By A. Govea
What do these Tres (3) things have in common? Answer they all came together in Lubbock last Friday night, and I was there Tambien (also). ‘Little Joe, the King of the Brown Sound’ was in concert in the new Buddy Holley Hall entertainment venue, that is on Mac Davis Lane. Which, if you are a person of a certain age, you may also recognize the Mac Davis name. And if that certain age is old, you were part of the trifecta that convened in Lubbock last Friday.
The medium age of most of the concertgoers had to have been well over sixty. So, anyone younger than that was considered the kid in the bunch. Unfortunately, or fortunately I am inline with the former rather than the latter. Pero, as for me, I believe that if you are old, that is a real plus. You’ve achieved something that over two hundred thousand folks a year in Texas alone did not do. Besides, the truth is you only have two choices: get old or die. Me, at least for now I’d rather be old than not alive, Ca No? And guess what, old or not, everyone was having a fun time! One last thing about the attendees, I saw one guy wearing a Nirvana concert T-shirt. I do not know if he was confused about the performer, or the message was look at me “I used to be cool”.
Either way, we (I was there) all had a great time. Mi Tierra Mariachi’s band from Lubbock kicked things off. There is something about a Mariachi group/band that even if you do not have Mexican roots *(I do) will get you going. And then you add a Vicente Fernadez melody to the mix, and I am all in! They were a great lead into the main act, which was Little Joe, the other part of the trifecta. And really the best part. Joe came on stage wearing a white suit that worked perfectly for the stage and immediately connected with the crowd being stating, “No I’m’ not Colonel Sanders”.
His first song was an English song. Sorry don’t remember the name, Pero. It worked for him. He then went on to perform some of the standards that most of the olds, including this writer, hoped for. My sister attended the concert with my wife and I, and she is a little older than I am, and she loved it! As most folks around us did as well, including Mr. Nirvana. About halfway, the local LULAC Council 263 presented Joe with a recognition award. This is due to all the work did during the Chicano Civil Rights movement. And continue to do this day. In fact, a highlight was him (Joe) dancing with the UFW flag.
Which led him to share stories about his dad and mom and the history of the family coming to this part of Texas to pick cotton. Joe got a little emotional recalling those times and now feeling so blessed to be performing in front of “Mi Gente” in this beautiful venue. One last thing about his performance that I must mention is his stage presence, which he has the command of an experienced veteran of the craft. Along with enthusiasm and energy of a much younger man, not someone approaching his mid-eighties. In fact, he may give Mick Jagger of the Stones a run for his money in that department.
Little Joe, for all the accolades he has won for his music and community involvement, remains as humble as a startup. That was pretty evident after the show, taking the time to personally speak to folks gathered around the stage for a picture or a personal story. This despite a hand injury he was dealing with. He is a true Tejano treasure, which I once referenced him as the Raza Frank Sinatra. And he was quick to say that was too much praise. Thank you, Joe, for all you have done and the memories that most of us will carry forever. (We invite you to share your thoughts with us)
