The Show Must Go On...

    Last Sunday, my buddy Kevin called me and asked if I wanted to be a part of a show. I felt like he was going to ask me if I was interested in filling in bass duty for a mutual buddy's band or something, but it was more than that. He said he was going to fly down here and play with me! Kevin is my drummer and best friend for almost 20 years and is currently in college out in Florida, and the lead singer and guitarist of this band wanted to pay to fly him down here and we all play a show. Within a weeks' time, too! It was the wildest idea I'd ever heard, but Kevin convinced me we should just do it, so here I am telling you about it! 

Drummer for multiple acts and artists, including our own rock band Freight Train Holiday

Kevin Martinez and I have been best friends for nearly 20 years. We played for Blackwater Holler this past Saturday night.

     After I agreed with him to do it, I started practicing up on the songs, and met up with Wesley, who is the lead singer and guitar for Blackwater Holler. He plays Texas Country Rock, and he has some really good original songs. Meanwhile, Kevin and him were building a barn-dominium out in Utopia, a really beautiful area out here in the hill country. While in the beginning of the work week, Wesley's transfer case in his truck blew out and put them in a standstill for a few days out there. Amidst other stresses and complications, it seemed the odds weren't in our favor to fulfil this show. 

  I got sick early in the week as well, and that did not help anything at all, especially me. I got a stomach virus and had to tough it out for a day. I finally got to meet up with the boys in Utopia Thursday night for an outside, round the campfire, band practice. Kevin played his Cajon, which is an acoustic drum box that you can sit on, Wes on his acoustic, and I had my 5 string on a little practice speaker. We ran through all the originals and it sounded pretty good being out there with nothing else around. Good feeling. 

    By the time the show day comes around, Saturday, we've all overcome some adversity and are feeling good about ourselves. The show must go on! We managed to get in one more practice and decided last minute to incorporate our own rendition of the song "Ain't No Rest for The Wicked" by Cage The Elephant, but I was told I was going to front the lead vocal on this one! I didn't think Wes was going to come up with that idea, but he said do it so I rolled with it and it came out awesome, as we improv an acapella chorus in the beginning and the crowd loved it! The show was a success and I ended up getting paid to do what I love, which is play the bass guitar and make people move! 

Watch a clip from the song Dirty Ol Cowboy by Blackwater Holler