Once Again I Get Conned into a Quick Trip...

I guess everything has a cost. For me that cost is carrying furniture to a third floor apartment. Maybe I'm hiding my age better than I think is why they ask me to do these things but it was for a really sweet person and the apartment was in the righteously funky South Austin part of town so I guess in the long run I am the winner. After the chore was complete me and Cathy relaxed in a room on South Congress Street in the old Austin Motel, a motor court type of place dating to 1938 and walked across the street to catch Dale Watson at his Monday night vertical gig at the Continental Club. 

I remember the old days of the early 80s which in reality don't seem so old to me. South Congress did not have too much going on. The Continental was there and I guess the motel was there but it must have been pretty dark and it seems like I recall street walkers on that side of the street as I walked up the other side to see music at the club from my old friend Julie's house. Now a days my activity tolerance is lower for walking dark streets. The Austin Motel is a trendy, hip place to stay if you have the bucks and get your reservation in early. There are a lot of shops with boots, jewelry, vintage clothes, art and old records which all require money also. There is a big new motel under construction on South Congress which is going to put thousands of more people on the streets. They will need food, bathrooms and stuff to buy. I just hope I can still get into the Continental Club for $7 to see a killer hard country band which by coincidence is the same price people pay to see me at local VFWs playing most of the same songs which as songwriter Randy Newman says "Just not as good." 

Dale Watson has a great band. In addition to playing all the old hard country favorites he dipped into the swing songbook with some Louis Jordan and a great country cover of the John Lennon tune "Ballad of John and Yoko." This is the way a band from Texas should play. They come in looking all country boy and the next thing you know it's taken off in a whole nother direction.  

I think Dale must have some sort of working agreement with Lone Star Beer. He had a little theme song and dance thing he played about Lone Star several times during the night and he drank a lot of them. He advanced a conspiracy theory that it was Lone Star which Jesus turned the water into but big wine has put a spin on the story that we can't seem to break out of. 

I can't seem to see where my friend Julie's house was off South Congress. Might not still be there. Much has changed. With all these people coming they are going to be the type that want lights. They won't be like me during those years I flailed at the dark. Maybe with the lights I can see old friend's houses and the places I have been.