March Forth!

Click image for more ...

Tuesday, March 4, is another nation wide 50501 protest. We are at the Texas Capitol and it's our last day in Austin before heading home on Wednesday. We gather to protest the current administration and "March Forth Against Fascism".

We took an Uber to the event and left our cameras at home. These pictures are from our cell phones. I was worried/hopeful that the protest might descend into a riot. There were lots of news reporters and photographers there — I even asked one fellow if he'd share his photos with us. There wasn't a riot although there was some talk about guns and the right for protestors to "bear arms" even there at the state capitol. Not a path I'd want to take.

There is some awareness of the threats and insults 47 has made against Canada — tariff wars, border disputes, threats of annexation, 51st state, "governor Trudeau", etc. I talked with one fellow who had a sign about the tariff dispute, identified myself as Canadian, and discovered his partner was Canadian as well!

Friday past was the disastrous televised White House meeting with President Zelensky (see NPR Report) where Putin's Puppets made it clear where they stand — they don't stand for democracy and treat Ukraine as an extortion opportunity (give us your rare earth minerals, we'll give you up to Putin). The history of cease fire violations by Putin was not something 47 & Vance would hear. The idea that you cannot have a cease fire without security guarantees was a notion that these puppets would not let Zelensky argue. They seemed to have no awareness of the Budapest Memorandum (1994) where Russia, the UK and USA promised to protect UA sovereignty in exchange for giving up nuclear arms. So much for security guarantees. They didn't even seem to understand that this war started in 2014 (Trump thought the annexation of Crimea was 2015, Vance corrected him). The event was an embarrassment but there are many who still side with 47 and Putin. GOP OMG WTF! It was a terrible day for us made all the worse by the news that a dear friend Don had passed away back home in hospice care back in Canada.

There were lots of Ukraine flags; someone was giving out sun flowers (a UA emblem); and I wore my MUGA T-shirt — Make Ukraine Great Again. A popular MAGA translation at this event was "Morons Are Governing America". There were some of the same speakers from the last 50501 protest. A good sized crowd came but we wished there were more. There were some great signs, check the photos above.

After about an hour of people gathering and listening to speeches we marched down Congress. Kate and I trailed the group and, with our aged injuries, could not keep up. It was a very windy day and our hats and signs kept getting blown away. There was quite a large police presence in cars, on bikes and motor bikes, and, ominously leading up the rear, a group on horse back. Fortunately the police presence wasn't required; no riot ensued.

Can it get any worse? Well, yes it can get worse. And apparently it will get worse. We are distressed to see this sad state of affairs in a place where we have so many fine memories. 

BMI Songwriters Series

Click image for more ...

Down Lamar, a short distance from our long stay in Austin, is the iconic Saxon Pub. They have several shows each evening from 6:00pm until late (even earlier on the weekend). We've been there many times and keep coming back. It's a short Uber ride to the pub, if we were younger and braver we might ride our bikes (we did years ago), but there's no parking at the pub or nearby so Uber is our best bet.

One of the regular live music events at the Saxon is the BMI Songwriters Series held from 6:00-7:30 on the first Monday of every month. This is a free event, no tickets are required and they don't pass the tip jar. Instead artists are sponsored by their music publisher — BMI Texas. We were here back in February and had first discovered the event in March 2024 (there's more to read there). It's an event we really enjoy in an environment where people listen attentively to the music. It's not well attended, but should be.

Tonight the first three artists are Keith Davis, Mallory Eagle, and Bobby Murray. They each get to play three songs and, after a short break, they are followed by Sachin (of Sachin and the Porch), Drew Harakal and Ty Dillon. Mostly this is a guitar song swap but Mallory and Bobby had rehearsed a song together. Drew through in a few fancy guitar licks for Ty. They were all accomplished musicians at home with their music.

These are signed artists with BMI. Some have published music (and albums); all are thankful for the royalty cheques they receive. Keith Davis lives in Buda, a suburb south of Austin, and sang some very sad tunes which I really enjoyed. Mallory Eagle is from Oklahoma and has several albums out with a new one, "Neon Waltz", just released (see her YouTube channel) — she's pretty authentic country. Bobby Murray is a young fellow from the north east and is dressed the part; he tells us that he actually works on a local Texas farm. Sachin is a performer who has been kicking around Austin for a while with his band "Sachin and the Porch" (see their YouTube channel). Tonight he's solo. Drew Harakal comes from Fort Worth and is a pretty intense performer. He has released several albums — see his YouTube page. Ty Dillon is a big guy, very funny. I recall him singing a drinking song about tequila. Check out his YouTube page.

There is an interesting documentary, Saxon Pub: Saving Texas’ Historic Live Music Venue, on YouTube that tells the story how this iconic bar was saved. Up and down Lamar developers of multi-story condominiums have pushed out small bars like the Saxon. How close they came to being yet another victim and how they were saved is an interesting story.

The Resentments

Click image for more ...

Sunday, we went to see "The Resentments" at the Saxon Pub  — one of our last music events as we head home on Wednesday. This is a ticketed event, a regular event (a residency for years now) and we get a table near the stage. 

I understand that one of the "rules" for the "The Resentments" is that the players should just come and perform without rehearsals, without a set list. They have been playing together for years so they know the tunes and can easily follow the rules.

We had been here a few weeks earlier on our trip but this was special as Jeff Plankenhorn was also here. Tonight the band consists of Bruce Hughes (bass), Scrappy Jud Newcomb (guitar), Jeff Plankenhorn (guitars and mandolin), and John Chipman (drums). Miles Zuniga, who Gord wanted to see, wasn't there. I've since discovered he's on holidays in Europe.

Most of the songs came from the front row of Bruce, Scrappy and Jeff. However, John Chipman did a couple of songs: "Just a Step" (by the Resentments from "Switcheroo", 2008)  which he often does with the Purgatory Players on Sunday mornings and "Already Gone" (by Slaid Cleaves from "Ghost on the Car Radio", 2017). Both worked very well with his gravelly voice. I had been in conversation with John trying to get my hands on "Just a Step" and found a copy of Switcheroo on Amazon — luckily as it's long out of print.

At the first Resentments event we attended, a month or so ago (February 9), they joked about No. 47 (aka Agent Kraznov, Don the Con, The Commander and Thief, and more) claiming Canada as the 51st state and suggested that their friend Jeff should be the governor. Jeff is an American but has a connection to Canada living with his wife, who is Canadian, on Vancouver Island. I found this joking around disturbing and deeply insulting. The tariff wars the current administration has unleashed are an awful betrayal and a real threat to Canadian sovereignty.  As a result I had a conversation with John over Facebook Messenger and again this very morning at the Purgatory Players.

We are distressed that people, especially musicians, do not take recent events seriously. While everyone seems to be against what's happening and nobody claims to have voted for him the attitude seems to be that things will return to normal in a couple of years with the Democrats taking back the congress at the mid-terms. We worry that the democracy will not survive that long. 

This isn't a matter of petty politics, what's happening in Washington is morally wrong! Everyone needs to speak up; to be silent is to be complicit.

Tesla Takedown

Click image for more photos ...

Yesterday, Saturday March 1, we were at a "Tesla Takedown" protest in San Antonio and met up with our friends from Blanco. We gathered with several hundred on the IH 10 service road in front of the Tesla showroom/dealership and protested from 2-4pm. This is an international movement to put pressure on Elon Musk where it hurts most. Our protest met with broad support from many passing by (honking, thumbs up, waving, etc.). See  Tesla Takedown Campaign and What to know about the #TeslaTakedown movement targeting Elon Musk and DOGE (Feb 28, 2025).

We do not agree with the chain saw tactics of an unelected billionaire, no mater what his intentions, empowered by Don the Con from Mara-Lardo with a pseudo department. DOGE is not empowered by Congress, Elon Musk is not a cabinet director reviewed and approved by the Senate, his minions in DOGE are not auditors — they're young hackers gleefully wrecking institutions built to protect the vulnerable. The auditors who were in place in the many agencies, the Inspector Generals, were put there by Congress to perform that role and have the ability and training to fill that role.  DOGE does not. The IGs were illegally fired by "He who cannot be named" without cause to give Musk and DOGE the room to do their damage. See The Significance of Firing Inspectors General: Explained (Jan 31, 2025).

This country is no longer a democracy, it's a Broligarchy of the filthy rich who care little for anyone other than themselves. The damage done will not be so easily undone. So much for "American Exceptionalism". For those who voted for this; we hope you're happy with what you got. What's the price of eggs?

We head home shortly, not a moment too soon. Apparently tariff wars begin Tuesday.