Outlaw Saturday at Luckenbach
Outlaw Saturday at Luckenbach
guest blogger: Laurie Jameson
Last Saturday didn't unfold the way WC and I had anticipated. A storm rolled in out of the North bringing heavy rain, hard wind, and pervasive cold, the kind that chills people right to the bone. We were due to be in Luckenbach for the premier Outlaw Saturday Afternoon hosted by Bridgett London and her band by noon for an outdoor concert. WC was supposed to open the show. Shivering, even as our furnace did its best to warm the frigid house, we made coffee and tea and crawled back in bed. When the phone calls came they weren't to cancel the show as we had feared, but rather to revamp the situation. Though creeks were high, some roads were closed and the usual tourist traffic and biker crowds were not expected, the show would go on. But instead of being outdoors with a full band, Bridgett, WC and guest Bert David Newton would play acoustic and sing inside the small, wood-stove warmed bar attached to the General Store. With that plan in mind we hurried to have breakfast, dress warmly, and head south.
Luckenbach wasn't deserted. Plenty of vehicles filled the parking lot and we even had to jostle the pickup around to park fairly close to the buildings. Folks came and went, checking out the historic surroundings, buying momentos in the store, grabbing a beer or a cup of coffee in the bar. The wood stove blazed away but couldn't hold sway against the blue-lip chill that blasted inside every time someone opened one of the doors. Still the musicians settled in on benches and chairs in the corner by the window, a little table held cds for sale and the tip jar, the crowd (now three deep at the bar) quieted, and the songs started. I wish I had an adept ear and knew enough music lingo to express the nuances of voices and guitars. Suffice to say that the blend of beautiful and handsome, romantic and raucous, serious and silly, bold and shyly quiet all coalesced into pure magic. The crowd shifted and changed many times over the next four hours--everyone from couples holding hands, families carrying small children, curious elders, and wandering teens--but the music never stopped. The players rubbed their hands repeatedly to keep the blood moving in cold-stiff fingers. I ceased feeling my feet after the first thirty minutes, but dancing in my seat and singing along (slightly off-key but with joy) on the chorus of the songs I knew kept me from freezing to my seat. In addition to highlighting their own stellar songs, the trio also sang quite a few Waylon Jennings classics to honor the "outlaw in everybody."
While only a few cds sold, the tip jar filled, the multitude of ones accompanied by a few fives, an occasional ten and a single miraculous twenty. The players would make enough to pay for gas, buy a meal, and even have a bit of cash to carry home. When five p.m. rolled around the crowd was still strong and still wanting more songs, but like all good things the Outlaw Saturday Afternoon needed to end. Another band was coming in for the evening show in the huge dancehall where space heaters had been burning all day in an attempt to warm things up. While I was sad to see the show end, I was full of gratitude for the blast of hot air from the truck's heater on my booted feet as we headed home, with a short detour to dine at the fabulous Navajo Grill in Fredericksburg.
Outlaw Saturday Afternoons at Luckenbach with WC, Bridgett London and a special guest will be ongoing throughout the summer. Check www.luckenbachtexas.com for dates and times.
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Glad to hear you guys are staying busy.
jeff