Back When Music Felt Dangerous ᵉᵈiᵗeᵈ

What is the best concert you have been to?

Over the past 40 years ¡ have been to many concerts and music festivals… both Christian and secular… also ¡’ve performed in some… but two really stick out…

The first was Lollapalooza 1993 Atlanta…

Alice in Chains… Tool… Primus… Rage Against the Machine… and others…

It was insane…

An outdoor concert… bottles and other debris flying through the air constantly… the air was thick with it… and you were always gettin hit with somethin…

People were getting launched into the air on tarps… like some kind of human slingshot trampoline deal… mosh pits everywhere… honestly… it was probably the most dangerous listening experience of my life…

But man… ¡ got to see Layne Staley… and ¡’ll never forget that… RIP my brother…

And here’s the funny part…

¡ didn’t normally smoke weed back then… because honestly… ¡ just can’t handle it…

But that day… my friends talked me into it…

By the time we got to the concert… ¡ was so unbelievably stoned… ¡ couldn’t even move…

So my friends left me in the car… pinned my ticket to my shirt… and went on without me…

About 30 minutes later… ¡ started sobering up a little… ¡ could hear music thunderin in the distance… so ¡ just followed the sound down the street to the outside venue…

Eventually ¡ found the gates… then somehow found my friends… and from there… it was pure chaos and adrenaline the rest of the day…

At one point ¡ remember thinkin…

¡ survived the parking lot… now ¡ have to try and not die during the concert.

So the second was a really cool thing for me…

Back around 94 or 95… ¡ had a special invite to a private bass clinic put on by Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey…

There were only maybe 25 or 30 of us there… all musicians…

¡ was given two tickets… and you couldn’t buy these things… you had to know somebody…

It was at a secret location… ¡ could tell you… but then ¡’d have to kill you…

But seriously… it was super intimate and awesome… everybody hanging out… talking… asking questions… real relaxed atmosphere… almost like a classroom setting…

And if you’re unfamiliar with Victor and Steve… they are considered among the best bass players in the world… Victor is thought by many to be the very best… Número Uno.

Victor has played with Dave Matthews… Béla Fleck… Stanley Clarke… Chick Corea… Bootsy Collins… Prince… Gov’t Mule… and many more…

Steve was famous for his 6-string fretless bass… and he held a chair at Berklee College of Music⁠… not sure if he still does…

But he also toured and played with… Dizzy Gillespie… Willie Nelson… Jethro Tull… just to name a few…

It was a super badass evening…

They both taught… spoke… answered questions… and played…

My friend Ray Cicola invited me… he’s a phenomenal guitarist and teacher… and his band played a few songs in between everything…

One of em was a really rocked out version of… The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band…

After it was all over… everybody just stood around hanging out and talking…

¡ remember standing there face to face with both Victor and Steve… just talking music…

Victor had a VHS instructional tape with him… and he gave it to me…

Then he stopped… asked for it back… grabbed a Sharpie… and both he and Steve signed it… then handed it back to me…

Years later… ¡ gifted it to a friend who was a huge Victor fan…

But man… what a night…

It’s the only music clinic like that ¡’ve ever been to.

Amazing Grace 👇 💯

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All Rights Reserved.

`’.,°~

Shakespeare & Me & Aerosmith (Week 26)

Twelfth Night

Willy `•.

“If this were played upon a stage now,
I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.”

Aerosmith ▪︎`.

“And now that I’m alone
all I have is emptiness
that comes from being free
What could have been love
will never be”

Me `’.,°~

Guys…
I know that emptiness…
its echo…
don’t build a house here…
the story ain’t done…

Joel 2:25
“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten”

© 2026 bryanforchrist. All Rights Reserved.

`’.,°~

Outlaw Roots — The Hank Jr. Legacy (Week 17)

Leave them Boys alone 🎶 Ballad of Hank Williams

Sup yall…
it’s time to hank it up…

got two good ones today—
featurin’ some of Hank’s friends
singin’ along…

the first one—
has the great Ernest Tubb
and Waylon Jennings…

the second—
features Don Helms…
legendary steel guitarist
for Hank Sr.’s band
The Drifting Cowboys…

these are two of my favorites…
both are true eyewitness accounts 😄…

you’ll find out…
when you listen…

Leave Them Boys Alone 🎶
Strong Stuff… 1983

Ballad of Hank Williams 🎶
The Pressure Is On… 1981

I actually could write my own
true eyewitness account song
just like these about Hank… 😳…

the first verse might go something like this…

“Hank Jr was the first show I ever seen…
my neighbor took me to see him n’ Atlanta…
he got drunk n’ mean…

but it was ok…
he was alright…

still tried to half-ass
play guitar n’ sing that night…

guess we should have left him alone…
n’ let him sing his song…” 🤷‍♂️ 🎶

Ernest Tubb
Don Helms
Hank n’ Waylon

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

We Don’t Call It Camping… Where I’m From

Have you ever been camping?

Are you kidding me…

I’m a Gen X kid.

We didn’t call it camping…
that’s what city folks say…
when they do it once in a while.

We called it…

the weekend.

…and sometimes in the summer—
it was just life.

Growing up in Georgia…

I didn’t have to go anywhere—

to find it.

I lived on the edge of thick… deep woods…
the kind full of things
that could hurt you.

We weren’t scared…

didn’t matter—

we were in there anyway.

Kids… by ourselves…
no parents…
just dirt… trees… and whatever moved in the shadows.

Then there were the weekends…

My friend Chris—
his folks had land on Lake Oconee.

Man… we lived out there.

Tents…
or just sleeping by the fire…

Fishing… boating… skiing… swimming…

Great times.

And when I wasn’t there…

I was with my dad… and my uncle…
heading up into the north Georgia mountains…
along the Tallulah River.

We’d drive about 15 miles down a narrow gravel road…
till we hit the river crossing.

Then we’d drive straight through it.

Clear water…
ice cold… even in summer…

on the other side—
was nothing.

No people.

Just us…
and whatever else was out there.

Bears…
Bigfoots…
timber rattlesnakes…

just the locals.

We’d set camp right on the water…

Fish all day.

Rainbow… brown…
beautiful native brook trout…

Trout for breakfast—
fish… grits… eggs…

Lunch—
fish sandwich… chips…

Supper—
we went all out…

Grilled or fried fish…
vegetable kabobs…
baked potatoes in the fire…
salad…

We ate like kings out there.

I’ve caught so many fish in that river…
I couldn’t even guess the number.

Been going since I was about 7…

I’m 52 now.

Haven’t been in a few years…

Life gets busy…

…but that place is down in me.

Some summers…

the riverbanks would glow red—

tiny garnets everywhere.

We’d sift through them…
looking for the bigger ones…

We’d also look for gold…
found some too.

I remember once…
I had a handful of decent-size wild garnets and gold… glistening in my palm

but that place for me—
is more valuable than anything I can hold.

Then came Florida…

Lived there for 12 years.

Different world—
same soul.

Many freshwater fishing trips inland…
spent much time at many of the different springs…

…but also the coast…

I lived on Anna Maria Island…

Had a sea kayak.

Weekends…
I’d load up my truck…
drive to Bishop Harbor…

Drop in…

Paddle 45 minutes out
to these tiny… remote islands.

Set up camp.

Mornings—
I’d paddle and fish…

Afternoons—
back to camp…
eat… rest… chillax…

Evenings—
back out till dark…

Then nights…

just me…

the fire…
the water…
the sounds…
the wildlife…

Alone…

but not really.

Down there…

we call it…

Salt Life.

Had the sticker on my truck and everything.

So yeah man…

I’ve been what yall call camping
a few times 😁

All jokes aside…

I’m about that life.

It’s in me…

just like music.

been singing this in my head and on guitar all day…

Me and my buddy Jonathan… fishing in Florida

Jon and I were fishing when 3 huge wild boars walked behind us

My friend Jimmy holdin’ my fish… this is my pb 9.3 lbs… caught at Lake Istokpoga FL… Feb 2o14
Supper one evening on the remote island

Romans 1:20

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

© 2026 bryanforchrist. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

Taco Tuesday 🌮💡🔫

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

What’s today…
Oooo—it’s Tuesday…

So on Tuesdays…
this is how I unwind…

I dress all in black…
put on my stealth mindset…
and about midnight…

I grab my BB gun…
go around my neighborhood…
shooting out people’s porch lights…
moving their lawn furniture—to better spots…

Once I get my rocks off…
I’m satisfied…

I return home…
make the tacos…
reflect…

eat…
drink…
be merry…

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson | All rights reserved

`’.,°~

The Girl in the Dream… the One Who Woke Me

…My Dream from a few nights ago

A few nights ago…
I found myself in this place…
in my sleep…

I was walking…

It was a quiet… quaint neighborhood—
that felt familiar…

Middle class…
working people…
doing much life here…

I wasn’t alone…

There was a beautiful young blonde girl—
probably around 17…

…and her two younger sisters…
maybe 12 or 13…

…and a young boy…
around 10…

I’ve never seen any of them before…

—but they knew me…

…they felt like my friends…

So I accepted them…

We all were walking along…
talking… laughing…

Life felt so easy…
so simple…

As if I had nowhere to be—
nothing else to do…

…and if I did…
whatever… or wherever…
—it could wait…

I felt younger too…
maybe 18… 20…

As the five of us slowly moved down the street…
just talking…

The older girl asked me—

“Do you know my father?”

I didn’t…

I didn’t even know her…

Then she asked—

“What kind of man do you think he is?”

So I thought for a second…

And judging by his daughter…
by her character in my dream…

I figured him for a good man—

hard working…
loved his family…

She said—

“Yes… you are correct…
he is all these things…”

Then she looked deep into my eyes…
smiled…

…gently placed her hand in mine—

just to hold… as we walked…

Then she rested her head
on my shoulder…

…and I felt something—
light…
soft…

…caressing my neck…

All of a sudden—

I snapped back…
to reality—

I thought of my girlfriend…

My real one…
in real life…

I could see her face in my mind…

I felt my love for her—
she filled me…

I felt so bad…

Like I was doing something wrong—
with this other girl… even in a dream…

I tried to free myself…
pull my hand away—

…but it wasn’t that easy…

I started to panic…
just a little…

And then—

I woke up…

Thinking about my lady…

—My real one 😎’`

my current finger situation

Genesis 28:16
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

OutKasted — Then Gone With The Wind — Atlanta Nights

There was a bar on the Southside of Atlanta—
named after Scarlett O’Hara.

A name that still means something—here.

The owner was a big fan of the movie—
you could feel it in the name… the vibe… the whole place.

A fiery, drunken piece of history.

Like it had been there longer than it hadn’t.

Margaret Mitchell still lived in the bones of that place.
Her city.
Her story.
Her shadow.

And in the mid 90’s.

O’Hara’s was the spot.

Packed most nights—
the kind of place that had its own pull.

Lights low
Laughs loud
Song and dance soaked in whiskey—
beer… and sweet drinks of every color.

A place where stories were made—
not told.
This one included.

Me and two of my good buddies—
grew up together…
went to school together—
now doing grown man stuff together.

We spent most weekends here.

But there was this guy…
his mind was set—
he wanted trouble with my boy…
and he just wasn’t gonna quit.

All night—
on us…
pressing…
running his mouth.

Alright though…
was just words.

We left it alone…
stayed cool…
tried to anyway.

I even tried to squash it—
real calm… real respectful.

To him… that was weak.

And some… they read silence wrong.

On our way to the car…
it wasn’t looking good…

dude right behind us.

Words turned into steps—
steps about to turn to hands.

I knew what was coming…

and yep… he did it—
put his hands on my friend.

I was hoping—for him—he’d choose bigger.

That was all I needed.

I locked on him—

threw him over the hood—

let my hands go.

Fast.
Clean.
Final.

And just like that—
it was done.

He slid off the hood…
out cold.

I didn’t leave him—
I don’t roll like that.

We picked him up—
got him off the pavement…
laid him in the grass—
made sure he was alright.

Checked his breathing…
made sure he was with us.

Then we went back in—
let the people working there know what happened.

Stayed put till he came to.

But just between you and me…

frankly…

back then…

I just didn’t give a damn.

Then…
we were gone—

with the wind.

The Original Eminem… Atlantas Own… Margaret Mitchell
Rear view of the MM house from Crescent Avenue

You can plan a pretty picnic…

but you can’t predict the weather.

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

One Pull Away…

*** DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF ***

The 90’s for me…
were just… were just… hmm…
still lookin’ for the word(s)…

For now…
fire and ice.

The middle of the decade—
Burned hottest…
Froze bone…

I was dealin’ with heartbreak…
tryin’ to fix it with drugs… alcohol…
music.

I was strugglin’

So this memory came back to me today…
I just sat there like—
geeees man… what was I thinkin’?

Apparently… I wasn’t.

Back then… I had a few handguns…
used to go to the firin’ range pretty often…
had a couple of 9mm’s…

and this one…

a small .22 revolver—
pearl handle…
looked almost harmless in the hand.

But I noticed somethin’ about it…

You could load just one round…
and if you looked closely—
you could barely see it sittin’ there in the chamber.

So… as you pulled the trigger…
if you paid attention…
you could track it… tell when it was one pull away.

And yeah…

I’d mess with my buddies sometimes…

I would play Russian Roulette with it.

Even though I knew I was “safe”…
keepin’ an eye on the bullet…

it was still—
an unreal feelin’.

hard to explain it.

I never let anyone else handle the gun loaded…
and I absolutely would not let anyone else participate…
and I never shared my secret.

I can’t believe I did it.

My friends thought I was somethin’ else…
and yeah…
I built quite a reputation off that.

But lookin’ back now…

ugg…

what a thing to do.

So grateful God never let go…

*** DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF ***

Job 33:18
“He keeps them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.”

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

Gee Wiz…

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I don’t want to grow up… I’m a Toys R Us kid… they got the best… for so much less… you’ll really flip your lid… from bikes to trains to video games… it’s the greatest toy store there is… gee wiz… I don’t want to grow up… cuz baby… if did? I wouldn’t be a Toys R Us kid… 🤷‍♂️

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~

Outlaw Roots — The Hank Jr. Legacy (Week 12)

Gonna Go Huntin’ Tonight 🎶 Here I Am Fallin’ Again

Hey yall… got two more good ones for you…
The first one’s fast… the second one slow…

As I was selecting the songs for this one… I was reminded of my first Hank concert…
I think I was 14… it was me… my best friend Joey… my good buddy Chris… and two neighbor girls… April and Ashley…

Ashley’s mother was a police officer… and she and the chief of police for our town took us all to the concert that night…

It was a crazy and fun night… I won’t go into details… other than just to say… everyone had a lil too much to drink… including Hank…

And I ended up spending the night at Ashley’s house… Got the T-shirt!

My mother was not happy the next day… cuz she was worried about me…
…but you know how us Gen X kids used to roll 😎…

So let’s get to the music…

🎵 Gonna Go Huntin’ Tonight
— Strong Stuff — 1983

🎵 Here I Am Fallin’ Again
— Habits Old and New — 1980

Oh! I also included a pic of the mountain Hank fell off… with a lil diagram… showing the path of his fall… just a miracle that he survived (it was 1975… Ajax Mountain near Wisdom, Montana)

Hope yall enjoy

© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All rights reserved.

`’.,°~