Last year during Summer NAMM here in Austin, Collings hosted an open house. Does anyone know if they are going to do that again this year?

FYI, I just got the following information from Alex at Collings:

"We will be hosting an open house at our shop on Friday evening starting at 7pm. We will have catered Salt Lick BBQ, Amy's Ice Cream, and live music. We will have shuttles running from the convention center starting at 6:30 pm. Please join us if you can and feel free to call if you need directions."

Jackpot! Wish I lived close by. Take your camera. We'll look forward to your report!

I was there last year, and was just talking about this with the wife. One of the things we miss most about not making the trip this year was the Collings open house / BBQ.

That was one GREAT night for sure.

I think the party at the factory this year was even better than last year! Good food, good music and good company. Several forum members were in attendance along with a very special guest that I will let David Ely and Dale Innskeep tell about since they got to speak to him more than I did.

Last night (Saturday) at the Continental Club in Austin was fun too. Again, good food, good music and good company. I think I finally regained my hearing about mid morning today. The Collings electrics as well as the mando and D1A sounded great all night long.

Kudos to Collings and all the Collings employees for being so gracious and hosting these parties. They are a first class bunch of folks.

Thanks for all the great Texas hospitality once again. I'm back in Oregon and starting to heal from all the fun...I crashed out around 3AM this morning and was up at 5:30AM to go to the airport...UGH! Allen kept making me drink more and more....it was tough.

The BBQ was great too...Yep, got to enjoy the company of Robert Earl Keen and his wife during dinner. Heck, I got a whole Texas history lesson from Robert's wife, Kathleen, and David...Much I didn't know and even more I still don't.

The Collings family did a great job, as Allen said...What a great group of folks.

Kia Manuia,

Dale

Dangit! I really wanted to go but I had a recording session on Saturday so I stayed home to work on my parts. Robert Earl Keen is the reason I got interested in Collings guitars back in the early 90s.

quote:

Originally posted by Lonestar Shawn:
Dangit! I really wanted to go but I had a recording session on Saturday so I stayed home to work on my parts. Robert Earl Keen is the reason I got interested in Collings guitars back in the early 90s.

He is a super nice guy. Kind of quiet though. His wife is quite outgoing and super nice as well. I know David and I were stoked after we left the party. I suspect Dale was too. Man, we ate bbq with Robert and Kathleen Keen! Too freaking cool!

Does anyone who was at the Continental Club Saturday night know the name of the gal who played with the LeRoi Bros late in their set? She was rocking the free world!

At the risk of looking like an adoring fan, here's an attempt ...

Meeting Robert

The dinner line was way too long and the beer in the truck was cold
I looked up as I took a pull to see a couple walk up the road
His hair was great, his shirt was wild, like some rock star demon,
But when they walked by he nodded his head and simply said Good Evenin’

He waited in line for barbecue where we were too impatient
But the line passed on so we went in to get ourselves a serving
We joined him at the table and made some idle chatter
His wife carried the conversation while he just cleaned his platter

Then he asked what brings y’all here, did anyone drive far
We told him of our forum, and then we talked about guitars
I shouldn’t be surprised at all that Robert Earl Keen
Is just a regular guy with an eye for the line that makes good poetry

I shook his hand and thanked him for the music over the years
I tried not to look like a groupie, but someone who’s a peer
I shouldn’t be surprised at all that Robert Earl Keen
Is just a regular guy with an eye for the line that makes good poetry

OK, I can't resist since David started this...

You can check this on the 'news' section of my website, but I'll type it out. It's a new song that sums up my 10 days in Austin...Simple chords (G, C7, A, D)...


"It's Raining Hard In Texas"

Chorus:
It's raining hard in Texas, lightning fills the sky
I'm not sure I'll make it to my plane in time to fly
BBQ and wine stains come alive on my new shirt
I hope we make it one more night with no one gettin' hurt


A Mexican martini, crawfish etouffe
The music's pretty loud, I can't hear a word you say
I'm driving 'round, I'm lost again and I don't have a clue
How to get off this damn highway, now what do I do?

Chorus

Open mic, a cowboy sings a little bit off key
More Tito's handmade vodka and a beer for Bobby Z
We order up some pizza and watch the music play
Thinking we should pull the cord so he'd have no more to say

Chorus

I went up to Lake Travis, Todd Snider sang his song
The drunk people in the pool, they tried to sing along
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, so I bought another drink
The Patron and Grand Marnier made it easier to think

Chorus

The Red Eyed Fly and Hilton, worlds apart you know
A black t-shirt and nose ring to dress right for the show
I'll take the Continental Club and order another round
And not worry how I'll make it back to my hotel downtown

Chorus


Based on a true story, (y'all)


Kia Manuia,

Dale

Well, I'm home from my Thursday night gig here in Oregon...

It was a packed house tonight...You see, we must have a significant number of folks who have either a lack of hearing or a lack of taste in music, because we were once again packed with folks listening, or at least pretending. Heck, we even had a bunch of folks dancing as I played my 'swing' version of the Pachabel (sp?) Canon on my mando, then 'Carry on Home' at the end...That was a first. Earlier, I talked about my trip to Austin and then sang 'It's Raining Hard In Texas' and people were listening and said they liked the song.

Now, I drank a lot of beer, then had a bunch of tequila tonight, but that's when I tend to post stuff on the forum. I told David when I was in Austin that I've posted stuff after I've been drinking, then deleted it the next day...he said that he liked it when I posted after some drinking, so, hopefully, I'll keep this one in tact.

I wanted to compliment David on his poetry...Sorry I didn't earlier, but he captured feelings that I share. REK is probably my favorite singer/songwriter, yet I struggled to not be an adoring fan and be a peer also, and yes, I was comfortable and felt that way. David put it in words very nicely.

I keep writing these silly songs that folks listen to and I continue to wonder why they do, but, at the same time, I very much appreciate that they do. I love to play my songs for folks and feel the energy. I can only imagine how REK and others feel when they pack the house of a big venue and see the folks singing along with their songs. Power and energy that is hard to put into words.

Do I want to spend my days in a motorhome, driving around the country? I don't think so...I love my home, my family, the surf, the kids...but, it is so cool when I look out in the crowd, when I'm playing songs I wrote, and see so many folks singing along the lyrics that popped into my head. It is crazy.

Maybe I had too much tequila tonight?
Maybe I'm looking for 'ol Doc Skinner?
Maybe Dan and Margarita are truly in love?
Maybe I'm glad that I can write this shit on the forum and maybe, I won't delete it?

Thanks for listening and thanks for the all the good vibes.

Meitaki,

Dale