After a few practices, the subject of naming the band came up. Apparently one of the guys had thought of the name “Tex”, and another “Svengali.” One of them got the idea to merge the two, and it stuck. At first I wasn’t sure about the name because it seemed like it might be hard for people to spell and/or pronounce. But soon I realized that it was perfect for us. I was so proud to be part of something that was “cool,” but also actually really good! We were all still learning how to play our instruments, so it was a little raw and unpolished, but it was real.
We practiced almost every day, and after a few months we got our first show. It was at a sorta college-y dance club that was trying their hand at live music, which was pretty typical of Wilmington venues at the time. We were to open for our friends Sweetfeed and Railroad Earth. I’m not sure I’ve ever been as nervous as I was that night. Not only was it our first show, but it was my first experience with playing in a band in front of people.
Once we got started though, that nervousness was replaced with excitement and pride. From the very first note, we knew we were part of something special. I think the other bands, and the crowd, knew it too.
