From: "Daubenspeck, Drew" To: "'Hixsters'" <hix@sedona.ch.intel.com> Subject: The Walkin' One and Only walks into Houston, Texas Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 09:31:07 -0600 Last night Houston was treated to nineteen songs by that troubadour from California, Dan Hicks and his sidekick for several years, Tom Mitchell.  The venue was locally well known Anderson Fair, which has been Dan's Houston home for the last three visits at least. My wife Betsy and I got down to the Montrose area in Houston at about 7:00 PM.  First stop was at a local place called La Mexicana. La Mexicana is part Mexican restaurant, part Mexican Deli, and part Mexican dinning hall.  It draws an eclectic mix of Mexicans, Anglos, straights, gays, families, singles, and a bunch of folks that defied classification.  Betsy had the Floutas (sp?) and I had the Mole Poblano. Both excellent, and both more than we could eat in one sitting.  We each had a cold Tecate, and split the third one. We were then off for a brisk walk for three blocks to Anderson Fair. By this time it was 8:50 and the line outside consisted of one person.  A far cry from a couple of years ago when we could not get in the door because of the crowd.   By the time the doors opened at 8:00 the crowd had swelled to five.  We paid our $10.00 per person cover charge and scrambled to get the best seats.  Little worry there as all the seats were great and none that far from the stage.  By about 9:00 the place started filling up, and by show time it was nearly sold out.  At 9:20 Dan came out onto the stage, unannounced, and put a clock on the table that was next to the stool he would use for the show.  He bowed to the multitudes then walked back off stage, bowed again, then went out the stage door.  By this time the slightly cool $2.00 Lone Star beers were settling in for a long winters nap, and I was ready for a great time.  I was not disappointed. Billing themselves as Dan Hicks and Friend, the dapper duo hit the stage at 9:40 PM.  The humor started right away as Dan mumbled through how glad he was to be there, and how his act was now reduced to just the two of them. They quickly launched into "I Scare Myself". The humor was constant, and even the normally reserved Tom Mitchell, got caught up in it, till Dan was wondering out loud who the headline act was anyway.  During the first set Dan, with great ceremony, dragged out a set of business cards, that were held in place by a rubber-band.  He claimed that they contained the address for the web site that featured him.  He gave out one card to a group of boisterous folks in the front row, since "They were having the most fun."  Dan never gave out the address however. It turned out the URL was (for Hicksville) run by our own Kathy & Ken. The dynamic duo then played in fine form till just before midnight, stopping for one intermission.  Finally, after two well deserved encores they left the stage.  No Mary Ann as was the case the night before in Austin, but mighty fine music none-the-less. The set list was: I Scare Myself Strike It while It's Hot Payday Blues Long Comma Viper Hell I'd Go Caravan/ Four Brothers Capo On My Brain Buzzard Was Their Friend Intermission Peach Picking Time in Georgia On a Slow Boat to china/ At Sundown (vocals by Tom) He Don't Care Evening Breeze Hummin' To Myself I Got Mine Reelin' down Two Instrumentals in one medley How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away Encore #1 Up! Up! Up! Encore #2 Give Me The Simple Life ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Submitted for your approval by: Drew