Fourth Annual Spina Bifida Awareness Raid Train Fundraiser

 

Over the weekend I hosted the FOURTH annual Spina Bifida Awareness Raid Train. It is hard to believe that this has been the fourth year in a row that this has happened. 

And the third year in a row that I was able to incorporate an actual way to raise funds for the Spina Bifida Association. Although this year in 2025, the funds went to the Spina Bifida Association of Texas, instead of the Spina Bifida Association of America. And this hit closer to home as I am located in the Austin, Texas area. The Spina Bifida Association of Texas is in or around the San Antonio area, so it is not too far away from me personally. 

And as I reflect and ponder and think back to previous years, this year just exploded with bigger surprises than ever before! 

It started out as a $500 fundraising goal. Nine live streamers on Twitch (including myself) and it didn't take very long for a lot of generous people made the decision to give donations. 

One of the things that sticks out in my mind is the fact that 60% of the original fundraising goal was met in just about three and a half hours into the event. The third live streamer had not even come to the end of their time slot, and 60% of that $500 goal had been met. Something that hasn't happened before in the years doing this event!

I believe that with the participating live streamers who added in incentives to their live stream was what made the difference. The variety of incentives for each individual live streamer was unique and fun. Therefore, there were a few times when someone who donated to the fundraiser had given more than one donation in an effort to troll their community and the live streamer. 

I recall laughing and giggling to myself whenever I saw someone give a donation to troll the streamer who was live at the time. A few of which would go speechless for one reason or another, but that would come back to bite me when it was my turn to live stream at the end of the event. 

The event had four live streamers left to go when the $500 goal had been reached. I had the ability to stretch that out to $650. 

$650 was the amount that was raised last year in 2024 as a grand total. I had thought we could try to beat that for the remainder of the event and beat it we sure did! 

I stretched the goal once again to $750, and then again to $1000, and finally once more to $1200 by the time I had started my own live stream to bring the whole thing to a close. 

I personally had not been streaming very long before longer donations were pouring in. I was stunned and flabbergasted, and the only thing that came to my mind was that my moments on camera of being speechless were a result of me laughing and giggling when it happened to someone else earlier. Apparently, it was MY TURN!! 

The fundraiser had reached $948.68 when I started and at some point MaestroSpooks brought the total to $1200, and it finished at $1210. The most ever received with this event. 

It is worth noting that many of those people who contributed to the fundraisers were live streamers on Twitch themselves, whether they are someone that I give a helping hand and moderate their streams or someone that I frequently visit whenever they are online. I guess you could say that "my polls numbers" are high. 

The event raised $1210 and what was so surprising for me is that a total of 45 individual donations were given during the event, which was the MOST CONTRIBUTIONS ever received since I started doing the event with a fundraiser. Last year in 2024, there were fewer than 30 contributions. This year was 45. We broke records this year. 

I did promise that there will be one in October 2026 for a FIFTH annual. I have aspirations and dreams to make it even bigger and greater. I hope that I have the support and energy and the resources to make it happen. My hope is to have those people who participated to participate in 2026 as well as any of the previous people who have participated in the last few years. I would like to make the event something that happens over the course of many days during the month of October which is Spina Bifida Awareness Month. 

I want to say thank you to everyone who agreed to help out and participate this year, and a tremendous amount of thanks to those who felt moved to contribute the total of $1210. This year would not have gone as well without any of you. 

My heart is full. 

overkill_jill
JerfoTheMusicAddict
crrissa_the_cyberbard
jon_oakwood
FridenAndFriends
ImprovisationStation
vaidahK
kellygates47

If you are on Twitch, please do show some support and follow these wonderful and beautiful streamers. 

IF YOU WISH TO DONATE TO THIS YEAR'S FUNDRAISING EVENT, YOU CAN DO SO HERE. 

I plan to keep this open until the end of 2025 for those who wish to donate. 

When Someone You "Know" Goes Viral On The Internet

This is WILD.

On Sunday the 28th of September 2025, I was scrolling through social media and came across one of those random articles that news outlets post. Now I was not following this particular news page but there it was on my timeline. 

An article coming from California, and more specifically the San Francisco Bay area about a woman who was looking for love.

The thumbnail image to the URL caught my attention as it looked like the woman from the article was someone that I once knew a long time ago. So when I clicked the link, and I read the article, I was stunned and surprised that it was in fact the person that I thought it was!! 

Let me summarize the story that started to go viral beginning with TikTok (from what I learned) and I will include my own story about this. 

"Lisa" is a woman who lives in the Bay area, and she is looking for love. She is very much so marriage-minded and either she got stuck or has become very frustrated with the dating apps out there in the world, or maybe both. Lisa now has used a most unconventional method of putting herself out there to look for a future husband, by buying up billboards along the California freeway. 

Yep, those big giant signs you see while driving she has now gone and bought up some of those to promote a website that she created in hopes of finding her future husband. 

The website contains an application where men can fill it out hoping to be a match, so to speak. 

Lisa had been in a long-term serious relationship with a man but tragically he passed away from complications of an illness in 2023. 

Now recently her story of her billboards is capturing the attention of a lot of people, and she has gone viral. A lot of people have come out with negative commentary and opinions, but it appears that Lisa is not bothered by them, in fact it sounds like she was anticipating it. 

Also her website has a few things that is mentioned that she is looking for in a man. Some of those things are not negotiable for her. If anyone out there wants to take a chance, they should pay attention to those things that she has listed. 

Now let me you tell you my story about how I know who Lisa is.

I met Lisa on the Internet in early 2011. She has her own YouTube channel and eventually I would find her on social media where it would come to be that Lisa and I shared a common interest in music. At the time, I was finding a lot of people with the same interest and was continuing correspondence with them via social media. If I had to guess, there was probably at least ten of us who fit inside that circle and I was friends with all of them on Facebook, including Lisa. 

Lisa and I did communicate with each other frequently and often at the time...almost every day it seemed. And as time went on, she and I would get to know each other on a personal level and not just talk about the things in which we had in common. 

I never met Lisa in person, although some of the other people in our Facebook social circles did have the opportunity. I never did. She was in California, and I was in Texas. I felt that was very unfortunate to be honest.

Even then I knew that Lisa was looking for a husband. She wanted to get married, have kids, the whole thing.. just like so many other women. I just knew that I never would fit inside all of the boxes that she had when it came to what she was looking for. 

During the time that I was communicating with Lisa, I would hear her talk about how she was dating certain men that she met, but those relationships fizzled out pretty quickly. I am sure that just added to her frustration. Eventually Lisa would find a man that she was interested in, and I on the other side of things actually disagreed with her decision. 

Of course, it was not up to me in who she was dating. But this one time I felt that things were just going to end up in disaster yet again for her because of her recent break ups and I ended up telling her this, believing that I was just being honest with her with sharing my opinion and it was an opinion that she definitely did not agree with.

Looking back at it now, there's a good chance that Lisa probably thought that was I was coming across to her as some jealous idiot and thus that was why I was telling her that I didn't think it was a good idea. 

So she did what anyone else would do, and she separated herself from me by removing me from her social media pages. I KNEW at the time that I was telling her something that she did not want to hear, and I thought that if I laid low for a few days, then she and I could go back to just communicating online like we had for a long time at that point. After about a week of not hearing from Lisa, I went to look for her on social media only to find that I had been blocked. I accepted the consequences of my own actions when it came to this, and we affectively had stopped talking to each other, we had been talking from 2011 until 2014. 

The last I had heard was around 2015 when someone in that social media circle had confirmed that Lisa was dating that man that I thought was a bad idea, and I was surprised to find out that they were still going strong.

I was wrong about it; I can admit it.

I was wrong in thinking that they were not going to last, and I was also wrong in doing what I did which was express that dissenting opinion to her face. 

Over the next decade the people that were in that social media circle all but disappeared with the exception of one or two people who remain connected on social media to this day; however, I do not communicate with them much at all. It is very hit and miss with them as everyone kind of moved on, did different things with their lives and what not. 

It was quite a shock that the article even was on my timeline to begin with. Let alone having this viral story being about someone that I used to talk with a lot so very long ago. 

I reached out to a couple of people that I knew also was in correspondence with Lisa and asked if they had heard her story about looking for love by way of using billboards along the freeway, and they had. And I was even told that the man that she was in a long-term relationship with for a number of years was actually the SAME MAN that I expressed the opposing opinion about. I would like to let Lisa know that I apologize to her about that, but I don't think that the opportunity is going to present itself. 

I thought about going to the website and filling out the application. Not to throw my hat into the ring for her consideration but more of a move to let her know that I see her and that I know about her plans and ideas of trying to find a husband but doing it that way is just wasting my time and wasting her time as well. It is not like she is going to respond back to me. That application is for those who want a chance at dating Lisa.

I mean after all, she shot her shot and me going in there just to tell her that she is seen does not make sense.

I do not feel the need to add on to the pile of people who are going to fil out that application just to be a troll. 

A real wild story, don't you think? I KNOW of someone who went VIRAL on the Internet!!! It just blows my mind. 

I do hope that Lisa eventually finds what she is looking for. I honestly do! Whether it be from someone finding one of her billboards on the California freeway or through some other way. Whatever it is she is looking for, I hope she finds it in such a great and grand fashion. Whatever makes her happy, ya know?!?

It has been over a decade since I have corresponded with her. I never thought that she would pop up like that. But here we are.

And wherever you are in the world: GOOD LUCK, LISA!!!!

Third Annual Spina Bifida Awareness Raid Train Fundraiser

 

The third annual Spina Bifida Awareness Raid Train Fundraiser is complete and now in the books. And it was exciting as ever before as many memories were made. 

This year however, I made the decision to lower the donation goal from $1,000 last year to $500 this year. 

Things started well with the first live streamer as she switched things up and played a trivia game with the chat. And that got really lively but really fun. From that point on in the raid train, music was being played. And you know me by now if you have been reading this blog, music is important in my life.

Here are some of the highlights of the event: 

After the trivia, the music streams got started. At one point, another streamer brought their community into the raid train with over 100 viewers. It set up a great opportunity to bring even more awareness for people. 

From there came the great "Wonderwall" debacle. The participating streamer had set up on their stream that if a viewer has 50,000 channel points to use and redeem that streamer would perform the song by Oasis. 

A viewer did in fact redeem those points. What had to be done, had to be done. Until we realized that the upcoming streamer also had "Wonderwall" on their song list. 

Already the viewers were groaning about it. But they all survived, and we soldiered on! 

The next streamer remembered and had put "Wonderwall" in the queue. Promising to have that song played a second time by a second music streamer. 

I personally was in agreement with the viewers and thought once was enough, or even too much. Therefore, I came up with the idea that if someone had donated $25 towards the fundraiser, then I as that streamer's moderator would eliminate the song from the queue.

Nearly right away, someone did donate that $25. It happened so fast. It tells you about the audience watching at the time that they just preferred not to go through with it again. 

And as it was a fundraiser, I announced that there was a bidding war. If someone donated $30 to the fundraiser, that I would put the song back into the queue. But the streamer had other ways of dealing with the situation. Alas, the song was played a second time. A lot of the viewers in chat making comments about how they were muting their speakers and waiting it out so that they could unmute and enjoy the rest of the music. 

I began to think of a way to incorporate "Wonderwall" with a future fundraising event and finding ways to get people to donate so that they either did not have to listen to the song or that they did have to listen. I will have to think about it more. I don't want to chase people away! 

From there we went to our final music streamer of the event before I came on to my own live stream to end things and talk about personal experiences. 

The streamer had actually found some informative videos discussing Spina Bifida. I am not sure where, but they were actually kind of nice to have. 

Then the donations started climbing, and climbing, and climbing. Having a goal of $500 and I had not even been live on stream yet, not knowing how long I would be able to stream, the goal was nearly met before I even turned on the camera.

The fundraiser had reached $460 when it was my turn to stream. By the time I turned off the stream, we all had raised $650!

I am looking forward to doing this again for the FOURTH year in a row next year. 

Thanks to those who helped me make things possible to get the word out this year. Thanks to all the streamers on Twitch that participated this year. Thanks to all of those who donated and those who showed so much support during the entire event. Special thanks to those who came and showed support to me personally. I love you all!! 

By all means go and check out these wonderful people who helped made this year a wonderful year. 

vaidahK
JerfoTheMusicAddict
cdubguitar
SarahCameronMusic
skittlefarts91

A few people asked about whether or not I would keep the fundraiser around a little while longer as they express interest in donating once their pay day rolled around. And I agreed to keep it open until at least December. 

If you missed the raid train on Twitch and wish to contribute, and have the means to, you may do so. 

DONATE TO SPINA BIFIDA AWARENESS HERE. 

10 August 2024: Britny Lobas At Antone's - Austin, TX

 

Good ole Antone's. 

It has been a very long time since I had been to this classic venue in Austin, Texas. The fact that Britny Lobas was opening for Vallejo was quite the winning situation in my opinion.

After the ridiculous drama at the bus stop, I decided not to allow it to keep me from going out and doing the thing that I most enjoy doing. 

This was actually the first time being there since the pandemic, but it actually just seemed like old times. I am not sure why I was so worried about it to begin with. 

Almost immediately I was greeted by Britny as we hugged and said hello, followed by being greeted by singer and musician, Crrissa. I wondered for just a moment who the rock stars were: Them or me??

It was funny to me because the day before, I had gone out to get a haircut. I mean after all it is August in Texas and the summer weather is going to linger around for a while longer. I received several compliments.

Once I was able to say hello to everyone before they went scurrying away into the Green Room, I took my place before the stage. My knees pressed against the edge, and I put the brakes on the wheelchair. I was not going to move for anything or anyone.

When the show got started, everything that had been so frustrating and scary had melted away from my mind. 

Music is the distraction that I need to get away from the bullshit in life. Music is there for me every time! 

 

I allowed myself to just let go. I allowed myself the total satisfaction of enjoyment, and did not care what people thought or said. And that is pretty much what I am looking for when I leave home and go to live music. That IDGAF filter gets put on. And as long as I come away happy, then that is all that matters. 

I was so glad to able to see Britny perform once more. It turns out that Britny had never played at Antone's before, it was a first for her as a performer. 

I was given a bit of a spoiler when I learned that on the set list, they were going to perform "Lady Marmalade", and that was a great performance between Britny and Crrissa. 

Crrissa got those extremely high notes in there, and the crowd went wild not once but TWICE! The screaming from the audience had to have been a gratifying feeling. I mean, I felt soooo happy for Crrissa to get that kind of a response from the crowd!! 

I am really proud of Britny Lobas, and the rest of the band. I feel so comfortable in knowing that with this band, I am assured to have a wonderful time, every time. 

After the performance, I literally was filled with adrenaline so much that I felt that I could take on the world. 

But with the health issues that have been increasing more than I would like for it to, I knew that my time being out was coming to an end. I would have to miss Vallejo and return home. 

I grabbed the nearest set list from the stage as I would normally do from any show that I attend, and I started making my way towards the merch table where Britny was socializing with fans and friends. 

As per custom, I had Britny sign it. 

If any musician that I have seen more than twice, they would know that I will want the set list signed, and we are taking selfies together. But this time, was extra extra special. 

I didn't notice the message right away until I was home. 

Anyway, after the selfies and a few more hugs and kisses I made my way outside into the city to find the bus stop to go home. 

Along the way, I had totally forgotten that the buses were re-routed due to the fact that Austin, Texas was holding a Pride Parade down Congress Avenue. 

The street was totally blocked off with barricades. There was no real way to even squeeze through them to cross the street. It was a solid fence that went up and down the street on both sides. 

I finally found someone nearby who was wearing a security uniform and inquired where I could cross so I could get to the bus stop. The response was less than enthusiastic. 

I had to roll down five blocks, cross the street, and then come back up four blocks, just to get to the street where I was needing to be. 

But I as traversed those first five blocks, the city streetlights became less and less. But the amount of people was growing more and more, and they were not able to see me coming their way. It got a little sketchy for a while until I reached the fifth block which was the end of the parade route on Cesar Chavez. The problem was that there was absolutely NO safe way for me to cross so that I could continue the journey back up the other direction for those last four blocks. 

I had to ask for help from a guy who was just chilling on the sidewalk on his bicycle. 

Eventually I was able to get to the bus stop and find the ride back home. When I got off the bus in my neighborhood, my senses were on high alert. All in all, there were no further problems. 

From the time that I left Antone's to the time that I came through the front door, after the re-route to get to the bus, and the bus re-route down its path, it had taken me two hours and fifteen minutes. It usually does not take that long. 

I locked the front door behind and immediately started to unpack the trauma that I experienced just trying to get out. 

But of course, I put away the signed set list to where I would see it every time I was in the room. 

I finally took a look at the message that Britny wrote. 

"My forever friend" it said. Ohhhh!! My heart was full. 

I sent a message to both Britny and Crrissa to let them both know that I made it home safely and without further incident.

I asked Britny, "Did we just become best friends?" which reminded me of that scene from the film "Step Brothers". I now have a new BFF. Amazing!!

I hope to be able to see Britny perform again at the benefit show that is coming up in late September. It is going to be a wild adventure into uncharted territory for me.  

Assault On The Disabled

 

Please note, that this post is unsettling and contains disturbing information about a physical attack upon another person. This may not be suitable for all readers. 

I have thought about this over and over about whether or not I should even write about it at all. But after convening with some medical professionals and colleagues, all have been encouraging that I do so, for the sake of it being therapeutic and a release of emotions and tensions.

On the 10th of August 2024 I was excited to be able to go out once more to enjoy some live music entertainment. I could feel that it was going to be something worth writing about for this blog, but never would I have imagined that I would have to separate the beginning story of the journey from the rest of the evening's experience, especially after what I had experienced.

I began the journey just like always, heading west to the end of the street so that I can cross and arrive at the city bus stop and from there make my way into the downtown area. But at this particular moment I heard someone shouting in an angry manner. I looked to where the sound was coming from and on the opposite side of the street, a man heading east was swearing and cursing to himself out loud.

Seeing that he was not coming towards me, I continued across the street and arrived at the bus stop. I checked the bus schedule on my cell phone and found that I was there just a little too early, so I had to wait anywhere from 12-15 minutes for the bus to arrive as scheduled. 

I proceeded to send messages to friends in order to pass the time. I was making lighthearted conversation about how excited I was to be getting out of the four walls from which I reside and doing something that I enjoy. 

From my right, I heard a voice that startled me. The voice said, "Excuse me? I know you are going to say 'no', but can I PLEASE borrow your phone so that I can call my mom?" 

It was the same person that I had seen just minutes before going in the opposite direction, and now he was only three feet away from me. 

He was shirtless and sweaty. And that made sense to me in the moment as it is August in Texas. It's hot. We are all going to be sweaty if we are going to be outside. 

I noticed though that his arms, legs, chest, and neck were covered in tattoos. Some of those tattoos I was able to recognize as prison gang tattoos. 

I told the man, "No. I am sorry..." 

I was not able to finish my sentence, and the man exploded into a violent rage. He started cussing at me, begging to use the phone. Again, I told him no, and his rage continued to grow. 

There was darkness in his eyes that I had never seen before in a person. 

Had I been able to finish what I was saying, I would have been able to inform him that I only had a few minutes left of waiting for the city bus and therefore would not be able to stick around while he made his phone call. 

I also might add that I had a fear of him taking the phone and stealing it as he could have easily just started running away and I would not have been able to catch if I had given him my cell phone.

None of this would matter in the end. 

He began to get louder and angrier. Pleading his case once more to let him use my cell phone before doing a complete turn around and calling me a "pussy ass white bitch" and I imagine that was his way of feeling to be the better person in this situation. 

He then started to do this thing where it looked like he was going to walk away but then turned around and came charging back at me. Each time getting closer to and closer to me. 

He asked once more and before I could even tell him no again, he called me a "stinking white cocksucker motherfucker" and stuck his hand down the front of his shorts with his index finger and middle finger together, simulating that he had a weapon hidden in his shorts. 

I knew that he didn't because I would have seen a bulge in his shorts if he did. And furthermore, if he DID have a weapon hiding in his shorts, he would have pulled it out on me. 

The threats started with "You fucking wanna get shot, motherfucker??" and that's when everything changed. I had an awful feeling that he simply wasn't going to walk away any time soon and I just was not sure of how I was going to get out of this situation alive. 

Then he stepped closer to me and hit me in the face which caused the mask that I was wearing to come off. It ended up in his grasp and he then threatened to break my phone, asking if I wanted him to break his phone, followed by more profane name calling.

He walked off once more and threw my mask on the ground to get rid of it. Then he turned back yet again and charged full throttle. 

From that point I received several punches. A lot of them were poorly thrown but nonetheless came into contact with my body somewhere. The arm, the face, the top of my head. Whatever. 

He did this all in broad daylight. And in front of traffic as I was at the southwest corner of an intersection that had a traffic light. 

The light was red at the point of the attack, and I heard from the street someone calling "You need help??" 

The attacker then repeated dared me to call the police over and over again. He even as far as to tell me what his supposed name was, and the Latin gang's name of which he goes by. 

I briefly looked over into the traffic and nodded at the people inquiring if I needed help and motioned with my hand for them to come over. But I never saw them do so. 

The attacker took a swipe at my cell phone which was in my right hand. I assume that he was trying to break it or damage it. He then leaned his face towards me and was encouraging me to hit him in the face or jaw. I told him, "I'm not hitting you." 

After that I noticed out of the corner of my eye that traffic was moving again, and I figured that the light had turned green. But he did this in front of all of those drivers. 

The attacker then said to me, "I'm going to go get a fucking gun and in two minutes I am going to come back to shoot you in the fucking face, you bitch!!!"

He walked away. This time for good. I watched until he completely disappeared from my sight, because after several times of him walking away then coming back, I just didn't know when it was going to be the last time. 

As I came to the conclusion that the ordeal was over, the first thing that I thought of was to go home and hide. I looked at my cell phone and when he hit it, he damaged the case a little, but it still works. I looked to see the time and the bus was scheduled to arrive in two minutes time. 

I could either wait the two minutes and get on the bus and get out of there or I could retreat home. I decided to wait it out and get on the bus and leave the area. 

I noticed that my right hand was shaking very violently, and I wondered why that was. A home health nurse would say that it was probably the result of adrenaline that made it shake so much.

Those two minutes seemed like hours. And right when I saw the bus was approaching from down the street, a couple came from the rear of the bus stop. The man asking if I was okay and the woman walking behind him talking on her cell phone. It had appeared that they had called 911 and was talking to the police dispatcher to report what they had witnessed from being in the traffic. I could tell because her phone was turned on to speakerphone. 

Then I had another choice to make. I could either stay there and wait for the police to arrive or I could get on the bus that was approaching and get away from the area and go do what I originally planned to do to begin with. 

I chose to get on the bus. 

I looked at the man saying that I was not hurt, and I was not bleeding or seemingly physically injured but very shaken up about it. Then I heard the woman say, "I called the police."

I replied to them that I was leaving, then I don't know why but I told them exactly where I was going. And then got on the bus, feeling a lot safer now that I was on the bus and the door was closed and in motion moving away from the scene.

My best theory is that the attacker either was on something or his mental state was not 100% intact, or a combination of both. I don't really know. What I do know is that when I came home several hours later that night, my head was on a swivel, looking for any person out there to make sure that nobody was coming in my direction. And I do have this fear of leaving the apartment complex because what if I encounter this guy again?? 

The psychological damage is there, soon to turn into a scar. 

It is a third-degree felony to do what he did to me. A maximum jail sentence of five years and up to a $10,000 fine. But the toll it has put on me will last a lifetime.

Eventually I will have to leave the apartment for whatever reason. But the fear inside my head is camping out indefinitely.

2 February 2024: Mandy Prater at Three-Legged Goat - Pflugerville, TX

 

I just finished off celebrating birthday week this past weekend. And what better way to celebrate than with live music, of course. It is what I do.

The past few birthdays, I have picked out a certain show to attend and celebrate the birthday at that show, whether it is early or late. Always within reason. 

This year I was given an opportunity to celebrate outside of the city limits of Austin, Texas and "reunite" so to speak with the one and only, the incomparable Mandy Prater.

Mandy has a residency every first Friday of the month at a venue in Pflugerville, Texas called "Three-Legged Goat" that is affectionately called "Pfirst Pfridays" which is clever. 

The fact that this is out of town, and I do not have transportation, I usually miss out on her shows there. However, one of the members of her online community reached out and offered to pick me up and bring me to the show. And that was the way I was able to attend. 

Showing up shortly after the show began, I realized the last time I had been there, the venue was more of an outside experience with the bar on the inside. However, this was taking place inside which was helpful as it was raining off and, on all evening. 

The best thing about it, was that Mandy did not know that I was coming. In fact, very few people knew that I was planning on coming. 
 

I was about to arrive.

It was caught on live stream as well. Mandy was multi-streaming her gig on both YouTube and on her Twitch channel.

I feel that it was extra special as it was caught on camera.

I sat with the small group of local Twitch community members there along with the other patrons of the venue on a rainy Friday evening. My mind began to flood back of all the times that I have seen Mandy play live, and I thought about the fact that this coming March, it will be seven years since I first met her when she was playing with her old band during SXSW 2017. 

All of these years since, I still contend and believe that Mandy has one of the most unique singing voices out there in this great big world. The true definition of the word "incomparable" to this day. She is a sure bet for quality musicianship and entertainment. 

I came to the realization that was the perfect ending to the birthday week. The rest was a euphoric blur. It was also very long overdue to be able to see her play live in person, which being there in person was very, very key to the experience. It was important to me that it happened. There are several people that I need to thank to make it happen for me. I was also glad I could surprise her in the fashion that I did. I am hoping that my next live music experience with Mandy will not be as long as it had. 

You can find Mandy streaming live music on Twitch three times a week!

8 December 2023: A Very Metal Christmas XII/15th Annual Toys For Tots : Austin, TX

 

Gather 'round boys & girls, it is the holiday season and I've got a story to tell. 

The most anticipated live music show to end the year of 2023 has come and gone. 

I prepared so much mentally for this event that I did everything within my power to overcome obstacles with my own health issues to ensure that I would attend. And it paid off!

Not to mention that it was for a very good cause, allowing children who would normally go without during the holidays and teaming up with Toys For Tots to let these children have a brighter day. And of course, the opportunity to enjoy some music that was sure to thrill and entertain. The lineup was a sure bet! 

In the past few weeks I have been battling back pain and it begs the question of whether or not I can endure an evening out and away from home and sitting up in the wheelchair for several hours. And overcoming a bout of food poisoning for being stupid enough to eat something that was no longer good without checking the expiration date. That was 100% MY FAULT.

The trip on the city bus was long and grueling to a point as there were so many people getting on/off the bus between my neighborhood and the block over from where the venue was where I would depart the bus. 

It is always this time of year that people seem to be in a rush, always looking out for themselves without regard of others. I found that I was taking a deep breath several times, trying not to take their avarice personal. 

It was really cool to get into the downtown area of Austin near Republic Square to find that trees in the park were decorated and illuminated in Christmas lights. Yet having to wait there to transfer to another bus after dark, I always feel uneasy because you never know who is out there. Other bus passengers just trying to make their way to their own destinations and mix in the drunks, drug addicts, and the occasional homeless person making a lot of noise to keep you nervously on edge. 

After a few moments of enjoying the view, the bus pulled up and I got on board and wouldn't you know it, the bus stopped at just about every freaking stop to let people on/off the bus between downtown and the venue which caused more time to slip away. Unfortunately, I was going to arrive late, and I missed the first band. 

Panic set in because I did not want to miss any of the other bands coming up after the first band. 

Wellborn Road from out of the Houston/College Station, Texas area was in town, and they are one of my top bands that I really love to see live. I've known of them since the days long ago nearly ten years prior. I have the greatest of memories of having to get on a Greyhound bus to travel to Houston just to see them play live on stage for about an hour. Back in my previous days of following Six Minute Century. 

To me, they are in my top five of 100% guaranteed "gonna have a good time" to watch!! 

After all of the delays I arrived just in time. The band was setting up the stage and then proceeded with sound check. I was relieved that I did not miss anything. 

I settled in my usual place: Front and center. But I managed to put the wheelchair alongside the barrier in front of the stage. And then I turned to face the band. In the end though that would be one of the craziest decisions I made because by the end of the set, I realized I was turning into a pretzel. I paid for it too. Lesson learned. 

I am always amazed with each and every band member of Wellborn Road and how well they work their craft as musicians. If ever I had a "guitar hero", that would be Tyler Tracy of Wellborn Road. I am always sitting there in great awe watching his stage presence and just soaking it all in. Great musician, great artist, great person. 

Before I get lost in fanboying, there was more to the evening than just that. 

The night of the event was also the anniversary of when the music world lost a very accomplished guitar player of the band Pantera, Dimebag Darrell. Wellborn Road did a wonderful tribute to him and to Pantera's music. I was blown away. 

There was a woman standing behind me and she lost her shit when she heard the tribute. I was proud of them for doing that. 

Following Wellborn Road was Austin's very own Snake Skin Prison. Another band in my top five for some of my very favorite local bands. And if you are to learn anything about Snake Skin Prison is this: wild & crazy fun. You will find a photograph of the band if you look up "shenanigans" in the dictionary. 

I must tip my hat to Snake Skin Prison and thank them publicly for putting me on the guest list, which was a TREMENDOUS help as the local store in the neighborhood had closed and I was unable to find any place nearby to purchase an unwrapped toy for Toys For Tots. 

The person at the door most likely knew who to look for because when I went through the front door, he got up from his seat with a wristband in hand and he waited for me to approach without ever saying a word. SO thank you to Snake Skin Prison for that. 

Snake Skin Prison kept the party vibes going, and then "bumped it up above eleven." 

They released a new single called "The End Of The World" and it is undoubtedly Snake Skin Prison. 

And as it was A Very Metal Christmas, the usual parody tune was played. It is the band's parodied take on "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" but instead it talks about how their bass player KEEF got runover. It is definitely a crowd pleaser!! I had the sense to notice that KEEF had exited the stage and I thought that was coming so I grabbed my phone and went to record video. I missed the first two lines of it but got the rest of the tune. So that was a proud moment that I was able to do that. 

Snake Skin Prison also made their own tribute to Dimebag Darrell during their set. In fact, shots of Blacktooth were brought to the stage and then a few left over were scattered amongst the audience in the front row. To which there was a toast and a moment taken in Dimebag Darrell's memory. I ended up with one of those shots. It is a very rare moment that I drink anything alcoholic when I am away from home because usually the venues have restrooms that are not all that accessible for wheelchairs, so I don't ever bother just as a safety precaution because alcohol and Spina Bifida and pain medications NEVER MIX! It was my first time (I believe) that I have had a Blacktooth. 

Then the drinks were flowing. I was offered a beer but took a rum & Coke instead and that was super strong with the rum and consuming it through a straw with a ton of ice led to the danger zone. But I was out of the house, hanging out with people that I have known for years and years and celebrating the holidays, so I did not mind that much. It would eventually lead to the fact that I would have to leave the party early with one band left to play which was a Metallica cover band that I had never seen before. I heard a song or two and then decided it was best to leave. My back being twisted early in the evening sitting wonky like that in front of the stage and sitting up in the wheelchair for several hours without any opportunity to rest my back, I knew that I had to call it quits for the night. 

I had a few people comment that they liked the hoodie that I was wearing. It is something that I am selling on my own online merchandise store. I was not sure if anyone would notice at all.  But I did have a few kind comments about it. 

I took all of that to heart as I went outside into the world again to make my way back home. My back hurting, a buzz going on, and the nervousness ramped up because one of the last times I went to this venue and stayed late, the late-night bus never showed up and I got stuck out in the cold that one fateful night in January of last year. I was scared that was going to happen again. 

Thankfully it did not!! I sat there waiting maybe twenty minutes and a bus showed up that took me back into the downtown area. Then I had to wait about another twenty-five minutes to make that connection so I could get back into my neighborhood. That wait downtown started to get brutal as back pain kept growing and growing. 

The bus ride into my neighborhood seemed quick though. I am thankful for that. It took a total of an hour and a half from the venue to the point where I strolled through the front door.

I took nearly 100 photographs, probably more. I posted them on social media. And I thought to myself that was probably going to be the last live music show that I will see in 2023, and I do not know what is on the horizon for January 2024. The past couple of Januarys, I picked a show to attend and called it a birthday celebration as my birthday is at the end of January. I am looking forward to finding a show for 2024.