Saying goodbye to Glenn Felts

On Saturday, 2/22/14, Terlingua said good-bye to Glenn Felts in a fashion he would have approved of.

There was a wake/party at La Kiva with live music, beverages, and a delicious pot-luck dinner.

Terlinguans from all over the country travelled to gather one last time.  Friends who hadn’t seen each other in years hugged.  There were tears, laughter, and dancing.

Attendance was limited to close friends and family.  Glenn was much loved and had a lot of friends. The parking lot was full.  There were cars parked along the road.  The club was packed.

As the sun dropped low in the sky, shots of Glenn’s favorite drink – 12 year old Macallen single-malt scotch – were passed out to all attendees and we gathered for a final toast to Glenn.

Gumby walked to the microphone and, raised his glass, and said, “To Glenn.  He was my brother.  I loved him.  He loved all of you.”

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pot-luck dinner…
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Just Us Girls (JUGS) held a reunion
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the world-famous penisaurus erectus

Continue reading “Saying goodbye to Glenn Felts”

Benefit for Boquillas scholarship – Starlight – Feb 16, 2014

Sunday night, 2/16/14, there was a benefit concert at the Starlight Theatre to generate funds to send a girl from Boquillas off to school.

The Terlingua community raised $1,075 for the scholarship fund.  Since Cynta only needs $250 right now, TerlinguaCares has set up a fund for Cynta’s projects with the remainder of the money.

In the process of raising the money, we had an amazing party.  It’s the Terlingua way.  Music was provided by Laird Considine, Charlotte Teer, Jeff Haislip, Moses Martinez, Tom Delaney, Webster, Al Berry, Ted Arbogast, Mike Davidson, Chase Peeler, Collie Ryan, and many other local pickers.  Trevor Hickle was there and ready…

The plan was for the “band of angels” to play an acoustic set early in the evening and rock out later on…  and, once again, I discovered that making plans is for amateurs.  We had so many musicians who wanted to contribute that it turned into a concert.

Buckner ran sound and herded cats.  The Starlight Theatre provided a comfy and friendly location for the benefit as well as paying the band – and the band donated that paycheck to the fund-raiser.

We were hoping to raise $500, which will cover the tuition for a year. Terlingua reached deep and more than doubled that.  I’m proud of my community – we funding compassion in action and having a party while we’re at it.  It’s the Terlingua way.

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Buckner kept it sounding good all night.

Continue reading “Benefit for Boquillas scholarship – Starlight – Feb 16, 2014”

Remembering Glenn Felts –

There was no stronger supporter of the Terlingua Music scene than Glenn Felts, the owner of La Kiva bar and restaurant.  

Glen Felts at the Chili Cook-off
Glen Felts at the Chili Cook-off

When Glenn died Monday night, it left a huge, Texan leprechaun-sized hole in our community.   Glenn and his friendly grin had presided at La Kiva for years, overseeing some amazing parties, out-door concerts, and 17 years of Wednesday open mics.  He could always be counted on to slip a musician a plate of his prize-winning BBQ or a beer. He loved music and musicians, and every player who had the privilege to play his stage knew it.

On a personal note, last Wednesday’s open mic was pretty magical.  Butch Hancock, Laird Considine, Charlotte Teer, Trevor Hickle and I played the first set to a full house.  After our set, Glenn called me over.  He had heard about my efforts to raise money for the local food bank.  He offered to contribute $420 a month to buy groceries for the food bank to distribute.  He had some great ideas, including opening up his restaurant once a month for a free meal for his hungry neighbors.

Since the food bank only needs $400 a month to meet it’s minimum goals, Glenn basically offered to fund the food bank by himself.  I couldn’t help myself- I gave him a big hug and teared up.  Terlingua people are a proud bunch.  The people who need the food bank are predominantly children and disabled adults.  Glenn was not going to allow hungry children in his town.

That was the last time I saw him.

Tonight, the community gathered in the parking lot of La Kiva to honor and celebrate Glenn.  There had been music at La Kiva every Wednesday night for 17 years.  Although the club was closed, musicians and friends braved the cold to sing, hug, cry, and tell stories about their time with Glenn outside the club.

The Sheriff’s department had cordoned off the parking lot.  The crowd gathered on the shoulder of the road across the street from La Kiva.  A decision was made, and the gathering walked across the parking lot and gathered outside the club.  It was cold and windy, but soon that chilly wind was carrying the sounds of guitars, mandolins, bass, saxophone,  viola and voices that weren’t quite ready to say a final good-bye to 17 years of music on Wednesdays – or to Glenn.

 

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The Sheriff’s Department blocked the entrance to La Kiva.
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hugs and tears

Continue reading “Remembering Glenn Felts –”

Funding the Terlingua Food Bank.

There are hungry children, disabled people, and neighbors down on their luck right here in Terlingua.  To most of us, they’re invisible.

 

If you can’t attend the benefit, you can download a PDF of the pledge form, print it out, and send it in to the Family Crisis Center.  That would be a good thing to do.

Click HERE to download the PLEDGE FORM to
donate to the Benefit for “Food Distribution in
Terlingua Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend, Inc.”

pledge form FCCBB

At a recent meeting of the Big Bend Citizens Alliance (BBCA), the local non-profit that is the umbrella organization for  my TerlinguaCares non-profit, I had a fascinating conversation with Mike Drinkard, who runs the food bank here in Terlingua.

I learned that

1) by ordering food from the area food bank “menu,” Mike can get food for the local food bank very cheaply.  He can keep the 600 or so people who need assistance from starving for just $400 a month.

2.  Some months, he can only serve a few people because he can’t come up with $400/month.

3.  The quality of food offered by the food bank is uniformly bad – powdered potatoes with trans fats, frosted flakes, chicken laced with antibiotics…

I had no idea.  Did you?

I have friends who live in shipping containers.  I have a couple of friends who live in tents.  But, they do so because they want to.  When I hang out on the porch or bop around town, I don’t see anybody who looks homeless or hungry-  well, that’s not entirely true.  Terlingua fashion does tend to be a little informal.  But, I didn’t know anybody was missing meals- especially children!

Surprise!  There are over 600 people in our neighborhood who need food assistance.  Over half of them are children or disabled adults.

We can’t rely on the government to fix this.  This is my problem.  This is your problem.

This shall not stand.  (Big Lebowski quote)

No way are we going to allow children to go hungry in Terlingua.  We’re going to fund the food bank.

We’re looking for heroes to permanently fund the food bank by making regular, monthly donations.  We’ve found our first two heroes:  Ruffin Moore, the General Manager of Lajitas Golf Resort, has agreed to donate $250 a month. Mike Davidson, Alpine City Councilman and Pinche Gringo has agreed to donate $25/month.

(update) We have two new heroes!  Glen at La Kiva has pledged $420 a month- and is challenging other local businesses other local businesses to pledge what they can to improve quality and quantity.  Mike Perry of the Alpine Daily Planet has pledged $25/month.

To volunteer to be a hero, contact Mike Drinkard at 432-371-3147.  Your contributions are tax-deductible and all proceeds will go to buy food for hungry people.

We’re also going to hold a benefit concert at the Starlight Theatre on March 2nd, Texas Independence day.  We need musicians to play and items to donate.  We also need you to be there!  To volunteer to play or donate an item for the auction contact me (Pat O’Bryan) at koanwrangler@gmail.com.

Our goal is two-fold:

1)  if the choice is between not eating and eating empty calories and transfats, let’s go for the empty calories.  We need to make sure the food bank has at least $400 a month that Mike can count on.

2)  we don’t want our neighbors eating that stuff – it makes you dumb and kills you.  The ultimate goal is to provide healthy, nutritious food (beans and brown rice would be a big step up) for our neighbors who need help.  We need to fund the food bank sufficiently so that Mike can order and distribute nutritious food.

 

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Remembering Pete Seeger at Marfa Public Radio

Local musicians hold a hootenanny at Marfa Public Radio for Pete Seeger.

It was a last-minute call that went out through Jalapeño Schwartz’s Facebook page – local musicians gather at Marfa Public Radio station tonight at 6:30 for an on-air tribute to Pete Seeger.  J.P. “Jalapeño” Schwartz, also known as “Doc Cactus,” (although, really, shouldn’t it be Dr. Pepper?) hosts the blues show, play harmonica and keyboards in local bands, and is a country doctor.

Trevor Reichmann was there, virtually.  He recorded “We Shall Overcome” in his home/dome studio and sent it through the inter-webs to the radio station.

Only a few musicians braved the sub-freezing temperature – Maria Moss, Doc, Beth, and me.  J.P.  printed out the lyrics for a few Pete Seeger songs and we quickly rehearsed in the lobby.

It was a ragged, soulful sing-along… I do hope the people listening at home joined in.

(photos by Betsy Blaydes)

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Maria – with her banjo-tar – and Beth 

Continue reading “Remembering Pete Seeger at Marfa Public Radio”

Buster Jiggs and the Fabulous Vortexans at Lajitas – Free Show!

Free Outdoor Concert in Lajitas!

MARCH 1ST!

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March 1st…  Cheap beer and BBQ.  Beautiful outdoor Amphitheatre.    Did I mention that it’s a FREE show?

The Vortexans will go on around 6 PM.  Buster Jiggs will follow.

If you haven’t seen them before, check out the video below. They’re real good.

And… you know the Fabulous Vortexans. Come out early to support the home team!

Terlingua, Texas Music News – 1/20/14

I’ll update this as I get more info-

Starlight Theatre 

Monday – Jan 20 – Burger Night with Laird Considine
Tuesday – Jan 21 – Clem

Wednesday – Jan 22 – The Whitmores

Thursday – Jan 23 – Jeff Haislip

Friday – Jan 24 – Hillie Bills

Saturday – Jan 25 – Terra Peters

Sunday – Jan 26 – Brunch with Bryn Moore

Monday – Jan 27 – Burger Night with Trevor Reichman

Tuesday – Jan 28 – Clem

 

This week at the High Sierra: 

The High Sierra’s Annual Chili CookOff is on for Jan 24, 25 & 26!

We need judges! Over 50 cooks. Chili, brisket, spare ribs, chicken, bloody marys, beans & salsa contests. Live music all weekend …

We will be open for breakfast at 8 am for those three days.

Musicians, come jam to a crowd of 200 or more at our outside bar!

The Concert for Noemi – Sunday, 1/5/14

The Concert for Noemi – Starlight Theatre Sunday, 1/5/14. 

The Terlingua community rallied for Noemi.

It was a night of celebration, dancing, auctioneering, music and love – and Teringua raised over $2,000 for Noemi and her family.

Mike Davidson was our Master of Ceremonies.  He pointed out that the U.S. border policies amount to an ethnic cleansing program.  I think he’s right- you don’t see the same tactics used against Mexicans on the Southern border used against Canadians on the Northern border.

Those policies – especially as implemented since the border closings following 9/11 – have had the (hopefully) unintended consequences of tearing families apart and creating a criminal class out of formerly good citizens.

This was brought home to us in a very personal way as we watched the tragedy of Noemi’s family threatened with massive legal fees and the possibility of having to leave Terlingua and move to Mexico.  It may be the law, but it is not right.

So, the community gathered.  Musicians (Los Pinche Gringos, Collie Ryan, Jeff Haislip, Alex Whitmore, Laird Considine, Charlotte Teer-mumbledehum, Chase Peeler, Jon Hogan, Maria Moss, and others) donated their talents and songs).  Auction items (paintings, photographs, cakes, tequila servings, a kiss, gift certificates for massages and hotel rooms, and more) were given and auctioned off.

The Starlight Theatre let us have the benefit concert in their gorgeous facility and at the end of the night Lisa Ivey made a significant contribution.

Noemi was there with her children, and they danced and celebrated with us.

The concert was produced by TerlinguaCares, a 501 c 3 non-profit organization based in Terlingua.  After all the money has been received and accounted for, TerlinguaCares will disburse 100% of all the money raised to Noemi.

Once again, I am proud to be part of a community with a big heart that takes care of its own.  Thank you, Terlingua.

UPDATE:  You can still donate to Noemi.  We’re still working on the PayPal thing.  In the meantime, you can send contributions to TerlinguaCares, c/o Pat O’Bryan, P.O. Box 316, Terlingua, Texas  79852

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Silent Auction

Continue reading “The Concert for Noemi – Sunday, 1/5/14”

Live music in Terlingua – Christmas week, 2013

This week in Terlingua – Christmas Week, 2013

There is an alarming quantity of very high quality live music going on in the Big Bend this xmas season.   I’m personally delighted to see Slim Richey will be in town.  Butch Hancock will join a very talented group of performers for the Townes Van Zant Memorial concert. There’s something cool going on pretty much every night – get out and support live Terlingua Music!

Check out the listings below –

Starlight Theatre

Monday – Dec 23 – Burger Night with Dr. Fun
Tuesday – Dec 24 – Uh Clem
Wednesday – Dec 25 – Christmas with The Whitmores
Thursday – Dec 26 – Trevor Reichman & Emilie Clepper
Friday – Dec 27 – Paper Moon Shiners
Saturday – Dec 28 – Hogan & Moss
Sunday – Dec 29 – Trevor Reichman 5pm-8pm
                                  Ghosts Along the Brazos 8:30pm
Monday – Dec 30 – Slim Richey & The Jitterbug Vipers
Tuesday – Dec 31 – Uh Clem 6pm-8pm
New Years Eve with Radio La Chuzma 9pm
Wednesday – Jan 1 – Townes Van Zandt Memorial
Thursday – Jan 2 – The Desert Blossom Pearls 9pm
                                     Tim Beck & Friends 10pm
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This Week @ THE HIGH SIERRA / ELDORADO HOTEL

FRI~TREVOR REICHMAN 7pm
SAT~RACHEL LAVEN STRING BAND 3pm-6pm
SAT~JASON BLUM 6pm-till?
Sunday is the Hangover Jam, everyone welcome to come play
NEW YEARS EVE PARTY TUES STARTS AT 9 pm.

La Kiva

Wednesday – Open Mic  (are we really doing open mic on xmas night?)
12/28/13  The Lavens!
New Year’s Eve – The Fabulous Vortexans – Texas Blues
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Live music in the Thirsty Goat Saloon

December 23rd – Trevor Hickle
December 24th & 25th – Jason Blum
December 26th – The Whitmores
December 27th & 28th – Slim Richey and the Jitterbug Vipers
December 29th – Jon Hogan and Maria Moss
December 30th – Jason Blum
December 31st – Slim Richey and the Jitterbug Vipers
January 1st – Jason Blum