Road Trip!

On Wednesday night, Frank-n-Suzy joined us on a road trip to Dallas.

Yes it was a school night.

Yes we (Mark) drove home that same night.

Yes we were all really tired.

Yes it was totally worth it.

Let me back up a bit and give some details.

Several weeks ago we saw that the Milk Carton Kids were opening for Sara Jarosz at this place called The Kessler in Dallas. Suzy saw that you could get a reserved table for really a great price and we all said a big fat YES to that. Everyone in the group had already seen both acts before and really couldn’t say enough about either of them. I have known the music of the MCKids but never seen them live. Sara Jarosz I had nuthin on. Nary a note nor a phrase had I heard. So I was excited!

Traffic was a little stupid on the way down but we made it fine if not famished. Promptly securing a free parking space we found a place called The Pour House right next door and though time was tight we managed to scarf down some food and beverages and walk back across before the show started.

Our table was RIGHT UP FRONT. No. I mean I was leaning on the stage at one point between acts. We were realllllly close. And it was still great. That venue was amazing. Perhaps the only reason it’s not my number one favorite venue is because it’s at least three hours away. It has some awesome history. Here’s an excerpt from their website

“The real cool history begins when Gene Autry gets out of the war and purchases properties owned by Mr. Dunbar,” Cabaniss says. “He became the owner in 1946 and operated it as a movie theater till the early 1950s. He then sold out to Robb & Rowley, which then sold to what became modern-day United Artists. And somewhere along the line, they decided they were going to shutter a lot of different theaters,” the Kessler among them. It would eventually become a revival tabernacle.

Much of the theater was destroyed in the ’57 tornado that swept through Dallas; the storm took off the top of the theater, as well as its back facade. Five years later, it was rebuilt as a church — only to once again face destruction courtesy a three-alarm fire that gutted the entirety of the inside.

“Somewhere along the way, it was a church and a sweatshop, so I’ve been told,” Cabaniss says. “Someone leveled out the original theater floor. When we took it over, the foundation was not in good shape, and we’ve gone back to the original slope floor and found remnants of the original stage. The last use of this, far as the city is concerned, was 1978, and it was a retail shop. So far as I can tell it hasn’t been used for any purpose in 31 years.”

 

Pretty cool, eh?

Josh Ritter is coming in Janurary. On a Friday night. I’m already planning.

So anyways, the music was sublime. It was ridiculous. Perfect harmonies, amazing musicianship in a sold out space that the perfect size. We all were wishing we had a space like that here in Norman. Oh the things we could do…

It was a fun way to celebrate early birthdays. (Suzy’s is Tuesday)

I’m so thankful that Mark is the kind of man who says YES to life.

I’m so thankful that he’s the kind of man that does floors, too.

We’ve cleaned like fiends all day long. I ran errands, grocery shopped, bought new bathroom mats for way too much money. This house is feeling finally like we can live in it and not hate it. Like we can keep up with the chores. There are still some major things that need to happen, but this work today? This will allow us to go have a fun meal with friends tonight, and to enjoy tomorrow fully relaxed.