love gang

a wave of euphoria swept over me while i stood on stage
at Sons of Hermann Hall
a joy i've rarely experienced while performing
i was there with my friends
whom i love
playing music again with them
there was no place i'd rather be
i felt like i was finally in the gang i'd dreamt of joining when i was a kid
no it wasn't the crips
or the bloods
but a peaceful gang
of thoughtful and considerate young men wielding guitars
and drumsticks
instead of knives and machine guns
the kind of gang the beatles had before let it be
the kind of gang the clash had before they tossed Mick out
the kind of gang the replacements had before they chucked bob stinson out

my friends in buttercup have changed my life
they've taken me in to their group
and helped me heal deep emotional wounds
with their enthusiasm and love for music that reigns supreme over all else
like mass acceptance
and all the other ridiculous ego driven b.s. that rock'n'rollers strive for
these guys are true artists
dufilho and inky are too
they will continue doing this as long as the spirit moves them whether or not it ever
"pays off"
i gave up on playing anywhere in Texas other than Austin or Dallas 10 years ago
i decided no one else in this state liked the kind of music i liked
i was done with the disappointment
i walked away and said "good riddance..."
i was wrong
my friends have helped me find the way back
in this gang of ours nothing else matters
we're gonna have a great time regardless
we're gonna dominate Houston
then pummel Austin
then gently caress San Antonio
we're going to have a great time doing it too
no matter what
it doesn't matter to us one bit if people don't show up
or don't like us
we're gonna have a party

guess what?
you're all invited...

RUDYARD'S - HOUSTON - THURSDAY 7/30
MOHAWK - AUSTIN - FRIDAY 7/31
THE LIMELIGHT - SAN ANTONIO - SATURDAY 8/1