“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!”~ Bob Marley
After nearly having a breakdown over something so small and stupid, the evening was just what the doctor had ordered.
Being that the 7th of March was the beginning of the SXSW Festival it was about to be one hell of a night. Question would remain: what side of hell would I be on when the night was over?
Sufficed to say that I am still alive and small and stupid went away and I conquered the insecurity with the medicinal aid of nothing other than music. LIVE music.
I saw Wellborn Road once before in Houston last year and I remember feeling that blast of energy and I remembered them being high voltage music. And that’s what I want. That’s what I need. Especially last night.
Music so good that it makes you forget that your boyfriend is humping both your mom and sister on the side. But I’ll digress.
Taking that long bus trip has becoming less of an ordeal now that I have made that trip at least a dozen times in the last twelve months. It is long, it just doesn’t seem so long any more.
Trying to figure out where to get off the bus is the biggest issue.
I made it to Red Eye Fly but only after seeing a number of “celebrities” such as Kevin Bacon and Matthew McConaughey. If you remember what happened with McConaughey from an earlier post… you’ll understand my being nervous when I simply strolled right by him.
I had bigger fish to fry. And I was several blocks away from it. So I kept moving.
One thing that I keep forgetting about SXSW is it brings out the weird in a lot of women. And what I mean by that, is women dressing in tight tight tight tight clothing and oozing out of their clothes slowly.
So I got to the Red Eyed Fly as was instructed by the flyer that was made and posted on Facebook. But only to find out that the damned place was closed.
Show was at 8. Doors at 7.
It was 7:25 … why? What the hell, Jack?? I bugged two people about it and thought about going home. Until I realized that they may have changed things around a little.
Turns out everything was pushed up an hour. They just didn’t tell the general public. Idiots.
VICIOUS CYCLE
So I get in there finally and I hooked myself up with another Thirsty Goat. After two sips, I knew that this was going to be a mistake. And we still had almost an hour before the show even got started. OOPS!!
Pace yourself, man!! Pace yourself.
I noticed that VICIOUS CYCLE was on the bill. They sounded familiar. And rightfully so as they played the birthday show this year for SIX MINUTE CENTURY guitarist Don LaFon at BFE Rock Club in Houston.
Members of VICIOUS CYCLE were actually beginning to stare at me.
Finally, I spoke with their vocalist and revealed my secret.
They have seen me in Houston so many times that they thought that I lived there and just went to another city to see them play. Ummm…. no. But I do travel. Its just to Houston that I go.
I’m really starting to dig their song called “Shallow” and I don’t know if its just speaking to my soul musically or if its relating to me lyrically or if its both. I just know that I like it. It was a good start to the evening.
And by this time I had one drink and wouldn’t you know it more drinks were being bought for me. Whatever
happened to pacing myself? Dang.
Then already it was time for Wellborn Road to hit the stage.
Again, going by what I learned on Facebook I thought that they were third on the list and then BROKEN TEETH was to finish off the night.
Not the case.
Okay fine. That’s why I am here. Well, that and to finally get a chance to meet Jason McMasters, lead singer to BROKEN TEETH and heavy metal favorites of the 1980’s and 1990’s, DANGEROUS TOYS. But 99% for Wellborn Road.
WELLBORN ROAD – L to R Dale Kahil (bass) Scott Emanis (vocals) Tyler Tracy (guitar)
So here we go. Beers in hand, Devil’s Horns on the other hand and up in the air and time for some good Texas music.
This is what I came for. This is what I had planned for at the last minute, after defeating myself mentally that I couldn’t do it.
From the beginning to the end it was nothing but non-stop entertainment. The world could have blown up and I would have still sat there with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.
Across the state, their fan base is called THE BREW CREW. Well I guess the only thing to say about that is “Cheers!”
It is going to be difficult since I don’t normally drink.
They played my favorite song and that was pretty much the highlight for me. Anything else on the night was just extra sauce.
Lone Star Demons was next on the night and then it was BROKEN TEETH.
By this time Jason McMasters was unloading from his vehicle and when I saw him, I instantly turned back to the times of being younger listening to their cassette and damaging the rewind button for wanting to listen to DT’s “Feels Like A Hammer” and “Queen of the Nile” ohhhhh … those memories.
Chilling with that guy was so cool. And I was so proud of myself that I was able to keep it that way.
At the end of the night I went to say farewell to the members of Wellborn Road. And suddenly it went from fan to buddy. From BREW CREW to family. How freaking cool is that?? I got a huge send off with hugs from Scott Emanis.
What was even better is that the wife of Rusty Conner, found of Lone Star Metal magazine, mentioned that if they could that they would assist in getting me home any time that they are in town for a show. Which helps immensely because its always difficult (or expensive) to get BACK home. Going to the venue is the easy part. So I am grateful for that offer.
I even got to meet face to face a woman named Angela. I had known her from a friend request but she never said anything to me on Facebook, so I let her go. She didn’t realize who I was. Oh well. But it was cool to finally see her face to face. She’s so pretty!
So I’ll leave you with the music video of my favorite song of Wellborn Road. Find them on Facebook if you like it. And tell them Dambreaker sent you!
Dambreaker 