Back in '88 I went to Dallas for a tradeshow as a salesman. I met a DJ in a club who told me to go to Austin to see his friends the Daylights from the downtown arty Deep Ellum scene that gave us Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, Rev. Horton Heat and the Daylights who were all on the Island Records comp called the Sound of Deep Ellum. There's an earlier '86 alternate version of Man-O-War in the music section. I got on a plane got picked up at the airport by a SXSW van got driven around at the mostly vacant festival in its 2nd year and saw the band who had been banned from playing Austin play an unbelievably raucous 3 song set before being unplugged. Went up to the stage and signed them that night. Their charismatic lead singer Jay Lavender moved up to NYC with the band. I released their 12" EP on 109 and we became close friends and co-conspirators. He died in '93 but never left me alone. I have been living for the both of us ever since. He kept bugging me to do something, but I never knew what to do until Eric Schwartz of Lone Star Dead Radio (KNON) asked me for the tapes and videos a few years back and he posted them superlatively on YouTube. Still Jay wanted more to be known so I found the oldest tapes added them to Liberty Lunch opener Bad Mutha Goose, the slot giver DDT Decadent Dub Team (9-inch nails electro-hard rock), and the friend Rev Horton Heat and begin with the 2 last rap tunes before he died recorded by Josh at his NYC APT and some home tapes of us jamming, laughing and being creative. It gives an insight into the man, who he was and who he might have become. Don't judge just listen. Irreverent and fun! Just how I liked my acts. Shot (by the law) from the 12" "Shine" EP on 109 Records the metal Daylights could be the anthem we're still looking for about the out-of-control police brutality in our country is sans saxman Danny "Dookie" Connelly who was Dallas' answer to James Chance. Jay was Iggy meets Wilson Pickett. He was one of a kind and broke the mold. He never really made it but maybe now he'll get the kind of career retrospective from '86-93 he deserves. Josh created the sonic template adding soulful call and response back-up vocals when necessary. He played the funk guitar I craved ever since hearing Freaky Styley and Hillel Slovak reinventing the wheel. A real innovator and consummate pro. John (TX) and Marty (NYC) on bass in various Daylights lineups never let the funk bass slip and kept it way up front. Tomas Chess guitar virtuoso on "Shot" 109 EP and "Looking Good" rehearsal tape with another John on drums and Lonny on bass or vice versa rounds out the entire cast of the Daylights characters. I did my best for loving tribute to one of my closest friends I've ever had. And truth be told Jay's still here with me now guiding the selections and knob twisting. To my brother in heaven, I got it done, we're together here in the end and that's what counts. He even played a tune with my kid Vanessa at 5 years TASCAM studio 4 track "My Child". Love may be a dog from hell. Bukowski was Jay's favorite poet; Jay's work has risen from the ashes. To my friend: "You've lived beyond your years. I still shed some tears but maybe now we can celebrate rather than lament. God Bless." Note: some of the tracks could be re-mixed and I will keep the cassettes stored safe in case some real label shows interest or future fans but as a whole I think this is the definitive history of the Daylights and at least a damn good listen to tracks you can't here anywhere else. In the digital realm the Daylights live on forever, never say never as Debora Iyall sang from Romeo Void and I have her post-RV demo she gave me personally at a San Francisco wedding in '88 after I smoked a joint with Peter Fonda and Jack Cassidy (bassist Hot Tuna/Jefferson Airplane) before my own descent into the abyss of law school anonymity. But that's all for another Live! From the Vault in the future. 

As far as the Daylights? They may have another shot yet!

Live From the Vault #14 - The Texas Episode SXSW II The Night I Signed The Daylights @ Liberty Lunch

Steve and the Tailpipers "Blow Wind Blow" in honor of the legends of surf twang guitar such as Billy Mure's  Supersonics '57

Blow Wind Blow

Born to Lose in the East Village since 2000. This is the 2nd single "No. 2" from "Babe City" their sophomore CD after "Food" on Art Monkey Records in the oughts. James Ranson (Guitar, Backing Vocals); Larry Johnson (Bass); and Steve Rock (Lead Vocals, Drums, Banter) played the local NYC-Brooklyn/Lower East Side club circuit: CBGBs; The Continental; The Kitty Kat Farm Club; Luna Lounge; Siberia; Otto's Shrunken Head, The Grand Victory; The Delancey; Fontana's; Bowery Electric. Then recently recorded this all original 10 song album at Grand Street Recording BK produced and engineered by Jake Lummus. Now with the Heartbreaker "No. 2" along with the 9 other tasty tracks take a bite out of this Wiener Records release and you'll hunger for more of the best bawdiest straight ahead rock and roll on this or any other planet. And boy do they deliver! On 109 Records and Tapes.

session roughs

ROADKILL NYC - No. 2

Arena Rock -  A song performed by Youth Gone Mad feat. Steve Gabe on lead vocals and Paul Kostabi on lead guitar (co-owners of the soon to be huge New Folk City Records label visit www.newfolkcity.com for more info.) Celluloid Records. Look for video to be released soon!!!

Morocco

This is the song that inspired my now completed but not yet published novel/memoir "Lost In Austin" The book is about my travels around the country and then getting lost in the party music scene in Austin while becoming a Cajun Seafood Cook next door the Antone's Blues Club and rekindling the flames with my high school girlfriend who lived in Houston at the time. Lost in Austin, juiced in Houston, don't remember Dallas, but Dallas won't be soon forgettin' me..."

Live From the Vault #14 - The Texas Episode SXSW II The Night I Signed The Daylights @ Liberty Lunch

Steve Gabe

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