The Machine’s Pump Volume 20 – #2 – February 2017

Yep, we are suddenly living in a new world. Not so suddenly, actually, if you really look at how we got here; how reality TV and social media drove the bus that evolved into this. But it does seem sudden. And disorienting. And extremely creepy, or slimy, or maybe both. Radical “godly people” are a scary bunch, whether they’re Christian, Muslim, Jew, whatever. And it’s interesting that “godly values” are such an integral part of the Republican agenda, yet it feels like God has had it and is getting’ outta Dodge, leaving empty robotic zombies in charge. How could the right wing’s indignation and darkness seem so righteous to them and so sinister to me? Why did “Christians” decide to become such judgmental jerks, when that is absolutely the main thing Jesus said not to do? All I know is that the good ol’ USA feels a whole lot less holy than it did prior to January 20. This is militant Christianity. The old Baptist hymn kinda says it all. “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.” This equates the militants with right-ness. We sang it often at First Baptist Church, Texarkana, Texas, and even as a youngster something about the attitude of “Onward Christian Soldiers” kinda rubbed me the wrong way. I loved a ton of hymns but this one seemed out of place. You know, “I’m right, you’re wrong. Either change or get the hell out.” And it even sounded like a military march. I know many people who seriously dig marches, but I’m usually a little “take-it-or-leave-it” about them. They just don’t stir me, emotionally. From my perspective, they can be rather boring, structure-wise and harmonically, but, as I said, I know there are folks who crank up the Sousa like it’s Motorhead. One of my best friends when I was in high school would pretend to conduct, with mucho emotion, as his march albums spun around the stereo turntable. Anyway, back to my original point. From a religious angle, supposedly, we all have souls, but that’s exactly what seems to be missing with these new so-called Christians – a soul. They’re like hollowed-out beings, mindlessly spouting cliché Christian jargon, as if that gives them moral authority.

Speaking of intolerance and efforts to thwart it, Brave Combo will be hosting four upcoming shows in Texas called IMMIGRANT SONGS, which will feature, obviously, music from our repertoire introduced to our country by people from other countries. We’ll be performing and celebrating uplifting, exotic sounds from Mexico, Syria, Colombia, Poland, Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Romania, Armenia, Greece, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Germany and so on. You get the idea. Without brave immigrants and refugees there may not have been a Brave Combo. In the beginning, 90% of our inspiration came from foreign music or the new music created by immigrants mixing it up with the stuff that was already here. That blending of the old with the new; the unknown with the familiar, is when the really exciting stuff happens. That’s when the magic of Scrubby and the Dynatones Polish-American music innovators) happened. That’s when the magic of Esteban Jordan (Tex-Mex music innovator) happened. Anyway, we ‘re gonna do our regular schizophrenic/short-attention-span thing but emphasize the origins of the music and talk just a little about some of the pivotal musical moments for the band; the times when the light bulbs switched on. So, come out to Poor David’s Pub, in Dallas, Friday, March 31 or Dan’s, in Denton, Saturday, April 1 or The Continental Club, in Austin, Saturday, April 22 or the St. Andrew’s Coffee House Concert Series, in Houston, Thursday, May 11. Please check our itinerary for details.

Speaking of our itinerary, we’re adding new 2017 performance dates every week. Kinda like putting a stick in a fire ant mound. Before you know it, ants are all over that stick. Crazy.

Okay! Here’s a Brave Combo fan and friend, Shaun Jex, performing our song, “A Night On Earth.” We thought he did a great job and added a nice tenderness to it. Thanks, Shaun.

A Shocking Fact About Me. Not really. If you’ve read my thoughts over the years, you know I generally seem to like animals more than people. Well, it’s true. I spend much of the day with my dogs and cats and they are, mostly, an aging population. I’m currently recovering from the recent devastating loss of my favorite cat, a special little guy whom I’ve had high on a pedestal for several years, and now facing the imminent death of one of our dogs, a sweet girl we rescued, along with her two new puppies about nine years ago. Those puppies, still part of our family, are seniors now, themselves, but still full of life This is just the way it is. Around the same time the mama dog and her babies moved in, I also started feeding a feral cat (female tortoise-shell calico) behind a convenience store in Denton. After a year of nightly visits, I found a friend who was willing to help out and, ultimately oversee the on-going duties. So, now, in 2017, that cat has been joined by a friend (male, tuxedo cat) and they continue to be fed every single night. On a recent visit, when I had feeding detail, I couldn’t find the female. The male showed up and ate, but was glancing around nervously, as I continued to call and look for the female. After a while, I noticed that he had walked to a part of the yard he rarely frequented and lay down at the foot of a tree. It was weird; never did this before. I walked over to the tree and heard some mournful meows. At first, I thought it was him and then looked up to find the female about twelve feet up in the crook of the tree, very upset. After quite a while and some frustrating attempts, I was finally able to get her down. She ran, with the male right by her side, to where I’d put the food, and both chowed down happily, together. He let me know where she was and stayed with her until she was safely on the ground. It was a great moment of insight. There are many more details I’ll spare you, but, needless to say, I was touched by the depth of the cats’ bond. Anyway, their primary caregiver is finally in a position to start moving toward a new, safe home for both cats, so we all for hope for a better situation soon.

Well, that’s a good place to stop. We have a few more weeks of “vacation” and then the party begins! We are rehearsing new future hits right now, getting ready for the next phase of this Twilight Zone life we’re all experiencing. Look up!