Stream of Musical Consciousness & Fatigue

Fatigue has set in, therefore its time for another stream of consciousness writing. Be prepared to either bear with me or skip this read, your choice.

My life is not really that hard, I just feel like it is because I’m constantly on the go and everything is pressure, pressure, pressure. Coming in four hours earlier than normal for me to work to start production on one of three newspapers is not exactly the start to my weekend I wanted to have ... on the other hand, it is good to be able to get a jump on work, except that it’s not the only work I have today.

Two music gigs – one of which should have gone to me with my brother if certain pastors were more forgiving and less grudge- holding or unjustly enforcing of “the rules” – will drain me today ( Saturday). I had some rest the past two days but it was a purposeful remedy in that I was so mentally and physically exhausted on Thursday my body and brain did not want to move or compute, therefore I burned one of my very few sick days to attempt to regenerate in this hamster wheel I put myself in because, aside from fatigue, my tum-tum was a bit out of sorts too.

After bountiful rest, I performed in two mariachi gigs on Friday evening, and even though they were fun, they are more draining than I thought they would be, and are generally more draining that I let on. I don’t know why I attempt to put on a poker face all the time, even when I’m struggling or irritated that things aren’t going nearly as smoothly as they should be, but that’s just how I am I guess. Only those close to me hear my complaints (thanks friends and Gym Angel).

On that note, one thing I can look forward to is an audition I have on Tuesday for a local cover band, OCD. I don’t know a whole lot about the band other than they cover ‘ 70s, ‘ 80s and more, but I hope they are willing to expand to ‘ 60s, ‘ 50s, ‘90s and “the Aughts” ( early 2000s) as well if they don’t already play those eras of tunes.

People don’t know this about me but I really dig not just multi- genre music but also oldies. That love for Golden Oldies, low rider classics/ soul and classic rock has morphed into becoming a fan of a few of “Souldies” ( pronounced “soul- dees”) bands: Joey Quinones and the Sinseers ( pronounced “sinceres”), The Altons, and Durand Jones & The Indications. I’d count Los Stellarians in there too even though they’re a bit different.

I actually reached out to Joey Q. on Facebook this past week. After the small shock of him adding me back on Facebook, I chatted with him briefly about how I think his music is so great that if he and The Sinseers ever play in the Imperial Valley that I’d definitely do a story on it/them/ him as interesting visitors. ( If you haven’t heard them look them up on YouTube or Spotify). I told him the Hidalgo Hall crowd that used to book legend Brenton Wood would probably be the ones to book Quinones and The Sinseers to play here. I can only hope.

If booked here we’d draw not only all of the Imperial Valley’s car clubs but also out- of- county people to that concert, if booked with a handful of other groups like Los Stellarians, The Altons, Durand Jones & The Indications, Chicano Batman here and whoever else. Have local gem “JAYROXXX” Jaylene Terrazas open or smack dab in the center of the concert and watch attendance grow. You could call it the “Desert Soul Fest” or “Desert Soulscapes.” Hold it on a Friday and I’d definitely go; it’d be amazing.

[ Note: I literally just found out after I wrote this that El Centro’s own trumpeter extraordinaire Kinch Degrate is a member of The Indications. Wow. Even better reason to create that music fest here now. Hey GS, Alan Phillips, and/or Hidalgo Society, get on that!]

Connect with local DJ Caliboy and his connections to make it happen. If the band I join decides they want to branch out to that genre count me and OCD in, then you’ll realize why I call myself “RoFlo” at times.

I’m auditioning for OCD not because I like the spotlight – because contrary to what is probably popular belief, I honestly don’t ( I just don’t shy away from it) – but because music is therapy for me. When I’m stressed, I sing. When

I’m really stressed, I sing hard rock. I’m not bragging at all when I say that most groups I join end up being enhanced, but it’s not because of my supposed “talent” or whatever, it’s because my nature is to be a helper and enhancer. That’s what I’ve done for this newspaper, and (whether some want to admit it or not) it’s what I’ve done by being part of other bands I’ve been in throughout the years, and it’s what I hope to do for OCD.

Now if I can just figure out how to work in those gigs on top of my mariachi gigs on top of my newspaper work on top of upping my prayer life altogether without falling to pieces I may actually be a content person. Anyway, here’s to hopin’.

God bless you, military veterans alive and fallen. Thank you for your service, and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.