Casper Rawls & Friends

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We went to the Casper Rawls & Friends residency at the Continental Club on South Congress tonight. It's an early Thursday night show from 6:30-9:00 with no cover charge -- they pass the hat. There's been some press encouraging people to go as there are some noteworthy players joining in -- Betty Soo, Michael Fracasso and Kelly Willis. They're all important artists in their own right so we're expecting a crowd.

Betty Soo is an amazing vocalist who we've seen a few times -- sometimes she accompanies others but she solos as well. She has several albums and videos on YouTube. We're always impressed when we see her.

Michael Fracasso plays very much in the folkie tradition -- we have a version of him doing Woody Guthries "1913 Massacre" on our "Christmas in Prison" collection. We haven't seen him in many years, I think the last time was at the Waterloo Ice House when it was over on Lamar by Waterloo Records. Another place that's long gone.

Kelly Willis (and her husband Bruce Robison) is an Americana performer with several records. I have been listening to "Cheaters Game" (2013) and am curious to see her perform. She has an extensive catalogue going back to 1990. We have tickets to see them together (Kelly and Bruce) at the Luckenbach Hug-In later this month.

Casper Rawls has been doing this residency for many years now. He's a session musician mostly known for his electric guitar work. We have seen him before at Mystery Monday events. This show tonight is unusual in that everyone is playing acoustic guitars. No electric guitars, bass, drums or other flourishes. Just simple songs with stripped down arrangements. The kind of music you want to listen to.

We have arrived early and get good seats on the tired banquette. There are high bar stools and tables arranged in rows for about two dozen patrons. The rest is standing room, or at the bar, or the dance floor at the front of the stage.

The first hour or so it was a great listening room with an attentive audience and some sitting on the dance floor. But as the evening wore one people starting standing in front of the stage and chatting over the performers. Why do all the tall guys arrive late, stand in front to block your view and then chat loudly to their other tall friends? If they're not interested in the show why not go elsewhere, or at least stand in the back of the room. I don't mind dancers on the dance floor -- that's what it's called. At the break between 8:00-8:30 we decided there were too many standing on the dance floor, or around the bar, not listening and chatting loudly. We went home ....

However, in the ladies room Kate bumped into this funny grafitti diaglogue:

Surely everybody wasn't Kung-Fu fighting!

I was!

Me too!

We got a good chuckle out of that.

On a sadder note, on the political front, the Donald was aquitted of all impeachment charges yesterday by the Senate. Impeached by the House of Representative, acquitted by a Republican dominated Senate. The only republican to vote with the house was Mitt Romney and now, of course, Trump is out to get him. Barr, the Attorney General, has issued a new policy -- no investigation of any political candidates.