Thurs., Dec. 4, 1997, Grand Emporium, Kansas City, MO (View from our 19th floor hotel room) -- As we rolled through the stockyard fragrance and wide open country of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, I had plenty of time to reflect on my childhood history. As we passed Wellington, KS, my birthplace, and later, Ottawa, where I went to grade school, I was really looking forward to seeing my sister, Ann and Uncle John, as well as cousin Mike, who all said they were coming to the gig tonight. We arrived at the club around 6:45 after getting lost briefly. I hadn't been in this part of Kansas City for almost 25 years, and quickly got turned around after being dubbed navigator--so much for that... Joanna managed to get us to the club as I shut up. The Grand Emporium is a mainstay stop for all variety of blues, reggae and zydeco acts on the national circuit, and shows it, with walls plastered with the promo pics and posters of past visitors. Some of them were soaked in blues history such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Albert King--all past performers at the club. We set up along with "Little" John, a huge barn of a sound man, who was very nice and professional. Joanna, Darnell and Tony were all expecting to be put up at the semi-seedy residence assigned bands the last time Joanna was at the Emporium. However this time, due to that location's remodeling woes, we were put up at the very posh Radison (Hey, why not?). After a change of clothes and watching the Bengals destroy the Oilers, we headed back to the club. I visited "Amazing Grace", the soul food sister behind a high lumber counter, who providing me with a ham and turkey sandwich soaked in her very own BBQ sauce recipe (she's selling quarts of it for take home), and some spicy red beans and rice. I finished scarfing it down and spied my sister. As I walked toward her, Uncle John's happy face came into view, and then I realized I was surrounded by about a dozen relatives, effectively doubling the population of clubgoers. I made my hasty hellos and recounted some recent history before taking the stage for the first set. The stage sound was good and we rocked to good response from the Martin clan. During break I visited some more and most everyone had to split due to early rising schedules. My cousin Mike vowed to see us again in Lawrence on Saturday, and sister Ann stayed well into the second set. As the second set began, it became apparent that the Martin clan had pretty much singlehandedly created the fun in the room. Things were nearly morgue-like, and Joanna kept asking me what time it was after every song, as the clock crawled. We chalked it up to Thursday and a below-zero windchill. After breaking down the equipment and grabbing some snacks, we headed back to our posh accomodations...