We, I mean, SHE, made phone calls, discussed, bartered, circled, mapped, and taxi'd us around the city. I nodded my head "Yes," "No," and smiled for the nice people she introduced me to. It is good to have an ally like Despina and I could not have asked for better company today. No, I'm not writing this just because I have learned that she is among the now estimated seven people reading my posts.
Because I insist on remaining mysterious, I'll move quickly along to my next new thing which was born as of tonight in preparation for tomorrow.
For all of the Texan artists needing reliable local representation overseas, I offer you my services.
Tomorrow I will be meeting with the people of the Half Note and introducing them to the talents of Randy Weeks, Jim Keaveny, and Shand Walton. These three artists will be the first of many Texan musicians to storm Athens, Greece, and then, who knows. Maybe we'll take Istanbul.
Back when I was living in Austin, I was just a groupie of these three. Our friendship started by inviting their female counterparts/companions/PR managers over for tea and pecan pie. I adore these women, my powerpuff girls, my sisters in strangeness.
This picture is minus ms. Mary Lyn Vernon who, somehow, I don't have a picture of. I wonder if she would even like it if she were on the internet... somehow I don't think so.
Regardless, they took me in, drove me to shows, we hung out, they tossed back beer, I was heavy in my tea drinking phase then so I was usually, well, the dork with the teacup in the sawdust floor dance halls. Man, those two years were filled with a lot of really good times.
Their guys are amazing musicians, full of stories and intellect. They're all wandering souls who love to play, playing so they might continue to wander. Not long after I got here I was showing them off to a colleague who suggested I try and pull together a Texas Music Festival in Athens, Greece. I kicked around the idea, asked them what they thought and as I suspected, they loved the idea of introducing Greeks to some good folk sounds. I made a big fuss about them sending material to take around to venues and not long after, Ms. Reliable, Ms. likely internet shy, ML, put a fat stack of Randy Weeks cds in a box and shipped them off to Greece.
Three months later I got Jim's.
Two months after, I went back to Texas for a spell, slept over at Alexandra and Shand's place and took with me the press album from Shand Walton and the All Amigos Club.
The "Siga-Siga" approach to life fits on artists and musicians like a nice, wooly chullo. (refer to photo of ladies in chullos.) But we can also believe that all things happen in their proper time, which is more the approach I'm going with. There's been an awful lot going on in all of our lives and a big reunion in Athens wasn't something I wanted to rush through and get wrong, but Siga Siga, art and music is making a re entry into my life.
The Half Note is expecting me tomorrow. I'll let you know how it went when the Texas Music Festival hen is nice and fat.
PS
I repeat, if any Texan musicians are looking for solid representation abroad...
PPS
A little demonstration of the artists' talents
