The M.O.B. Road Diary: February 2006

Elk's Benefit

Sunday
February 26, 2006
Elk's Lodge
Paris, Texas

Thanks to all who came out to support the cause at the Elk's today. We raised some good money for Merle's mom, Martha Ray.

Down the Tubes Tour - 2006

Saturday
February 25, 2006
The Hangout
Commerce, Texas

Overtime

Friday
February 24, 2006
Overtime Sports Bar
Burleson, Texas

Hopes were high when we arrive and the room is pretty jammed up. We set up on the "stage", actually more like a large drum riser and check sound. We feel good enough about it and head over to order some chow. One of the many obviously drunk patrons is hollerin' about how she just has to hear one song before she takes off, so up we hop and give her one - can't remember which now. Anyway, she liked it enough to chunk a $20 bill in the jar.

We like that.

The next thing I notice when I look up in the first set, in some strange turn of events, we had cleared this room out like the ebola virus. That's never happened to us. I guess that we weren't a good fit for the Burleson sports bar crowd.

Oh well.

Live to fight another day.

Hooker picked up some new ink today, and it looked fresh. It looked a little tender when he jumped in the van and I noticed that the heart had a really cool droplet of blood inside it. I pointed this out and I think that he may actually get some added when he goes back to let the guy finish it.

There were far too many televisions at this joint, and it's always a strange feeling when you are playing a song called Cocaine Bluz and the bobsled competition or pairs figure skating is right above your head.

Crissy said that she didn't have a picture of she and E.
Here you go!

Messy Marvin lives in center stage.

Hooker chimes in on Soulshine.

...and once again.

The Stones definately need more cowbell.

This poor girl to the right butchered Me and Bobby Magee with E. I'm talking about some serious Gong Show material, and buddy, we were all looking for the gong.

Eric stole my job.

Icey Weather in McKinney

Saturday
February 18, 2006
Hank's Grill
McKinney, Texas

This was definitely one of the worst gigs that I have ever had for equipment failure/malfunction. I start the show off with ‘ol Faithful, my main gun, “Muffin”, a long-standing friend in the arsenal, the 5-string jazz. I had been playing quite a bit with “TL”, the newest 5-banger, and I thought that this trip would be a fine time to reacquaint myself with my old axe.

Everything seems to be running like snot off a 2-year-old’s nose when my 9-volt battery runs dry in the middle of a tune. I mean almost a complete loss of sound through the mix, a drop out like a early twenty-something following Tim Leary in ’68. So after the said song I ask for backup.

“”O’Neal, my #$%&@! juice is dead; do you have an extra battery?”

I see him digging pretty hard and I start worrying because for the first time in a while I actually left the backup behind in P-town. Not a good idea after all, I think.

“Here”, I hear.

As I shuffle off to the back room to run the screws off the back of the beast, I notice that CC sees the sense of urgency in my eyes and affords his efforts to help solve my dilemma. We make balls to the back and begin our task.

Work fast.

Efficiently.

“Thank you”, as I leave him in the back room and back to the embarrassment that I left behind on the stage.

“Ok”, I think.

“My shit’s relatively in tune and it’ll all come out in the wash here pretty soon.”

Wrong.

I’m going through the motions of hiding in the corner of my amp and the drum set when I decide that I have finally saved enough face to once again show mine to the folks in the front. I wait until the “meat” of the song will require a little more push from my end of the stage and then I decide that now is the time.

I take literally two steps.

Snap!

A broken E-string, and more broken pride.

“#&@!”, I think.

“Maybe I’ll trip on my shoe laces next!”

I just shoot the, “I can’t believe it’s not butter” face to my boys, stretch that evil-shit-of-a-string out as far as the arm can carry it, and yes, head for the back again, axe in hand yet again, head hung, and now with far more work than before.

I’m thinking, “Cripes! Perhaps one day I won’t have to fuss with shit like this anymore. Once the emergency sirens go off, I’ll just shift the panic face to stage-right and my buddy will have a fresh implement of destruction to take the fallen one’s place.”

Thought turns to action once again in the room that suddenly seems like my surgical clean-room for the evening.

Once again, I find myself exiting the door to retake the stage.

I think, “Jeebus, I hope my shoes are tied tight; I might just trip over the rotten bastards and finally find my face in it’s place on the floor in front of these folks!”

God awful night for my gear.

Freezing cold outside.

Not too many people packing out the room.

Wouldn’t change a damn thing.

Another Packed House

Saturday
February 17, 2006
Dillion's
Paris, Texas

It seemed a bit odd to have so many people out to Dillon's for yet another show in Paris. Well, at least it did to me anyway - almost seemed like a New Year's Eve. I often worry if we are perhaps burning our candle at both ends when it comes to playing the hometown spot, and that we might burn out here by playing too much too fast, but the people just keep showing up.

This is a good thing.

3-Dog Night

Friday
February 16, 2006
3 Dog Tavern
Ennis, Texas

Last Night At The Elephant?

Saturday
February 11, 2006
White Elephant Saloon
Ft. Worth, Texas

Nobody said it was easy.
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy.
No one ever said it would be so hard.

- yep, that's Coldplay from The Scientist.

I had taken something similar to this picture before but this one turned out a bit better, so I went ahead and posted it.

Crosswire w/Stoney Larue

Friday
February 10, 2006
Crosswire
Paris, TX

In an unfortunate turn of events, Stoney cancelled this gig due to a death in his circle of friends. We were booked as the opening band and humbly took the responsibility of playing the duration of the night.