i still got it, even though i missed it (again)!

every now and again some of us older guys need to know we’ve still “got it”…

…and just as i felt it, reality reminded me that no, maybe i don’t.

let me explain: i used to have the ability to show up in downtown austin, with nothing but myself, no money, no ticket, no nada and get in to see bands i really liked. it was almost a lifestyle. it came from my job in the concert industry and the connections i had thanks to that, the fact i’d been in town long enough to know a lot of people, and the fact that i generally treat everybody with respect and never over-use my hook-ups.

(those last two were the most important factors in my opinion)

so i previously mentioned one of our guys knows the dropkick murphys and said he’d hook me up at their recent stubb’s show (february 27th). well, while it turns out he DOES know them he didn’t have enough “swag” to pull me into a sold-out show…

…but apparently i still did.

i went downtown for the first time at night in years. and i mean YEARS. found free parking within a block or so of the venue (same street spots i always used to park at – who knew they’d still be available? and lest you think “luck” there were three or four to choose from!). walked up and the same guy that was at the door that used to always be there…but said he couldn’t ’cause it was sold out, but his boss probably could and probably remembered me from us working at “x venue” back in the day…

…he did. “room for one more?”, i asked…all it took. and then once i was in my guy got me up in VIP where he was shocked i knew more people than he did even though he’d been up there for an hour and some change by the time i arrived. at the end of the night i end up swigging a beer with lead singer ken casey, although i declined the east side invite to keep the party going post-stubb’s at some new hipster joint in the heart of the new atx gentrification, east sixth street (as in EAST of 35, not just east of congress).

i felt i “still had it”…till friday, when i found out jim jefferies came to town AGAIN and i missed it even though i follow the fucker on facebook. now i don’t feel nearly as “with it” as i used to.