Show Date: May 30, 2009 - Houston Dynamo

So we got asked to open for the Houston Dynamo.

I had never been to a professional soccer game before but it's actually a cheap way to spend a day. They set the parking lot area with vendors, music, food and games. I was talking to people who were just there for the festivities and weren't even sticking around for the game.


Probably the best part though were the Dynamo girls. What are they called??? The Dynettes? I have no idea but I'm officially a huge Dynamo fan.

It was hot but packed. It was cool because we got to play for thousands of people. Alright maybe not so much for them than at them.

Show Date: May 29, 2009 - The Funeral of Rosie Palm

We had this show on the books for awhile but with Rosie passing it was obvious that we had to do something special, so we decided to hold a memorial service for her.

We were very fortunate that amazing trumpeter David Chapman, - who played with such musical legends as The Four Tops, Temptations, O’Jays, Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Grass Roots, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Bobby Vinton, Bob Newhart, Regis Philbin, Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, and many more. And did I mention Wayne Newton? - decided to play taps for Rosie and join us on a few of our songs.

I built Rosie a coffin out of cardboard and painted it black. We had her right in front of the stage. It was a touching sendoff. At one point I jumped into the coffin with Rosie and almost broke my coccyx. We also had snuck in confetti poppers and we're spraying confetti all over the place. I don't think the owner was too happy about having to clean that up, but then again I can't be sure cause he was really drunk.

Click on picture to read fine print.

Show Date: May 15, 2009 - The Death of Rosie Palm

So we roll into San Antonio where we'd be playing The Ten Eleven (formerly known as The Warhol). I was real excited because it was our first time in San Antonio and looking at show pics from this place I knew it was going to be a blast. It would actually inspire a song Warhol that quickly became one of my favorite songs in our set list.

This would also be the first time we'd play with Electric Courage Machine who are the most awesome of awesomeness. Check them out, great tunes and excellent stage show. They are in my top 5 fav bands.

Now The Ten Eleven is small. You don't even have to mic anything except for kick drum and vocals which for some reason are the most fun places to play and where we have our best shows. Plus, I was enamored with all the penis tuxedo cartoons. We had a great time. It was complete pandemonium, panic, attack, fun, and tipsiness. Rick was playing so hard he shredded his fingers on his strings and was bleeding all over the place and his guitar. But he played on. Unfortunately though, tragedy did strike.


As we were getting Rosie ready for the show, she didn't want to wake up, she was very non-responsive and deflated, no matter how much air we'd blow in her. We brought her to the show anyway, but it was obvious something was really wrong.

We tried to keep our minds off of it, focus on the show but the next morning our worst fears had been realized. Rosie had passed.

Show Date: May 10, 2009 - The Texas Buzz

So Gabe hooked it up for us to play The Texas Buzz at Scout Bar. Now The Texas Buzz is thrown by Scout Bar in conjunction with 94.5 FM The Buzz to showcase local talent. We were headlining.

As The Lots Effect.

It's usually not a good sign when they get your name wrong on the marquee, but come on, the creativity needed to get The Lots Effect from Lotus Effect is pretty special. And I say that in all sincerity.

Now I have played Scout Bar many times with other bands but I have never headlined there. So when I roll in I start heading to the green room by the side of the stage when I'm stopped. Guy tells me, that's not your dressing room. This is your dressing room and leads us to the back to a huge green room with our own TV, bathroom, leather sofas and amenities.

Then as if I wasn't already feeling like a king, they checked that we were all of age and then rolled in two cases of beer. Utterly fantastic. It kind of made up for the fact that they got our name wrong.

We ended up having a blast. Not to mention the cool ass people we met and hung out with that night.

Oh, yeah, and keep buying our merch. It's the only way Rick can afford to keep buying soap to take a shower. Yall are the best.