Part 1 of “We Are West” Tour 2010: Northwest Texas

We set out on July 22nd with Chad Pope, his son, Brandon and myself from Austin to Lubbock where we played at the Buddy Holly Center. I’ve done this gig for the last 5 years and it’s always a treat. The courtyard fills up with 250-300 folks and everyone is totally into the music. On the way there, I worked out a couple of solo parts on the Melodica (a small keyboard that produces notes when you blow into it and play the keys) for the tour and we got to test them out at the BHC. FUN! I have to admit I was a little nervous about it because “We Are One” modulates mid-song and my piano skills are a bit rusty, but I pulled it off!

Chad brought Brandon into the museum to show him Buddy Holly’s glasses that were recovered from the wreckage of the plane crash that tragically ended his life. I would venture to guess that most kids Brandon’s age couldn’t tell who Buddy Holly was or recite his significance in American music history; but after a walk through the museum, I have a feeling that Brandon took away an impression of Buddy Holly’s musical legacy that went beyond the few bars of “Peggy Sue” he could hum prior to his visit.

After the show, we had a wonderful dinner at Café J, an amazing restaurant in Lubbock managed by my multi-talented soul sister, Cat. We caught up with her and enjoyed beautiful wine and a delectable and unforgettable meal.

The following day, we had a little fender-bender that cracked the passenger side headlight casing and dented the hood a little. They other car was unmarked as it was just a tiny tap at a very low speed. Sigh, with all the time we spend on the road, I recon’ we’re quite fortunate to have such small wrecks.

That evening, we headed over to La Diosa, a beautiful wine bar that serves TX wines. This lovely place, formerly part owned and decorated by Cat, is aptly named “the goddess” and is expertly donned in colorful and lush Central American art. We had a fun show and afterward, Brandon proved his skills in being a great roadie.

The following morning, I had the pleasure of going to Lubbock Yoga to take a class taught by Cat. When we first met many years ago, I had just completed yoga school and we had lengthy conversations about the practice and its fruits.. Since then, Cat’s found her groove teaching Anusara yoga and she’s a great teacher.

After yoga, Chad, Brandon and I headed up to Amarillo to Keith Jones’ house. Keith is an attorney/advocate during the week and a facilitator of house concerts and concert series on the weekends. He’s a true champion of independent music and has an amazing collection of old radios and other fascinating Americana-flavored artifacts.

Chad and I prepared for the house concert in Keith’s newly renovated space. About 25 folks showed for the concert and we had a great time telling stories and playing songs. Keith calls the concert series “The honor of your company” which is exactly the vibe of the shows and the sweet community we encountered.

Before we headed out to New Mexico, we made our way over to Palo Duro Canyon where Brandon witnessed his first geological wonder. This area of NW TX is flat as far as the eye can see. When driving closer to Palo Duro, one begins to get glimpses of a shift in the earth, but nothing can prepare a newcomer for the first glimpse of the canyon’s seep decline into the earth. We drove through the canyon and hiked a little marveling at the beautiful colors of the earth’s layers, rock formations, fragile purple flowers and little sunflowers. It was a beautiful morning watching Brandon and Chad climb rocks and play with shadows and discover the feel of the sandstone rocks in their hands.

We then departed for The Blue Hole and Santa Fe, New Mexico. . .