But back to Texas. Dallas in fact. We left Austin feeling strong, well-loved, and even well-rested. The drive to Dallas was brief for this trip (3 hours or so). We stopped midway at the famous George-0’s in Waco. This tour has turned into a real celebration of regional foods for the Hawks. We ate Queso, big burgers, Shrimp Poor Boys, Peach Cobbler. It was great but we felt a bit out place in this joint. The walls are covered with photos of members of the current administration (in order of actual power): Cheney , Condi Rice, even W. himself. A elderly couple sits next to us. The wife is criticizing the way her husband eats. Her voice sounds as if she smoked filterlesss Lucky Strikes for the last 75 years or so. She growls things like, “Don’t play with it! Just eat it,” and “You don’t know what you’re doing!” The old man ignores her. He seems to have cultivated this skill very well over the years. The whole scene is entertaining but also sad and a bit scary. Marriage is a powerful institution.
After lunch, we make it to Dallas. The accurate directions provided by Mike Snider of the All Good Cafe take us right through Dealy Plaza to the giddy delight of PL. There’s nothing like the Grassy Knoll. When we arrive, Texas singer, songwriter Max Stalling is thrilling the crowd. Mike helps us in with our gear. He’s a real gentleman and one of the finest, nicest, most generous club owners these Hawks have ever had the good fortune to work with. He feeds us, keeps our glasses filled with beer, gives us a great introduction and off we go. Bubba from Brave Combo sent a few cool folks our way, and we have a few true fans in Dallas who seem to know the words to several of our tunes. It’s always a trip to wander into a strange city and have that experience. We play a long set then hang with Mike and the All Good staff in the back. He pulls a bottle of whiskey from his desk drawer, gives us more than the guarantee, and passes some righteously twisted Texas truth. This is what it’s all about. Texas, you’ve been good to us. We’ll miss you.