Car wouldn't start this afternoon. Had to cancel my solo show at The Watercrest, which I was really looking forward to doing. Had also planned to visit Conroe afterward to check out its burgeoning music scene.

Eventually, found someone to give the battery a jump, and since then the damn thing has started quickly and easily every time. Grrrrr!

Absolutely wonderful four days at Old Settlers Music Festival! Saw incredible musicians perform everyday, and played in incredible picking circles every night. The acts I saw included my friends in Gal Dangit on the campground stage Thursday night, plus: Mandolin Orange, The Peterson Brothers, Billy Strings, Pearl and the Polka Dots, Sam Bush, Anders Osborne, The Honeycutters, California Honeydrops, Wood and Wire, Elephant Revival, Los Lobos, and Shiny Ribs.

Although still billed as the Kaye Pasa Trio, Paul and I played as a duo at B.B. Rovers tonight. Kaye hurt her back and couldn't make the show.

Wanted to thank Bob Case for coming to the launch party at Twin Creeks Hall for HONKY TONK HYMNAL, so I drove to Georgetown tonight for his open mic at Hardtails. Lotsa fun.

Fantastic night at Twin Creeks Hall for the official launch party for Honky Tonk Hymnal. A good crowd, incredible musicians, and the HTH show proved to me that this is an album with great potential.

We had an impromptu variety program before the show. Right after we set up the equipment with 90 minutes before showtime, David "Lefty" Gardner took the stage and played jazz, including some songs from  Lefty Plays Djano. Up next was my co-producer and co-writer, David Harbaugh, whose white pants, shoes, and shirt with a red string tie gave him a Colonel Sanders look. After he played a couple of his new songs, Paul Teneyuque played songs from his North of the River CD. Ella Reid, who was a surprise guest, belted out some favorite country tunes, ending with a great rendition of "Love is a Rose."

By the time I took the stage with Lynette & Lefty, the crowd was really rockin'. Like the album, we opened with "Give Us This Day Our Honky Tonk," followed quickly by "Lead Me Not into Temptation (I Found a Shortcut)." On the album I sing the duet with Lynette, but tonight Lefty sang it with her. 

"When Willie Gets Behind the Beat" was our next song, and the crowd LOVED it. I still think it's the hit of the album.

Before the next song, I had to switch between my nylon-string Alvarez to my 12-string Breedlove. To fill these pauses in the action, I'd asked Helen Haake (a.k.a. "Hell Belle") to prepare some honky-tonk "scripture readings." Her words and delivery were spot-on perfect. Speaking in her southern belle accent, she opened with: "I'd to read you a passage from the book of St. James....Morrison. 'Woke up this morning and got myself a beer; the future's uncertain and the end is always near.' Thank you."

As it is on the album, the fourth song of the show was Richard Leslie's "Mississippi de Tejas," Unlike my duet with Chrissie Natoli on the album, Kaye Reznick joined me to sing backing vocals and harmony, Kaye Pasa Trio-style. 

We skipped to "Girl with Upright Bass," which the crowed loved. I chickened-out when it was time to put on my harmonica holder, so we played it all strings only. Next, Hell Belle gave another short reading while Bobby Maguire joined us on stage with his fiddle for "Morning Glory." Although we could hear Bobby's incredible fills and runs perfectly in the stage monitors, the house mains weren't loud enough.

We fixed the mains, Bobby stayed, and Kaye joined us again for "Come a Little Closer." Lynette really loves this song, and it shows in her vocals and phrasing. With Kaye singing harmony, Bobby on fiddle, Lefty on solo guitar, and yours truly on rhythm guitar, we knocked this one out of the house.

Hell Belle gave her final reading as we got the Kaye Pasa Trio ready for the skipped songs. I can't remember which one we played first, but it was supposed to be "Guilty Pleasure" followed by "Beer and Pretzels for Communion." Lynette continued to play bass, but she scooted back to make room for Kaye and her cabasa at the center mic. Paul took over Lefty's spot on stage, but Lefty sat off-stage adding a second rhythm guitar for the songs.

"A Beer is a Beer" was the big finale; after which we got to mingle with the crowd for a bit. A short while later Bobby Maguire and I retook the stage with Lynette & Lefty.

Now that the album drop was over, I was more relaxed, and I think I did my best playing of the night. We had a wonderfully attentive and responsive crowd, and I think everyone had a good time. 

Playing the last set with Lynette & Lefty and Bobby Maguire was a great thrill for me. I remember we played "Hot Pepper Tamale" and "Don't Dallas My Austin," both by request. Also, I managed to remember all the words to "Last Chance Tattoo," which I hadn't thought about in ages. I remember Bobby and I accompanying Lynette & Lefty for "Bad Times in Abilene," but the other songs are just a happy blur.

What a great night!

Kaye Reznick and I performed at this non-church "church" of free thinkers. Very unusual. Their core values are:

People are more important than beliefs
Reality is known through reason
Meaning comes from making a difference
Human hands solve human problems
Be accepting and be accepted

Miserable day to perform outdoors. The roaring south wind made it difficult to get decent sound, even in the monitors. One big gust collapsed the canopy's back leg leaving the whole thing rocking violently back and forth.

I thought the whole kit and kaboodle was about to take flight despite the heavy weights attached to each pole, but thankfully, our friend Chris Byers was there to save the day. He reset the collapsed support leg and adjusted the weights at its base.

Adding i to i, the tips were miserable today. That was a big disappointment because we made pretty good tips the last time we played there. It's possible the wind blew some tips right out of the tip jar.