JUOTA 2009 - Austin, Texas - Weekend of May 23rd

[BARON CORNY DOG]

OK - For those of you checking in, the plan is to meet at Six String's at the Radisson between 5:30 and 6 for more of the same as yesterday. We have to be at the boats between 7:15 and 7:45, so we need to get out of Six String's by 7. We'll walk to the boats (well, I don't know about you, but I will). The walk will be across the South Congress bridge and over to the next bridge over by way of the hike and bike trail. The boat is $10 -- NO CREDIT/DEBIT cards. There's a reservation under my name for 12. By my count, this includes:

Baron
Leg of Lamb
Livet
Sambient
Fish
Hatz
Pillowz
Velvis
Shadow
Mrs. The Shadow
Thesiger
Six String

I'm calling people, but it's not exactly precise, so if you see this and you're not in, please give me a call so I can adjust the reservation.

I didn't do any research into this, but if you're curious, we're doing this one:
http://www.lonestarriverboat.com/index.html

[Walk In My Shadow]

Back at the hotel for a nap after checking out Livet's hood this morning and making the trek to Whole Foods/Waterloo/Cheapo this morning.
The cheese quesadillas somewhere in between tasted wonderful.

Also did a Six String and bought a hat. I now wonder where I can purchase a silver beard just like him.

BTW, did anyone take a picture of the Baronmobile (aka the Silver Machine without Stacia)?

See y'all tonight for the Ozzfest and some live music.

[harvey k-tel]

Fuck. Sounds like a lot of fun folks!

[moonie]

Yep. I'm hungover. It's getting better though.

I have safely returned to the west Texas beauty that is the Moonie ranch. Thanks to you all for a sooperdooperflyfun evening and morning! I took in the Blanton Museum (very nice collection) before I hit the road. So, I've sufficiently taken in enough city to last me another month or so.

Much love to everyone I didn't get to say adios to, and have fun with bats!

[Sambient]

Figures. I find a favorite food experience on my last night there.
Should I return to Austin, I'd like to partake of The Mighty Cone daily.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

Should I return to Austin

Yes, of course you should.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

The cruise on Town Lake last night was really delightful, I thought. Apart from the brief rain, it was a very pleasant night - the sunset wasn't half bad and the bats were far more impressive than I expected. I hope that those headed to the Saxon Pub had fun -- Leg of Lamb and I decided that the prospect of the Meditations was not quite solid enough (there were just too many variables at play) so we came back to camp here on South 1st. Lamb watched Wild Strawberries (I watched about half of it and crashed).

The end of one of these things is always a mixed bag. There's a substantial dose of melancholia, partially brought on by exhaustion, no doubt. But I'm happy a few folks will be here for another day or so. I'm gonna go back to bed for now. Will see Six String later in the morning, and then perhaps rendezvous with the stragglers. Eh?

I must say, things have generally broken our way. Despite my doom and gloom about the return of summer, the weather has been temperate and comfortable and the venues have cooperated with my wishes. I was slightly annoyed that, after making so much out of being able to choose our venues with some modicum of foreknowledge, we've (I've) had to compromise about what is ideal. But the perfect did not become the enemy of the good and, in my view, the venues ended up working out quite nicely which is most pleasing. I'm sorry more of you didn't make it down, but you're always welcome here. That means you.

Y'all should've seen Yves in his pimpin' new hat. He looked cool!

[Thesiger]

Saw Bobby Whitloack at the Saxon Pub. He kindly posed for a photographic record with The Fish and with Six String. He played Anyday, Bell Bottom Blues and Why Does Love Have to Get Too Sad, among others (and, no, he didn't play that song). Wew had another chat with him and his missus outside while waiting for a taxi. A find end to the trip for some of us. Now off to L.A.

[Six String]

Bobby was great, both musically and personally. I've had some pms with him before coming to Austin through the Hoffman board so he treated me like an old friend after the gig. When we came out of the club he was in the parking lot talking to some people and he came back up to me/us with a grin the size of Texas and expressed how happy he was that we came and said hi. His performance was excellent. His voice is still as strong as ever. On Bell Bottom Blues he did some Southern Soul Falsetto stuff towards the end of the song that was jaw dropping for an "old guy." I'm really glad we went but I was corrrect in my prediction that Friday night with the B-3 Organ Trio was the muscial highlight of the JU. I thought I was in Yoshi's (jazz club in Oakland/SF) that night except this venue only held 49 people and by the second set there were only half as many still there groovin' including one liquored up Cali-Texan. It was the only night I really got blasted on the tequila and it was worth every bit of the hangover I had the next day.

Baron has raised the bar for organizing/hosting a JUoA. He did a most superb job in every way and made this one of, if not the best JU we've done on this side of the ocean.

Cheers to everyone who came and made this a very special time. It was truly memorable, but then all the JU are, correct?

I'll be flying out soon and I'm looking forward to being home so I can get some well deserved rest.

[Sambient]

The superbness of the Baron and his hosting and organizing abilities cannot be over-stated.
That was a fantastic event!

[Leg of lamb]

I've landed and stumbled back to the Upper West Side. Due to being up at a daft time to catch my flight, I'm in no fit state to do justice to the previous five days, but I thought I'd check in.

I of course have special reason to thank the Baron. He deserves gratitude of the most unstinting, ostentatious sort, but I know it would just embarrass him, so I won't go there.

Special thanks also to Brother Baron's DVD collection. Treats for all the family.

I'm gonna go blast some comps. I'm bracing myself for the worst!

[Velvis]

The Baron is a prince! A god damn prince!

[BARON CORNY DOG]

Any credit as to whatever I did or didn't do should be shared with Neverknows, who provided an example of how to host one of these things a few years back when I was lucky enough to get to Paris. I think I hoped to fuse some of that with the Memphis side trip thing. Sorry, I'm not good at dealing well with compliments, but thanks everybody!

I didn't come close to Speed Levitch territory, but with some work, maybe it could happen.
Nah, I don't think I could ever get there.



Doug Sahm has a record where he starts with this little monologue, "Everybody always asks me, especially over in Europe, Doug you sure write some songs about Texas. Well that's very true, I'm San Antone born and raised." There's a certain Doug-ness in his delivery that never fails to crack me up, but it's one of those things that you can't explain.

In any case, I was pleased as punch to have a part of BCB relocated to my stomping grounds for a weekend and got a hell of a kick out of it. But I was also nervous about it, so I'm glad people had a good time. Like I said elsewhere, things seemed to go our way and the things that could've been annoyances or irritants broke the other way. Even the ridiculous line at City Market in Luling (probably the single greatest setback we had) took us to the park to eat, which was cool. I could choose a highlight, but there are aspects of every day that were great. Exile on Main St. and BCBKaraoke in the bus, shepherding foreigners (which means all of y'all other than Les) through Texas BBQ Central, and seeing almost everyone eat twice! Margaritas and some crazy food at Polvos, throwing down on Saturday with everyone, various walks home in various states in the middle of the night with Leg of Lamb and my brother, catching Six String's reaction when he saw us at the Denny Freeman show, tequila shots, tasting notes, Fish's dance moves at the hotel party, it only scratches the surface. Great weekend, come back anytime! That goes for the rest of you that couldn't make it, too.

But it ain't over yet! There are plans for the Driskill tonight with Livet, Fish, and hopefully the Toomanies.

The rest of you should commence with the posting of pictures and telling of tales!

[toomanyhatz]

The Baron is a prince! A god damn prince!

Seconded! When we first started talking Austin, I knew we'd be in good hands. This was (and still has time to be yet more of) a great one!

[The Fish]

I purchased some rather groovy footwear and headwear today which quite frankly makes me look like one groovy motherfucker.

As I said to all today sporting the new hat - No motherfuckin' Belgian is going to outdo me in the hat department.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

I purchased some rather groovy footwear and headwear today which quite frankly makes me look like one groovy motherfucker.

As I said to all today sporting the new hat - No motherfuckin' Belgian is going to outdo me in the hat department.

I can attest that they won't be needing Jon Voight for the Midnight Cowboy sequel!

[Sambient]

I am sitting here in my Cheapo Records t-shirt listening to a cd from my huge Waterloo Records haul.
I wound up having to check my bulging luggage after Sunday's spree.
But here I sit reminiscing and wishing I still had Austin as my playground (and my cafeteria).
There were no bad meals to be had. Even the pancakes in my hotel surpassed anything I recall experiencing. Well, airport breakfast was merely okay, but I don't count that. I never did really get enough Tex Mex fare, and pine for other things that went untasted.
Yeah, so I guess this trip for me had the theme of gorging. Gorging on food, gorging on music, gorging on being with my friends, gorging on experiences.
Excuse me, the Les Paul Trio cd has ended, time to put on one of the three Francois Hardy cds I picked up.
Where was I? Oh yes, reminiscing. I'll hit some highlights.
I dug the Cornell Hurd Band more than I expected to. I wish I could get a do-over on my attempt on that Texan dancefloor that got compared by some to a solar system, a cosmos, intricate orbits of pairs swinging around the wooden floor.
Cornell Hurd was very entertaining in his stage patter. It was carnival food, cheap and rich. Nothing scarce, but something you scarf down all the same.
I texted my husband during the show that now I want to take up playing the washboard.
In a testimony to how familiar we can be to each other, I spotted Yves from some distance when he found the venue, and while he was mostly back-lit. I've never laid eyes upon the man in person, but have enjoyed enough photos to recognize him by silhouette. Stood and waved him and Chantal to our side of the room. Did the same with the Fish, but it's not like I haven't seen this man in person before.
It's down to there being only four of us who have attended all five of the Jolly Up of the Americas. Sigh.

The San Antonio side-trip was a blast. I had a personal highlight. There was a young woman and her family there with a crocheted Doctor Who doll (David Tennant incarnation) that is having its picture taken all over the world. It's being sent around person-to-person, each person having a week to capture as many pictures as possible. I wish I'd found out what bulletin board (I'm assuming it's such a thing) is doing that so I could find the picture she took of me with the doll. The one she took of me with my camera will have to suffice.

The margaritas at Polvos were too good. I knew I'd already hit early inebriation and didn't continue on with the further Friday night festivities. I was festive enough.
Polvos is the last time I bothered with camera documentation, I forgot to bring it with my Saturday night. I apologize for failing to get a pic of Les, even though he and I were sitting together.



I wonder how long it's going to take one of my BCB sisters to fawningly ask about the eye candy that is Baron's brother Max.

[Sambient]

But what can ease a hangover better than some hearty meat, I ask you?
Hearty meat and some Big Red soda, that's what.
The barbecue tour had the rental van, which looked like it should have lettering that read "Jesus Saves" on it, nearly filled to capacity as Saturday brought Thesiger, Joe, to the lineup.
The picnic in the park at Luling brought on by the overly crowded market was a delight.
That whole deal was some experience. Fish wound up with a whole pound of brisket as his request for a half-pound was not correctly understood.
Yet he, like most of us, still got something to eat at the next location. I wandered into the not-yet-experienced spare-ribs there. I was glad to have done so.
A visit to an authentic dancehall was a bonus to the tour.
It was a given that after we were all dropped at our various hotels, that siestas were in order. The main event would be that night, and nothing demands downtime like digesting some serious chow.

[Walk In My Shadow]

I purchased some rather groovy footwear and headwear today which quite frankly makes me look like one groovy motherfucker.

As I said to all today sporting the new hat - No motherfuckin' Belgian is going to outdo me in the hat department.

Just admit it, Paul, you were jealous of my bitchin´pimpin´muthafuquin´hat.
That is all.

[Walk In My Shadow]

Bonsoir mes amis. We are now in Cajun land and already tasted some crawfish etouffee to prove it.
Just outside of Lafayette we decided to call it a day (night) and looked for a motel.
The appropriately named Cajun Restaurant was next door.

Another nice food experience to add to the Tex Mex, Mex, BBQ and other delights of Austin.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Baron, for being the perfect host and a top talented organizer.
I don´t think anything went wrong during the four days of Jolly Upping.


More later, bonne nuit and laisez les bons temps rouler.