So .....

I race down to Uptown (weird, but true!) to try and catch as much of the show as I can. It's a Thursday night in Minneapolis, so nothing much is happening. I walk in the door to Famous Dave's, with my $3 out -- and there is no one to take a cover!! (Bonus!! I get an extra half-of-a-beer tonight!! ) I look to my immediate right (towards the stage), and there, standing 5 feet away from me, is Mr. Eric Sardinas!!


He is slight of build, but not as small as Prince!! He is talking with some guy (fan) who is asking him about a specific blue-colored bottle Eric used to play slide during the 1st set (which just finished).

WTF?? Who cares about a blue bottle??? Eric kinda looks at him sideways, and just says something about it being just a bottle!!

He is wearing his signature(?) rattlesnake-head cowboy hat -- which looks completely bitchin'!!!! It's pulled down real low, so he has to tilt his head back to see you! And, he IS wearing his rose garden pants!!

But what strikes me most about him is his hair! It is amazing! It's flat out straight, in those tight little braids -- about 3,000 of 'em!! And down to his waist. Jet black. He continuously moves some of them with his hand or a tilt of his head, so it is always reflecting the light and catching your eye.

Pretty f'n cool!

I haven't made it more than 3 feet into the place (which is surprisingly EMPTY!!! ), I don't have a beer, and I am about to meet Eric Sardinas in person, one-on-one in 30 seconds, and I don't have a clue what I am going to say to him!!

So, the dipshit blue bottle freak leaves, and I stick out my hand and say "Welcome to Minneapolis, Eric!"

Pretty lame!!!!!!!!

But, Eric grabs it firmly, and says "Thanks! And thanks for coming out tonight!" He's thanking me???? Pretty nice guy!!

I tell him I was at home 45 mintues ago, and I got an Internet message from a woman in California that said I needed to get my ass down here pronto to check you out! So I drop everything and do it! He seems genuinely impressed by my effort. I tell him, "Her name is Tammy. She's seen you at the Viper Room in L.A. (isn't that it??) a few times. She's this beautiful redhead with diamond chiseling nipples out to here. (I hold my hand out a foot from my chest!!!)"

Okay, maybe I left off the last line!!!

He says he doesn't remember anyone named Tammy from L.A. (Sorry!!! ) I tell him she has created a website dedicated to him -- but I don't tell him the URL!!!! (Nice move, bonehead!! ) He said he hasn't heard of it yet. I told him he should definitely check it out!! I guess I thought I told him what it was??

I see he is thinkin' about getting started again, so I grab his hand again and say "I can't wait to hear ya play!" I tell him I have a camera, and would he mind if a took some shots during the set. He breaks into this big ol' smile and says "Sure!"

So I find an empty table right in the middle of the floor, and I am set for my adventure!!!

Eric launches into the last set with a vengeance!!! He starts rippin’ into Flames of Love off of Black Pearls.
It ROCKS!!!

Eric is all over the stage -- he is definitely full of energy, and seems bent on releasing it all at once!!

He is an animal on the guitar!!! He is rippin’ at it like the worst itch you've ever had!!!!

And his bassist (Paul –- he calls him 'Pauly' a couple of times!) and drummer (Mike) are flyin’ too!! They are just ROCKIN’ THE HOUSE!!


Eric played most of the Black Pearls cuts while I was there –- Flames; Same Ol’ Way; Bittersweet; Liar’s Dice Blues; Sorrow’s Kitchen; and some others (Big Red Line?). He also played Treat Me Right.

I didn’t know which song it was he was playing when he stepped off the stage, and started wandering around the place, but he was playing wicked hot blues guitar!!!! I knew this was my chance to get some up-close and personal shots of him!!! I figured he would hang around a couple of tables to my left with women at them –- and he did!!!
(A fine Red Blooded American Male!!!! )

So I took the one of him walking towards me, playin’ hot, while I could -- thinkin’ that was going to be as close as he would come.