Walk-Ins Welcome

I've never been to a Willie Nelson concert. Or maybe I have, but it was probably a very long time ago. I've seen all of his concerts on Austin City Limits when it comes on TV once every 20 years and have records stowed away with his name all over it. I even have a lyric book that he signed himself to me. And still, I've never been.

But I did play a round of poker with him.

What it looked like when we walked in

This was a couple years ago when he had his "BioWillie" BioDiesel gas station at Carl's Corner truck stop that no longer exists somewhere in Texas. I was with my family and I think my grandparents when we were coming back from a trip in Fort Worth around Christmastime. At first it was the normal pit stop. You know, get some gas, pee break, grab some chips and a Twix and get back on the road. As we rolled up to "Willie's Place", it was exactly that. I walked into a small gas station on the side of the road. A couple pictures of Willie on the wall and that's about it. Nothing special. But then these two guys came walking out of double doors in the back of the store and had said Willie Nelson was in there. We all walked in and this small, old gas station turned into a giant music venue with a stage, lights, seats, and even a bar. It was huge. But no one there. Not a single person. Soon enough from the side of this dark, black amphitheater comes out Willie Nelson like it was the Wizard of Oz. He said hello, talked to my parents for a while, gave me a Coke, and I think we even took a picture with him.This was before it was as easy as whipping out your iPhone to snap a pic so that picture is probably sitting in a box somewhere.

What it looks like on a good day

So then he asked if we wanted to come into the back with him because he had some friends with him and they were all playing poker in this grand room that looked like a Dave & Busters. I didn't know how to play and I still don't know. But that was the first time I played poker. After that he handed us a lyric book of his and signed it, told us to come back next weekend and that was about it. Very causal. But we didn't go back.

Anyway, that's how I did it. I walked in.