Benefit raises funds, bad memories

I feel a sense of history when I play the big stage at the Sons of Hermann Hall, mostly because the place is old, dating to 1911. That’s where you get your history from. Old stuff.

Dallas used to have some history, but it doesn’t any more. Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Johnson played the neighborhood some decades back, before the city scraped all that shit off the map. As more buildings go down, the blocks around SOHH are looking mighty naked.

But what do we care, we’re young! I played my opening set at the Duct Tape Gala, helping raise money to ship care packages to the 302nd MP Company in Iraq. Scored a cheap flag pin, too.

Country Dan sings a sad song

Afterward, I wandered into the bar downstairs, where some friendly, retired fraternal folks invited me to share their spaghetti dinner, and then offered to sell me some life insurance. Ran into Country Dan Chandler, an acoustic blues player I knew from around town who looks like John Goodman with a Curly haircut.

“You’re probably wondering where I’ve been,” Country Dan said, removing his straw hat long enough to rub his smooth head a few times.

“Well, my mom got sick and I moved down to her place to become her sole caregiver for the last two years. That’s all I did the whole time. Killed a deer and a couple of calves, grew enough vegetables to live on. Went down to the pond. The bass weren’t safe from me, either.”

This was a new Country Dan. Sober. On past nights, I’d seen him wrestling drunk girls in the Winedale parking lot like a bear in mating season, and even today he peppered his remarks with anatomical observations on this lady or that one. In such a focused state, though, his philosophy grew more intense.

“Got to get ready. Our turn will come around. Before we know it.” Damn, I thought. Does he mean me, too? But I have so much to live for! I got up to go.

“Haven’t felt like playing in a while,” Country Dan said amiably. “But I might feel like playing again. You’ll see me around.”

Photos courtesy of Tom Peal

Tom Peal, former host with wife Jenni Mansfield Peal of the lamented Free Dallas Music! Songwriters’ Open Mic, sent me some Duct Tape Gala photos.

I threw away all the boring ones and kept the ones of me.

Nobody listens

Also, please enjoy these boomy room recordings from my set, including some intrusive table chatter!

Her Shit Don’t Stink  (4:14).

I’ll Get Old And Die  (2:05).

Posted in: Gigs at 1:30 am Sat, Mar 21, 2009.

5 comments

1. 

   Ste says:
   

   11:40 am Sat, Mar 21, 2009

   Good Photos Ken ! Yer not pullin’ a face on these lol!

   I need to play “Fly me to the moon agin” have got withdrawl symtoms! lol

   You are on tomorrow’s LIVE show on realradio1 from 5pm GMT

   Cheers
   Ste

   Reply
2. 

   Jenni Mansfield Peal says:
   

   8:18 pm Mon, Mar 23, 2009

   Sorry I missed your show! Good photos. I call Dan’s music “Cowboy Lounge.” Both unique and enjoyable. And in that way like your music, oh twisted one.
   JMP

   Reply
   • 

     kturet says:
     

     9:51 pm Mon, Mar 23, 2009

     Jenni, thanks for sending Tom to my show!

     Best of luck with your new band, the !
3. 

   Big Phil says:
   Twitter:

   9:30 pm Mon, Mar 23, 2009

   I played “Your Shit Don’t Stink” from the Duct Tape Gala on this weeks show. Its at the beginning of the show.

   Reply
   • 

     kturet says:
     

     9:47 pm Mon, Mar 23, 2009

     I was listening to your show and wondering, How did Big Phil get this crappy recording from my Duct Tape Gala set? And then I realized, I made that crappy recording myself and stuck it on my blog.

     Thanks for playing my crappy song!