Tonight truly brings me full circle from about 5 or more years ago, to date.

Just as Amanda talks about below, between The Cavern and Club Dada, my own original introduction to the music “scene” locally will all be out in full force. I know this is a lotta gush for one day’s blog, but both Amanda and I are very passionate about these bands and artists, both their craft, as well as their friendships with us.

I know I’ve rehashed this story ad nauseum, but it’s my blog and I’ll do what I wanna…about a half decade ago, in a drunken stooper, I caught The Lonelies on stage, on a cold campground just a few hundred feet from the Brazos River. I fell in love at first sight…cute boys and all…then fell head over heels at first note. My gushing adoration for them after their performance resulted in me booking/managing the band for a couple of years. At the time I knew not one single solitary musician, club owner, bartender, band, nor anything else pertaining to the local music scene. Doug Burr, Kelly Upshaw, Andy Odom and Dave Sims became my bestest friends.

The first musicians and bands I met in those early days are performing tonight at Club Dada and The Cavern. How can I possibly choose?

I met Chris Gonzalez at The Boar’s Nest. We were immediate friends and he’s remained one of my dearest friends to this day. Chris and I have been through all kinds of whack together, including our show “The Fine Line” on TexasRadio1 “oh shit the mics are still on!” At the time Chris was heading up The Americanos with Travis Hopper and Trae Doss, both of whom I’ve remained close friends with…drummer Jared Brown? Where the hell is he now?

I met a dude named Barry White who played with a little outfit called the Joyful Sinners with other band members at the time, Greg Fontanillas, Bruce Johnson and John Donovan. This band, although defunct, still remains on my top five favorites list.

Trae Doss (formerly of The Americanos, currently with Jayson Bales) ran a joint called Tex’s Taphouse a few years ago and asked me to book for him. I managed to talk the New Music Festival into allowing Tex’s Taphouse to be a venue for their big music festival. It was there that I met Collin and Ben Roi Herring – instant love when they hit the stage, once again. I feel like Collin and Ben Roi are family.

JD when the hell did we meet? I know it was way the hell back cuz I hung with you at the Americana Jam, and booked you at *shudder* the poorly run Muddy Waters (post Richard Winfield, pre-whomever owns it now kids, I’m sure Muddy Waters is a delight nowadays). Anyhoo, I’ve been a raging Trainwreck fan for years and I’m a JD Whittenburg fan for life.

So tonight is a coming together of all the bands and musicians that I started out with way back then…either show will rock…Welcome to the 2002′s Mr. Banks…

I put together a little audio for your listening pleasure that includes (in order of play), The Lonelies, Joyful Sinners, Trainwreck, Collin Herring, Jayson Bales & the Revival, Travis Hopper, Dirt Blazers.:

Click here for your listening pleasure