As I prepped for my evening writer's round at the Commodore I found myself perusing the local vintage store for a Jersey for a writer's round I have next week the Tin Roof on Broadway as they are having a theme night in which the singers are to wear jersey's. I've never been one to adorn such an article of clothing on the regular, so needless to say I left the one jersey I do own (a Dan Marino jersey I got when I was a teenager) at home. When I came across a brown suede jacket hemmed and laced with buckskin and trimmed with suede fringe down the sleeves and around the base. “This is exactly the jacket I had been trying to keep an eye out for years!” I eagerly thought to myself. To boot it came with a price tag that was impossible to ignore but still more than I could afford to spend on such a luxurious item as I'm trying to budget as frugally as possible to make this trip last until October as I've planned.
So I set it aside and found a jersey at Wicked Ollie’s Vintage Western Store that was perfectly fitting. Mostly blue, with large U.S.A. print on the front, a silhouette of an american flag draping down and the number 2 on the shoulders.
When I turned it around I knew immediately that this was going to be the pick. On the back was a large number "2" and on the top of the back where a players name typically is one simple word "AMENDMENT" Oh snap! "It's perfect!" I told Robbi at Wicked Ollie's. And upon closer inspection I noticed that the stripes on the flag in the front are different gun barrels. It just keeps getting better!
So I made my purchase and started getting dressed for the evening but couldn't forget about that jacket. My lovely mother happened to call to catch up on the goings on back home and I told her about the jacket. Immediately after we hung up she sent me a text stating she put an early christmas present in my bank account and to go get the jacket! Thanks Mom!
I put on my new stage wear and headed down to the Commodore for my writer’s round. I got there a bit early so that I could catch more writers before my turn (and I was a bit eager, as I do tend to get excited about these things). Low and behold I see a familiar face as I walked in the door, full time songwriter, Scott Barrier.
“Man, I’m seeing you everywhere now.” he stated. After catching up with him and meeting a few of his other songwriter friends, Lisa and J4. We indulged in the crafts of those spewing from the stage. One of the crowd favorites is a fellow by the name of Mark Allen with a song called “Tables and Chairs” that’ll rip any artists or songwriter’s heart.
I went up and played my round and was well received, even catching the ear of a songwriter by the name of Bobby Keel, who’s written songs for Hank Williams Jr. and a few others. We picked on the porch for a bit after my set and a couple of his buddies that are Steamboat Captains bought my CD’s.
I made my way over to the Local for a bit to find that the night had wrapped up, so back to MCBG I went. I listened as the band finished up their night then stepped outside for a bit and had an interaction that ran up every red flag I had and made my skin crawl...