9 August 2014: Pork And Beans with SIX MINUTE CENTURY

“That duck is NOT a puppet!”~ Dr. Froth

It was time again for another episode of “Dambreaker Goes to See SIX MINUTE CENTURY.” and it just seemed like it had been so friggin’ long since the last time I went. I mean, I was there in Houston in May but not for SIX MINUTE CENTURY but I was there to go into the recording studios for the new project by Dr. Froth and Robert Lowe (of Candlemass and Solitute Aeturnus fame.)

This however, was a SIX MINUTE CENTURY journey. And it would be one of the very best times I’ve had while in Houston in a very long time. There was very little to no disappointment in this journey and I was thankful for that.

However I still will take this opportunity to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Dr. Froth & Mikey Lewis of SIX MINUTE CENTURY. When your birthdays arrive, I hope that they are wonderful times for you. Thank you for allowing me to share in the celebrations with you.

I must say that I will be looking for some kind of change. The fact that I am taking the bus back and forth is something that I cannot avoid and therefore I am going to need to change and do something different in order to keep myself from going insane from boredom for 2-3 hours each way. I still do not know how these bus drivers can be so behind schedule when departing and then end up way ahead of schedule when arriving. I can come up with no other theory than they are going way beyond the posted speed limits on the highways.

Nonetheless, I was supposed to arrive in Houston at 10:45 AM, but got there around 10:30 AM instead. After being up since 5:00 AM and not used to that, I was so tired and all I wanted to do was crash in the hotel room and just veg for the rest of the morning and afternoon until it was time to go to the show. But my arrival at the hotel next door was not prepared. The staff knew who I was but they did not have anything ready and they were going to have to make a special request to housekeeping to get them to clean a specific room so that I could check-in and be done with that and then I could rest and go back to sleep.

Sadly, all of that crap took an hour or more to get completed. The person at the front desk said that she specifically placed me into a room that had a mini-fridge and a microwave because she knew that my reservation was for two nights and if I wanted to go out to eat and bring back left overs that I would have that opportunity to store it and then heat it up when I wanted to eat again. Totally considerate I’d say.

After a few hours of sleep, I woke up with really bad back pain.

The bed was lumpy.

After a suggestion by Mrs. Froth, I went back to the front desk to complain about the bed being uncomfortable and I noted that I’ve been going to their hotel every time I come on my own to Houston, which is 3-4 or even 5 times a year for the past three years. They understood and did change my room. But then again, that was another hour of waiting.

I wasn’t able to sleep after that. My back was just out of whack. So I sat there awaiting word from either Dr. or Mrs. Froth about what time they were stopping by the hotel to pick me up. After that information received, I sat back and relaxed watching HDTV and cable. Something that I do NOT have at home.

After sooooo many times of watching the same commercial ads time and time again, I just was wishing that there was something else to do that was outside of the hotel room. But I’m not going back to the Harris County Smokehouse. That place sucks. I’ve complained about the establishment in previous posts. Its a shame too because it smells good from the outside every time I am there. 

As I was saying, so many commercials for Shark Week and a new television show called “4th And Loud” which is about an arena football team in Los Angeles that was bought by the rock band, KISS.

As stated before, I don’t have cable, so it appeared to me to be yet another one of those reality programs that will either sink or swim. Who knows what will become of it. I don’t know. The only thing that I really remember was watching some football player in the locker room exclaiming “I piss awesome.”

Ummm, really?!?

You know, if I tried to say that in public I would be an immediate outcast.

How do you PISS awesome actually??

Then finally I was able to find something that I could relate to and enjoy watching until it was time to leave.

I have always been a fan of the show Pawn Stars. Mainly because I think its interesting to see what things have enormous value and what things have little to no value at all. 

Some of the customers though are just clueless though.

Yeah, I realize that they are in there because they want money. And they probably have some kind of amount in mind that they want. But if there’s someone appraising your item for big bucks, and you are inside of a pawn shop, you have GOT to realize that whatever that appraiser says the value is… that is NOT the amount you are going to get for it. Ever!

I could go on forever about pawn shop customers. Hell, I’ve been one a time or two or a thousand.

But it was time to go to the show.

The moment that I saw Dr. & Mrs. Froth show up as I met them outside the front lobby of the hotel I was immediately reminded about how much these two individuals meant to me in my life… in all aspects of it. All of that came to mind and I hadn’t even gotten inside of the vehicle yet.

But we arrived and it was time to make with the party and whats nots.

Vicious Cycle was a band that I’ve seen before. Both at home and in Houston. However I had never heard of Masqued.

Strangely enough I realized that I was standing not that far away from Steffany, the lead singer when I looked up. I took some photographs with her and thanked her. 

And then the surprise of the evening was when the succubus came straight up to me and greeted me. She hugged me and pressed her cheek against mine. Asked how long I had been in town and what not. Then smiled and walked away saying that it was good to see me again.

I nodded. And I proved that I can still keep my cool with a situation that I honestly let go of a while back mentally. There’s nothing in the rules that state she has to even acknowledge me. But she did.

Then it was on with the show!

Masqued was first up on stage. Without knowing anything about them, I didn’t know what to expect so I was watching with anticipation and a bit of blindness.

They weren’t bad at all. Then I understood that this was their very first show. And I was very confused as to whether they meant the first show at BFE Rock Club or if it was their first show EVER as a band live. I still am confused!

Either way, it wasn’t bad.

SIX MINUTE CENTURY then came up on stage and took a little more than an hour and fifteen minutes of awesomeness. I will say that when they performed “Baptized In Flames” it was the VERY BEST sounding performance of that song since they debuted it back at Acadia Sports Bar & Grill in November 2012. To which I will mention was recorded and posted on YouTube if you want to check it out. The back of my head is visible at points during that video. Good luck and enjoy!!

Still it was the best that they’ve ever played it. Hell, they even went back and played my absolute, ultimate, supreme, most favorite song “Zero Hour” from the first album. It had been a very long time since I have heard them play it live. Guitarist Don LaFon told me in 2012 that “Zero Hour” was now MY song. I couldn’t believe it. But they now have a new album out called “Wasted Time” which came out in October 2013, so the old stuff was shelved and now they focus on the new material.

My point is that I got to hear it again. Its just too bad that the sound technician is deaf or blind or just plain dumb because the sound levels during Masqued were just fine, people said. But once SIX MINUTE CENTURY got on stage, the guy screwed with the volume and it pissed off a lot of the fans and other customers of the bar.

I didn’t even get my “Zero Hour Hug” from Mrs. Froth after they finished performing “Zero Hour” …. it was THAT loud that it pushed certain family/friends/fans away from the front of the stage. And it was still too damned loud. Every time that SIX MINUTE CENTURY would play that song, I would get a hug from Mrs. Froth… because she knows that it was her MySpace profile with that song posted on it that got me started into the fanaticism for the band. Thus the reason for posting every time I go to see them live.

But after a lengthy set on stage… it was one of the better shows performed by the band in a long, long time.

I even had the waitress who was trying to hustle Jell-O shots to sit on my lap for about two minutes and even take a photo with me during the set. Mainly because I kept buying at least one each time she walked by. Jell-O shots for $1… ehh, cannot go wrong I guess. it’s better than paying $14 for one drink in which one person unfortunately had the displeasure of doing. Eventually though, the waitress wasn’t just walking by any more. She was coming right for me after a few rounds of successfully getting me to buy a shot. She tried about three times with me as I said no before I crumbled and finally said yes. I’m not quite sure how much I spent on them alone. I just know that someone else there was buying twice as many Jell-O shots as I was. So I think she did good by the end of the night.

So when SIX MINUTE CENTURY was finished, I found everyone hanging outside in the patio area in the back of the club. The sound had driven every last one of them out there and still the volumes were so loud. Even in between bands when they were just playing the radio or a CD or jukebox or whatever it was. Insane amounts of unnecessary volume.

Vicious Cycle rounded up the end of the night. Members of ECHO TEMPLE were there to support them. And I always think its cool to have bands support other bands. Plus I got to see ECHO TEMPLE and socialize with them a bit.

After a few more Jell-O shots and some other horror stories that were shared by patrons and friends about the sound… it was time to go. I connected with the waitress and started a nice friendship.

As we waited for the decision to leave, I began to take photographs with certain people. Don LaFon’s company was very insisting that she and I take a photograph together all night long. So this was her chance. But she kept getting awkward with bending and kneeling and squatting and hovering until I finally yelled at her to sit down. Insinuating down on my lap.

So she did, but she got totally nervous about it… assuming that she was going to get “in trouble” for it.

Umm… its only a photo.

My camera however had plans of its own. At the time I did not know what was going on. But the camera would not work. I kept thinking that the person who was asked to take the photograph was inept as it took many failed attempts to take just one photograph.

Suddenly out of nowhere the succubus jumped in to the left side of me, inserting herself into the shot.

I already had one person on my lap and now she’s jumping into the shot, I pulled her closer towards me with my arm around her and my hand consequently on her ass.

But the person operating the camera could not get it to work. And it frustrated me because here was the chance to get that photograph that I had wanted so long ago. Just one photograph but I guess she lost patience with the situation and she walked away.

The photograph was taken, but by someone else’s cell phone. And it had to be e-mailed to me. But by then the succubus was long gone.

At the very end of the night, I realized that I needed to change batteries.

I love that LISAFAYECHARDONNAY gave me this camera as a gift. But damn, it sucks up a lot of battery juice fast and the batteries inside get super hot too if you leave the shutter open, and that also messes with the performance of the camera, making it assume that the batteries are dying when the fact is that they are just too hot.

The succubus came back and again hugged and pressed against my cheek and wished me a safe journey back home. I mentioned that I figured out what the problem was with the camera and she said in response, “Oh, that’s too bad.”

I asked her if she wanted to re-take it. She said NO. I asked a few more times and she kept shaking her head. I finally just waved at her and she walked out of the bar. Lots of people that either saw it happen or heard about it have had their opinions. None of which are positive. Oh well. She behaved with the affectionate greetings that I just was not expecting.

After all that non-excitement, we took off for the IHOP that is directly across the highway from the hotel that I always stay in. There was five of us there in total. Small, but just cozy enough. 

Behind us was a much larger party of eight or more. I didn’t honestly take time to count. They were quite noisy and loud. And you knew exactly what they were doing there and where they had been before.

One of them was stretching out by leaning his chair back. It proved to be a mistake as he ended up tipping backwards and landing on the floor. And he just sat there in his chair staring at the ceiling.  I leaned back too far and then WHOOOOOOPS!!!! Down he went.

It was at this time I wondered how much better we would have done had we gone to Denny’s instead. But IHOP is fine. Geographically speaking, its perfect.

Christina Applegate (left) & Milla Jovovich (right)

Then finally I was back at the hotel after 3:00 AM, closer to 4:00 AM.

I would then find the old re-runs of “Married With Children” on television. But why so late/early??

I found this episode which starred a VERY VERY YOUNG Milla Jovovich.. who would become famous many years later for her role in the Resident Evil film series.

And when I say young, I mean only about fourteen years old. Christina Applegate who plays Kelly Bundy at this time the episode was made was about 17 or 18 years old at the time.

Jovovich played the part of a foreign exchange student from Paris, France and the Bundy family readily welcomed her into their home so that she could study in the United States. But when Jovovich became too popular too quick and started to take the attention off of Kelly Bundy, Kelly then struck back to get the attention back on her by sabotaging her.

I went to sleep in peace knowing that I had a great time with SIX MINUTE CENTURY and knowing that I was not going to have to rush to get out of the hotel and over to get on a bus so early in the morning. The last time that happened, I only had a few hours and I could not afford to go to sleep. And still dozed off a few times, I was damned lucky I made the bus. But I won’t be doing that any more.

The next day I was free to do whatever I wanted. I could sleep as long as I wanted. And I would end up going to the House of Froth and just hanging out with everyone, including their baby son Merlin who is getting so big. He’s crawling everywhere and grabbing a hold of things to stand up. But then he falls down and usually backwards and bumps his little head.

Dr. Froth had other ideas for that day. That afternoon he cooked some fabulous food. He said he loves to cook but doesn’t get a lot of leisure time to do so. If you EVER have a chance to eat any of Dr. Froth’s cooking, you will NOT be disappointed!!!

Then he sat down with me and began to record video with me by his side. Then we went outside and he kind of interviewed me about the project that he is working on that I got to be in the recording studio for this last May.

And that was on purpose.

Many of you people seem to think I’m just messing around. That its not happening or that I wasn’t ever in the recording studio. His update on the project, which was his fifth…. showcases me as proof and evidence that I HAVE been participating in this project. And for those of you who have been so negative about it? Go look it up… and then when you find it and realize that I have been telling the truth all this time, I’ll accept your apologies right before I let you kiss my ass.

“Gathered In Darkness” has the great potential of being picked up by a super major recording label, mainly because the name of Robert Lowe is attached to this project. And since I did a little voice over work on it, I can honestly be telling the truth if I wanted to say that I am on a major record label. That’s if this project does get picked up by one. And it is possible to happen but we’ll just wait and see.

So I did all of that and got to hang out with the rest of the family until it started to get dark.

I sat back at the hotel and watched the ending of a film called “Blue Caprice” in which I am guessing was about the D.C. Sniper. Dr. Froth and I had just talked about the fictional situation of a pregnant woman being killed in relations to other things. But apparently that was part of this film. It was unnerving.

After that I went to bed at a decent hour before having to wake up early again to return home. With what I thought was sufficient rest, I returned home Monday morning… but then soon crashed.

Like I said at the beginning, it was a visit that had no problems to deal with. I was glad it was problem-free.

The next possible time I will be back is for the TENTH anniversary of SIX MINUTE CENTURY which will be in October.

I’m just glad that I had a great time with no problem and made new friends. Special thanks go out to Dr. & Mrs. Froth as well as Jose “Angel” Martinez to make this trip possible.

7 March 2014: Wellborn Road At Red Eyed Fly

“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!

 

11 January 2014: Surprise Visitation To Six Minute Century

“You must spray that shit for da bitches, sir.”~ Dr. Froth

I know that back in October I mentioned that I would not be continuing my trips to Houston.

However, this time around the premise and purpose was no different but there circumstances were.

Back in December, Mrs. Froth put out a message for those who were going to be involved in the January 2014 show to help me out, financially. Members from both SIX MINUTE CENTURY and ECHO TEMPLE were kind enough and gracious to have donated all of the money needed to make sure that I had a successful journey to the show.

I cannot say thank you enough to the people who did donate!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as a matter of fact, I ended up with a little MORE than what was originally designated based on their generosity. So I came home with MORE money than what I had coming. So humbled.

Off I went again on the bus to the great wonders of Houston, Texas.

It probably wouldn’t have been nothing but just another show, but Mrs. Froth had given birth to a son a few days later and this was going to be my chance to see the baby first hand. There was nothing that was going to get in my way.

Its weird that with the bus, that I can delay the bus driver to get me properly secure inside and that will take ten minutes out of his time from handling other passengers. End up anywhere between fifteen and twenty minutes late departing, and still some how make up time.

Going TO Houston, fifteen minutes behind. Arrive ten minutes early.

Leaving FROM Houston, twenty minutes behind. Arrive only ten minutes behind.

Thankfully for this blog post, I don’t have anything CRAZY to report. No staring strangers, no dead cats in luggage, no bratty children…. nothing at all. Just a peaceful to and from in which somehow I fell asleep and screwed up the back of my neck. Yipppppppppeeeeee!!!

Dr. Froth and his newborn son, Merlin. At the hospital.

When I arrived though, I got swept up by Dr. Froth, got fed, and then off to the House of Froth to meet the newest addition.

I was there for a few diaper changes. I was there for a few feedings, a few belches.. which surprised me a little bit. They were bigger than I expected.

“Baby Froth” is a sight to behold. That is for sure.

I got to hang out for a while and listen to Dr. Froth play around on his bass as he got ready for the show.

Then he realized that this was about to be his son’s first ever experience listening to music, and listening to his father play music.

A few jokes about him not sucking were passed around and Dr. Froth took that NSStick and TORE-IT-UP!!!

One thing that I will never forget was Mrs. Froth singing “Under The Moonlight” to her son as her husband dwindled away at the NSStick to an album recording of the song.

It was one of the most precious parent/child moments I had ever witnessed.

Also…. did anyone else know that Dr. Froth was a man of many huge talents?? He cooked up some walnut chicken and we all had a good time with it. Dr. Froth really is an extraordinary cook as well as a well-talented musician.

I’m blown away!!

But all good things had to come to an end, before the next good thing was allowed to happen. It was upsetting for me internally as Mrs. Froth would not be joining us at the show.

My first SIX MINUTE CENTURY show without my +1 of many, many years! Very strange!!

I was greeted by members of ECHO TEMPLE who were already there. It was like a meeting of the brotherhood. At least that is what I personally call the members of ECHO TEMPLE… my brotherhood, my brothers. And bountiful and moist conversations took place before the music got started.

It was there that I would actually be greeted by and then introduced to the original bass player of SIX MINUTE CENTURY, John Sample, aka Sampy. I had never met him. By the time I got to see the band in person, he had already left and Dr. Froth was in his place.

A really nice and gentle guy. He’s the kind of bass player that plays with a unique style that he bends over at the waist and lets his bass guitar drop to around his ankles and sits there and plays. He was part of MYSTIC CROSS, the headlining band.

Then I saw the succubus. If you go back to about August 2013 with Dr. Froth’s last birthday extravaganza post… there’s a little something there to it. But again, its not worth complaining about.

But with all the women that I have ever had trouble with, that I had met in Houston during a show…. she was not someone that I thought I would ever see last night.

I was kind of hanging out near the bar where the restrooms were and she had to get by to go to the ladies’ room. But coming out was a different story as the crowd shifted around and she couldn’t go back the way she came. She had no other choice but to walk right by me.

Let me just say that my peripheral vision kicks ass. I knew the moment she walked out of the bathroom and I knew the moment that she found that she could not “avoid” me on her way back from the bathroom.

So she touched my shoulder, said something while VICIOUS CYCLE was playing, but I can’t hear crap in there. So she asked another question that I understood.

She asked if I had gotten into town yesterday and I acknowledged that was fact. Then she said that it was great to see me again and she walked away. I never bothered with her again. Even though I had thoughts of trying to take a photograph with her. But why bother? ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!

VICIOUS CYCLE got up there and played first. And it sounded really good. I didn’t know them from before. I’ll have to keep a closer eye on them.

Don LaFon

SIX MINUTE CENTURY took on second and so many people were having a great time. But again, I was entirely disappointed with the numbers that were in attendance. There had to be less than 60 people at the peak. What the hell has happened in Houston and what is going on with music fans? I understand most of them got sick, and even Mrs. Froth was honestly in no condition with a new baby… but what are the excuses for the rest of them? I don’t freakin’ get it!!

Those who were there, were celebrating guitarist Don LaFon’s birthday. I too, have a birthday this month but SIX MINUTE CENTURY removed my favorite song of theirs of all time from their rotation. So no more birthday dedications at the January show. Damn….

At least now I know who was responsible for that. Ironically enough, I’m not mad…?

Lead Singer Chuck Williams didn’t even mess with LaFon as much as he usually does about how OLD of a man LaFon really is. And I keep forgetting the cantaloupe to hurl at the request of Frothtonomy and its followers. I think though that was a 2012 request. It may be void and no good any more.

I’ll have to check with Dr. Froth.

MYSTIC CROSS got on stage and it was sooooooooo fucking loud that it even pushed me outside into the back, out on to the patio… where it was a nasty 42°F/5°C at that time of night. Well, even though it is winter, this is still TEXAS! That’s not supposed to happen until next month some time where it will get nasty and bitter cold.

Dr. Froth then came running out and decided that he was going to pass out cigars like the old tradition after having a baby. He gave me one of his very select collection of very few. I was honored. A group of us stood there outside puffing away like dragons and even fewer of us knew what the hell we were doing.

I  think for many of them, it was their first cigar. And others their first tobacco experience EVER. I kept the tube in which it came in and put it away, this will be a souvenir to keep until the end of days. My first ever “Baby Cigar.” 

And still since the music was so loud we could enjoy the sounds of MYSTIC CROSS, which is another band that Don LaFon plays in.

Then when the cigar silliness was over, ECHO TEMPLE took the stage and I hugged the stage like a mad man. The same as I would always do for SIX MINUTE CENTURY. A monitor in my face and a filler at my chest… beating away.

And I’m not deaf yet?

As I was enjoying ECHO TEMPLE, Chuck Williams came by and hugged me. He slurred his “I love you man.” for whatever reason. I guess he was thinking about it too hard and he panicked. Oh well. The poor guy had teeth pulled less than a week before and he admitted this afternoon that he was in pain at the end.

I then was told that Mrs. Froth was having a difficult time at home with the baby, and Dr. Froth handed off the duty of getting me safely back to the hotel to Don LaFon… but I freaked out because — its his birthday show– hadn’t he been drinking?

A few minutes later I realized that my luggage bag was in Dr. Froth’s vehicle so I sent a text message to him expressing my concern. No response came.

It worked out though because Dr. Froth had forgotten some equipment that was still on stage and so he waited to get it all at the end of the night and THEN he brought me back to the hotel.

The biggest surprise (for me) was that the drummer of MYSTIC CROSS would come up to me during the ECHO TEMPLE set and try to talk to me while music was going on. I couldn’t hear. So he left and a few minutes later, he gave me the printed out set list of MYSTIC CROSS.

Drummer Austin Gartman was totally adoring me and I couldn’t figure out why. It was then that I found out that Don LaFon was at it again, adulating me to anyone who would listen to explain that “the guy in the wheelchair is SIX MINUTE CENTURY’S #1 FAN EVER!” and that he takes the bus every time to come to a show.

Yep, he had done it again and this time it caught the attention of Austin Gartman. It blew his mind! So then he swiped the set list away from my hands and grabbed a Sharpie and made everyone in MYSTIC CROSS  autograph it.

Now keep in mind, Don LaFon has autographed many things for me personally as many things. Mainly SIX MINUTE CENTURY, but he is probably getting used to it all by now.

Austin Gartman gave me many bro hugs and nearly he cried. I saw this with my own eyes. And he thanked me profusely for my dedication.

Now with Mrs. Froth gone, there was an option of going out to eat without her OR Dr. Froth would just drop me off. But since things were getting a little hairy at home with the newborn… I was dropped off at the hotel.

But its a trade-off and I understand it. I can either stay out a few more hours and then have to stay awake long enough to go get on the bus to come back OR I can leave and go back to the hotel earlier and attempt a few hours of sleep before having to get up and get on the bus to come back.

I didn’t mind taking sleep. Trust me on that!

I laid there in bed with my eyes probably sore from being red and I thought about all the wonderful things that everyone had done to get me to that show. All the love, all the financial assistance, all the support. I literally wept in the darkness until I fell asleep.

I took in four hours of sleep. Not bad, considering that the last couple of times I’ve had less than an hour while still in Houston. Its a little easier to get motivated to go when you have a little sleep.

It is abundantly clear though. I still will not be using my own money to make these kinds of trips to Houston. If anyone wants me there, they can pitch in. They’ve done it before. Last night was not the first time this has happened this way.

However, if there is any hope or idea or belief that there will be “more” after the show, then I am simply going to have to take in two nights in Houston. That first night will be the night of the show, and then take that night to sleep. The following morning I can do whatever. Watch television in HD or anything else and then go to bed early that second evening and then get up in the morning the second morning and return.

When I returned, my brain just wasn’t working well. So I’m going to need more sleep.

All in all, I totally enjoyed the trip. Glad that I didn’t have to deal with any stupids with the bus too! Meeting with old and making new friends. And enjoying music. How can you beat that???