Purgatory Players

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Sunday morning in Austin finds us Backstage at the El Mercado South for the Purgatory Players. This is a regular event where they swap songs and pass the hat to raise money for a local food bank. We're usually here, musicians play for free, and we can enjoy the music and a Tex/Mex breakfast with maybe a cerveza, Margarita or a Mexican Martini to wash it down.

Today there's Scrappy Jud Newcombe, Guy Forsythe and John Chipman as the regulars. They're joined today by BettySoo who we haven't seen in a while. She's been touring with James McMurtry but we've seen her several times over the years. She plays accordian today as well as guitar. She's a strong singer with a big voice. Such a small person. They are all accomplished players, sometimes session musicians, and they all have music of their own. We have several CD's.

After the break there are some guests from the audience including Drew the Soundman. He has another regular free event Backstage here at the El Mercado later in the week. We went to one of those where his guest was Kate Howard. 

John Chipman, on drums, we've seen several times and see again this evening with the Resentments at the Saxon Pub. I have been in touch with John to ask about the song he does, "One Small Step". At the break I have a chat outside with John and Guy. We were really distressed the other night at the Resentments where they made a joke about the 51st state. This isn't funny, he acknowledges our offence, and we ask why musicians aren't protesting more. They have hopes that this chaos No. 47 has unleashed will be squashed at the mid-terms. We wonder if democracy will survive until then.