Flanfire

This has been quite a week, and the pleasure has not been all mine. One reason to have extra ice chests around the house - if your daughter's refrigerator goes out just after she and her husband had bought two weeks' worth of groceries. The good news - they now have a "new" refrigerator in their apartment - one in which the icemaker actually works! My daughter and I finally went to see Seabiscuit and Finding Nemo - both with her 11-week-old son Caleb, who especially enjoyed Finding Nemo - a movie, of course, designed to bond fathers and children together ever more closely, and one that should be seen intergenerationally.

My pal James Bruce and I checked out the Texas Music Cafe for lunch this week - I had the gumbo, catfish po-boy, and creme brulee; he had the meatloaf sandwich. All I can say is --- YUMMMMMM! Do not miss this new and lovely (especially the outdoor music patio in the back) establishment that has been a long time coming. It is just two doors up the hill from the Continental Club, and two doors down the hill from what is to become FactoryPeople - a clothing venture with ties to the Bookpeople people. SOCO never looked so good and continues to become an even greater neighborhood for eating, shopping, and having tons of fun. NEVER TEAR UP THIS BEAUTIFUL STREET FOR LIGHT RAIL!!! Instead, put cuter busses (maybe trolley-style) or even horse-drawn carriages or whatever. And never forget First Thursday!!!

Lessee -- Did I mention the brand-new CD release week being conducted by my pal Greg Adkins of the Gospel According 2 Austin project? Volume 4 - Turn Your Radio On - features the Brennen Leigh Band, which consists primarily of Brennen (tall, blonde, 20 year old, mandolin picking, Hank-style singing western Minnesota girl whose first CD - Lonesome, Wild, and Blue - features several of her own compositions and songs by Billy Joe, Steve Earle, and others of note), her brother Seth (tall, brunet, 22 year old, guitar picking songwriter who spent a year in Nashville before relocating with Brennen last year to San Marcos and moving this week up to Austin after spending the summer mostly in Minnesota and North Dakota), Lonnie Key (banjo picker from San Marcos), and often joined by veteran Austin players BB Morse and Phil Fajardo.

So we trekked on down to the Broken Spoke on Wednesday for a set that also featured a pedal steel player -- the house was unpacked, perhaps because Ray Benson was playing for free at Hill's Cafe that evening, but Damon Bramblett was there! He for the record is taking a sabbatical until he heads down to South America in January, but in case you have forgotten what a great songwriter he is, you'd best hit his website and demand more action. I love Damon, and especially remember his solo slots at Stubb's a while back out on the upstairs porch.

Thursday was wild for the kids - a luncheon gig at a hotel conference, a 3:30 appearance with Jody Denburg, a 5:00 in-store concert at Waterloo, and then the 7:30 gig - normally outdoors, but there was this wind and rain threat, so they moved it indoors - at Threadgill's Riverside. Did I mention that Billy Joe Shaver showed up to sing his own song from Brennen's gospel CD -- and provided a bonus by getting the band going full speed and then some to that little ditty, I've Been To Georgia on a Fast Train. Don Walser had intended to drop by, but was reportedly not feeling well.

Brennen and the boys are playing in Luckenbach on Saturday and doing the Gospel Brunch at Threadgill's this Sunday (11 am - 1 pm). We will NOT be there, as we will be in North Lousiaiana celebrating a birthday and the landing of a great job by my oldest daughter who is moving back to central Florida (so I can visit her during spring training).