The Houston Adventure Part Two

So there we were, stranded in Humble. But things were looking up. We got a good quote for our car problem, spent gift card money on tasty Starbucks beverages, and we soon got word that some friends of friends in the area wanted us to play at their church on Sunday morning. So, we went off to amuse ourselves in Old Town Spring.

Apparently, Old Town Spring has world famous hat makers. Who knew?

So...it's not kettle corn? I'm confused by the quotation marks. And "the good stuff" just raises all sorts of questions about what goes into that sweet and salty treat. 

The next morning, we played at this church full of wonderful people. And when they heard about our car troubles, they significantly lightened the weight of our CD case (and our minds, contemplating that mechanic bill) with their generous purchases and donations! We made new friends, were treated to some really delicious home-cooked food and, except for sleep deprivation and clothes that were starting to be able to stand up on their own, we ended up with a pretty great weekend!

Of course, that didn't mean we weren't ecstatic on Monday at noon when we got the call that our car was fixed and ready to go.

On the road again!

I never thought I get so much wear out of those pants. By the end of the trip, plum was a new neutral .

So that's our story. Not that dramatic, but the generosity of old friends and new acquaintances in taking us into their homes, feeding us, driving us around, and getting us paying gigs for the weekend was truly remarkable, making it a weekend that I won't soon forget. Thank you, Houston-area! May we meet again much later, under better circumstances.

The Houston Adventure Part One

As you already know, last weekend we had the pleasure of playing an intimate acoustic show at Half Price Books in Humble, TX. (Just outside of Houston). This is the story of how a 2 hour gig became a 4-day weekend.

We set out on Friday with plenty of new mix CDs to get us through the 4 1/2-hour drive from Dallas to Houston, with every intention of driving home that night after the gig.

This suitcase only had CDs in it. Later, I would regret that.

When we arrived in the town of Humble, just a few miles from the bookstore, we smelled something funny. We assumed it was the dicey-looking Waffle House we had just passed. (Don't get me wrong; I love Waffle House, but that one looked dicey). Then smoke began to pour from our air-conditioning vents, and we quickly pulled over.

Stranded in Humble.

Luckily, our friend and organizer of the Half Price Books event was able to pick us up, feed us, and get us to the gig on time, which turned out to be a lovely evening.

If I had known I would be wearing them for 4 days in a row, I might not have chosen plum pants.

Adam brought his wonderful 9-string baritone guitar.

Bookstores make me happy.

After the gig, we rushed away to meet the tow-truck, which took the car to the only mechanic in Humble who was going to be open the next day (Saturday). The same friend who rescued us from being stranded also graciously provided us with a place to stay. And I ended the day feeling a little more like a "real" musician who goes out on the road and breaks down and hopes that tip money and CD sales will save the day. 

Hmmm... Don't see much cash in that jar; we could be in Humble for a while!

Would our car be fixed? Would we get back to Dallas by Monday morning? Would we make our time in the Houston area worthwhile?

Find out, in part two!

Bookstore Show!

I love Half Price Books. Even if I didn't need to spend all my extra money on books because I'm a grad student, I would still spend a good chunk of my income on creating the perfect old book and vinyl collection. Since I love Half Price Books so much, I'm especially excited about our upcoming show in February:

This concert will be an informal, unplugged event at the Half Price Books in Humble, TX. So, if you are in the Houston area, we would love for you to stop by any time between 7 and 9 pm on Friday, Feb. 24th, and allow us to enhance your book-purchasing experience with a little bit of original music. Maybe I can manage to leave the gig without spending all the tips/CD money on more books!