Shandon is back, last gig with Arcana Mundi

Busy weekend last week.

Thursday had a double header, my last gig with Arcana Mundi and then Shandon Sahm doing a Sahm Covers Sahm set at the Continental Club. The ETB show in Dallas the next night is a story unto itself, stay tuned (writing it out after this).

Wednesday had final rehearsal for the Shandon show. Jim Ortiz of Amplified Heat was able to make this gig, first time playing with him in Shandon's band in probably 2 years at least. Good to jam with him again! Have been playing shows with Amplified Heat since they were Blues Condition back in the Southern Gun Culture days. 12 years. Wow.

Where the hell has time gone?!?

Gig Thursday evening with Arcana Mundi I was retarded late in showing up for, and for that I felt and still feel terrible. Very unprofessional of me. Got there just in time to set up for the first song. Played all electric that night to save time.

There was an African guy named Abraham assisting in setting up the PA, good friends of the percussionist Brannan Lane. He went to the front of Sahara Lounge and returned brandishing an instrument I'd never seen before and which he built himself. Looked like a cross between a sitar and banjo with aspects of the harp. Employed by holding it against the front of your lower abdomen like a large phallus and plucking the strings with both thumbs. He told me what it was called, but I couldn't understand due to his rich and musical accent.

It was the damndest thing I'd ever seen, and sounded absolutely beautiful.

Without any introduction Abraham launched into a song, singing and plucking the contraption. The rest of us joined in. I don't know what the song was called or what Abraham was so passionately singing about, but it was in C to A minor. We wished we could have had him sit in for the rest of the set!

Which rest of the set went off without a hitch, has been really good playing with Tim and company. But alas I must clear some of my schedule to put Ocean of Stars together, something I've been putting off for far too long.

Arrived later at the Continental Club to catch most of The Bluebonnets' set. This is the all-girl rock brainchild of Kathy Valentine of Go-Go's fame. She produced the last Adrian and the Sickness record (B.F.D.) and I've seen her before, but never met her. And I've been wanting to meet her as a player, rather than just another random crowd member who is "good friends with Adrian and Heather."

Talked to her briefly after her set, she was really cool and took time from wrapping cables to chat a bit and get a pic with me so Triniti and I could send it to my sister, who was a huge Go-Go's fan back in the day, just to blow her mind!

Set with Shandon went really well! Good crowd, and good to be back onstage at the Continental Club. How long has it been... probably since I was in the Mother Truckers. Even saw some familiar faces from Truckers crowd, spillover from the earlier Whiskey Sisters (Teal from TMT) happy hour set, whom I had to miss due to my earlier Arcana Mundi gig.

Doug Sahm tunes are damn fun to play.

Even more fun when sung by Shandon, his youngest son, in full glam rock getup: silver high heeled space boots, silver pants, black feather boa, and some makeup which lasts about halfway thru the first song. And he OWNS that shit. I don't know how he does it, but he does it WELL. You are laughing your ass off, but WITH him. He pokes fun at the early 70's glam thing but also portrays it so passionately that he also rocks your world with it. Respect!

Great fun show, so great to play with Jim and Shandon as well as Gary from Beaumonts (drums) and newer addition bassist Tony (also from Beaumonts). Even got to do a little head-cutting with Jim during near the end of "She's About a Mover." FUN! Good times with great musicians and great people.

Loves my crazy rock n roll life!