I'm getting ready to leave work so my wife and I, along with 3 friends of ours, can go play music in prison. We'll be behind bars for 3 hours: 5-8 PM tonight. I'm guessing it will be something like Folsum Prison Blues, though I'm not sure if we'll be playing for a portion of the population or not. I thought we were going to a different unit, one that my wife and I had been to once before. It turns out we're going to the Pelunsky Unit, Death Row for male inmates in Texas, just north of Huntsville, Texas. I don't know why it made any difference, but when I found out we were playing "Death Row," the whole trip took on more significance. Death Row? The thought sends a chill up my spine.
Last night we had a short rehearsal and my friend Walter told us all the "do's" and "don'ts" for our visit: what to wear, what not to wear, what to bring, what not to bring. I'm playing the drums, which required a special security clearance because of all the metal in the kit (perfect for making shanks). Again, the idea of taking all this stuff to death row is a little freaky. I wonder what Johnny Cash was thinking when he went into Folsum Prison way back when. Was his drummer concerned about his kit, like I am about mine?
I had a cooky dream about the experience this morning. I don't remember the dream, but I woke up feeling uneasy about this whole thing. I'm thankful for the opportunity. I hope I'll be able to write about the experience in my blog tomorrow.
I'll end with that...
No comments:
Post a Comment