You know how the clocks fall back in the fall? Well I know but whose paying attention to that? We were playing at the vulcan; one of the first shows I guess. It was October of ‘67. One of the then main community people was one clark santos, who first brought motorcycle rentals to austin.. He got up between tunes and announced a big free community picnic to be held next day, a Sunday, at pease park. He needed volunteer help to pull it off, but nobody was volunteering. I figured if we showed our hands others would too so we did, suzy and me. And I think it may have been the benefit for charlie loving. He and two others headed to the border to cross a load at a state park in mexico. We said it sounded like a bad idea. He said it was foolproof; and now we needed dough to get them out of the mexican hooscow. Before the show I did a bunch of some drug called mda I think. It kinda made you psychedelic and aggressive at the same time. This cop had sikked his rookie trainee on me at the loading door in the alley. When that didn’t work he started in on me himself– what are you doin? Etc etc bull. I told him it was a benefit. He says o yeah, for who? I lost my cool a bit and said, you never know, it could be for you. They got pissed but went away. So we were playing the gig and when they raffled a hash pipe made from a trumpet mouthpiece and a doorknob, I wound up buying it. I also bought the van that was auctioned, so volunteering to help a little with the big feed was no great stretch.
So we went on to finish the gig and locked our gear away in a cage built backstage for that purpose, and went home to do what we did after a gig; sit up for hours smoking weed, and doing all that stuff you can still do in your 20's. and finally getting to sleep for maybe two hours; and did I mention we had a three month old baby as well; there came a loud and persistent knocking sound. Eventually I realized it was the door doing all that knocking.. It was clark. Why so early I said. They set the clocks back last night he said. O crap I said. Can’t we come later, barely got to sleep. He says, sorry but you were the only ones to volunteer. So clark says I need to come with him now and we will come back for suzy and tiva later. His place was near ut on 22nd street and was upstairs, with a neat little balcony. He left me there and went to do something and would be right back. So I am just barely awake and waiting and I see a guitar hanging on the wall and realize I didn’t get a chance to play this morning; which was a ritual with me. So I took down the axe and noticed the door open to the balcony. It was a nice morning so I said to myself what the hell, may as well groove a little till he comes back. I looked around for a chair or somewhere to sit, but there wasn’t any furniture. The only thing to use was an old apple crate which looked rather fragile. Would it hold my weight; somewhat more than today? I sat on it and it felt like it would hold, besides I thought to myself, even if I do break it I can get him another one. What’s the big deal? Well it seemed he was gone for quite a while and I really got to rockin’ and having some fun with that axe. Several times the crate creaked like it might collapse and I would shift myself a little to compensate. I don’t know how long it was before clark appeared and said, watcha doin? O just jammin’ around. O, he says, by the way have you looked inside that crate you’re bouncing around on? Well, no I haven’t, hope I didn’t hurt anything. Maybe you better have a look he says. So I do. I lift the lid to see two good sized rattlesnakes inside. I close the lid. At least I didn’t have to find out who my friends were the hard way– you know the joke;; two jewish salesmen break down in their caddy in the desert and have to walk for help. Moe says watch out for snakes; joe says o my god what if a snake bites be on my foot? Don’t worry says moe, I can make a tournaquit and suck out the poison. Yes says joe but what if it bites my on the leg? Same thing says moe, we can take care of it. Yes cries joe, but what if it bites my on the shmuck. What then? Then says moe is when you find out who your friends are.
So finally we leave clark’s place bound for robert shaw’s grocery store on the east side. Shaw was a great barrel house piano player, and did an excellent album which is I think on the arhoolie label, and several years hence would perform at the armadillo in a great concert with mance lipscomb. But right now the deal is that we are loading up the meat for the barbeque. We’re talking 70 or so chickens, 50 or more briskets and about 25 pork roasts. Then we took it over to the park where clark left us with instructions to season all this meat with some spices and stuff he brought. He would be right back with more stuff and more people to help us. Well I don’t remember when he got back, but suzy and I worked all day preparing all this meat; and we really didnt eat much meat ourselves at all. I do remember that we were just finishing as the fire got going. Then we both collapsed against a big tree; don’t know who was watching the kid. I don’t remember even smoking anything that whole day. We were hungry you can imagine but we were both so tired we couldnt stand in the serving line. Someone sat us down and got us some grub; I do remember it was pretty damn good. So I guess it was worth it but ever since I have learned to keep my hand down at volunteering time; and at least my rattlesnake shake didnt result in my having to find out the hard way who my friends are.
spencer perskin © 2008
