The Whiching Hour

5:19

Friday afternoon I made one last attempt to capture with my camera the “Navasota Sparkles” as they passed over my new mural. I have become fascinated with what some very reflective windows across the alley in cooperation with the changing sun do to the artwork. I had discovered that the last sparkle that starts with Blind Willie Johnson around 3:30 migrates and centers (more or less) over the beer clock by Tom Shaw at approximately 5:19. So I painted the hands on the clock accordingly. That was pretty neat I thought. You can read all about the new mural @  http://navasotamusicmural.blogspot.com/

Then when I woke up early this morning, my head full of profound experiences from an especially exciting weekend, my fingers itching to type them out. I lay there wondering whether I should roll over or get up and write. Which would it be? Soon I obediently hopped out of bed and glanced at the clock. It was 5:19.

So here we go, whatever that means.

Profound may be an understatement for my experiences, but since I easily dance on the precipice of overstatement, I will have to try to control myself and allow you to judge for yourself. Here is the thing- I am fortunate enough to get to follow stories, much like a hunter after prey, as they unfold, partly because I have studied history and have learned how to transect with it… and partly because, as I have often observed, I have the gift of finding, and you will see that sometimes I get a lot of help.  Forest Gump has got nothing on me… 

I had too many choices, in order to cover the numerous prospective stories unfolding in the Brazos Valley this past weekend. I really had no idea which ones were the best material for this blog, but I had to make a decision. I had started an article, yet unpublished,  about our local music venues, and so I chose two on Friday night. The Lakeside Ice House sounded perfect on such a beautiful evening, and my friend Randy Pavlock was playing there. Done deal!

Lakeside Ice House- Eternal Bonds and Rock and Roll

Randy Pavlock in deep thought as he rocks the Lakeside Ice House.

Every good entertainer has a few tricks or surprises up his sleeve, and Randy Pavlock loves big surprises. None of us have ever forgotten the night he brought Buddy Miles up on the stage at the Navasota BluesFest, a little age-dizzy and gratuitously cursing as he loved on all the little adoring children around his wheel chair… or at least that’s the way I remember it. This was almost as good. And as spicy.

A snippet of Randy Pavlock and Twenty-Four Seven... playing Hold on (I'm Comin')

At break time, after some vintage Pavlock rock & roll, Randy stepped down from the limelight and invited Whitney Brandl to spend eternity with him. Now I understood why there were all these big-gun photographers around with their monster cameras and everybody had whipped their camera phones out like there was about to be a rumble.

He took a little time gathering his thoughts…

The object of his undying love, Whitney complained that he always took too ____ long, and then he spit it out, very eloquently I think for a Polish boy from Plantersville, and she teased and pranced and then squealed YEEEES! It was the most exotic proposal most of us had ever seen.

It was a real rock & roll history moment… at least for the Brazos Valley. Our crown prince now has his princess. She is a hairdresser from Bryan. They appear to be a perfect match and truly deserve one another and I wish them the greatest happiness. I’m just glad I stumbled in to that one!