Ice Storm Hits Brigante!

Friday, January 12th was a balmy night. A colorful night. A Brigante night in Austin. Joe had finaly broken all 30 shot glasses in his home reserve and acquired a new set from the Spiderhouse bar. Plus a quesadilla and a round of drinks for his table.

This would be Brigante's first public performance since both Yjian and Joe quit smoking 11 days earlier. The body remembers. The cravings come on fast and hard. What do you do instead of smoking at band practice? Ride around a cul-de-sac on giant bicycles that Peet hand-built. What do you do instead of smoking at Spiderhouse? Why, drink more!

Cirf Hashins was opening with Gary Barftits. They sang that beautiful song about blowing up a hotel before you get there. Then came Brigante's sound check. Brigante's very LONG soundcheck that Travis was running because he was joining on upright bass for a few songs and wanted everything to go smoothly and perfectly. He has much to learn about the slippery slope of Mt. Brigante. But he sounded really good.

Everybody clapped and sang. Some danced. Almost at the end of the show we played "Dark Eyes". We sing "You Are My Sunshine" over top of it. That's when the rain hit. And hit.

Four days later, Austin was frozen. And Yjian was pacing around a heatless apartment that he shares with Cirf in two giant Greek sweaters: editing his movie, smoking herbal spliffs, and watching his icy breath mist to the cold ceiling. He won't take shelter under any friends' central heat, and he's catching a cold!