Texas Road Trip

By Jack Stephen

We head to Dallas for a summer break and to see some friends. What will we be listening to?

Pulling out of Loveland, Colorado, we turn on the radio to 103.5 FM, “The Fox.” I used to really like this station. Growing up in Colorado, it was the mainstay for the classic rock genre. Now, after moving back to Colorado, this station has become awful. There was a great show “Lewis and Floorwax,” which was funny and would play some Def Leppard or ZZ Top. Now, they still the same old playlist, but there is no more Floorwax. Instead, the world renown tool, Rick Lewis, is on the air with some hack cohost. They don’t even seem to have a producer. I’ve heard segments where they just take calls to answer the question: “Why are we a great show?” Pretty pitiful. Oh well, I guess it’s still pretty popular, so what do I know.  

What are they playing? “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen. The boss sucks—there I said it. It feels good to get that off my chest. Maybe, I’m missing something, but I just don’t get it—obvious songs and lyrics that pander to some sort of bygone American Dream; mediocre singing and musicianship. Why do people love this guy so much? He’s like the Rick Lewis of rock music. I guess Bruce found a sort of niche and slid in perfectly. Some people cannot get enough of this guy? Myself, I’ve had more than enough.  

“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. Another stupid song. What in the world are these twins up to anyway? I guess this song is lyrically romantic, but who cares. What the fuck kind of singing is that?  “DEE DEET DEE DEET DEE DEET!” Would you morons shut up already. I guess it is a good they had this hit, because I think this was about it for these Scottish idiots, which was probably a good thing. Their Wikipedia page says they were influenced by Bruce Springsteen; now there’s a shocker.  

As we head down I-25, the new Buc-ee’s looms to our west. This Texas icon is setting the stage for this road trip. I hadn’t been to this new store yet, but the folks in this area are pumped. I remember hitting the original Buc-ee’s in Temple, Texas, back when they were going to just have the one flagship store. It was pretty ridiculous back then, the super-sized gas station; there’s an idea! It seemed pretty ostentatious and over-priced, but I usually just stopped for the clean restrooms. I guess they were pretty clean in comparison to other facilities that line the freeways, but, at the end of the day, how clean is a freeway restroom ever really going to be. 

We stop at the Cheba Hut in Colorado Springs for lunch. This is the sandwich chain that took the legal weed situation and made it into something special. Sandwiches are named after weed strains and corresponding sizes as well (see pinner and blunt). Novel! You are given a band marked table stand, so they can find you to drop off your sandwich. They give us “Slightly Stoopid”—I know nothing about this band. A quick internet scan reveals that they are a SoCal funk-type, ska-sorta band. I guess they are like a lower-level Sublime or something. I really like Sublime—what a great band. 40 oz. to Freedom is a really fantastic record—fast songs with deep, funky ska beats. I have no interest in “Slightly Stoopid,” maybe it’s that name. Tasty sandwich at the Cheba Hut nonetheless. 

What we’re listening too as we wheel through Colorado Springs, 103.9 Alternative Rock. What’s on the radio:

“Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant. I don’t know what this song is about, and I don’t really care. This song and band are what I would call “Slightly Stoopid” (sic.).

As We pull down through southern Colorado, we give the radio a break. My wife starts DJing, picking some random tracks she has que-ed up:

“Waiting Room” by Fugazi. Now, here’s a great fucking song. Ian Mackaye, formally of the great punk band Minor Threat, really started something special with Fugazi. Tight riffs, crisp percussion, guitar-like bass, and those fucking awesome lyrics. “I’m gonna fight for what I’m going to be!” and why not with this jam playing in the background.

“Traffic in the Sky” by Jack Johnson. This guy has got a pretty good sound and vibe working, I must admit. There seems to be a bit of a tendency to rate his music as a bit too “bubble gum” like. I’d say that’s a fair assessment, and though he’s pretty mellow, what’s not to like. He always has smart lyrics and a mellow rhythm that makes you just ease into a special feeling—sitting around a campfire on some beach in Hawai’i, with the waves crashing in as the tide rolls out, your skin feels the heat of a sunburn, and Jack Johnson’s tunes reverberating in the salty air. There’s a vibe I could get used to.

We snake south on I-25 and head through southern Colorado. This sure is a beautiful state. Just thinking what the ancient people thought of this country, they were probably blown away, not sure if they used that expression back then though.

We head east at Raton and my wife takes over driving. I plug in and do a little DJing. A couple of the tracks:

“Shoplifters of the World” by the Smiths. We have always loved the Smiths. They are just awesome. Brooding Morrissey and Johnny Marr put together great track after great track. Not sure how they did it, but it is sure something special. I have always really liked this song for a number of reasons. Number one, this track was on the first CD I ever owned—Louder than Bombs, the Smiths compilation album. I thought it was incredible. This album spoke to me and my angst. Thanks to the Smiths for your great message. This track seems about right for these times we are living in right now. The shoplifters probably should take over, could it be any worse?

“Shadowboxer” by Fiona Apple. I would say I am not really a fan of her music. She seems droney and exhausting for some reason. Anyways, this is a really great track. It builds and weaves in a really cool way. The tempo and emotion really strike in the climax. Working in the vibraphone was also a great choice. I can almost see the direction for this song on the sheet music towards the end; “fortissimo.” This song seems to come from an authentic place for her, somewhere she’s been to and she takes the listener there too.

Driving east through northeast New Mexico.

A vignette: The Edwards Plateau rises to our left. We drive past at 77 miles per hour. On our right, a small heard of pronghorn wander and graze. Small groups of clouds litter the horizon, providing a bit of a border to this beautiful sky. I see a massive dark storm up ahead, just over Texas. We wonder if it will slow us down, as we try to time our arrival into Amarillo. I say “next time we drive through here, we should go over the Edwards Plateau, I hear you can touch the sky.” I grab a handful of Chex Mix.  

Heading south on US 287, I turn on 100.9 the Eagle, Amarillo’s classic rock. What was the DJ spinning?

“We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” by Queen. Here’s a couple of iconic arena jams. These songs now seem almost out of place, because we are used to hearing them at sporting events. My wife told me Queen thought about adding audience interaction in their songs and writing. They were pioneers. They sure do add to the sporting event experience. Listening to “We Will Rock You,” I can almost feel the stomping in the seats. We haven’t watched a pro basketball game in years, maybe this is a good time to start, as the Dallas Mavericks got into the NBA finals this year. Let’s fire up these sports arena jams! (Note: The Alan Parsons Project hit big in this sports game genre with their song “Sirius” being used as the typical entrance music for most sports teams—how about those royalties!)

“Keep on Loving You” by REO Speedwagon. Yes, this group did miss the crystal meth generation (just barely), or they might have had some branding issues. I guess this group is okay. They have a couple of hits and receive a lot of classic rock radio airplay, but musically they are probably middling at best. This song is a great example of the classic rock ballad that walks the line between kind of being romantic and necessitating a restraining order (see .38 Special and Atlanta Rhythm Section). I guess the sentiment is sweet, but how many stalkers did these tracks enable? This pitfall didn’t seem to be considered in the classic rock genre; bands were too busy writing hits.

As we snake through the panhandle, and glide past the Canadian River, we pass oil derricks. Windmills dot the prairie. This is a part of the country feels kind of sad, it’s desolate and dry.  We begin to ease into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex on the Jacksboro Highway. We turn on the indie Dallas station 91.7 KXT. What are they playing? 

“$10 Cowboy” by Charley Crockett. I really like this song. Simple and straight forward. Austin-based Charley Crockett is one of those Texas artists who just keeps hanging around, and good for him. He’s got some great stuff. Listen to “I’m Not Afraid,” “Welcome to Hard Times,” and “Trinity River.” He keeps the songs fresh and new, with an old-school style. This is a great station, and it has done a lot for the Dallas music scene. “He looks a lot like me…(the $10 cowboy).”

As we get closer to east Dallas, we turn on the greatest radio station I’ve ever listened to, 88.5 KEOM Mesquite public radio. Playing the top hits of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, they got a little bit of everything (Player, Olivia Newton-John, and Cutting Crew for example). They don’t seem to have one song repeated throughout the day; just easy-going hits that we haven’t heard for a while but never forgot. Songs you can sing along to, songs that remind you of “that one time.” The production is fantastic, great music for the weather and other segments. And those other segments, star date, community notes, local sport updates, and, my favorite, the pet of the week.  This station is a must listen not just for those reasons, but because it sounds like what a radio station should be. 

What are they playing? “Dance Hall Days” by Wang Chung. Wang Chung had a great thing working, a cool sound that fit right into the 1980s. The dance hall scene has been a Texas mainstay since German and Czech immigrants got them going, originally as cultural centers. Eventually, they became more music oriented, maybe because of the proliferation of dry counties. You could be a member of a dance hall, drink, and enjoy the tunes. Texas swing got its start here in the dance hall (see Bob Willis and Milton Brown). I’m sure the era of the dance hall was a fun time, sorry to have missed it. Wang Chung sure does encapsulate the memory of this era, also throwing in that great sax solo really brings it home. 

“… you need her and she needs you…”

I almost forgot, it sure is fucking hot in Texas.