The Positive Side

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." (Dr. Hunter S. Thompson)

I got that quote from the Blog for the Gavleston Music Scene web page. I don't know if it is completely acurate but I like the way it sounds.

This past weekend was a good one on the Strand. First of all, my old artist friend (that I am not really friends with) walked by and stuck his head in the Gravity Bar when I was playing. I spoke to him but he seemed a little shy to say anything back. Still it has been a while since I saw him and it makes me feel good to know he is still out there doing his thing.

Got a chance to chat with some of the other local regulars also & that was cool also.

There were a brother and sister that showed up right when I started playing & they ended up hanging out for about 4 hours. Roger & Lisa. They are from East Texas and Lisa told me that she had just lost her husband a month and a half ago & Roger brought her out to the island to help them relax. Seems like a pretty decent thing for a brother a brother to do but I got the impression that they enjoyed hanging out togeather anyway. They turned out to be "Good People" Roger had a few drinks along the way & was making quite a bit of noise & I think quite a few people actualy came in since it sounded like a real party. After about 4 hours he seemed like he had enjoyed a fair number of beverages and he started getting even rowdier. When ever someone would leave he would yell at them to "Tip the Band" at one point he went out in front of the bar and started hawking or whatever it is they call it when carnival people advertise on the street. He was actually giving people hell if they didn't come in.

He was trying to help me do good. I guess it is his nature. I never met him before and I really don't know him but I was touched by what he did. Not because I wanted him to harrass customers but becuase for whatever reason he was trying to do something to help me. It was cool thing to kind of hang out with these folks and it made me feel good that I could make them feel good for a few hours.

I was glad to have a good gig since last week was real Cloyster Fork if you know what I mean. I was playing downtown at a place that I will call the Dancing CockRoach & someone that was sitting at a table with the owner requested that I play a particular song & since I didn't know the song and never want to learn it I responded with some of my well test marketed humor. They didn't get it I guess and by the next song they told me to get the hell out & were extremely rude about it. I was scheduled to start at 10 and by 10:25 the show was over.

Instead of not paying me, They wanted to make the Phuc U official by telling the manager to pay me $5.

The funny thing is that these people loved to do news stories about how they were helping the New Orleans Musicans.

I guess they don't feel the same love to Houston Musicians.

Still they had been drinking & maybe it was just the liquor talking.

I did get to meet a very nice guy named Oscar who works there. He worked in the Kitchen and he gave me a tip and also offered to make me some food. He seemed upset that I didn't take him up on it. I really wasn't hungry at the time but what a hell of a nice gesture.


This my friends is why I lam on this Quest. I don't actually have a destination that I know of but I am loving the journey.

Out here there are no stars.

This is the land where the Pharoh died.