Norah Jones’ duets with Alynda Segarra on YouTube prompted this comment…
Alynda played a major role in changing my entire life for the better. I was an overworked railroader driving freight trains up and down California when I met her and her band “The Dead Man Street Orchestra” at the time. I had just brought my train into Roseville from Oakland, summer of 2005 I believe. I saw her and 5 bandmates playing their instruments under an old oak tree in a dusty field adjacent to the tracks. Once I got off the train I drove my car back to that field and introduced myself. They were a lovely bunch of folks. We ate together and drank “fancy beers” as they called them. The following morning they were aiming to hop a boxcar heading north and they invited me to ride with them.
I called in sick and hopped in a boxcar with them and we rode north into the sunset over Shasta Lake. That moment itself changed my life, it was what I was missing for many years. It wasn’t just freedom, it was untouched freedom. Trains go into places most humans never set foot. I sat with my feet dangling out the side door of the boxcar next to one of the band members watching the sunset drinking beers and smoking cigarettes as the rest of the band played live music in that boxcar as we rolled at a steady 50 mph. I’ll never replicate the feelings I had in that moment…
Upon arriving Dunsmuir we parted ways. I went back to my work life and they traveled on but we exchanged numbers and kept in touch. About 2 years later I hopped a train with Joey from Crime Pays but Botany Doesn’t( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3CBOpT2-NRvoc2ecFMDCsA ) and we rode to Chicago. I then traveled alone to New Orleans and met up with Alynda and the band again. They were just getting out of the abandoned buildings and into their own houses. Alynda put me up for about a month and I just fell in love with New Orleans. I was too drunk to have the self-awareness at the time but I realized later I’d kinda wore out my welcome. No fault of hers.. an uninvited guest should never stay for an entire month lol. She was still a great host and just a stellar human being in general.
After leaving New Orleans we remained in touch. One of my favorite memories was when she was playing a show in Chico Ca. I texted her that I was on my way but running late. I was driving up about 400 miles to see her play. When I got there she was ready to start but she actually held off from starting the show a few extra minutes just giving me time to make it there first. Like what! Lol, that was just the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. It wasn’t a long stall, the crowd wasn’t restless or anything. Maybe just 6 or 7 minutes but it was still extremely sweet. I wish I still had the clout these days to delay a show but it ain’t like that anymore lol.
I owe her so much gratitude though. She played a big part in changing my entire taste in music and opened up so many new genres for me. I pretty much just listened to punk, reggae and ska when I met them. Now my tastes are vast. Old timey, Klezmer, Country, Blues, Gypsy Jazz, and so much more. Oh I also quit my job during that stay over in New Orleans, which was an absolutely huge quality of life improvement I didn’t even know I needed at that time but looking back now.. I would have been miserable otherwise. All of that change in my life and it began meeting this barefooted train hoppin girl in a dirty old field somewhere.
Thank you, Alynda <3