This weekend was a wild one for the kid. I drove to Dallas with
my mom on Friday and dropped her off at my uncle's in Mesquite. He showed
me the right chords to some of the great old standards that he plays with
his Shriner Dixieland band, and gave me some much-needed sheet music. He
also insisted I borrow his hollowbody gretsch "country club" guitar for
the gig, the annual "milk & cookies" social at the notorious Kappa
Alpha fraternity at SMU. They have composite portraits on the wall featuring
all the members of the illustrious fraternal society in full confederate
soldier regalia in front of the dixie flag.
They hire the Argyles because it's a family function. They were too busy entertaining their parents and chasing an anemic calf around the backyard to notice that our bass player didn't make the gig. Bob was staying at home with the wife and brand new baby boy Jacob Bellemans. Lead guitarist, band conductor, and former KA Bryan filled in heroically on the low end, while I did my best not to mangle the guitar solos. The Argyles' rigid sense of structure is loosening nicely.
The next morning, Mom and I drove to her birthplace in the sportsman's paradise, a rustic homestead outside Shreveport. She helped my 90 years young and slightly confused grandmother load up her belongings and beloved cat Sir William. After lunch at the general store, I continued on down I-20 to my old hometown of Tallulah, near the Mississippi river levee.
My junior-high cohort Mike Foster, who once managed roman candles and johnny law back in the cannibal club days, hosts a pigroast at his dad's ranch every fall. The show featured some tremendous tri-state area blues and soul bands, picturesque scenery, and fine cajun food, all for free. This year, 500 people came from all over the country to enjoy the beautiful cool climate, dance, reminisce, and generally have a grand old time. After 70 year-old delta blues legend Ripp Wimberly lived up to his first name with some of the grittiest, greasiest downhome roadhouse blues ever, I helped orchestrate the all-star jam at the end, which included numbers by Slim Harpo, Stevie Ray, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Otis Redding and much more, backed by ex-Roman Candle drummer and "National Guard Soldier of the Year" Runner-Up Mike E. Hicks, now the swingingest drummer in the delta, aided by his brother Billy on tasty blues leads. The magic night climaxed with roast host Mike Foster executing a fantastic Townshend-style leap with his solid body Gretsch, that unfortunately resulted in a dramatic pratfall from the uninsured stage and a painful hyperextended knee.
But all in all one of the sweetest and most nostalgic live music experiences I can ever recall.
After a restful night's sleep in Mike's countryside farmhouse, Sunday morning I drove back to Castor, picked up Mom, Grandma, and the cat, and drove 7 hours on the crowded highways back to Austin. Thankfully, Missing ingredient filled in for the missing superego at the free for all. Bassist Andrew is on the road with Son Volt, and Sanchez is on a spiritual journey among the Palms for a month. Tom Cuddy and Jacob Schulze will alternately fill in with the noise guitar once Andrew returns next sunday.
I was glad to get some rest, just in time to punch the clock at 8 AM
at the new job.
November 1 - Plum, Julie-Ann Banks, Del Dragons, Superego
November 8 - God Drives a Galaxy, Blue Engine Radio, Goldwater, Superego
November 11 - Rhythm House Supper Club: Rick Barden, Superego
November 15 - Kathy Ziegler, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Beaver Nelson Superego
November 18 - Rhythm House Supper Club: Jennifer Cook, Andrew Duplantis
November 22 -Mystery date, Amberjack Rice, Screaming in Spanish, Superego
November 25 - Rhythm House Supper Club: Rick barden, Superego
November 29 - Prescott Curlywolf, Pat MacDonald, Flagpole Moody, Superego
December 2 - Rhythm House Supper Club: Julianne Banks, Superego
december 6- Missing Ingredient, All Talk Stacy, The Lambs
December 9 - Rhythm House Supper Club: Beaver Nelson, Pat Macdonald, Superego
DECEMBER 12 - FASTBALL, SUPEREGO, LIBERTY LUNCH
december 13 - Made From Scratch, Shine, Metzlers, Superego...
December 16 - Rhythm House Supper Club: Andrew Duplantis
December 20 - FREE FOR ALL: Vegas Amateur, bleeding mummies, the eggs, superego
December 23 - Rhythm House Supper Club: TBA
December 27 - FREE FOR ALL: TBA, Superego
december 30 - Rhythm House Supper Club: TBA
January 3 - FREE FOR ALL: hades kick, claymores, free range bastards, superego
January 6 - Rhythm House Supper Club: TBA
January 10 - FREE FOR ALL: Experimental Aircraft, palaxy tracks, astroblast, superego
January 13 - Rhythm House Supper Club: TBA
january 17 - FREE FOR ALL: Juan Solo, Human, Ghost in the Noonday Sun, Superego
January 20 - SUPPER CLUB: TBA january 24 - FREE FOR ALL: glowforce, lil' cap'n travis, grand champeen
Also, i'm booking a series of acoustic shows on Wednesday nights at the Rhythm House on 34th St. featuring some of Austin's coolest unplugged acts such as Kathy Ziegler, Andrew Duplantis, Rick Barden, Jacob Schulze, Beaver Nelson and more. Details to follow...
Production is well underway on the new Superego album, entitled "Free For All Vol. 3." It's a combination of a solo EP and local compilation, featuring 6 new Superego songs backed by a rotating line-up of the most notorious local players and unusual suspects, including members of Superego, Drums & Tuba, Fastball, The Gourds, Orange Mothers, Beaver Nelson, Morningwood, The Dismukes, The Argyles, and more, co-produced by 16 Deluxe guitarist Chris "Frenchy" Smith. Tony Scalzo played bass ond organ at a superego session last week, and the other night we warmed up the 8 track tascam with Archie Bell and the Drells' "Tighten Up" , Tony Nozero on funky drum breakdowns and Jon Sanchez on the B-3 Hammond. No beverages on the Leslie please.
And I got a new day job, working the floor in the guitar dept. at Mars Music Superstore. Come by and check out the huge new showroom with the lowest prices on all the best brand names. Argyles drummer Kevin Pearson is the new drum dept. manager. The other day I assembled 300 custom-built guitar hangers for the giant dispaly walls that we unloaded and installed last week, like enormous pressboard tinkertoys. Last night we worked overtime unloading a late shipment from Fender. A forklift full of Super Reverbs almost killed a hapless dock worker, but luckily no merchandise was seriously damaged.
Check out Paul's live music recommendations on the citysearch webpage.
Subject: whasup boss?
hey john,
i am surprised i can type after all that shucking today. can't wait
to see some fenders and martins hanging from my "handywork."
cool webpage, i wish i could hear those samples. maybe when i get my
new imac. check out my webpage and online resume
when you get a moment:
anyway, thanks again for the job, and for the payraise. you have no
idea how much difference that extra dollar an hour is going to make. i'll
work hard to make sure you are happy with your decision. also, i have already
talked to the argyles about the saturdays issue and they will be furnishing
me with a detailed schedule within a few days. i appreciate your understanding
about this gig. it's been a major part of my livelihood for over three
years.
i am sending a copy of a memo i e@mailed to rick melchior, the head
of the austin music network tonight, telling him about my new job and also
outlining the in-store video compilation idea.
i am off to a studio session down south first way with the drummer for
drums and tuba (they toured recently with ani difranco) and producer/guitarist
frenchy (from 16 Deluxe). my new project is a local compilation/solo album
featuring my songs with an all-star ever-changing line-up of top-notch
local players and songwriting collaborators. I want you to play on it sometime.
If you played with Jerry Jeff in Luckenbach, you're credentials are adequate.
I will pay you lunch at tamale house #3.
Seeya tomorrow at the jobsite. it's looking and sounding more like a
bad-ass juggernaut of a music store every day.
sincerely,
paul minor
Subject: paul minor memo to rick melchior
dear rick,
i have started working 40-50 hours a week for MARS music superstore,
in a permanent full-time position in the guitar dept. it's right up my
alley, it pays decent, and i am afraid it's going to cut into the time
i have available for the ad sales job.
My boss, John Files, is enthusiastic about advertising with the network,
and encouraged me to invite you to stop by and meet with him as soon as
it's convenient, and drop off a copy of the sales video presentation you
showed me. His number at the store is 451-9990.
of course, i would hope to be the rep who services this account.
he is looking for quality local material to show on the giant video
screens and p.a. system in the store, so i told him we could probably work
something out in the deal. we like the idea of our customer base of local
musicians seeing themselves on the video displays when they come to shop.
my idea is to arrange a partial barter that would provide several dozen
hours of live, uninterrupted local music programming, perhaps with some
kind of superimposed graphic saying "courtesy of AMN." i would be glad
to work with my pal tim hamblin to help edit this compilation for use in
the store. maybe you could add the cost of this work into the mars advertising
account.
frankly, i am more interested in being involved with production work
of this type than in the commission stuff, but i will be glad to take on
as much of the sales work as my schedule dictates. i want to do whatever
i can to help the new music network get off the ground.
i just sent the following list of contacts to your talent coordinator
don harvey for his big debut show, and i am excited to be involved with
the production. i hope to be involved with more stuff like this in the
future. please credit me as production assistant. i would also like to
see the Austin Rehearsal Complex, which Don owns, working closely with
MARS.
anyway, enough ideas for now.
thank you so much for your interest in utilizing my resources.
sincerely,
paul minor
deep sombreros - allyson 933-0242
meat purveyors - bill 443-8193, 463-1137 wk
pocket fishrmen - chris 476-6740
morningwood - 427-4618, 708-9730, karen
dismukes - jacob 419-9219, erik -326-5835
mittens- 499-8696 lucas
golden arm trio - graham - 443-4196
scarlitt - 467-6775, rebecca
dah-veed - 477-3181
del dragon - troy 707-0722
shine - bart 707-1044
plum - 477-4740
marmalade - 440-7218
hot wheels - 302-0642, 322-1275
prescott curlywolf - 263-5510 ron
ant man bee - 302-1575, ask them for wookie's number also
seed - 451-6126
claymores - 371-3152
doe-nuts - call dog and duck 479-0598, ask for doe, hunter, steve
beaver nelson - 451-8726
dumptruck - seth 326-9896
bongo hate - ben -477-4305
spoon - britt - 323-2562
fastball - 555-6055 brad tour manager
gourds - jimmy -458-2710
earthpig -453-3735 adam
paul newman - craig 457-9224
sixteen deluxe - frenchy 243-2611
argyles - rick 453-0279
starfish - 462-3079 jason
superego - 474-2987
ok boss, hope that helps,
and be sure to tell them i sent you.
love,
pablo
Subject: Pigroast
Pappa Minor,
It really was an incredible scene this year. The weather was perfect.
The food was more than anyone could dream of. Maybe the knee thing isn't
all bad, it got me out of clean-up on Sunday.... naw, it's getting better.
Feels a little funny using a granny walker to get around, though. Try to
come next year, we'll do it on the same weekend.
Mike jr
--------- End forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998
From: Paul Minor
Reply-To: superego@io.com
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: jfiles@marsmusic.com
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 21:04:38
From: Paul Minor
Reply-To: superego@io.com
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: rick melchior
CC: john files
Here's my partial free for all contact list. Use sparingly :
orange mothers - 480-0088, jeff at work 444-6686, ethan 452-9698
From: Foster Vista
Re: Paul's visit
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 16:52:54 -0800
To: jackanddminor@juno.com