World Cafe Interview – Carl Finch & Jeffrey Barnes
National Public Radio’s long-running, popular music program, WORLD CAFÉ recently visited Denton, to check our groovy music scene for their series, “Sense of Place.” The show’s host, Raina Douris, and producer, Miguel Perez, spent an afternoon at Brave Combo World Headquarters, picking Jeff’s and my brains about what it’s like being Brave Combo and living in our fine, but rapidly changing, city. The show’s exploration involves several installments, beginning April 4th. I understand Friday, April 7th is Brave Combo Day. I don’t remember exactly what Jeff and I said, but I do know we had a great time. Raina and Miguel were fine human beings and did their research. So, you should listen and hear what brilliantly entertaining things Jeff and I said. WORLD CAFÉ is based out of NPR station, WXPN, in Philadelphia, and, coincidentally, Brave Combo has had the honor of performing at the station’s on-site venue, World Café Live, on a few occasions over the years. Here’s a link to listen. Tell your friends and family!
It’s always a pleasure to hear Carl’s humility when he’s really a genius, blending different musical styles together with gifted musicians like Jeffrey, Bubba, Alan, Danny and Joe, too. I miss this classic lineup but am grateful to have their music available to brighten my days and share with others. Just as this World Cafe interview does. A deep bow of gratitude in the Brave Combo direction.
I am thrilled to see this recognition of a super talented, super serious group of musicians. I’ve seen the band twice live – once in Berwyn IL and once in Greenbay WI. After the Greenbay show I sat at the bar with Bubba and talked music and life on the road. I also picked up a T-Shirt – baby size – which the band all signed. God Bless Brave Combo!
Jeff Barnes,
I miss ya, man…
I recall our early meeting and coming to the house off SoCo in Austin when yiu guys had just returned from MEXICO that spring 40 years ago, our acquaintance being made by Peggy (________). The Combo or The Cobras had just returned from the border that Memorial Day weekend or thereabouts…
After a songwriter and lifeling fellow musician friend from school, Buddy Forsythe, and I (only 17 and 16 years old, respectively, at the tirme) had dropped by to see you about 1AM after seeing Jimmie and the T-Birds at the 6th Street Live venue. You were living in that great big old house near UT or maybe in was the SoCo area.
After knockin on the front door to no avail, I had Buddy folkow me around to the back where the massive 6-7’ high double-hung window to your room was WIDE OPEN, long curtins blowing in the breeze, all the lights on…
As Buddy and I climbed thru this gaping window, there was our Huckleberry, Señor Jeffery Barnes, snoozing his ever-lovin ass off, evidence all ‘round of your having been down to Mexico. The start of another late night adventure.
It took me a moment of blowing on one your numerous harmonica’s — one of which you’d given me weeks before, following one of you guys Cobra’s show— to awaken you from your slumber. But you came to right up with that grin and a warm smile and obviously wanted to know WTF we were doin, and you began showing me all your Latin flavored souveniers — one of which was a monster wooden chess set. In fact, you’d picked up several chess sets, and we set em up and started a game while we caught up…
You were mighty friendly —as always— and I’m grateful to this day that you didnt shoot us for imposing on you that way. It wasnt very cool of us to intrude, but I’ll blame it on the couple of drinks we neophytes had polished off at the T-Birds show.
I recall that we didnt wanna overstay your felicitous welcome, so Bud’s and I said our thanks and left you to get some sleep while we departed for Buda.
It was June 3, 1983.
I recall the date vividly for THREE VERY MEMORABLE reasons I describe next.
ONE, because that night I had gotten to stop in to see my favorite musical genius, and Grammy-award winning band member of the Combo —the BRAVE COMBO— and then, as Buddy and I started for home, I realized that when we had exited theT-Bird intimate venue show, three working girls outside the venue had approached Buddy and I and were attempting to rub our shoulders and ask if we wanted “a date”…
Well, I quickly figured out that one of them had been clever enough to have slipped a gold chain from my neck — a beautiful gold rope chain which I’d just received as a graduation gift!
What makes this entire set of events all the more uncanny is that I intentionally returned to the proverbial scene of the crime to that exact same corner about 3 weeks later, with none other than Buddy— who bore witness to my spotting these same working girls, AND from a distance, ya couldnt miss MY SAME GOLD ROPE CHAIN DRAPED AROUND one of their necks! As God and Buddy were my witness, needless to say that I recovered that gift of gold and, yep, I still wear it to this day!
THE FINAL MEMORABLE EVENT OF THAT NIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING MORNING….
Thanks for staying with me.
I swear that I’m bringing this “tugboat to shore”…
On Bud’s and my drive home from SoAustin back to Buda, we were chasing the moon and racing to beat the rosy-fingered light of dawn. After I had figured out where the gold chain had —as I assumed— had been lost for good, I suddenly began to suffer what would become a harrowing 24 hours —beginning with the worst headache of my life.
As the Emergency Room attending physician would soon inform me and my folks just hours after leaving Jeff and Buddy, each to their respective snooze, the reason for what had now become a literally cranium-splitting headache followed by constant visual hallucinations and other frightening symptoms was that I had contracted SPINAL MENENGITIS requiring FOUR spinal taps and days of observation and interviews in order to attempt to trace the menengitis’ source, as other young people were popping up at area hospitals with the same diagnosis..
FOR THOSE INTERESTED…
HERE’s THE EPILOGUE
Apparently, following my Sr. High School graduation the night of MAY 28, 1983, during a large after-party hosted by Hays County Constable, Jim Kholer, Sr. (my classmate/friend was Jim, Jr.) at one of their ranches.
In the week which followed, everyone in attendance realized we had all been feasted upon by what was later determined to be a pasture teeming with deadly “bandito” mosquitos (satirical taxonomy).
DEDUCTIVE REASONING…
The other cases appeared to be isolated to Hays and Southern Travis Counties.
Certainly not a soul blamed the Kholer family, but as they isolated what they believed was the epicenter of contraction, making the connection was still a bit of a mystery.
Soon, the medical professional were confident that it must be one or more of the cattle on or near the Kholer’s Ranch as having likely been hosts to the virus.
SIX of of us teens —all but one— who had attended the post-graduate party were in various area hospitals. For days, it still remained somewhat of a mystery because ONE OF WE SIX TEENS did NOT attend the party.
The OTHER teen outlier who we all knew but who didnt attend Hays and lived far away in Oak Hill, did ultimately acknowledge that he had been hauling fresh cut hay in an adjacent pasture to the Kholer’s Hays County Ranch for a few days following the party.
Mystery solved, and each of us recovered after a week and returned home.
Thanks again, Jeff, for your hospitality that cool June evening and for the harmonica and for having lunch with Ken Lahanas and I (Rainmaker Talent) in Austin a decade or more ago. Sure like to catch up and come see you gents perform if/when you’re in or anywhere near CenTex or Houston (I’m there frequently on business).
Be welll. Reach out to me if you have the time and inclination.