Jagged, tooth-like mountains shoot up almost immediately in the distance...I can't tell if they're ominously beautiful, or beautifully ominous. Either way, they appear much more quickly than I expect them to. Las Cruces is only 3 hours from Albuquerque, and there's no time change, so my typical lead-footed style of driving has brought me here ahead of schedule.

"I'm getting a haircut," Daniel Park's voice says through the phone. "I didn't think you'd be here so early."

That makes two of us. After fumbling through the dusty files of my memory to find my way around Las Cruces, I meet up with Dan. We exchange greetings, and go over a few funny war stories of touring and playing shows, then it's off to Brigid's Cross Irish Pub to set up for the show...and get some grub.

"Do you want to hear about our specials today?" Our waitress (and surprisingly great singer), Nikki, asks after Dan and I set up the PA system in record time.  

"Absolutely," Dan and I reply, almost in unison.

Nikki takes a deep breath and names off enough entrées and side dishes to fill half a menu. Capers? Did she say something with capers in it? 

"Those are the specials?" I respond. In truth, I've wanted nothing more than my standby dish at Irish Pubs since the moment I've heard that we're playing one.

"Shepard's pie for me, please," I say with some guilt after I've had Nikki recite the specials list, which rivaled the length of a Shakespearian soliloquy. 

It's fantastic. I don't often eat it, so maybe the infrequency of the dish itself adds to my affinity for it, but nonetheless, I wolf it down and 3 minutes later begin with my first set. Brigid's lights up with faces that I can describe with nothing short of surprise once the music begins. Awesome. I love it when people respond that way.

Between Dan and my sets, Nikki contributing harmonies and melodies, Dan playing his violin (which was broken and repaired all of 2 weeks ago) on a couple of my tunes as well...the night is awesome.  We graciously thank the audience, the venue, and each other for playing, and call it a night. Tomorrow is another one. Rock and roll.

-TRMJ