Early Gonzo ~ Austin

It was about Hunter S Thompson before I knew it was about Hunter S Thompson. 

In the early 70’s, I first heard the word, “Gonzo”. It was in relation to the Lost Gonzo Band. They were Jerry Jeff Walker’s back-up band and an excellent band in their own right. I learned the origin of the band name this morning from an interview with Jerry Jeff.

Below is a quote from that interview:

“I introduced the band and I'd come up with a different name every night, like “Jerry Jeff Walker and the Unborn Calves.” I was reading Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas—it was gonzo this, and gonzo that, gonzo states of being. So, I introduced the band one night as the Lost Gonzo Band.”

   

At a great club in 1975 in Austin Texas, called Castle Creek, I opened for the Lost Gonzo Band. Jerry Jeff as there. He went up onstage during their song, “Dead Armadillo” and brought me up as well. He and I sang the chorus into the same microphone. I have a very mediocre black and white photo somewhere of us singing together. Somewhere. Too many things have gotten away from me, but I will never lose that memory until all is lost.

No, I will never forget that night and the Lost Gonzo Band. Gary P. Nunn, the leader of the band, asked me over to his house to record a few of my songs. He called me from Austin a few years later and said that he wanted to pitch my song, “Play and Sing” to Jerry Jeff. He needed me to do ‘something’. I honestly do not remember what exactly, but I never got around to doing it. 

It could have been the biggest thing in my career but horribly sadly, I did not follow up on it. I have never talked about this, much less written about it, but there you go. I was drunk (as I always was) and it just ‘got away’ from me. Back then of course, I had no idea about my neurodivergent brain, my ADHD and Autism. The very brain that made it possible to be so creative, also sometimes sabotaged me. I certainly cannot dwell on that, but I reckon I needed to acknowledge it.

So now almost fifty years later, on the other side of the world from Texas, I am embracing the Gonzo again. I was twenty-two in Austin and I will be seventy-one in a couple of months. I am not writing songs these days. I have written two books, both of which I am very proud. I am now moving into being a Gonzo birding writer, whatever that means. If I knew what it meant, it would not really be Gonzo. Yes, there is one last book left in me. It’s going to be different. But somehow it will be ‘out there’ for those who care to read me.

Gonzo Birder Christmas Island 2022

God knows I never fit the profile of a stereotypical birder, but most birders don’t. Many birders are a lot more weird than non-birders imagine. Birders are some of the very coolest people I know and very Gonzo. In case you haven’t figured it out, Gonzo can also mean cool, full-stop.

You can proclaim your own weird. There is now a GONZO BRDR t-shirt from the brilliance of Paul Riss and BRDR MRCH You can wear one yourself. I highly recommend Redbubble.

I just sat here and listened to a YouTube of “Dead Armadillo” from the Lost Gonzo’s album, Thrills. I used to have that album, but it’s gone too. It’s not on Spotify. Fuck Spotify. God I miss my vinyl.

I stopped by Luckenbach in the late 90's while I was on tour.

I have no idea what photos I can include with this post. I’ll see what I can dig up from my Texas year. It is hard to believe that I only lived in Austin for a year, , but I was only twenty-two and years were much longer then. God I wish I had known then what I know now. 

Stay Gonzo my friends 💙