TC Fambro and the Copperheads - June 29, 2012

This past weekend was a hell of a time. I left Lubbock Thursday night and headed to my friend Carter's place outside of Jacksboro for a big weekend. Every summer some of his friends have a big weekend-long party and invite a few bands out to play and a ton of people show up for beer, music and a good time.

The band that played Friday night was TC Fambro and the Copperheads. I had only listened to the songs Carter gave me a while back when we found out they were playing. I liked their music and was excited to see them live.

There was a lot going on that night between the socializing, beer drinking and margarita machine, but I tried to either sit and listen or at least be near the stage either talking or dancing as much as possible.

*Side note - if you are at a party and somebody is paying a band - good or not - to drive out to the middle of nowhere and play on a flatbed trailer for a bunch of drunkards, pay attention. Don't go sit on a tailgate a football field away from the band. It is just plain rude - to the band, the people paying the band, and the people who want to socialize with everyone and still see the band. Bands perform better when there is a crowd with good energy. Whether you're listening or not, chances are everyone will have a better time when the crowd is together.

Sorry had to get that off my chest. Big pet peeve.

I for one am very glad I spent the majority of my time either at the stage, dancing or sitting and listening because this band was damn good. From the moment I walked up Friday afternoon before everyone got there, I noticed frontman TC Fambro reminded me a lot of Evan Felker of the Turnpike Troubadors. He didn't just resemble him, but his entire demeanor was similar and that was true on-stage as well.

During their three separate sets, they played all the songs I'd heard on their EP Texas Town. All of those were great but my favorite is "Free." They played some new songs and lots of covers which was perfect for this type of party. That type of crowd needs music they know and can dance and sing along to which was what the band delivered along with plenty of new music for the fans that care. I can't remember what all they covered because I was usually dancing to those but I know they played some Damn Quails, Conway Twitty, and Stoney LaRue.

All in all it was a blast. The show they put on was entertaining, perfectly suited for the crowd and I would love to catch them sometime in a bar where I can see them in a different element. Between sets and after the show, I caught up with TC and the band and talked for a while about music and everything else. They were all super friendly and so much fun to hang out with. Just good people. We sat around in lawn chairs talking music and listening to TC doing acoustic songs till early in the morning - I think I crashed somewhere around 5 a.m.

TC seems to have a level head and good idea of what he wants. They plan to keep playing their honest music as long as they can. He's the real deal. He writes songs based on real stuff, not just something that will be a surefire hit. It's not all too common for a young band to be so grounded in doing the right thing and playing meaningful music when they have the voice and talent to do what it takes to sell a mainstream hit right off the bat. I have a lot of respect for TC and his band and I hope they continue down this path and I think they will and will be very successful. He's got the voice and the songs, the band seems to be in it for the long haul, and they've all got the work ethic to be a successful Texas/Red Dirt band. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next five years they are one of the more well-known bands in the scene. At least I hope so.

If you haven't seen them yet, catch them soon. I saw on Twitter that Charla Corn recorded background vocals for them recently, so keep your eye out for new music. Also, call your radio station and request their single "Hotter Than Hell," and buy their EP. I know it's on iTunes, but try to get it at a show if you can.

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