The Machine’s Pump Volume 26 – #2 – February 2023

Welcome to deep February 2023. Generally, it feels like the pandemic is behind us. People are definitely out and about. Cars and trucks are in the way, everywhere! And more are headed to poor little Denton Town. There is no distinction between Dallas and Denton anymore. I mean, it’s bad when we start referring to downtown Dallas as south Denton. What happened? I don’t know if it’s true, but a friend, whom I consider to be a well-informed info-seeker type, told me over 50% of the new jobs in the USA are in Texas. If that’s true, it explains everything about why the 2023 version of Denton sucks. Everyone says Denton is experiencing what Austin went through years ago; development destroying unique coolness. The difference is that Austin’s music and art infrastructure was always going to remain somewhat bullet-proof; big and organized and chock-full of eccentric high-profile movers and shakers. Denton’s specialness had more to do with our tendency to stumble innocently into weird groovy stuff and our physical distance from other, more aggressive and, indeed, commercial, environments allowed that specialness to flourish. We could plug into Dallas or Ft. Worth or not and be, as many once said, an oasis; a quirky escape from normal life. Well, that reality, I’m sad to say, is almost totally gone. Unless there’s a local avant-garde of which I’m unaware. Here’s the deal. We had no role models. We made it up as we went along. Plus, Denton was loaded with young, energetic creative types, with one of the best music schools in the world and a rapidly growing underground art scene. Plus Denton boasted opening the first head shop in the state. Brave Combo was just one of a myriad oddball bands when we first hit the Fry Street scene in 1979. And, by the way, clubs were open and lively, until 2am, with music often going beyond that. We played many nights until almost 2:30. It was no big deal. And, to my memory, no one ever got shot! Whatever, I’m not a nostalgia freak. Nothing is permanent, as they say, and that’s probably a good thing, in the long run. I mainly just wish I didn’t have to encounter so many cars and trucks and people when I want to make a quick run to the store for some Dr. Pepper-flavored cotton candy or a traffic cone.

Speaking of making music, I’ve been giving lots of thought to why performers want to be on stage, displaying their craft or artistic vision. I’ve been up on one several thousand times, so that’s a lot on which to reflect. And I’ve come up with a list of reasons why someone would choose to be up there, encouraging others to watch.

1. It’s just fun, fun, fun, to be me, me, me!
2. It’s actually enlightening and therapeutic for the audience and I feel obligated to provide a service.
3. I believe I have something profound to express through my art.
4. I’m like an athlete and want to impress others with my dexterity and physical prowess. I can play fast and/or sing high.
5. I need to make money.

There are probably some other reasons (being forced at gunpoint, your parents paid a lot for violin lessons, you’re simply lost) but considering these five, four involve a fair amount of ego. Number five doesn’t require it. I know plenty of musicians who only do it for the money. Every gig is just a gig. So, as I pondered why I ponder such things, I realized I want to try to make my stage time about all five of these things (minimal emphasis on #4) but also about nothing except exploring the mystery of music; how interacting melodies, harmonic structures and rhythms affect me and whoever is listening. I’ve always wanted to play live background music, like through a grocery store’s sound system, while unsuspecting shoppers are pushing carts around. I could set up in a back storage room and play a fast song, then a slow song, then a sad song, then a majestic song, then a whimswilical song, then a reverent song, then a happy song, then a lumbering song, then a reflective song. Get the idea? The only downside would be figuring out how to tap into their PA and talking them into paying me something like $1000-1500 for my trouble. Nah, the truth is, I would jump at doing this for free. It would be a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to perform as live background music, where shoppers wouldn’t know they were hearing a live show. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

A super fan/supporter of Brave Combo (and many, many, many other bands), from Athens, Georgia, William Carlton (Ort) passed away recently. He rivaled Beatle Bob (from St. Louis, Google him) in his devotion to the wonders of popular music. One time we asked him to introduce us at the 40-Watt Club (Athens), I believe. He enthusiastically accepted and did a great job. He used to send me piles of discarded copies he dug out of the trash, which other people had thrown away, at his favorite Kinko’s. He did that several times. I would get big manila envelopes full of Athens’ trash in the mail. He was quite sincere and jolly about it and, I believe he thought it was helping me guide Brave Combo to our goal, whatever that was. Here’s a postcard he sent us once. RIP, Ort!

TEASER. Lisa Cameron (BC’s first drummer), Jad Fair (half of Half Japanese) and I are cooking something up for this summer. Stay tuned!

The long-running NPR program, World Café, out of WXPN in Philadelphia, is coming to Denton and will be interviewing us. I guess they want our wisdom and insight. Hmmm, should I mention Denton’s traffic issues or just talk about tending to feral cats? I’ll figure it out.

Brave Combo is playing the Granbury Jazz festival on Saturday, February 25. It will be a set of crazy blissful expression, with lots of notes and chords and some ridiculous singing. If you live within an hour of Granbury, you should make every effort to attend this show. In fact, gigs are starting to pile up for the year. April, May, June, September, and October are getting full, so make your plans to follow us around and throw kisses our way! Check our itinerary often and have a perfect day, dear friends!