Rockin' Horse

Ok… Hurricane Season ’08 is effectively over and thank goodness for that! I’ve about had my fill of all things hurricane. After enduring 4 storms in 3 years (count ‘em: Rita, Humberto, Eduarto, and Ike) statistically speaking, you’d think we’d be in pretty good shape. But having lost two houses and a large part of my sanity in that time period, I’m not willing to concede to that concept just yet. I mean, we had a fairly good run before ’05 brought Ms. Rita to our doorstep. What was the last one that had any effect on us at all? Alicia in ’84, I believe. I’ll take another 20+ year hiatus, no problem!

But we’re already getting predictions for ’09. Hell, they’ve already released the names of the ’09 storms! I ain’t ready for this, folks. I still have a beach cabin spread over a good portion of the Bolivar Peninsula, not to mention a good number of stumps to grind and gutters to replace right here at the old hacienda and I can’t seem to get away from work long enough to hem all that up. Hey, I have no axe to grind with our friends over on the East Coast, but they should step up to the plate and take a couple for the team in ’09! We need a break.

Stumps and gutters ain’t all that took a beating around here. Several of the places that were regular live music venues bit the dust during Ike’s visit. The Tiki Hut, Ship’s Wheel, and Sharkey’s in Crystal Beach are no longer recognizable as buildings. Just One More in Liberty was destroyed as well. And I haven’t been able to contact the folks over at Soft Tails in Baytown (right next to the bayou). Makes it kinda hard for a bunch of old rockers to play enough to pay for their habit! It was bad after Rita, too… remember? Folks just ain’t ready to spend money on entertainment when there is real stuff, like carpet and dinette sets, to buy. Add to that the election frenzy… and all the backlash over W’s buddies gang-banging the money market for the past 8 years… and you’ve got a recipe for a rough couple of years in the music bidness.

But we’re a resilient bunch, willing to play for beer and BBQ if that’s all that’s out there. Here are some economic tips for musicians caught in the recessionary slump…

1) Get out your WD -40 and oil up those strings. You’ll get another week or two out of them, at least. And WD-40 costs less than Finger Eaze. It smells funny, but it’s cheap.

2) Cut out the shots of Patron during the gig. Stick with beer. You might even be able to talk the bar into furnishing an occasional pitcher.

3) Save those old tubes. I have a tube tester… we can match up some of the less burnt-up ones into similar pairs and save serious bucks!

(You might wanna stock up on chassis fuses if you go with this option)

4) Get a bigger tip jar and pick out some well endowed lass to pass it around for you. Sure, she’s gonna drag a couple of $20’s while she thinks you ain’t looking, but it’ll be worth it!

5) Take one vehicle to the gig. I know it’s nice to drive yourself… gives you time to plan out your sets and to get your head together before you play. But with gas prices what they are, you should utilize some of that extra space in the cargo trailer for those that won’t fit in the cab of your truck. Draw straws to choose, then throw in a flashlight and some old couch cushions and make an adventure of it.

Hey, times are tough.

-The Maj