Updates and thoughts

Wow - suddenly I just felt like putting out a blog tonight, and I didn't realize until just logging in how long ago it was since I was able to write anything here. It's hard to remember all of the specific details of what happened in the last few months, but seemingly everything is going pretty well, overall.

There's a very nice conversion van outside the house right now that we just brought out for the first time last weekend, and we love it. It's very comfortable, has a TV/DVD player in it with surround sound, and the back seat folds down automatically into a couch/bed. It's kinda funny, because I bought it less than an hour before we were due to hit the road in it this past Friday. It's got a 350 in it too, which very capably handled the towing job for our new trailer, which we also love. When we got it at the first part of last month, we were very excited but a little puzzled on how we were going to fill it. With all of the equipment we had, it only filled it up half way. Needless to say, a month or so later it filled up fast with plenty of gear.

Fast forward a few months and about 40 shows later, things are still going strong, and I'm meeting with radio promoter Ed Spacek tomorrow to begin that part of the process. I'm very excited to see what direction that will take things, because every day there's something new that I get to learn about something I've been wanting to do since I got my first guitar. There is a whole lot of hard work keeping a band going, and perpetuating its success, but I've had a lot of times lately where I've been singing in front of the microphone and playing, and I'll catch a thought in the back of my mind saying to myself "I can't believe I'm actually getting to do this." It's fun when that kind of electricity goes through your body on stage during a performance, and the feeling never gets old.

It just reminded me of the very first time I took a stage in front of a live band at a dancehall in Pflugerville called The Lumberyard (which is now a gentlemen's club, natch.) I was competing in a talent competition where the band had a set list to choose from, and you picked the songs you were going to do. I won the first round of the competition that night, and won a second time to get to the finals, and didn't end up being the overall winner, but I've never forgotten the feeling of watching people dance around in front of me and hearing the cheers and applause of the audience of my family, friends and strangers.

That almost always makes the shows so fun for me nowadays, too, because I draw so much of my stage energy from the crowd. And, now that we're starting to gain some credibility, success and people are driving 50 miles away just to come see us, it's a great accomplishment. If it all ended tomorrow, I wouldn't have one complaint in the world, because I'd be able to say for the rest of my life that I did something that was truly meaningful to me. Sure, there are drawbacks, hard times, and stressful moments that can really challenge your resolve sometimes, but there are plenty of them in any career and at many various points for everyone.

One of my favorite ladies and my first vocal coach, Marci Lynne, told me a long time ago that we'll all go through the same things in our life whether we know it or not - they just happen at different times. That also reminds me of something Hank Williams said too, is that there isn't an original song idea out there anywhere, period (or something to that effect.) But I figure if I can do my best every time I get up in front of that microphone to convey what I've written into something that's meaningful for someone else in some form or another, then I've done my job, and I can sleep at night knowing that.

Speaking of which, it's about that time - I think I hear a little thunder, and it'll be nice to go to sleep with that tonight. :)

Hope to see you at a show sometime - here's what's coming up:

Friday, May 9th
Shakespeare's Pub
10:00 PM

Saturday, May 10th
Billy's Icehouse
9:30 PM

Monday, May 12th
KASE 101 Golf Tournament
12:00 Noon

Wednesday, May 14th
County Line Music Series opening for Gary P. Nunn
7:00 PM