Les Baca Played Uke for a Baby

Les Baca: “New parents Andrew Curtis Forelines and Melina Bixler asked if I would play my ukulele for their new baby. I stalled for time: ‘Can’t do it tonight. How ’bout in a couple of days?’ And the play date was set. The baby’s name is Emmeline Hope Bixler Forelines. Supposedly, if you give your baby both parents’ surnames without a hyphen, the baby (when it reaches legal age) can use both or one, without the legal hassle of a name change.

“I began writing a song called Emmeline Hope. Since a punk tune wasn’t working, I wrote a lullaby and rehearsed like crazy! Would the baby cry? Would the baby fuss? No pressure! Yeah, I was nervous. On the night of my big gig, baby was as sweet as only a two-week-old can be. I launched into the song. It didn’t upset her, and at the end of the song, she pooped. I consider that a win!”

Les Baca will play the Local Songwriter Sessions at the Knotty Neighbor on Monday, March 25.

Editor’s Note: The Denver Bootleg is a series chronicling the history of local music venues by longtime Denver cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz. Visit Krumpholz’s website to see more of his work.