2001-04-18 10:32 p.m.
Ego's
I just got in from Ego's. I had to talk myself into going because I still suffer from fear of going into bars by myself, even though I have discovered time and time again that, basically, I am invisible to everyone there. I also tried to talk myself out of it because I am broke, broke, broke. Not just broke in cash in my pocket, but broke in the checking account and in all available credit. Still, I want to experience the nightlife of Austin and be a part of the Austin scene so I dragged myself, kicking and screaming to Ego's. Yet another aspect of me, the goal setting, driven part of me was shouting, "But you've already BEEN to Ego's in your 42 bar year, at least go to someplace new!!!" I squealched her plaintive whine and drowned it with a salty Margarita and sent the others packing with a beer.
Tonight was a singer-songwriter in the round deal. I went to see Adam Carroll. The paper had listed him as being at Ego's and I was hoping he would be solo, opening for Matt Powell, who usually plays at Ego's on Wednesday. But is was Adam, Matt and Bryan Rung all singing their songs. It was very very good. I guess I'd never seen Matt or Bryan sing, although I've known them both for at least a couple of years so it seemed sort of ho-hum to see them.
The first time I saw Adam Carroll was when he used to open for Cory Morrow when Mark was in Cory's band. Adam was an amazing thing. IS an amazing thing. But, then, not knowing what this young, smooth-faced, curly-headed boy was bringing to the stage, I was truly amazed and captivated. We laughingly called him Neil Dylan back then because he played a harmonica around his neck, played guitar and sang lyrics that spun tales of East Texas as vivid as the Spanish Moss hanging off the cypress trees at Lake Caddo. His rhymes and his stories are not the typical ones about love in June or moons and spoons. They are about drugs and barbeque and old men and soft women and screen doors and red bandanas, and they are intense and surprising. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years until tonight. His songs are still as amazing. His voice is not spectacular, but, hey, that never stopped Dylan, did it? I hope Adam Carroll can get a big following. He's a very young guy from Tyler, I think, and he is still writing incredible new songs.
I do love Austin and seeing people I know in a bar. The masseause Mark goes to (and I will go to when I scrape together the money)was there and the blues player that lives with Mark's bass player was too. They both knew me. Matt and Bryan in the singer-songwriter group knew me, I think, but couldn't place me. I wish people knew me as me and not only as Mark's wife, but, then, there are lots of places he is my husband and not just Mark, so there are advantages and disadvantages both ways.
Company coming this weekend and I still have not gotten into full clean mode. Lots that needs to be done but I have a feeling, after a Margarita and a beer, it isn't going to be done tonight either.