Cowboy Symposium

Every year, Lubbock holds a fun little event we like to call the National Cowboy Symposium, a celebration of all things western and cowboy-related. Last night my boyfriend and I made it out there to one of the shows, to see one of our friends who was going to be performing some cowboy poetry. As a *former* English major, I'm well aware that most cowboy poetry has little to offer in terms of artistic merit, but I have a soft spot for it anyway. Andy has a great laid-back style that ends up "sneakin' up on ya" (as one of the cowboys put it last night) and being very funny. Hopefully this afternoon I'll get to take in some more. Last symposium I went to, I remember seeing several cowboy poets and laughing till my sides split. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon, if you ask me.

Besides the poetry last night, there were also several musical acts. Most weren't really exceptional (this is just local folks we're talking about here), but the two acts I liked the most were both accompanied by Washtub Jerry. Haha. The name comes from the fact that he plays a washtub bass. It's a metal washtub turned upside down, with a brake cable attached to the tub on one end and a tall wooden stick on the other. Washtub Jerry stands on the tub and somehow manages to play different notes by just pulling the wood stick closer or pushing it farther away from him as he plucks away. It's a sight to be seen (my camera wasn't working last night, more's the pity). Apparently he's a western music fixture around here--the first act he played with introduced themselves and then said, "Yeah, and y'all all know Washtub Jerry, he's gonna play some bass..." Lol.

Like I said, the music wasn't anything to write home about, but I do also have a bit of a soft spot for western tunes. My parents raised me partially on western music, acts like the Sons of the Pioneers or Riders in the Sky (though I doubt most of you have heard of them), and although I don't really listen to it regularly now, it still has nostalgic appeal for me. "Don't Fence Me In," or "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds"...it's just pretty good stuff.

I can only take these things in fairly small doses, though. Last night I left fairly early after the show because I felt kind of cowboyed out, if you know what I mean. Still, I'm looking forward to going back this afternoon. I may not be a cowgirl or anything, but I see the value in celebrating and preserving our western heritage--if nothing else, it's fun to see all these cowboys' enthusiasm! Hopefully the camera will work today...