Our first show in Lubbock. The Recap:
Practiced Tuesday night and it felt great to get back into the groove. Wednesday morning Blake and I woke up and decided to go for a run before we got things in order to leave. My normal 3 mile course was cut painstakingly short due to a prior night full of tobacco and a few beers.
So we loaded up and started the long haul out. West Texas has a beauty all its own. Massive skies, etched plateaus, a serene and lonely existence but there is peace in solidarity.
We get to Guthrie, TX. Sell a cd to the gas station clerk, then head out for the final 95 miles to Lubbock. 5 miles later, a massive explosion and a quick turn around to see out the back window and the tire tread thirty feet in the air. Blown left trailer wheel. No spare tire. Jack the trailer up and take the wheel off. Give it to Alex and Blake and they take the van back to town to try and find a tire shop. No such place exists in that town or any other town around the area.
Fortunately, Bryan and our little brother were on the road somewhere....turns out they were just a few miles behind. After a quick gander at the trailer wheel and the Mustang wheel, we figure we could use the spare tire from the mustang to put on the trailer. It worked! Oh wait, air pressure really low.
We cruise up another 33 miles to the next town. "Do you have an air pump". A look of bewilderment. "No, only compressor is back in town behind Jimbos red barn on so and so street." Dammit. Cruise to the next town and find an air pump. Running late. Get into Lubbock at 730. Load in. Venue is pretty cool. Feds arrive shortly after. Put on the show. Played the new one for the hell of it. It is titled "Disintigrate the Muse". Thanks to all the Lubbock folk for making it great. Great new friends to see in the future. Feds went on and put on one of the best shows ive ever seen them do. Massive amounts of energy. True professionals. Old songs sounded great guys! New ones sounded great! Pure greatness.
A few beers later and time to head to the place to crash. Whataburger stop for mass amounts of food. "like a beacon in the night" "Crispy bacon" "jalapenas". Arrive at house. College party. Enough said. Late night phone call and good conversation. Sleep.
Wake up 4 hours later to same college chicks drunk talking about how they gotta get to class. Have fun with that, i say.
Straight to Discount Tire. Get two new tires, and a wheel and spare. Thanks to Discount for hooking us up. Time to leave...where is Blake? Passed out by the junked tires on the side of the building. Picture coming soon.
Straight to Wal Mart to get a pillow, egg crate (back seat soaked from broken cooler) and a sheet. Long haul back mixed with sleep, music, audio books (Into the Wild), Dairy Queen steak fingers (puke!), signing autographs for curious folks, and more reflection.
Roll back in town at 630. Small talk. An evening with neighbors and friends. Good conversation. Great phone call. Perspective. Spirit. Clarity. Support.
Until next time....
-t