Go Sarah-Cuda!

I know this blog wasn't designed as a political forum but I get to put in my thoughts anyway.

PLEASE go vote. You are probably very aware of the fact that I don't want to see our country go Socialist and racist and I most certainly don't want to see the destruction to our economy, freedoms and rights that an Obama Presidency will likely bode.

On the other hand, I was never a big McCain fan and figured this was a "hold your nose and vote" election all along. Voting against Obama instead of for McCain. Then, enter Sarah Palin.

Wow! A regular person in line to be one of our national leaders? Not an Ivy League elitist attorney who knows the best restaurant in London but instead knows how to fix Hamburger Helper? Then the media assault on her. Anybody that the Main Stream Media hates so much MUST be exactly who I am looking for.

Think about this. We know all about Sarah's life, family, finances, hairstylist and anything else you can imagine. She's been hunted and haunted since McCain announced her as his VP choice.

Who paid for Obama's Harvard education? Who is financing his campaign? What is the real truth about his relationship with Ayers/Rezko/Wright and Raines? Why has the Media ignored all these things? Could they be shoving him down our throats for their own reasons? I resent that.

My vote for McCain was for three major reasons...I don't want to live in a Socialist, possibly totalitarian country so it was a vote against Obama. Second, I would like to see Sarah in the public eye for the next four years. If she's as impressive by then as I believe she would be, she'll be around for another 8. Third, I want to see the lying Main Stream Media take one in the shorts!

Oh well; enough. Please, just go vote. A vote for any other candidate than McCain or Obama is a vote for Obama. NOT voting is a vote for Obama.

Go Sarah-Cuda!

Not a great start

Well, I'm off to a not too auspicious start to my litle trip. The pool playing hasn't worked too well. Didn't place in the money at a tournament in Pocatello and then did my usual approach to gambling at pool. I'm like some guy who thinks he's tough, always picking on the biggest guy in the room. Oh well, I'm sure he needed the money more than I did!

Hopefully, I'll do better with my CD sales in Rupert. If not, I may have to get a REAL job in order to get home!

On the Road Again?

I'm planning to take off this weekend and head south. The Diamond Field Jack Cowboy Gathering will be in Rupert, Idaho November 7-9 and I'm going to take an extra few days to see if I can make a few bucks on the way.

If any of you have an idea about House Concerts or anything else, please let me know as I'm going to need gas money.

I'll try to keep y'all up to date on my experiences on the road.

My political post for the month

Hi everyone. I know. I still haven't gotten back into the groove of submitting to this blog regularly. Actually, my days are so much the same that there just doesn't seem to be anything new to post.

Anyway, I have some thoughts about our upcoming election and the "coverage" we seem to be getting in the left-wing media.

Since Sarah Palin was picked as our Vice-Presidential candidate there has been a lot of contemptuous talk among the “elite” members of our society, especially the celebutards on the TV, about small-town people; country people and others of us who do not have the right background. I’m a little tired of the condescending tone from these useless individuals who only survive because of those of us who are beneath them.

I don’t want another “leader” who knows the best restaurant in London (and really has no concept of the prices on the menu!). I want a real Leader who knows how to make Hamburger Helper!

Consider, if you will, two men of my acquaintance.
One, Ed, looks as tough and strong as he is. Wide shoulders, forearms as
big as my biceps etc. His brother, Tom, looks like any slender young man.
Not much to him. Looks like a strong wind would just blow him off the
mountain.

They are Farmers. They can empty 40,000 pounds of grain out of a truck
with a scoop shovel. And, it's not even noteworthy to them! Build a mile
of fence. Carry railroad ties over their shoulders; throw hay bales six feet
or more in the air. And not just for a few "reps". No. All day long!

Ed works at least two jobs and helps on the farm when he can. Tom has his
own business (As physically demanding as the farming) as well as working
full time on the farm. Their sister, Joann (who is easily as strong and
tough as I) works full time as a waitress and then as much time as she can on the
farm, doing the same job as the men.

They can fix a truck, build a shop, wire it for electricity, insulate it,
install their own furnaces and equipment, all on their own. Am I impressed? I
couldn't begin to tell you! They raise cattle and grain.
Food which literally feeds people around the world.

On top of all that, they volunteer for their community. Ed is the Rural fire Chief…a volunteer fire Dept.
Tom is also a volunteer Fireman and is on the County Fire Board. Joann has been an election judge in this county for over 30 years and is also active with the Fire Departments and other local events. Their mother, in her 70s, is on the Museum Board and is active in the American Legion Auxiliary. All this in their “spare time”.

Now, are they unique? Not at all. There are hundreds just like them, just
in this valley. Thousands all over Montana. Millions in our country. They
are pretty quiet. You don't see them on TV or in protest marches. You don't
see them as guests on Leno or Letterman. They just go on, every day, doing
work harder than most of us could stand, as a matter of course. If they are
mentioned on one of the TV shows, it's to snicker at them. "Hicks".

And they sure don’t do it for the money! For playing a game, sports stars get millions.

For keeping the whole world fed, Farmers and Ranchers get zilch. They don’t even get the respect they deserve. Regular people. It’s great to see one in Sarah’s position and our hopes, prayers and Votes go out to her…if McCain gets elected because of her, more power to him.

Wild West Fest: East Helena, Montana

Well, the Montana Wild West Fest was held over the last weekend and it was a lot of fun. I ran sound for the main entertainers stage as well as performing several times. There was a Cavalry encampment, numerous shootouts, vendors and displays.

For me, the highlight of the show was Jim Jones; an excellent Western Music performer from New Mexico. I had a great time talking with him and we got our guitars out and jammed a couple of times. If you get a chance to see him perform, I heartily reccommend it!

I encountered one frustrating episode at the WWF. As I have mentioned, I was doing sound for the main stage. The AM String Band from Helena was playing for the Frontier Ball on Saturday, August 10th. When I went to the stage area to meet with them and get them set up, I found that they had already torn down my equipment so they could set up their own! My cables were in a snarled pile by the sound table, speakers disconnected and moved, microphones and stands moved and the cavles tangled...It was quite the mess. At first, you can imagine the responses I was thinking of. But, on the bright side, if they didn't need me for sound, I could go home and go to bed. I got my stuff more out of their way and then did exactly that. It only took me a half hour or so to get things reset the next day. My only real comment was and is that my daughter, at 3 years old, understood the concept of "If it's not yours; don't mess with it!"

I'm back in Virginia City, MT for the week, then Parade Rest Ranch again Friday; Virginia City Cafe Saturday and Sunday and then Parade Rest again Monday. That's my basic schedule for the next few weeks. It's been a GREAT summer!

See y'all later.

I'm baaack!!

Ok. I know. I’ve been neglecting my blog really bad lately. Here I am again for a quick entry.

I’ve been keeping the highway warm between Townsend and West Yellowstone (West) since our Townsend Gathering ended. I play on Friday at the Parade Rest Ranch in West; run to Virginia City to play at the VC Café Saturday and Sunday, back to Parade Rest for Monday and then either back to VC for T-W-T or head back to Townsend to glance in the general direction of one or the other of my regular computer customers. Anyway, most of my running is in areas where blog entries are not easy to make.

It’s been fun so far this summer. I’ve also had a couple of gigs in the Big Sky area and one this last weekend at the Bale of Hay Saloon in Virginia City.

This is one of the worst mosquito years in West that I have ever seen. The skeeters around here aren’t very big but they make up for it in numbers…like piranha! If you walk into the tall grass anywhere within 20 miles of West, you may never be seen again!

Actually, I stopped tonight at Story Ditch (a BLM area along 287, between Ennis and West) as I planned on staying there for the night. Before I could even get out of the pickup, there were skeeters on the windows, staring hungrily in at me. I kept on heading upriver to a better place!

I had an interesting time with the >Yellowstone Club in Big Sky. First, they wanted my Contractors Insurance info so they could set me up as a vendor. When that didn’t work out, they found a way around it, I guess, as they finally did contract a small show with me. But, I had heard that it could take as much as 3 months to get a check from them so I insisted on payment up front. Then, they cancelled anyway, so now I have to send them a check for half of the fee already paid to me. Anyway, if you get a call from them, make sure you get your payment set up before hand.

I’ll do a better job of keeping this blog up to date from now on. Maybe I’ll see ya out here somewhere!

Getting the Townsend Gathering together

Ok. Several of you have mentioned that I haven't been keeping up the blog very well this spring. You are right. I've been trying to keep myself financially sound while at the same time getting the Gathering together. I'm not sure I'm very successful at either!

For those of you who don't know how we do this, Joann Shindoll and I (one or both of us) personally go into every business in Broadwater County and many in Bozeman and Helena, soliciting ads for our program book. Basically, the program book pays all the bills and we hope the audience is money for the Fire Department. We solicit the ads, Joann creates the ads on her computer and then the two of us compile the book before taking it in to the printer. It's a two or three month job and we are feeling pretty overwhelmed by this time each year.

In addition, the Fire Department will pit roast a pig and we will provide a dinner on Saturday night of roast pig, coleslaw, potato salad and dessert. Joann arranges most of this and the Fire Department helps the night of the dinner.

We will have art and craft booths in the High School lobby. Joann coordinates all of the vendors and gets them lined up.

What do I do? Well, mostly, I follow Joann around and look busy. Actually, I handle most of the promotion and I coordinate with the performers, get the motel rooms together, arrange the Night Show schedule, set up the Day-Show sign-ups and that sort of thing.

Anyway, that is my excuse for pretty much ignoring the http://www.cowboyentertainer.com/ website and this blogsite for so long.

Our Night Show has pretty much come together so far. We've had some cancellations and changes but things seem to be where they should be... finally. I will be posting the Night Show line-ups either today or tomorrow as well as a general schedule of events. This should all be at www.cowboyentertainer.com/ourshow.html .

I wish to thank all who have mentioned my neglect of the websites. This tells me that someone actually READS the things once in a while.

HANK CRAMER TO SING COWBOY MUSIC FOR DEPLOYED SOLDIERS

Hank Cramer, a Western Music Association cowboy singer from the Pacific Northwest, has been selected by the Armed Forces Entertainment Network to travel overseas and entertain American troops in combat zones later this year. The music tour will take him to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and the Philippines. Hank’s touring troupe will include cowboy poet-humorist Paul Steuermann as the opening act; Mark Iler on tenor guitar and harmonica; Davey Hakala on fiddle; and Kurt Mesford on lead guitar. Hank’s son, Hank Cramer IV, will run the sound system and serve as “roadie”.

Hank, a retired Special Forces soldier, volunteered for the music tour and was selected by an audition board that met in late January. The precise tour dates have not yet been set, but Hank and his band will travel for up to 45 days. AFEN provides a service similar to that of the USO. While the USO engages major celebrities, AFEN’s role is to bring high-quality but lesser-known talent to entertain troops in remote locations.

Hank served 28 years as a soldier in both the regular army and reserve, with deployments to Central America, the Philippines, and Afghanistan. He is also the son of the first American soldier killed in Vietnam (Captain Harry Cramer of 1st Special Forces Group). Hank is glad for the chance to bring some smiles to today’s young soldiers serving in faraway places. “I know they’ll be laughing at Paul Steuermann’s jokes and stories, and they’ll be tapping their toes and singing along when the band kicks in,” Hank says. “These kids are doing a tough job under hellacious conditions, and they don’t get a lot of entertainment out there. I’m glad for a chance to lighten their load, and deliver a big ‘Thank You!’ from back here in America”.

A national-touring folksinger, Hank is based in the tiny mountain town of Winthrop, Washington. He has fifteen CD’s and three movie sound-tracks to his credit. Heartland Public Radio chose his song “My Sweet Wyoming Home” as the #5 Cowboy Song of 2007, while Texas Public Radio’s “Random Routes” named two of his songs to their Top Twenty . Hank is a member of the Western Music Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a Life Member of the Special Forces Association.

When not on the road touring, he lives on a micro-ranch with his wife Kit, daughter Kelsey, and their many critters.

For more information, e-mail kitslivery@methow.com or call (509) 996-3528

Lee Earl Memorial Gathering; 2008

Well, the 4th Annual Lee Earl Memorial Scholarship Gathering (I did it all in one breath!) has come to a close. The Lee Earl Gathering is the first real gathering of the year and also always one of the best. John Westbrook and I have been going to the Lewiston Gathering for at least six years now; maybe more, even before it was the "Lee Earl" Gathering and we've kept going back every year, first, because of the people setting it up and second, because it's always such a fun show. John ran sound for the show again this year and I ran gofer for him when I wasn't either working the CD table or working the pool tables in the back room.

Smoke Wade and Donna Earl produce this show and they do a wonderful job. I know how hard it is to set up one of these gatherings and their results are impressive.

Yahoo Groups discussion about Western vs Country

There has been an interesting discussion at the Western Music Association Yahoo Group this week about the differences between Western and Country music.

Not long ago, Dallas Mcchord was talkiing about this subject and he was pretty much on the mark. Most of us play and perform several styles of music, depending on our venue. But people generally come to Cowboy Entertainer style events to hear Western music; not country, classic rock or rap. Save that for the jam sessions or other venues.

I believe that the Marshall Tucker Band song; "Fire on the Mountain" fits the general definition of Western music. But, I don't perform it at a Cowboy Poetry Gathering!

However, Jamie Parker-Frank and John Westbrook are also correct in that we are here to entertain the fans. If someone requests "Fire on the Mountain" from me, I'll do it!

Like Jamie, I perform at guest ranches and rodeos all over my area. I would agree that my audiences rarely place a high priority on whether "Mr. Bojangles" or my own "Cash on the Light" are country, Western or folk music. They just like good music.

"Cash on the Light" isn't, in my opinion, a Western song. But, it's the title song to my new CD so I can guarantee that the audience here in Lewiston this weekend will be hearing it! Shoot me.

What this all boils down to is that this is an interesting discussion and I believe we are all learning and growing from it. In my mind, one of my goals out here is to "convert" some fans to our style of music. Like John Westbrook and others have said, most of our fans have no interest in the pigeion hole we pull our songs out of. They just want to be entertained. If I can get a couple of new people to begin coming to Western/Cowboy shows (and buying CDs!) by singing a "country" song, then I'll do it.

Let's have fun out here! See ya all on the road someplace.

Larry Gibson
www.cowboyentertainer.com

In Lewiston again

John Westbrook and I left Bozeman (Bozeangeles Montafornia) yesterday and made our way over Lolo pass to Lewiston, Idaho for the 4th Annual Lee Earl Memorial Scholarship gathering.

This is the first real "gathering" of the year and we're happy to be a part of it.

The roads were good except for the incredible numbers of deer we had to doge all the way down the Lochsa and the Clearwater rivers. We were in my old pickup as we had to pull John's sound trailer over here. As this picture shows, my pickup uses oil by the gallon instaed of the quart!

We got to Lewiston about 0230AM local time; got ourselves moving and sound is all set up and ready to go. Tonight is the big "get together" at the Clarkston Moose Lodge and then the show starts tomorrow.

Global Warming; It's our fault!

This is a picture from West Yellowstone, Montana this year. Maybe we gave Algore his Peace Prize just a tad early?

Anyway, Westbrook and I are getting things together for our trip to Lewiston, Idaho for the Lee Earl Memorial Gathering. Pretty much the first real Gathering of the year and we're really looking forward to it.

I'm booked into Parade Rest Ranch, near West Yellowstone, for at least two days a week all summer long, beginning in June. It can't come fast enough; especially considering my financial situation.

Here's another West Yellowstone picture. Sure wish Global Warming would hurry up. We'd welcome it!

Thermopolis, Wyoming

Howdy All:

As I rolled into Wyoming, I got on the phone with Billy Rose and he told me that he and Colt Angel were snowed in and unable to come to Wyoming and do some shows scheduled by Jamie Parker-Frank.

I called Jamie and she had already either cancelled shows or found someone to handle them but there was still some opportunity for me if I came over...so I did.

I had a great time in Thermopolis, mostly because of the incredible hospitality I enjoyed from Jamie and her husband, Steve. They housed me, fed me and found me places to play music. I played two different days at the Prospector Italian diner in Thermopolis and Chris at the Prospector is just simply one of the best chefs I have had the opportunity to enjoy! If I lived in Thermopolis, I'd be even bigger than I am...but happy.

I also had a chance to play at the Cabin Fever Concert that Jamie and her friend Charles organize. There were some great performers there but the high point for me was that Hub Whitt was there. I haven't seen Hub in a long time and it was great to run into him again. He's a great songwriter and I have recorded two of his songs in the past.

Jamie then arranged for me to do my Cash on the Light song on the Comfort Food Radio show in Cody, Wyoming. That was a lot of fun and if you are in the Cody area on a sunday morning, the Comfort Food show is at the Irma Hotel and you should really take the time to go check it out.

I'm home now; back into my regular routine and things are settling down a little. But, I'm getting the old performance schedule filled out for my summer and it already looks like a good year. See ya out there!

Off the Interstate for a day

Saturday, February 2nd. I was hustling west on Interstate 40. I’d stopped at a rest area somewhere west of Memphis for a couple of hours and was now just rolling on down the highway. But, all I’ve seen was interstate! At exit 193, just decided to take the exit and head generally northwest. Des Arc, AR and then on to Beebe, Arkansas for breakfast. Near Beebe, I saw a highway sign that made a lot of sense to me. I wish I’d taken a picture, but I didn’t think about it at the time. Anyway, Arkansas was nice enough to inform me that “Roadway unsafe when under water”. Short, to the point and likely very true! I had a great breakfast in Beebe Arkansas; Bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, toast and coffee for…$3.99.

Then, over to Conway and up US75 to Branson. I figured I’d check Branson out and decide if I was staying for any length of time. Sorry. It reminds me of Vegas a little but more…cardboard? Fake? I don’t know how to say it. If you go to Branson with the goal as staying several days and enjoying the shows, then it looks like a great place to go. During the summer season, when all the best country stars can be seen live; and with plenty of money in your wallet then Branson looks like a lot of fun. I turned my nose north and headed for Kansas City, MO and thus back onto the Interstate.

Nashville!! Just as I suspected

I got into Nashville about 8AM on Friday, Feb 1st. I drove down to Music Row and walked around for a little while. There were record producers next door to copyright attorneys next door to talent agents…on and on, with the BMI building looming over all.

Broadway was even better. There are several “honky tonks” side by side in about a two-block area. My friend Jason Deshaw has been a regular at Tootsies, arguably the most famous of the Nashville Honky-tonks. He got this opportunity because someone with an “in” saw Jason at a show in Montana. Jason doesn’t know and neither do I, how to normally get a slot in any of these places but I would assume you hand out brochures, Demo CDs and so on.

Anyway, the description of one place is pretty much the description of them all. They are about 30’ wide and 70-100’ long. Long and narrow, with very little room for the audience. In the evening, when they are busy, there is standing room only and it’s tough to move around through the room through the crowd. A couple were a little wider but not much.

The stage is in the front, by the door. Tootsies stage is so small that two performers have a hard time standing side by side. Drummer to the rear! The whole place seemed worn and rough. I actually haven’t played in a dive like that in a long time.

The bands start around 10AM. The ones playing in the morning, understandably, are not playing for much of a crowd. Since they are all playing for tips and CD sales, this is a bad thing. It looked to me like they changed bands about every hour or two. Jason and I went out Friday night and checked out bands at three different places, in addition to the bands I had seen during the day.

So, the effort to “make it” in Nashville is just what I have always heard. Play for tips in the local honky-tonks, hoping to make enough of an impression on the honky-tonk management to be moved into regular gigs with posters on the windows, maybe even mention on their website. Even then, no pay to play. Just tips and CD sales. Maybe you are so remarkable that someone from a talent agency or something drops in to see you.
There also were street musicians, just standing on the sidewalk, playing and singing to all those who were just walking by. Good luck, guys.

Don’t get me wrong. John Westbrook and I have made a pretty good summer living in Virginia City, playing for tips and CD sales. But, frankly, I think our chance of having the “right person” hear us in Virginia City is better than at one of these Nashville pits.
I don’t believe I would go to Nashville to try and “make it” in music unless I had something set up before I went, like Jason did. They'd better take a good look at Jason. He's head and shoulders above anyone I saw there as a singer, he does his originals as well as covers and even after seeing other bands working Nashville, I'm still impressed with Jason Deshaw.
I think he has a good chance to be noticed down there and I’m rooting for him.

As to the quality of performances, I was not impressed. Almost all of them are doing cover tunes…no originals. They are all playing basically the same stuff as the band next door and the same stuff as you hear on top country radio. I saw one band, at Roberts Western Way, that was very good. The guitar player would make Westbrook or Rose work to keep up and the whole band presentation was high energy and fun. Still, they were playing covers but the lead guitar player and the stand-up bass player were so good that they made up for it.

Nashville is missing out on real musicians and songwriters by not actively searching for the people I am privileged to perform with. If the Nashville “right people” would care to come to Lewiston, Idaho; St. Anthony, Idaho or Townsend, Montana this year they will see and hear much better musicians, singers and songwriters than anyone I saw in Nashville or anyone I see or hear on the radio. Not just my opinion. Fact.

The REAL adventure in Nashville is trying to find someplace to park! If you are overtime in one of the expensive public parking lots, I think they blow up your car or something.

Still "on the road"

Just a quick note. I've got comments on my trip through Nashville and Branson as well as some other things I've checked out on this trip. Right now, I'm in a Motel in Kadoka, SD. It's snowing, the interstate is slick and it's cold so I gave it up for the day. If I'd known what I know now, I'd have kept on peddling the last 100 miles or so to Rapid City.

No internet in the room (unless you want to shell out $60 for a motel room), no cafe open, no internet at the truck stop. One bar open with three people in it, no one playing pool. Let alone pool for money!

Anyway, when I get back near civilization (this from a guy from Montana!) I'll post the things I've got written on my own computer.

I'm about "pooled out".

I know. Most of my friends will have a hard time believing that, but I have been steadily playing pool for the last two weeks and it's been the center of my existence for the last week, between playing (gambling), watching and talking about pool, I'm reaching overload status.

I've learned a lot and had a lot of fun but I'm actually lookig forward to moving on. Not a lot of CD sales so far but most of my expenses have been covered and it's definitely been worth the trip. Matching myself against these top pro players has been an experience in itself.

I'm done with the tournament part

I got knocked out of the tournament before I could get into the money. What a shock!

I've got some philosophical comments here, comparing the pool world to our entertainment world.

At least an exceptional pool player can count on his talent to take him wherever he wants to go. If it's to be a top professional tournament player, the only obstacle is talent. The same if he wants to be the top gambler.

Musicians, however, have to be in the right place at the right time and be seen/heard by the right person. A great guitar player, songwriter, singer, poet...whatever, may never get anywhere in that field if they don't get lucky.

Another comparison for you. It's not uncommon for John Westbrook or myself to show up at a music show with enough cash in our pockets to give change for the first couple of CD sales. But, we usually do well enough on CD sales, tips and so on that we go home with cash in our pockets.

Pool players probably show up at a major tournament with hundreds; even thousands of dollars in their pockets and wind up borrowing gas money to get to the next tournament! A couple of bad rolls during a big money game can break them in no time.

These tournaments are very much like rodeo in that way. Great talent eventually shows through but there's always a chance of a bad roll or a little bad luck and...BANG...they're gone!

Lost one match but still trying

This has been a great learning experience. I played last night until 4 this morning and left only $20 lighter in my wallet than when I started. With the field of players to gamble with, that was very good! I'll get it back from somebody (maybe the same guy) today and he is planning to buy a CD anyway so I'll get it back that way if nothing else!

Shane Vanboening and Gabe Owen started a One-pocket game yesterday at about noon...for $8000 each! There is the definition of "Cash on the Light". When I left at 4AM, they were still playing and the cash was still on the light. Sometime late this morning (I was in my room, sleeping very well) SVB finally won.

An interesting aside. While I was playing last night (this morning) I caught myself checking to make sure I had enough quarters for my match today. Think about that. Two tables away from me, two of the top players in the world are gambling with $16,000 and I'm checking my pocket change. Different worlds.

While I'm on that "different worlds" theme, I want to examine that a little. Most who are reading this are musicians or entertainers of some kind. Although we often work on a handshake; mostly we live in a world of contracts and guarantees. Many of us have been stung by a talent buyer who doesn't deliver on the verbal promises so we get contracts and so on.

These pro pool players live in a world of maybes and hope. They're hustling in local bars on their way to the next tournament, hoping to make enough for gas money and a motel room. Usually they do fine but once in a while they run into a strong local player and they're in worse shape than when they started. Scrambling for gas money!

I was happy to win $20 or $30 in local bars on my way down here. These guys want to play for hundreds. One wanted to play me for $200 a game. I told him that was my life savings!

Anyway, I'm two matches away from winning a little money in the tournament. I'm doing better than they thought I would, I know. I lost a match today to Josh Johnson. Of course, I have nothing to lose. My car payment doesn't hinge on whether I place in this tournament or not. If I can peddle a few CDs I'll be ok.

Incidentally, the tables next to me were featuring matches with Shannon Daulton, Johnny Archer, Gabe Owen, Cliff Joyner and
Helena Thornfelt. For anyone with an interest in professional pool, this is a great place to be.

More later.

Chattanooga, TN

Well, I'm here. It was an interesting drive and we'll see how things go. Normally, I do a concert or show and then sell CDs afterwards. This time, I'm going to have a vendor booth and do one song several times over the weekend. The attention here, of course, is the Pool tournament.

Those of you who are familiar with the pool world will be impressed that I've already met Alex Pagulayan, Cliff Joyner and Shannon Daulton. Also to be here will be Buddy Hall, Johnny Archer and many others of that caliber. It's like doing a concert with Merle or Willie!

I doubt that I'll get to play against any of these guys as they only play for real money and I've never SEEN real money!

I guess the pool hall will be putting my CD on their jukebox today and I will have information and probably a video on www.azbilliards.com sometime today or tomorrow. Inside Pool magazine should also be doing an interview with me. I knew the song was pretty good, but I never expected all this.

Tennessee is pretty, in it's way and I enjoyed the trip out here. I'm very glad that I drove out instead of flying, even though the trip back already looms large in my mind.

Still on the road

I understand that all you guys back in Montana are under a bunch of snow and serious cold. Oh well. Life is hard. I'm in Omaha right now. For THESE people, it's cold and snowy too. I'm thinking of going for a swim!

It's been a while since I made a trip "back east" and some of the things I see here are kind of a chuckle. I have to call my sister and have her turn off the security system before I can come in at night. What a way to live! My house isn't locked right now...I'm not really sure I have a key to it.

I'll be on my way to Chattanooga in a couple of days and then the real fun should begin.

On my way to Tennessee

For those who don't know; I wrote a song called "Cash on the Light" (click on the title for an excerpt) and I have a video of it on youtube.

Shannon Daulton, one of the organizers of the Great Southern Nineball Tour heard it and asked me to come to the tour championships in Chattanooga, TN and play the song live there during their championship tournament January 24-27. so, I got the song recorded on a CD and as soon as the CDs came in I hit the trail for Tennessee. I left Townsend at 10:30AM the 17th with a goal of Cheyenne, WY before I bagged it for the night.

I hit a good blizzard just south of Hardin, MT and it got steadily worse as I kept on heading south. I thought about stopping in Sheridan, WY but figured I'd see if I could at least make Casper. Nope. Here I am in a motel in Buffalo, WY, listening to the wind howl outside and the snow rattle against the window. Hope the Interstate is even open tomorrow!

I know. I've got a week before I have to be in Chattanooga, but I will be stopping along the way, visiting friends and family.

I went out tonight and tried to get a cash pool game somewhere. Lots of guys wanted to play against me but no one would bet on themselves, no matter how badly I shot. I was hoping to at least get som 5 or 10 dollar games but...nothing. So, I'm spending money, not making it.

Anyway, once I get going, I'll keep y'all updated.