You Can't Hold Out Forever

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.

- William A. Ward

Wayne the Train at Shank Hall

(Preface: I'm trying to switch over to Amazon for my audio links. We'll see how it goes. The music links should open in new windows.)

If you have an appreciation for the craft of music and the craft of heartfelt songwriting and true talent, then you would have no problem enjoying a Wayne Hancock show. This is real Honky Tonk, Juke Joint Swing. Not that boring crap you remember on the radio in the 70's. He's been covered numerous times, and has had a long, successful music career on his own terms instead of looking for his 15 minutes.

The first time I heard Wayne's music was when Hank III (Hank Williams III) covered "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs". Wayne's been here many times in the past few years, but unfortunately I've waited to find someone to go see him with. Heck with that...as you can see.

I met Wayne on his way in to Shank Hall for the show on Friday night He asked me what I'd like to hear. I was totally starstruck of course, and I said, "I'd love it if you could play "No Lovin' Tonight." He played it right after the opening song. Wayne is just a little shorter than me, slightly shy, and smiles a lot. He has a very thick Texas drawl. He came over to talk with me at the break too, to see how I was enjoying the show. I really like southern manners and charm, and Wayne brings that with him.

Wayne played a little over two hours. He has a very strong three piece band in Eddie Biebel on guitar and the young but legendary Jake Erwin on standup bass. It's hard for me to put exactly how good Wayne's show is into words. He's funny, he's humble, he talks to the audience, and he takes you along for a Honky Tonk, Western Swing ride that nobody else can.

Here are samples of two really great songs from his new album.

Going back to Texas when I'm through

Shooting Star From Texas (one of my favorite songs, wish I could find a better sample with the beautiful lyrics)

I took some live footage, but YouTube of course, has some of better quality:

Here is the title track from his new album, Tulsa


And another high quality clip: Gonna Be Flyin' Tonight


Humor of the night...emphasis mine..

"Talked sh*t about mahself one time. Almost got my aaass whuuped."

After the show I told him I couldn't wait for him to come back and play again, and that I would see him next time. That's how good his show is, and how close you can get to him.

On Myspace

Transitional and Transformational

When you're ready for them, your life will suddenly be dotted with transitional and transformational people. I can only surmise that it's not a mistake, since whatever you seem to be open, receptive to, and most importantly in belief about your life, will surely be reflected in your life's content.

I'm going through that right now. There are changes that I have been ushering in for the past few months and to some extent I have had to try to put the brakes on it - not out of resistance - but out of wanting to be able to absorb and assimilate it. Or let it change me. That kind of surrender is in a word, difficult, especially to the control-freak-perfectionist-who's-seeking-variety. Of course it doesn't make sense, but then again, it's perfectly logical.

Today was another day that I met someone who had this effect. This is a person who I came to for a specific purpose related to a life change, and he knew that I was seeking change in and of itself. He was one of the fastest thinkers I might have ever met so far, and he wasn't wrong. It was intimidating as all hell, and completely well intended. This person knew that I was going in a direction that was lateral and not forward, and that I would be exasperated in a short time. He said the things that I knew but hadn't uttered yet even inside my own head. Why must some people be so correct. Then again, why shouldn't they. I have yet to say thank you to this person and I haven't been able to sit down and write the thank you yet because frankly, I'm still trying to figure out what just hit me.

Thank God for people like this. Course correctors, self-questioners who know when you're not doing a thorough enough job of questioning your own self. People who make you say "I knew that, I just didn't know it". They work fast, efficiently, and with the highest amount of impact. The modern version of the angel is akin to a stuffed animal, but the real ones, well, you might not know what hit you until after you've slept on it.