Wendal Williams plays bass with The Sidemen of Austin, Texas.  Of course, Saturday night is gig night so Wendal always works until at least 11pm. Austin closes at 2am.  Last Saturday night, a shooter killed one and wounded three other in the parking lot where Wendal always parks on Saturday night.  In Wendel's words to me:

"I park in that parking garage where the shooter randomly killed one and injured three last weeek.  The lot is just around the corner from all of the 6th Street venues I play so I alway park there.  On Saturday night, there are many good reasons for a musician to hang around on 6th Street - friends, sitting in on other's gigs and of course it is a wild scene on the streets.  It's more and more like Bourbon Street, except that 6th Street shuts down at 2 AM.  That means that unless I pack my stuff, get my money and hustle over to that parking garage to get home I would have been at that parking lot when the shooter unleashed his mayhem.  Last Saturday night has become like all Saturday nights - I fire up the computer and get ready for what is becoming my favorite time of the week-another episode of Saturday Night New Orleans Radio!

From Saturday at midnight to Sunday 3am I mix Facebook with listening to WWOZ to speak with people from all over the world.  We talk music and educate each other about music but mostly we enjoy each other's company.  This past Saturday night, with all the temptation of hanging around 6th Street after the gig, maybe Jamie's show saved my life.  Because I prefer to listen and participate in Jamie's show, I was listening to WWOZ on my computer at home - far away from the 2:15am shooting at my usual parking lot.   

Keep on doin' what you doin' the way you doin' it, Jamie!  What a friendship we all have here, huh?  See you on the computer next Saturday night!!!

P.S.  You can join the conversation during the radio show on Facebook under "Saturday Night New Orleans Radio."