Poodie's Spicewood, TX - February 14, 2003 ~ Anne It's not that I'm not sentimental... it's just that holidays in general don't mean what they used to for me. I try to empathize with people when they express their yearning for love or longing for a date/boyfriend/girlfriend. All anybody had to do was go to Poodie's Hilltop Bar & Grill on Valentine's Day and they would have felt the invisible embrace of musical love. All you need to do is pay attention and Reckless Kelly & Micky & the Motorcars will give you close to everything you need. Sarah and I had never ventured out to that neck of the woods before so we left early to ensure that I didn't have to find it in the dark. As it was, I pulled over three times to look for the address. I had even gone to Mapquest and didn't quite believe that the instructions were that simple. A word to the wise...never, ever, ask Sarah or me for directions, because we do not know! We could be in our own driveways and have trouble finding the way out. It was dark by the time we got there and I overshot the driveway but it was good to be in that parking lot. We arrived about 30 minutes before the bands did and that gave us an opportunity to absorb the surroundings. The clientele was an interesting mix of the local flavor. The old-timers had their bottles in brown paper bags and they were in various stages of sobriety. Brandi showed up and we all had something to eat before the beer started flowing. Old metal signage, shuffleboard, a pool table and plenty of bar stools, Poodie's was just a really comfortable country tavern. It reminded me of the country bars up north where the regulars are usually fisherman or deer hunters. Just regular guys/men sittin’ around gettin' ripped, talking about (or rather lying about) the one that got away, or lying about the size of the one they bagged.

A lot of the afternoon folks stayed around for M&MC - as a matter of fact, the place was pretty packed by the time Micky and the boys started things off with "Carolina Mornings". Muzzie Braun, Kip Attaway, John Stewart, Pinto Bennett, Johnny Horton - they all followed. reh refers to it as roots!!! (always with three exclamation points). He's so right but I'll add the words depth and quality. One thing I admire about both RK and M&MC is their song selection. They have a knack for choosing obscure songs, timeless songs, songs that mean something to them. I feel that they are giving me a gift when they pull one of these outta their hat. I'm not sure if I've got the title right but Micky et al. did a song that their Dad wrote - "I Wish Someone Would Shoot Me". I have never heard them cover this one and like I said before, it's like receiving a gift when I hear a new song presentation, even if it is a "cover". Towards the end of the set, Micky asked if everyone was having a good time - as if he couldn't tell from the applause and the dancing. He divided the room into his right and left sides and we proceeded to whoop and holler. Yes it's true, our side of the room won. It's really no mystery why I have gravitated towards Micky & the Motorcars. They have added something very special INTO my life. Everyone should be so lucky to feel this way.

I had a case of "contact happiness" on Friday night, because M&MC put on such an inspired set with the help of big brother Cody sittin' in on fiddle, and quite a few dancin' duos. I don't know why, but I just love looking at people that are so obviously having a good time. It makes me happy. It makes me feel good that the two bands I am so fond of have the same kind of effect on others. In a nutshell, it's about connecting. Even if you never introduce yourself, or never say a word, the people you are sharing the experience with are your friends. Contact happiness...I had a good case of it Friday night. Before RK took the stage the jukebox had its turn to shine. Travis, the drummer from M&MC, seemed to be mesmerized by the selection. I'll admit after he picked his four, (two were Marshall Tucker songs), I went up and picked out four - among them, Gene Watson – "Farewell Party", Gary Stewart - "10 Years Of This", and a Billy Joe Shaver tune that was cut short. There was a certain excitement for me as the bartender turned off the jukebox and the RK boys ambled onstage. As much as I know Billy Joe is a true original, I knew that RK was going to bring us something more. They began with Dylan's "Girl of the North Country". That song just felt so RIGHT for the setting. I AM a girl from the north country, so I'm biased, and I've known that song since it came out on Nashville Skyline in 1969 (It was first released on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963, but I know I had heard the Skyline version first). It's a lonesome song. It's a song about true love, it's about remembering, it's about caring, it's about not having what you want, but the want is superseded by a far greater force. It was a great song to open with.

If you ask me, there is a certain power, a depth that only comes from an acoustic RK show. The interplay, the camaraderie, the blending of instruments, the harmony in their voices....it's special beyond words. It was a curious mix of songs that RK played. It seemed to alternate – sad and slow to a rockin' rave. The way "Lonely All The Time" segued into "Little Mama" was down-right gorgeous. The way Willy spit out Steve Earle's "My Baby Worships Me", to the way Jay drove his one drum into the ground. I imagine Jay would be one of the best drummers around even if he didn't have drumsticks. He is such an integral part of RK. I know they wouldn't be the band they are without him.... Jay is one smokin' drummer. When RK plays acoustically, David plays with an understated elegance. The notes he plays just seem to float and linger in the air with their own ethereal quality. That man can play with a special kind of subtle genius, and that's the only way I can describe it.

A hightlight for me was Lefty Frizzell's "I Never Go Around Mirrors". I never question the song selection... I appreciate it. When Willy sang "King Of The Road", I swear he was channeling the spirit of Roger Miller. I don't know how these guys do it, but time after time they deliver unique, inspired, touching performances. There were a lot of couples on the dance floor throughout RK's set. None got the attention that the two cowgirls got - they were kinda dirty-dancin'. When they first hit the dance floor it was just the two of them and I swear every man had both eyes on them. Tongues were waggin', that's for sure. Hey, I had my eye on 'em too - but only because one of 'em got their ass a tad too close to my face. But it was fun and as good as the dancing was, it didn't compare to how good the music was. If you ever have a desire to have love, all you have to do is listen... listen to Reckless Kelly. The love is being delivered in the songs that RK play. It's in the way Willy sings the blues, it's in the way Cody plays his fiddle and mandolin. It's in the way those boys laugh and look at each other when they are onstage. The love is in every note. To everyone that was there, we got a memorable Valentine's gift. aed

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all non-lyric text, © Copyright 2003 Desolation Angel