Tonight I ate empress chicken, yat gat mein, and an egg roll. I did this in the company of my ropes course staff at the Golden Lin Chinese Restaurant in Sulphur, Oklahoma. It was nice to get away for a little while.
After we were done eating I came back to camp and was settling in to read when a friend called me from the coffee shop in Davis. Yes, Davis, Oklahoma has its own coffee shop, and those who appreciate such things tell me it’s pretty good. This friend said that I needed to show up there because another friend had met some musicians and that they were going to jam… Live music? Friends? I was there pretty quickly.
When I got there, I found them in an alcove off the main part of the shop. My friend, the one who called, was listening to Steven, my musician friend, play some tunes with the fiddle player they had just met. Neither of them knew a whole lot of what the other one knew, so they were just messing around.
Then the other guy showed up. The other guy was a bald 40 something who had fingers bent from years of abuse. He carried his guitar in a black fabric case. When he removed it, I saw that it was an archtop of unknown origin with a sticker that said something about the "Human Family" stuck on the side.
I went to the coffee bar and ordered an iced coffee drink because the only coffee I care for tastes more like ice cream than coffee. While I was ordering, the bald guys companion showed up at the bar. She was a blonde woman of about the same age. We both heard the trio plucking around in the alcove just across from us, and then we heard the new guy, her companion, start in on some blues tune. She cocked her head to one side and listened. When he began to sing, she said, "Okay, he wrote that one." I listened close and I heard magic. The bald guy’s guitar was punching out some amazing blues, and his voice… His voice was strong, loud and raw.
I wandered back into the alcove, and Steven and the fiddle player were going at it. Nate, Joy and the rest of the caffeine addicted portion of the ropes crew had there eyes fixed on the hands of this bald, blues wonder. I found a seat on the stairway behind them and smiled.
After we were done eating I came back to camp and was settling in to read when a friend called me from the coffee shop in Davis. Yes, Davis, Oklahoma has its own coffee shop, and those who appreciate such things tell me it’s pretty good. This friend said that I needed to show up there because another friend had met some musicians and that they were going to jam… Live music? Friends? I was there pretty quickly.
When I got there, I found them in an alcove off the main part of the shop. My friend, the one who called, was listening to Steven, my musician friend, play some tunes with the fiddle player they had just met. Neither of them knew a whole lot of what the other one knew, so they were just messing around.
Then the other guy showed up. The other guy was a bald 40 something who had fingers bent from years of abuse. He carried his guitar in a black fabric case. When he removed it, I saw that it was an archtop of unknown origin with a sticker that said something about the "Human Family" stuck on the side.
I went to the coffee bar and ordered an iced coffee drink because the only coffee I care for tastes more like ice cream than coffee. While I was ordering, the bald guys companion showed up at the bar. She was a blonde woman of about the same age. We both heard the trio plucking around in the alcove just across from us, and then we heard the new guy, her companion, start in on some blues tune. She cocked her head to one side and listened. When he began to sing, she said, "Okay, he wrote that one." I listened close and I heard magic. The bald guy’s guitar was punching out some amazing blues, and his voice… His voice was strong, loud and raw.
I wandered back into the alcove, and Steven and the fiddle player were going at it. Nate, Joy and the rest of the caffeine addicted portion of the ropes crew had there eyes fixed on the hands of this bald, blues wonder. I found a seat on the stairway behind them and smiled.
On the way back Steven and I talked. We talked about how God is interested in our entire lives, not just our talents and abilities. This was significant because Steven was asked to come back to play and record tomorrow night. Steven said that he knows that God wants him to use music to bring honor and glory to Jesus, and that this will be an opportunity for Jesus to be seen in Steven’s life. I absolutely agree.
I can’t be there tomorrow night, but I am going to ask Steven to do two things for me. First, if there is a recording, I want a copy. Second, find out if the bald guy wears black socks.
I can’t be there tomorrow night, but I am going to ask Steven to do two things for me. First, if there is a recording, I want a copy. Second, find out if the bald guy wears black socks.
3 comments:
All I know is that night was one of my favorites of the summer for sure. I just sat there with my eyes closed enjoying the music! And yes, I was just sitting there with a big smile on my face too!
Haha! AND you said "Davis, Oklahoma". Takes me back.
Why do most of my most cherished memories involve music? Jamming with friends, leading worship at camp, playing a gig out on a pier in Maine, attending a John Gorka gig in a basement somewhere in New York, watching a sixteen year old that looked like Kirk Cobain absolutely take over a coffee house one night in Shawnee, Oklahoma (that kid has to be famous by now), passing a guitar back and forth with a couple of drunk Irish guys in a pub up in Edinburgh, Scotland, hanging out with a friend and introducing each other to new music, or, as you’ve already stated, hearing a masterpiece come out of some random place. That often happens at tube stations for me. Some old drunk who just happens to be a killer bluesman.
Jeff has been promising to take me to a jam his friend puts on every year, but he has yet to follow through on that promise. I have a feeling that I’ve built it up in my mind so much now that it will crash and burn, but I’d still love to give it a shot.
i think i make up 1/3 of the "rest of the caffiene addicted ropes course members". its nice to finally be noticed. ha.
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