Dale Watson & more Dale Watson 12-30 & 12-31-05

Headed out from work on Friday to Austin with Sister K (yes, I had to work all friggin' day) to hopefully get to the Continental Club in time before it sold out. We barely made it!!! Just after we got in, they quit letting people in until someone left. There was a line outside of the building waiting to get in and from my sources at the Broken Spoke, there were people there that had tried to get into the Continental Club with no luck. Needless to say, the place was packed elbow to asshole with all true Dale Watson fans. I recognized lots of familiar faces there that night from all places that I've been to following Dale. This show was the last one that he'd play there since he quit the music business and move to Baltimore to be closer to his family. Sad, sad show to say the least. Dale's been a fixture in Austin now for well over 10 years and he'll be deeply missed. The best part of the night was the last song "Viva Las Vegas" which followed us to the Magnolia...some were still singing it!!!

After a restful night's sleep (thanks Cammi) Saturday AM we got up and met up with some friends and went out to eat before heading to Bandera. The food was great...what was the name of that place...?Casa Maria? or something like that. Anyway, after we ate and sat around talking for awhile, went back to Cammi's, gathered up our things and headed out. Don't forget your Texas map! We'd never been to Bandera before and I wasn't quite sure of what to expect.

http://www.continentalclub.com/ http://www.banderacabaret.com/

Well we got to Bandera with little or no problems. We took the scenic route through Fredricksburg and Kerrville...is there any other way to get to Bandera? We'd rented a cabin for the weekend along with a bunch of other friends from the Houston area on the Medina River...did you know there's a Medina River? Me either...and it was a beautiful place with the river behind the house and enough room for everyone!!! When we arrived, there were already some of our party there cooking chili and brisket and drinking beer. We ate, drank a few beers and then proceeded to get ready for a night of Dale Watson...the last night. When we arrived at approximately 8 PM, the place was packed...another sold out show!!! We tried earlier in the day to get them to reserve us a table but was told by the Bandera Cabaret staff that they DID NOT reserve tables but when we got there, the best table in the house was reserved so we took over it like it was our own (to much objection by others claiming it was their table and for us to move...ha ha). All I have to say about this matter is "This ain't Ginny's." The "wrecking crew" drank like fish and I guess that's why one of our party was sick at the friggin' table and had a garbage can by his side and another was missing for a few hours but later found by the Bandera police asleep in a ditch with no shirt or shoes and briar scratches on her arms...contrary to popular belief, this wasn't me this time. I'm the one at Dale show's that gets on the stage to dance with the band...other members of the "wrecking crew" join Dale when he sings and still others fall from their seats onto their heads from shots they've drank. We've earned and given the title of "wrecking crew" by Dale Watson himself because we always wreck ourselves and the members of the band with our drinking antics. This was another sad night for all Dale Watson fans...some were crying like babies and others (myself included) were somewhat stoic (2 : one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain) http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/stoic It took me almost a week later to come to the realization that it was the last time that I'd ever get to see Dale Watson again. He has a couple of shows scheduled in the future (one in March and another in May) but I'm quite unsure of my future on this planet at this time. I don't think I'll make the March show but there's always May at the Broken Spoke. http://www.brokenspokeaustintx.com/

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