TOP STORY. Okay, this will be a little difficult to explain, but I have been immortalized in the form of a Dungeons and Dragons playing piece. I am # 4 in a series of well-known Denton characters and myths. To say the least, I am knocked out. The piece recognizes me as a musician and as an animal rescuer, which I appear to be, despite my better judgment at times. My good friend, Ed Steele, spear-headed this honor and I honestly don’t know what to say.
Anyway, if you are interested, you can pick me up at The Bearded Monk in Denton or order me from this link. I’m only about 1 ½ inches tall, so I won’t take up much room on your collectibles shelf.

Yep, it’s getting hot again. Before long, it will be cold again. Years feel like months, months like weeks, weeks like days. We play several annual festivals and events and each time one of these rolls around it’s like it just happened. At least there’s a chance I don’t appear too much older to those fans who see us every year. I know they all look about the same, to me, as they did a year earlier. Anyway, back to the heat and weather concerns, it does seem, as science has predicted, that storms and atmospheric conditions are becoming more extreme. Since I wrote about a tornado touching down near my home, in last month’s MACHINE’S PUMP, there have been a lot more in the North Texas area. Just a few days ago there were eight tornadoes in or near DFW in about a five-hour period, including one which was less than five miles from my house. I know tornadoes are fun and all, but this is a little much, even for those of us who are sorta used to them. But who should be surprised? Almost all of the great meteorological minds in the world have been sounding the climate change-alarm for a while and, indeed, their dire expectations are coming to pass. How comforting it is to know that Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Stable Genius, has vowed to protect us and put our needs above his own selfish desires. One big hunk of our country, which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri (Midland/Odessa to St. Louis) experienced historic tornadic activity for two solid weeks. This is ridiculous, and not in a good way. It’s interesting how unstable everything is; not just the weather, and I believe everyone feels it, to some degree. Are humans going through one of those game-changing evolutionary periods? Maybe we are simply the guinea pigs of the new order and something in our collective soul is trying to make a big ol’ group-enlightenment leap, but elements of our darker tendencies are afraid to move forward, and, indeed, using fear to suppress progress. The unknown is supposed to be scary, right? So, I guess making America great again means being frightened of everything, pissing off everybody and making sensitive situations more volatile. Well, at least the farmers appear to be doing okay.

FUNNY JOKE:
Farmer A: What are you growing this year?
Farmer B: More worried!

FUNNY RIDDLE:
Question: How many Evangelicals can be duped by a con man who is actually dumber than they are?
Answer: All of them!

BREAKING NEWS: Some people will not appreciate the previous joke or riddle. So, I would like to apologize to anyone who was offended. I also would like to apologize to that guy in Wisconsin who used to write us threatening emails, warning us we better not set foot in his state again. And I would like to apologize to those people who didn’t like our music in the early days and would throw stuff at us. And I would like to apologize to that white-power, giant-pick-up-truck-driving redneck for not thinking he’s cool when he blows intentional black smoke out of his exhaust (are you aware of this new trend?). I am so sorry.

Here’s a thought. As you may have heard, the powers-that-be have declared UFOs are real and have been flying willy-nilly, almost running into our planes and jets recently, doing all kinds of fancy maneuvers, zooming around really fast, making impossibly precise turns. It would be pretty funny if Jesus was flying the lead saucer and this is how he’s returning to Earth. If that’s the case, someone better do something about those kids in cages at the border pretty damn quick. He probably won’t be too keen on that. Popeye wouldn’t dig that either. He might be flying shotgun with Jesus.

The new album (11 tracks) is finished! It is an oddball bunch of songs, I must say. And I have started shooting an oddball bunch of videos to go with them. Everything is sacred and nothing is sacred. That’s where I am trying to be. That’s what Brave Combo is all about. The above-mentioned unknown is NOT always a scary place, you know. It’s often exciting, actually. Abandon your damn comfort zone on occasion. Imagine something you dare not. Whatever, we may or may not make tangible objects from the new tracks or we may make CDs, cassettes and vinyl out of the little buggers. More on this soon!

NOT TO BE MISSED
On Thursday, June 6th, Brave Combo will be opening the Summer in the Park Concert Series, in beautiful San Marcos, Texas. Joining us on stage will be Tim Walsh, our original woodwind player, who will also be performing a laser show during some of our songs. Since this is so hard to wrap your head around, just come to the concert check it out first-hand. The night can be revealed to us all at once. I have no idea how this is going to go or exactly what’s going to happen, but I guarantee it won’t be normal. “Polkas and lasers, polkas and lasers, go together like something and razors.”

ALSO NOT TO BE MISSED
On the next night, Friday, June 7th, Brave Combo will be appearing at Andy’s, on the downtown square in Denton. The show will be videotaped and some of the footage will be part of a BC documentary and some of it may make it into one of our new music videos. We will be playing music AND telling pertinent stories about traveling, finding and writing songs and living an unpredictable lifestyle. So, put on something flashy or sexy or even tastefully understated and make the scene with us.

Okay, that is more than enough. Smile at a stranger, even if you know them. And if you need a friend, go to your local animal shelter. The best buddy you will ever have is there right now, waiting for you. And get ready for a groovy summer!

So I guess another year is wrapping up and, once again, a new one is ready to take its place. I’ve seen this before. Everyone looks back at the previous 12 months because we, apparently, can’t help it. I suppose it’s important to us to assess what just happened. The older I get, the more I feel like everything just happened. Twelve months feels barely longer than two. Plus, I’m just not past-oriented. I don’t long for the good ol’ days, whenever they were. There are certainly many events I remember fondly and I suppose, if I could hop into a time machine and walk around my hometown in the 1960s again and look at it with modern eyes, it would, admittedly, be entertaining. However, I have somewhat recently cataloged all of the Brave Combo videos, going back to our first rehearsals, and I gotta say, I don’t want to relive a single minute. The experience was pretty overwhelming and, ultimately, rather nauseating. Too much to take in. Lots of places and miles and situations and people. I was surprised at my reaction. I probably tried to watch and label too many at a time, but boy-o-boy did I get tired of myself. There were moments it didn’t look like anything to me. But mainly I was just happy I still had a reason to keep making new stuff, because I love making new stuff. And I know I drive everyone crazy with my desire to constantly create and change things up and, on top of that, be as perfect as possible, but that formula seems to work for me. In just a few months Brave Combo will be 40 years old. That’s four decades of imagining what doesn’t exist. That’s a pretty long time, right? I mean, that’s nothing compared to how long dogs have been domesticated. But compared to how long it takes to eat your average meal, it’s an eternity. Plus, most of our songs are on the short side, so a night of Brave combo involves roughly 45-50 songs. Multiply that by 40 years. Okay, I’m starting to feel nauseated again. Whatever, if I were to do a year-end round-up, I think it would be something like, “We live in a Twilight Zone-style cartoon and 2018 was full of stupid shit!” But with the new year comes new hope and, I must say, I am sorta optimistic about 2019 and very grateful that Brave Combo still has so many opportunities to perform and to be self-indulgent. We’re so appreciative of the support which continues to come our way. I’m always amazed I actually make money doing this; enough money to support a bunch of animals, including several who don’t live at our house. They have no idea how expensive they are. They don’t even know what money is. They just know I am, somehow, there to take care of them.

Speaking of 2019, we will be updating our itinerary soon and adding lots of new dates. As usual, we are on vacation for most of January and February, but on Saturday, February 23, we will perform in concert with the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra in McKinney, Texas. Symphonic arrangements of Brave Combo songs, with us playing along! We seriously dig hearing our music played by lots of violins and oboes and harps and french horns and then singing along with it, karaoke-style, in front of an audience. Pretty thrilling stuff for us. Mark it on your calendar.

LET’S GO SHOPPING. We ordered a bunch of IT’S CHRISTMAS, MAN! CDs (1990 release, contains original BC recording of “Must Be Santa,” which our friend, Bob Dylan, covered) for the season and they were a hit, so we are going to try expanding the BC store to include vintage vinyl, cassettes, publicity photos, posters, and myriad oddball things. The Brave Combo office/studio is about to pop with stuff. Jeez, that TV show, HOARDERS, even called about shooting an episode (just kidding). We’ll let you know when the inventory is ready to check out and clear out, hopefully by mid-January. Start getting excited now, though. In the meantime, we do have a few copies of IT’S CHRISTMAS, MAN! still in stock. It’s a classic album and, as Brave Combo says, “Christmas is always just around the corner.”

JOE CRIPPS’ BIRTHDAY PARTY. Our friend, a comrade in music and fellow traveler, Joe Cripps, has now been missing for about two years and two months. In October of 2016, he just disappeared. He was living in Little Rock at the time. Joe played percussion with Brave Combo for over two decades and was a partner in the band, as well, for several years. We toured the world together. January 5, 2019, is Joe’s birthday and on that date, an army of his fellow musicians will gather at Dan’s, in Denton, for the second annual commemorative blow-out. At that event, an announcement will be made about a scholarship which is being established in Joe’s name. Although the reason we will all be getting together is sad beyond words, Joe was bigger than life, so we plan to rock out and make a lot of noise in his memory. Several bands are playing. You should come out and party with us.

I am working diligently on my new project, The Carl Finch Sound, and now have about 60-70 new songs/ideas/pieces almost ready to perform. As well, I am returning to the studio in January to finally finish work on twelve new tracks. I remember, when I was about 11 years old, realizing I wouldn’t have time, one summer, to do all I wanted to do. I made a list, including lots of fun stuff, and barely accomplished anything. It’s still the same, over fifty years later. Forever hard to complete things. This is everyone’s burden. Revved-up in the beginning, worn out halfway through. You gotta dig deep to tie up all the loose ends and when you’re dealing with something like music, it has to be, at least, recorded and performed well and should be, at least, a little interesting. This is a tall order these days, considering how much music and art is being produced. Here’s a shocking fact which should discourage anyone from considering a career as a musician/artist. Spotify uploads 20,000 new recordings every 24 hours.

Hey, Bubba Hernandez and Jeffrey Barnes are still hanging around, playing fantastic shows with Brave Combo. We do three-part harmony, like the Chordettes. Or were they four-piece? Well, we can do that, too, if we want, like the Chordettes, in case they were a four-piece ensemble. Speaking of the Chordettes, here’s a song by another singing group from that era which probably wouldn’t fly in 2019. HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all!

I am so tired of thinking too much. I’m so tired of checking the news to see what new depressing thing has happened. I’m so tired of trying to wrap my head around the thought processes of evangelical Christians. I’m so tired of disliking others because they’re idiots. It feels like, in 2016, we all moved to a weird, distorted version of where we had been living. Indeed, something has allowed, even encouraged, the worst side of humanity to rise to the surface and feel just fine about it. October has been a horrific month in the USA. I guess the killing of eleven people in a synagogue is part of making America great again. I feel like we are witnessing the dissolving of American society and the de-evolving of humanity. The explosion of social media, a platform designed to “unite” us, has mainly been about the explosion of ego. Me against you. Now that Pandora’s Box is wide open, a dangerous, fear-spewing monster has been put in charge of the country. I just need to figure out a way to embrace all the crazy stuff going on and be thankful and honored to be living in such a bizarre, volatile, out-of-control era; to be alive at the actual tipping point of climate change. And to actually see the USA flirt with becoming controlled by right-wing nationalism. How special is that? No matter what, I have to stay a little attached to this ridiculous realm. I still have to write up contracts and make business phone calls. I have to set up gear and plug in cables. I have to pay bills and drive within the lanes. Friends and family, including lots of animals, depend on me every day. So, there are many reasons I must keep it together. But it’s become harder to find anchors; reliable stuff. And we’re all learning too much about how to con people and how to live comfortably with lies. Okay, now I am tired of this paragraph. Jeez, go vote!

Check out this song, “Shprayz Ikh Mir,” by the Klezmatics. Viva music of immigrants!

Hmmm, David Byrne is about to release the entire TRUE STORIES movie soundtrack, including the stuff I wrote and recorded. That explains why Warner Music has been calling and sending me forms to fill out. Okay, that’s very good news.

LET’S not POLKA! The 2018 polka-blitz season has officially come to a close. This was one intense bunch of gigs! So many notes! Thank you to all who came out to our shows and dances and got down with us.

Did you know that a classic line-up of Brave Combo has been performing together most of this year and will continue to do so in November and December? I’m talking about Jeffrey, Bubba, Danny, Alan and myself. The five of us recorded two Grammy-winning albums not too long ago. Don’t know what 2019 will bring, so you should scramble to check us out before the year (or time) comes to an end. Hear songs you haven’t heard in a long-ass time or maybe ever.

Speaking of classic Brave Combo, our beloved musical brother and long-time BC member, Joe Cripps, has been missing for two years. It’s just as hard to believe now as it was in October of 2016. I can’t believe Joe hasn’t been around since the presidential election. Man, oh man, he would have had some choice words for certain people in high places. We all miss him and hope we can, someday, know exactly what happened.

Speaking of the past, above is a gig photo we unearthed from the 1990s. Over the decades Brave Combo has performed at, perhaps, hundreds of wedding parties. One time we were playing such an event in Dallas and the groom asked if his dad could sit in on a few songs. Of course, we said yes. It’s his wedding. The father turned out to be Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. So, indeed, we played a mini-set of his hits. From left-to-right, it’s Jeffrey, Bubba, Roger, Mitch (on drums in the back) and me on piano. We were so cool at that moment. All five of us!

Please check our itinerary often. Dates pop in when you least expect it. Of course, holiday shows are around the corner. Make your plans now!

Also, my new side project, The Carl Finch Sound, will be performing one more fabulous show this year, in Denton, at LSA (south side of the downtown square), on Thursday, November 8. I have been in the studio recording new material from this endeavor and hope to release it, with videos, early 2019. As well, good ol’ Brave Combo has recorded several new tracks, including our latest version of “The Clarinet Polka,” featuring Robert Hokamp flying though the melody on guitar. I gotta get busy and pull this stuff together.

And speaking of good ol’ Brave Combo, next year, 2019, will mark 40 years of nuclear polka. I may not ever mention that again or we could wind up throwing a bunch of celebratory bashes. I can’t really dwell on this too much, though. Not yet. But I’ll probably get myself psyched up for it. It’s no big deal, really. I mean, it’s not like it will be our 43rd year or anything like that. Everybody calm down.

For now, let’s focus on the present and what’s right in front of us. If you have not voted, do it now! Then go have a nice dinner.