Volume 4 – #11 – November 2001

All together now. Let’s sing “Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).” This is probably the most appropriate and insightful song of our time. Adopting an attitude of no expectations can be a very empowering thing.

Some thoughts have occurred to me lately.

1. A lot of people in the United States feel, and have felt, that they have no particular purpose in life and nothing to lose. Sure, we’re materialistically wealthy, but under the surface, not very content. A strong anger toward something undefined was there before September 11 and many folks were already looking for something to hit. There are challenges to surviving in any culture. And finding your way in the USA always takes a lot of energy. The terrorist attacks provided a little more focus for many disgruntled people. Whatever, a bunch of hopeless, half-cocked Americans might be a dangerous thing to mess with.

2. This is a big, big country and we’re already conditioned to be paranoid and watchful on a local level. We’re somewhat resigned to being suspicious of each other and have a great capacity for trivializing everything, including fear. Geez, Hollywood taught us how to react to all sorts of bad stuff years ago. We even know our lines.

3. We, all of us, are just grown-up babies, stabbing in the dark, occasionally with lethal tools. No one knows all that much more than the next guy. So when you hear something, consider the source. However, it’s always good to imagine that everything is part of some master plan. This will help relieve some guilt and anxiety, even if there really is no master plan. None of us knows anything anyway, so why not imagine something logical.

And all the people of the world realized, at the same moment, the futility of grasping too firmly to the fluff of life.

At certain times I have believed that art, as a concept, is the most powerful force available to us, because it frees us from fear. At its most pure, art is like religion without dogma and when it separates from ego, man can become godlike. Art is about something we already know; enlightenment from intuition, based on practical faith; a faith so innocent that one can’t articulate the details of it. It just is. Art is the purpose and reward of civilization. Almost everything else is barbaric or truly out of style. It always gets us closer to the truth. An artist should desire, even if just to satisfy selfish motives, to help clarify and promote understanding of the human condition. With that in mind, let’s talk about polka music. When it rocks, it totally rocks. Know what I mean. You hear that thing and then you feel it. Polka creates its own world, always pointing at life without fear. Similar to art.

CULTURE ALERT. Live music venues are in trouble. Businesses across the country (clubs to concert halls) are giving consistent reports: attendance is way down. Some clubs are having to take out loans to stay open. In fact, there’s a reliable rumor that Denton’s finest live music club, Dan’s Bar, has officially closed. I guess bad economy + terrorism = slow nights. Our career has had so many ups and downs that all things have a familiar ring. So we’ve decided how to handle this current crisis. We’ll either set our ticket prices a little higher (like $100 or so per person) or charge by the note. But, like I said, this is not just Brave Combo’s problem. All musicians, and the rooms that present them, are facing the same situation. So, the next time you’re at home, comfortably resting in your pajamas and you notice it’s 10 pm, put your clothes back on, drive into town and listen to some live music. Even if you don’t like the band and the songs suck, hang in there. Even if you’re a dork and the musicians are bigger dorks. Even if you’re exhausted and you think everybody is against you. Even if you have a really bad headache and you know everybody is against you, turn off your TV, VCR, DVD and computer. Blow off family night (It never really worked anyway. Usually, kids and adults like different things) The effort will always be worth it; living, breathing soft humans, involving themselves in real-time, spontaneous activity. Look on the bright side. You may get a ticket on the way home from the show and will have an interesting story to tell for the rest of your life. That’s worth the price of a traffic ticket. Heck, I guess it’s worth going to jail if you get a good enough story out of it.

Jeffrey had a family emergency recently and wasn’t able to perform one weekend. So we turned to three talented friends to fill in. Of course, no one can take Jeff’s place, but we had a groovy time maneuvering around the tunes. On Friday, October 19, at the University of Dallas, keyboardist Lee Tomboulian, sailed his way flawlessly through the repertoire. He is truly amazing. Go see his band, Circo, any time you can. Former Brave Combo member, Bonnie Norris, played violin with us Saturday night at The Sons Of Hermann Hall. She’s better than ever and lots of people were happy to see her with us again. And, in Houston, on Sunday the 21st, our good friend, David de la Garza, joined us at Garden in the Heights. David’s the organist with the Tejano supergroup, La Mafia. He’s an extremely soulful guy and he knows most of our songs. So, we would like to thank Lee, Bonnie and David for helping us out. They’ll each receive a brand new washing machine full of banana pudding and a lifetime supply of “Super Pop” bubblegum.

Texas is a fun state. I have proof. Russians and hoedowns.

Jane says, “Pets are self-centered snots!” I have to agree. However, entertainment value can help even things out. My cat, Biscuits, is pretty fat. And I think he would look good in some denim shorts. So I’ll go to the used baby clothes store and buy a pair. Maybe I should go gather up all the downtown feral cats and put shorts on them as well. And hats, too. I know there’s a reason from the tangling, choking point of view that this is not a good idea. But just think how great it would be to walk around the courthouse square and see a cat wearing shorts and a hat run behind a building. And, if we could somehow play light-hearted/cartoon music for a few minutes a day through some big pole-mounted speakers hidden on each corner of the square, the resulting effect would be outstanding; little dressed-up cats and funny ambient muzak. And if the sky gets dark and it starts to rain, don’t worry about the cats. They won’t let their clothes get wet.

I went to Texarkana (born and reared) recently and turned on the radio as I got close to town. The first two songs I heard were “Lady,” by Styx and “Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” by Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO). Perfect! We should try to play there more often. This is a good time to reflect on one’s past. I had some interesting times in Texarkana. It’s two towns in one, you know. And it’s larger than you might think. In some ways it’s more like the deep south than it is Texas (or Arkansas). There are big pine trees, beautiful homes and a hint of sulfur smell in the air. That’s why it’s called Texarkana. Time travel is cool. Come back to earth occasionally. Love to all.