Photo: Rachel LaCoss

When I first rolled into the Ozark Mountains in my 1980 Dodge Van in the Spring of 1995, winding down into Eureka Springs, Arkansas with my Nebraska traveling buddy, Lynn, I was in awe of the beauty of the region. And also very carsick. I was used to the flat lands of Nebraska and hadn't seen much besides the Midwest and straight roads at that point in my life. I had just dropped out of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and was free for the life of adventure and endless opportunity that stretched out before me.

I didn’t know that Arkansas would become the place that I would call home, but I was fascinated by the energy of this little magical town. It felt so very different than anywhere I had ever been. Eureka Springs was built into the hills; I began to learn my way around the streets that went up and down and in circles all around the downtown area. I remember walking around one night and hearing music coming from a quaint little bar downtown that had a gorgeous outside patio. I wandered down the steps into a bar that soon felt like home with all the new friends I would find there.

My friend, Lynn, had brought me to Eureka for a reason that I would come to understand later.  He was the first person I had come out to, and I was not yet comfortable with being out publicly.  I felt the need to get away from Nebraska and everyone I knew there. I needed a fresh start to figure out how to be myself, and how to show other people who I truly was. Eureka Springs had a large gay population, lots of hippies and creative folks, and a friendly small town atmosphere.  It would prove to be the perfect place for me to grow and blossom. 

We had arrived in Eureka at the beginning of the tourist season;  I saw street buskers, for the first time, in the downtown and that inspired me to try my hand at busking. I was attracted to the free lifestyle of playing on the street. I already knew a bunch of old country and folk tunes, and I worked to build up my repertoire on guitar – Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Neil Young, and many others – and I gave it a try. For a whole summer, it was my only job – on a good day, I could earn  70-80 bucks. I was extremely shy and it took a lot of courage for me to get out there and do it; I had grown up performing in my family’s country band, so I was able to draw on that experience. The locals would come up and talk to me and it was a good way to start making friends. 

A local bar, Chelsea’s, regularly featured live music, and I would go watch and listen. Eventually, I mustered the courage to ask the Chelsea’s house band if they needed an upright bass player, and they invited me to play with them about once a month; they let me sing lead on some songs, and I tried out some of my first originals, “Fish Sliming Blues” and “Mama Tortilla,” on the Chelsea’s crowd. This opened the door for me to join many local bands and gave me a chance to hone my bass skills in a variety of styles. That first summer I was busking, I also met Gina Gallina – my life-long friend, bandmate, and songwriting buddy. She moved to Eureka about the same time I did, and we were about the same age. Eventually, I followed her down to New Orleans for a stint, and we started a band called The Camptown Ladies.

I was now on the path of being a bona fide, ramblin’, free-spirited musician, and I would never look back. I don’t live in Arkansas at the moment, but I have a feeling I’ll return there some day, and buy some land somewhere in the country. The Arkansas hills are always calling me back home.