aggie Theater • Ft. Collins, CO
12/6—Beartree Tavern • Centennial, WY
12/7—The Buckhorn • Laramie, WY
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