#FOMO – Classic Movie Night and Texas Rose Saloon

By Lige Menard

​

There exist many bright stars of art and entertainment which make up the constellation that is the SETX scene.  When we all gather and attend, show up and glow up, we radiate and create something heavenly. It’s a celestial thing when we wee mortal candles melt together.  Wave after wave of woe and worry can wash over us.  Damage and despair can surge to and through our thresholds.  We suffer, we dim, yet our fires do not extinguish.  The distance between yesterday and tomorrow is measured by the hours we burn today!  It’s a-ok to keep the digital tendrils we have established.  ZOOM, stream, DM, post… but baby I’m here to testify that nothing can replace that tangible visceral connection we experience when we mix it up in these 409 streets.  We out here! They asking bout U!

To quote Chris McCandless, “Happiness is only real when shared”.

April was a popping and bussin delish month!  On the 9th, the ever-majestic Jefferson Theatre presented a milestone Classic Movie Night.  A double feature of Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 anime masterpiece, Akira.  Reaching out to the people early on and asking their def-pref of screenings, the dubbed or subbed, they opened up a door to a heated debate that has been raging for decades amongst the anime fan-base.  Weebs, waifus, and the like will always prefer the original out of any anime selection, however, many people appreciate the genre but have no taste for sub-titles and prefer the dub cuts.  Ole’ Jeff and his sidekick point man Zach Bowman were presented with a choice.  In which they opted to cater to and respect both sides of the fan fight.  Dang Ole’ Jeff doubled down, and played both the highly acclaimed Pioneer 2001 dub, and Otomo’s 88’ original back to back!  Several hours of big screen anime gold framed by the regal aesthetic that is the Jefferson.  All for the cost of one six dollar ticket?  The dub played first and between screenings the crowd thinned and dispersed, but the hard-core fans remained.  There was a drastic drop in attendance, yet no matter how many patrons lingered, Ole’ Jeff kept the doors open, reels rolling, and the concessions flowing! It’s been decades since Akira first hit the big screen, and it could be decades more before it happens again.  Were you advantageous?  Did you make it out?

There’s no way I can write about what happened during April’s showers, and not share what went down at the Texas Rose Saloon on the 24th. It was an unusually hot night in the SETX.  We had become so adjusted to winter’s linger that the idea of a hot Saturday night seemed nostalgic.  Nostalgia, that heartwarming feeling which takes you back. A recollection of cherished things gone by, and the basking in their memories comforting glow. For those gathered at the Texas Rose the nostalgia was communal and layered. Sooo many special and interconnected people were in attendance. The rough cuts, the gorgeous Rose Pedals, the cool kids, the rogues, and ⅓ of the drum circle made it out. Withered vines of kindred relation were watered, and the crowd left woke in the concept that we’re all in this together.

   Oh maamaa that crowd!!  She wasn’t thicc, but damn was she healthy. A fulfilling crowd, even if she wasn’t a full crowd. The kind of spattering of individuals that can generate medicinal fellowship. The shackles of yesteryear had been removed and we moved. Like care free heathens, we danced under a neon moon,and the music washed over us. I whole heartedly believe in the success of a show being the symbiotic sum of both the crowd and the music.

   Playing their first show, and first in the line-up, Bumpertars.  Bringing a grungy but fresh sound this two piece nailed it down!  Comprised of Cameron Anderson on drums, and Chey Jackson on axe/vox. The band is like one part Soy, one part Bumpertars, and one part some final form level awesome soon to come. I don’t think any of their previous incarnations can really prepare you for what they got cooking. They were flexing that tastee grip, and getting a feel for the kill!

   Next in the line-up a whammy of a whopper and a catch me off guarder, Soft Sass.  I wasn’t ready for the amount of straight up love their free-form energy can bring. Encouraging crowd collab with every song, they generously passed around fidgets of sound.  Soft Sass heralds the long awaited return of Marcie Morgan and her magical flute to the stage. Together they sing an “in the moment” organic song that seems ethereal and out of time. Melody Ann and Jason Miller… what a binary star. Their union transcends the paper it’s written on. It exudes and wraps you up. To see their love is to feel their love. The last song in their set “Noticed” is a story of their road to finding each other. I couldn’t help but think of lovers past,?present?, and future. No heart breaks quite the same, but damn if you can’t find comfort in sharing the pain.

   Closing out the night Ariel Bush & The Urchins gave their best performance to date!  Thier sound grows and progressively adapts show to show. I can’t help but dig their old school approach to promoting and connecting to their audience. Yeah, they generate an event page. Yeah, they post the things on the media things. Yeah, they digitally invite and electronically reach out, but they are also out there street slinging. Canvassing the town and passing out ¼ page flyer coolness to individuals all over the area. Each hand bill accompanied with conversation and personal threads of connectivity. Shit man they put in the work and you can hear it in their music. Ariel’s vocals are thoughtfully laced with such emotion and tinges of pain. She surely plucks a heartstring or two every show. Speaking of strings she unveiled her brand new musical companion. A shell pink Mexican Fender Strat with a maple neck and turtoise shell pick guard. A perfect sidekick for an island princess. Cory Welch was a clean and consistent machine on the drum skins. That GameBoy cyborg dropped the back beats that made the hips go shakey shake!  The dynamo wunderkind Tristan Angelle was all over the space. Switching from lead to bass to somewhere in between, he puts them peddles to the metal. Several times he hit the floor and became a synthesizing rogue.

   Halfway into the show they announced they were hitting their “sad” part of the set, and Ariel dropped some serious heavy.  Over the past year she’s been stewing up something brooding, and she’s near ready to share her songs of pain. This summer she’s dropping a self produced five song EP.  Talking to her after the show she said it deals with depression, social anxiety, and the darker things. She talked about the neighbor dogs barking, the Old Town night train rolling, and other sounds that came in through the window and into her music. To hear her talk about it there seemed to be an air of self-help/ help-U to me.  I admit she even recognized something I’m dealing with at home that I don’t think is very apparent, and she left me with some generous and heartfelt wisdom to chew on. There in the late night moonlight, she seemed like a 409-refined and much prettier Daniel Johnston. Miss Ariel, I thank you for the sharing and look forward to experiencing the album!!!

   Alright true Beaulievers, with all the shows being booked, and all the events, exhibits, projects, and classes being planned, I promise there’s something happening for everyone. SETX is a welcoming and supportive community just waiting for you to throw down or throw in!!

Well, if you made it this far I applaud you for coping with my long windedness and for digesting my meandering rambling. I promise to reign it in for future FOMO fun. (Unless they lock me out of the building) Please reach out if you have any comments or suggests. Hope I see you out there in May! I’ll even let you throw egg in my face. Scouts honor. Must provide egg, and moist towelettes not required, but appreciated.