Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Live music and a new hat


A couple of Sundays ago T & I found our selves at the San Gregorio General store for a concert… The store is on the “coast side” of San Mateo County… a strangely rural area isolated area surprisingly close to Metropolitan San Francisco Bay…

The Band was Houston Jones, a local band which is difficult to categorize… they call their music “High Octane Americana”…. Their history may explain it all (or completely confuse…) three members were previously with the Waybacks, a newgrass/folk band… they added a gospel singer, and an accordion player… The result is spectacular… of course they are damned good musicians, which doesn’t hurt.

We had seen them a couple times before… once in a small club in Redwood City, the second time at a house concert (in a garage)

This seems to be the new face of music… bands self promote with their own websites, with You Tube, Facebook, and Myspace… they perform in small venues, even private homes… there isn’t a traditional record company involved…



So we find our selves headed to the coast on a Sunday afternoon… it was a pretty day, no fog, just a hint of chill in the air… we arrive to find one table (of the 6) left in the store… we grab it… The general store is unique… once a classic general store, it is now more of a bar (famous for their bloody marys) book store, clothing store, with snack food… It’s the kind of place were bicyclists and motorcyclists stop while out for a ride. They have live music on weekend. The band sets up. The band plays. We enjoy… They pass a jar for tips for the band… we feed the jar... we buy a couple of drinks each… and a new hat. I have been in search of a new hat since I lost my favorite in Buenos Aries last January… the old hat was a green felt fedora… the new hat is brown oiled canvas… Time will tell if it will ever be THE hat… but its at least a good hat for now.

I will be back on the road again next week. Steph and I, with guest traveler Kelly will be driving from Chicago to San Mateo, via the Black Hills of South Dakota, Yellowstone and Grand Teton… photos will be taken… trip reports will be posted… I will take the new hat.

I fly out Friday night…

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