"It's What You Know About Who You Know" - Bob Malone

In all of my journalism studies, it's always been hammered into me to "write what you know." Well, I know Bob Malone. About a million years ago (ok, it was about 1989 but YOU live didn't live in Los Angeles in the 80s....) there was a tiny bar, in a tiny strip center in Sherman Oaks called The Chimney Sweep. Being a fan of the dive bar, you can't imagine how thrilled I was to find this one within walking distance to my apartment. This was during what I refer to as The Whiskey Years and I'm sure I don't have to explain any further.

Bob was playing solo; hammering out Billy Joel, Dr. John and occasionally slipping in an original that no one noticed but me. In my best Faye Dunaway, I staggered (I'm pretty sure I staggered...) up to him and said, "You don't belong here." That's about all I remember about that night but it was the beginning of a 20 year friendship that still holds strong today. We both gave up the whiskey but never each other. 

Bob e Las Bobetts SXSW 2011

I was there the first time Bob played his first showcase gig for ASCAP. I was there to sing background vocals on some of his first recordings. I wasn't there, unfortunately, to watch him marry the lovely and talented Karen Nash, who I consider one of my closest friends. I'd moved to Texas by then and LA had gotten further and further away from me. 

 

Post Fogerty March 2013

I will be there Friday, September 27 when Bob plays at Cypress Creek Cafe. Karen and I will be singing background vocals like we always do when he's in Texas. I've watched Bob go from dive bars to enormo-domes, where he plays keyboards and accordion for the legendary John Fogerty. 

He's released seven CDs and traveled the world extensively as a solo artist. He continues to write, arrange, record and still keep all of his hair.             

T.

The Slow Season

I'm Temple Ray and I am the worst blogger ever. I started this thing as a way of reaching out to new customers as well as staying in touch with our regulars and, well, I just got busy.  So much has happened since I last posted many months ago and I think it started with the holidays and never let up. I'm glad to enter a new year with CCC and I look forward to many more. Mainly because I'm too comfortable there and I don't have the tenacity to look for another job. Ever.

What inspired me to dust off my thesaurus and answer all of the security questions to recover my password to this website was my evening at the Buzzard Bar. We just launched our "Monday Classic Movie Night" (don't worry, we have a contingency plan for when football season starts again) and though the crowd was small tonight, it was spectacular! As one patron stated, "It was magical."

Tonight's movie was To Kill A Mockingbird. As many times as I've seen this movie, it always touches me. But to watch it on the patio at CCC, with some of our regulars; to have it be quiet, save for the sound of ice in glasses or the occasional commentary; truly was magical. We ate popcorn. We laughed, applauded and cried in the right places. When it was over, we all discussed it and talked about the other movies we'd like to see. The greats. The classics. I'm sticking to the black and whites as often as I can because the view somehow seems better that way.

This is considered the slow season in Wimberley and I think that's when I like our little village best. I've run into more people that I know, but never see, in the last couple of weeks. Even I've ventured out of my comfort zone. Did you know there's a coffee shop in the King Feed building? I've even noticed a couple of new stores on the Square that I'm pretty sure weren't there a couple of days ago. I've really got to get out more! Wimberley is a pretty cool place to live but there's more to it than the straight drive down RR12 from my apartment to CCC and I plan to take full advantage of it.

I guess the point of my diatribe is this: come out, come out, wherever you are! Come to Cypress Creek Cafe for lunch, dinner, live music or a Monday night movie. Hit up Groovin' Grind while you're buying those first plants of the season at King Feed. Visit the Thrift Stores. Go see Death of A Salesman at the Wimberley Players Theater.  Visit all of these websites and let's get out there and support our local businesses!  I know we want to see you at CCC. Even if you're sitting quietly on the patio watching a movie...

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