Week of May 25th: Rolling Stoned
What happens when you mix a historic Austin music venue with two Hopdoddy Big Larry’s? Booking a flight to Tulsa, OK, of course!
This Thursday night started normally— meeting my best friends at Hopdoddy Happy Hour to start the weekend. After the usual margarita with a side of seasoned fries, Leanna and Josh convinced us to keep the night going — a likely thing for them to do.
We shuffled over to the Continental Club for a live show to start our night. After showing off my new Lindy Hop skills on the dance floor, I noticed a couple taking a selfie in the corner during the band’s intermission. My inner-photographer screamed and I ushered Henry over to take their photo for them. I assumed it would be a quick exchange. I was wrong.
After taking their photo, Henry held the conversation with them for 5 minutes. I could not pass up my opportunity to chat with some new strangers. Lucky me! I was meeting Chris and Diane, acclaimed members of “Rolling Stoned”, a Tulsa-based Rolling Stones cover band.
Chris and Diane have been playing music for over 40-years. Chris even played in a famous 80s pop band where he “made more money than any 19-year-old should be making,” at the time. I was obviously impressed.
“Henry said you play drums! How great” Chris exclaimed to me.
“Absolutely! I love being a drummer”. I did not have the heart to tell Chris I had only played twice and did not own a drum kit.
While seemingly brief, my encounter with the two was incredibly meaningful. The pair told us the incredibly romantic story of how they fell in love. They even invited me and my parents to a sold out show in Tulsa! I was enthralled by their story and musical expertise. They seemed inspired by our eagerness to try our hand at music. I learned about what life is like on the road so young. Chris told me it was extremely difficult. While playing with his 80s band –whose name I desperately cannot remember– he decided to settle down and stop touring after his bandmate died while in the middle of a tour.
The band billed to play Continental Club started up again. Their sounds filled every inch of the space, bringing our conversation to a close.
“Well, we are going back to our friends! We will see you sometime,” I offered.
I added Chris and Diane on Facebook that night. I turned around to meet back up with our friends, excited to tell them the story. Josh and Leanna had left the bar probably 20 minutes ago.
