Fellows,

I picked up Roger Kirkpartick around 6:15 p.m. on Saturday to head to Buffalo Gap for the Gary P. Nunn concert. Accompanying us were Roger's ten year old son Colin and friend. Boy's nite out ("You can call me Uncle Joe"). When we arrived at Perini's, a crowd of about a 100 or so was settling in down in the oak grove, and Gary P. and his Sons of the Bunkhouse were already set up on the small stage. Equipment covered with plastic and tarps. Yes, ominous dark clouds were off to the east, and earlier it had showered briefly in Abilene. I had lawn chairs for me and Roger, and Roger had two umbrellas...just in case. Shortly after 7:00 the winds started stirring, and then the rain drops started falling. Colin and friend loved it. Roger and I hunkered down in our chairs with umbrellas unfurled to wait out mother nature's blast. Eventually most of the crowd scattered for higher ground. Nunn and his boys, wearing slickers and resistol hats, kept close watch on the equipment. But the rain didn't let up. The red dirt around our feet quickly became mud.

When the storm finally passed, it was almost 8:00, and the concert had been cancelled. We slipped and slidded up to the steakhouse to hang out for a while, but of course it was packed with customers. Then the word spread among the few remaining concert goers that Gary P. was inside in front of the fireplace with guitar in hand. Ever the trooper, Mr. Nunn was still intent on singing. After about four songs, including "London Homesick Blues," management suggested a move outside on the back porch area so the waitresses could get to and from the kitchen without tripping over someone. And that's where about twenty of us gathered in a semi-circle around GP to sing-a-long to "Honking Out Some Hank," "What I Like About Texas," "Rita Ballou," "Think I'll Go to Mexico," "Dear John Letter Lounge," "Why Don't You Meet Me Down in Corpus Christi," and lots more. He even threw in a few new ones like "Weren't You Suppose to Be a One Night Stand?" Steakhouse customers roamed by, some stopping for a moment to catch a verse or two of a song. The smoke from the kitchen was curling up into a rapidly clearing sky, drinks were flowing freely (Nunn nursed a Shiner longneck), a couple of the gals in the group were getting a bit rowdy slowly slipping over the edge...in other words, a perfect setting for music on a West Texas Saturday nite.

Earlier when the rain was only a drizzle, I had a chance to visit briefly with Gary P. after an official introduction from my secretary Trudy Mosley. Trudy is a 1965 graduate of Brownfield High, and she knew Nunn growing up (he graduated in 1964). Brownfield is of course one of the spokes connecting to the Hub City. Unfortunately Trudy and her husband left when the rain stopped and missed out on the solo performance. One question I forgot to ask GP is how can you get a copy of the Live from Mingus, Texas album. Released in 1990, Larry Joe Taylor does one side, and Nunn the other. The tune that really catches my fancy on the GP side is "I Spent a Week in Abilene (Last Night)," and with a title like that obviously a must-have for the Abilene in song project. The Mingus album and the Live at Poor David's Pub are the only two Nunn albums I'm missing (the others are Nobody But Me, Live at Austin City Limits, and Border States - all on LP and For Old Times Sake, Totally Guacamole, Roadtrip, Under My Hat, What I Like About Texas, and Greatest Hits vol. 2 - all on CD). Roger and I were both impressed with Gary P's relaxed approach and his ability to roll with the flow. Where did the Sons of the Bunkhouse disappear to after the rain stopped? No one asked. No one cared. We had Mr. Nunn and his guitar all to ourselves.

With the clock creeping up on 10:00, Colin and friend were getting restless. Time to load the car. At least the boys' clothes had dried out some, but we were all a bit muddy, especially our shoes. When I got to the house, I stripped down to my shorts, popped a Pearl, and put on the It's a Texas Thing CD. Wanted to hear "Honking Out Some Hank" (which incidentally was written by Brent Graham) one more time. Sunday it took two wash cycles to get all the mud out of my jeans. The pair of white socks is still soaking. The Okies can call it what they want...but we Texicans know what real red dirt music is all about.

Joe