Texas Tales: Gabe finale

Like I said, below, it took a lot of effort to be able to bring Gabriel in, a drummer, not just a drummer but one of the best Death Metal/Rock drummers that exists, from Orlando and find a place to film him. First of all, a drummer needs a band. Second of all, bands take years of friendships to be able to work together on a level that is the norm of the top venues of Austin, "Live Music Capital of the World." Third of all we couldn't bring Gabe's drum kit. So it was a LONG process. The goal was for me to film Gabe performing in Austin. Gabe's goal was for me to set him up TO CONSTANTLY perform in Austin. But live in Orlando. Try that for fun.

How I solved these obstacles was first, I bought Gabe a used drum set. His in Orlando was $10,000. Not happening. I bought a used drum kit for $450. THEN I created an episode for Texas Tales of Gabe seeing his used drum kit for the first time, and telling me what we were going to have to do to bring it up to speed so he could actually use it in Austin. I filmed us doing that. There's about 3 episodes, him seeing the kit, examining it, advising me; our going to Guitar Center so he can show me what he's going to need; my filming him at Guitar Center on their drums. Plus there is an episode of Gabe and me after I'd rented a practice room at Guitar Center so I can film him performing with me on my soft folk acoustic guitar singing my soft folk songs about God. Disaster. But Gabe went from Farrari normal speed to walking for me and made it work, sweetly. It's a good episode.

Gabriel (to me a million times beginning in Orlando): "Let's form a band for you and I'll play drums."

Angel: "Gabe, that's not what I do. I play solo. I play soft. I write THINKING songs and they are all about God."

So, of course Gabe played drums for me at the Lake Eola Bandshell in downtown Austin during a Festival. You can't make this stuff up (but God can and laughs and smiles, lol)

After we had his drum kit up to speed for him I created "Texas Tales presents Dinner at the Island." I filmed 15 musicians over a period of 3 dinners. The point was to bring in the musicians I'd met who could perform with Gabe long enough and well enough for me to film it. I brought in Dawn. So I have an episode of Gabe and Dawn jamming out, and I mean TOTALLY JAMMING OUT having the time of their life with her on bass guitar and Gabe on the used drum kit. It is AWESOME.

That wasn't my finale. My friend, Jim, who is a pillar of lifelong Austin musicianship, with his own band(s) helped me. First, I took Gabe to Jim's Open Mic because Jim had drums. I filmed it. That's one of my episodes. Now, Jim knew Gabe. I had started going to Chris' Jam Nights back when I first arrived in Austin because my boyfriend, Bax, whom I had brought with me from Orlando, where we knew Gabe, was a Classic Rock bass player. HE picked out LC Rocks and said that was the best Austin had to offer. SO we went to Chris' weekly Jam night way back when we first arrived in 2010. It was 2018 before I was able to take Gabe to perform with Jim and with Dawn at Chris' Jam night. Chris had drums AND a bass player AND sang/played lead guitar. So, that was my goal - to film Gabe performing with Chris at Chris' Jam Night.

Before I could do that I had to KNOW Chris. Chris is strict. He doesn't just let anyone actually perform with him, well he smiles and runs the show and lots of people get on stage but Chris is in control. So I made friends with Chris. How? By taking my original songs about God, soft and sweet and slow, week after week to Chris' Jam night. Gabe was in Orlando. This took close to two years. I usually left my guitar at home and just filmed Chris. I have LOTS of episodes of Chris in my files. I knew how to sing about two Classic Rock songs, maybe three. So, I'd get up and sing them at Chris' Jam night. He let me because I was sweet and supplied him with a smile and neverending glasses of Tequila. There was never a moment when I was there that I didn't have a glass of Tequila ready for when Chris had learned to nod at me for one. The bar supplied Chris. But I paid for them myself, dozens and dozens, always, always right there. So Chris became used to me.

Angel (to Chris): "Can I bring my drummer friend, Gabriel, to your Jam night, and a couple of my other friends?" (After Chris has now seen me off and on since 2010 and after almost 2 years of Tequila.)

Chris: "Sure."

Here's that episode. Gabe is on drums, (Jim's drums he brought for me), Jim is on his blue guitar next to me, calls me on stage, because remember he knows Gabe already and I've gone to Jim's gigs and Open Mics and sung the song I sing best, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" with him, several times. Dawn is also there that night, I have other episodes with Dawn on stage with Chris, Gabe, and Jim. A bunch of my footage is still in my files.

Watch Chris' face. He's never met Gabe before. He doesn't know Jim and is so surprised when Jim and I start singing. Watch Chris when he sees Jim's guitar work. Chris just SMILES - he's SO pleased. Then, later, when Dawn gets on stage - well, no one has seen the likes of Dawn in the history of the world. Jim knows Dawn, they are on the same level. But Chris has never met Dawn. Unlike what you might think band members do NOT automatically know or hang out with rival band members. These musicians are all Classic Rock musicians. They are the best of the best. That's why they can just jump on stage and perform together. They know the same songs. They are pros.

Enjoy!

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Written November 30, 2025 at 12:27 pm