Portable repertoire

I figured I was done playing in bands when Stoogeaphilia drummer Jon Teague moved to Albuquerque the weekend of the first Covid lockdown. But you never see what's around the corner. Last summer, I was on a music writer's panel at KUZU-FM's Revolution Record Convention, where I encountered Cade Bundrick (Please Advise, Chris Welch), drummer-bassist-organizer and fine fella, working the Recycled Books and Records booth and he suggested we jam -- a suggestion I almost never refuse. So we started jamming once a month in August and continued until it became clear to me that this guy was too busy for another project. By which time other stuff had eventuated.

After I got done learning all the Trout Mask Replica guitar parts, during the pandemic, I started singing more, mainly for my own amusement. After awhile, I developed the concept of Stashdauber/Folknik: me singing songs (some political in nature) solo acoustic. In this way, I planned to reinvent myself as the Joan Baez of Fort Worth rockaroll. But only quasi-seriously. 

Then in January I went to Growl in Arlington to see my old Stooge frontman Ray Liberio's new band Bull Nettle Jacket -- basically the dregs of Vorvon, with Tony Medio (Dragworms) on bass and vox. After their set, Tony (whom I'd known for 20-plus years but never heard play) suggested we jam. We started meeting up at his jam room at Cozmik Rehearsal in Haltom City (where the Stooge band used to prac in the Me-Thinks' room) every couple of weeks, drawing on my projected Stashdauber/Folknik repertoire for material. We hit it off, and after awhile, we were ready to look for a drummer. 

At that point, Cameron Long (Merkin/L. Ron Hummer), another fine fella whom I first encountered while playing in the Wednesday night house band at the Wreck Room, reintroduced himself, joined, and elevated us the way a good drummer always does. Because of Cam's work/family schedule, we can only rehearse on a "divorced dad" schedule -- every other weekend, which is fine. Thus, STC (for Stashdauber, Tony, and Cam) was born. Against all odds, I'm in a band again. 

Lately I've been picking up some solo acoustic gigs like the Second Sunday Spoken Word go (where I'll play with house musicians Savanna Sons) previously hyped on this page, and the Indivisible Texas-12 shindig at McFly's in River Oaks (where I'll play with my teacher-soccer coach-activist buddy Ernie Moran for the first time). STC may be ready to gig by the fall, if anyone will have us. How fortunate am I.