Their three boys, all around the ages of Jesse and Lynie, herald a breakup of generations, Adirondack chairs are again rearranged, but although Simms’s and Clinton’s children are quite a bit younger, they are naturally included with the teen-aged sect.

Tim and Marty Townes and Tom and Simone Mancosa join the group around the firepit.

Tom and Simone’s sons and daughter join the other young ones.

At my request during this project, Brody has remained at home in California.

Perhaps after the deep dive into the history of Preacher McCade and the Roadmasters that I’ve done for the last several months, with intensive research prior to the interviews, and a longstanding appreciation of the band, I am surprised that the conversation is not reminiscing.

Nor is it about the industry they’re in.

It is about the chili they all are about to consume and if, again, McCade has made it too spicy, or for others, not spicy enough.

It is about a girls’ spa trip the women are planning somewhere in central California.

It is children’s grades, sporting events, lessons, what was last binged on Netflix, books read, movies seen, and quite a bit about McCade despairing that Lyla recently bought their daughter the Mini considering he isn’t a fan of her driving with a number of “I heard that” coming from Lynie.

McCade and Lyla are very openly in their element.

They are not king and queen.

They are among family.

After the chili there is a general sprawl in the living room with the female youth disappearing into Lynie’s room and the males walking to the Williams’s house to play video games.

However, the wives do not segregate themselves from their husbands.

Simms queues up the concert video of the show the Roadmasters performed for the Scott-Wright Legal Services Center in August of 2001.

The concert album, and video, are still available for purchase with all proceeds going to the Center.

To date, the concert, the video, the ensuing concerts held in varying places across the United States every other year that are organized by Williams, McCade, Mancosa and all the Roadmasters have made over thirteen million dollars for a number of legal aid organizations since 2001.

I have watched this video at least twenty times.

It is a rare privilege to sit with the band and view any of their performances.

Especially this particular one.

To hear them razz each other for dropped chords or coming in an octave too low (when they did not).

To listen in as they debate a setlist, the perfection of which has been carved into rock history.

The opening of the Roadmasters’ set, which is the finale of this festival-style concert, is legend.

Played in downtown Baton Rouge, where the Blues Festival is located, with no fanfare and no one introducing them, McCade and the Roadmasters wander onto the stage.