Volume 14 – #8 – August 2011

It’s Polka Time Again! Brave Combo is entering the 2011 Oktoberfest Season with a ton of shows on the calendar. We’ve added several new tunes to our already ridiculously large repertoire and are prepared to blow the roofs off or the tents down, whichever is appropriate. Most of our upcoming performances will feature the BC big band, including Alan, Carl, Jeffrey, Danny, Ginny and Little Jack. However, for the Addison and McKinney festivals our former sweetheart of the bass fiddle, Ann Marie, will be returning to anchor the low end. Of course, she’ll be singing some of the polka hits, like “Hosa Dyna” and “Kiss Me, Sweetheart.”

Rich vs. Poor. Haves vs. Have-nots. Greed vs. Poverty. Security vs. Fear. Abundant Opportunity vs. No Chance. Convenience vs. Hassle. Comfortable vs. Lumpy and Bumpy. Hate vs. Compassion. Now that the middle class is disappearing into a ballooning bottom-of-the-barrel and the other end of the spectrum is, apparently, immune to feeling that enough is enough, I wonder what will happen next. As country after country in the Middle East bend to revolution, it crosses my mind that, perhaps, this is just the beginning of something way bigger. Not just because people elsewhere see it and know about it and are inspired by it, but because the wave of change has begun; because the desire to level the playing field is shooting up the commoner’s priority ladder. It’s like a new fashion trend. The third wave of punk. Or maybe more like punk meets hippies meets laid-off factory workers and school teachers. But where’s the establishment to rail against? Who are they? Is it the government or big business or a combination? It was easier to tell in the 1960s. But it doesn’t really matter. The sheep will either see the light and get organized or not. The Tea Party movement proves that it’s possible to have some crazy ideas and impact a lot of folks if you get organized. Well, maybe another movement is also possible, if the passions get high enough. The air is already whispering, “Go for it.” Jeez, a flash mob must be a piece of cake to pull off. They’ve become as common-place as pick-up trucks. And, speaking of that, the truck-to-car ratio in Denton must be about 3 to 1. And, you know what? There’s almost never anything in the back of all those trucks. But, back to my point about flash mobs, it appears that all kinds of people are capable of making them happen. And, as we have learned from our brothers and sisters in Middle East, numbers matter. But the sheep have to get organized. At least these are interesting times, huh? Some people believe we’re living in the end times. But even if that’s the case, are we supposed to go out kicking and screaming or with a shrug of the shoulders? Fighting to the end or just accepting our fate? Whatever, day-to-day life would be so much easier if anyone believed in the future, but no one really does, except for the super wealthy who don’t come down to Earth often enough to see what’s going on. Your average Joe Citizen in the USA thinks he has nothing to look forward to and that things will be even worse for his children. And when Jesus comes back to settle things with about half of his followers, it’s going to get especially ugly. He’s gonna remind them about the golden rule and caring for the less fortunate and not being pious and giving Caesar his share, etc. and then the awkwardness will rush in like a cold wave. Imagine the embarrassment of facing your savior, trying to defend the sins you’ve committed in his name and suddenly realizing the truth. That’s a big “gotcha” moment. Speaking of doomsday scenarios (minor chords and moaning sounds), ladies and gentlemen, meet Rick Perry (festive gunshot sounds). It looks like his swagger and smirk is running for President. I understand that, as our seriously scary governor, he’s arranged, through deft legal maneuvering, for over thirty states to use a massive hunk of West Texas as a toxic radioactive waste dump to ensure financial support for him from big business. I guess the slogan, “Don’t Mess With Texas” doesn’t apply to everyone (comedic drum rim shot). And now he hopes to do the same with the whole country. The frat boys are in charge of the asylum and they have pistols (another rim shot). Okay, enough about that. I was just thinking about the power of sheep in huge numbers getting organized. That’s all.

Speaking of crowds getting organized, dancing is fun. And dancing to Brave Combo is major fun, right? Maybe I should start calling myself Major Fun at BC shows. I have a couple of new hats that look like something a master of ceremonies would wear. And, by the way, have you heard Brave Combo since Ginny has been in the band? If not, you need to do us all a favor and check her out. This is one freaky outfit these days.

Drum Roll, Please! Fanfare, too! I am pleased to announce the baby that Mike Dillon and I have been trying to birth for about 7-8 years is finally ready to pop out. The album, though still yet to be titled, is finished. Now we have to package the sucker and figure out how to get the music to the people. We hope to have everything in a tangible form by October or November, but perhaps some tracks will start to surface before then. This is very exciting. I can almost cross it off my list. On a similar note, the album Danny Jerabek and I have been working on a little over a year should be in a completed, listenable form just as soon. AND, I hope to have a rough, live CD of new BC music, featuring Ginny, ASAP. I guess too much is just not enough.

Joke of the Month:
Husband: Man, times are tough. I’m afraid our dog, Fido and our cat, Fluffy will just have to go to the pound.
Wife (Horrified): What!? Are you an idiot? That’s your idea of a solution? We’ll work this out, starting with you going on a diet. That will save us more than enough to feed Fido and Fluffy both.
Husband: Oops, should have kept my mouth shut.

Oddly enough, there’s a follow-up to this joke. The husband and wife both became really serious about watching what they ate, stopped consuming meat and were able to save enough money to adopt another animal from the pound. It was a dog. They named it Spot. One night the wife was undressing in the bedroom. Spot was nearby and he suddenly lunged at a window, barking ferociously. The wife noticed a man running away right outside the window. It was a Peeping Tom enjoying the floor show. The husband ran into the room when he heard the commotion. They called the police and the husband squatted down and patted Spot’s head, exclaiming, “Good boy!” Spot proudly wagged his tail and graciously accepted the praise. Fido and Fluffy watched, enviously, from the hall. As it turns out, the Peeping Tom ran right into a creek and fell, breaking his right arm. The police easily found him. When the paramedics arrived to take him to the hospital, the Peeping Tom said, “Ouch. I’m sorry. Ouch. Damn, my life is over. Ouch, that really hurts. God, I’m screwed.” While in the house, the husband and wife were enjoying a big salad, as Fluffy used the litter box and Spot and Fido fought over a rawhide treat one of them sniffed out of the couch.

Well, the relentless heat in Texas has pretty much demoralized everyone here. People from the upper Midwest to the South have suffered record-breaking flooding from the winter’s record snowfall. And huge tornadoes struck cities in Missouri, Alabama and Mississippi just a few months ago. A bizarre earthquake rocked the East Coast recently, followed by a rain-packed hurricane which produced devastating floods from North Carolina to Vermont. How do we interpret these events? I know you’re thinking about what it all means. Maybe we should just imagine that Earth is a giant roller coaster (one that spins you around as you’re propelled forward and dropped) and the ride has just begun. Hang on and enjoy it, Baby! What else can we do?