This past weekend was a great one for live music for me. I saw one of my favorites, the Dirty River Boys on Friday night and Charlie Shafter Saturday. I have seen both of them more times than I can remember, but for the first time I saw a little band called Crooks, which opened for DRB.
When I heard they were playing I did the usual Spotify stalking beforehand to get a taste of what to expect. I liked what I heard but nothing too groundbreaking. But this is another one of those bands that you just have to see to believe. They started playing while I was still in line (Blue Light was PACKED Friday night) and when I got inside I could barely wiggle my way to the bar, much less see the stage. But I could hear them and I knew I HAD to get to where I could see asap. So my friend Emily and I grabbed a drink and headed to my favorite short girl spot... the church pew on the wall right by the stage.
PACKED.
Obviously I'm a sucker for some long-haired hippie freaks, so if I wasn't already in love with this band by just hearing them, as soon as I saw them I knew I was a fan. I could never put my finger on exactly what kind of music it was, because every song sounded different. And there was a different combination of instruments for every song. The guy on the stage closest to me went from playing guitar to mandolin to banjo to alternating between a trumpet and different kinds of shaker things and back to guitar.
They were just so much fun. I highly suggest seeing their live show if you like country, honkytonk, outlaw, or Texas music or just a good time.
This is country music. It hits on all the classic country themes without dumbing it down or name-dropping or being about trucks. It's country because it's country, not because it has to prove it's credentials. Oh and there's a Jamie Wilson duet... gold.
I had never heard of Chris King until the past few weeks all social media was abuzz about this 1983 album. I got my hands on it last week and haven't been able to shake it since.This one is to 2013 what Jason Eady's AM Country Heaven and K Phillips' American Girls were to 2012. It may be too early to tell, but I'd bet money this one will be in the running for my 2013 favorites list.
Read some other reviews here and (sort of) here and here. Buy it. Listen to it. Love it.
I had to do some major stalking to find any videos of him singing something from this album and finally came across this acoustic version of "Native Son."
Here's another throwback courtesy of my friend JNJ!
Some people call him The Possum, others called him No Show Jones. But everyone called him the best in the business. George Jones is a legend, but all he ever wanted to be was a singer. Raised in Vidor, Texas, his career has span 50 years, boasting a remarkable 143 top 40 hits. One of those hits, "He Stopped Loving her Today" is considered by most to be the greatest country song to date. What made George the best was how he would take a song and gave it everything he had inside him. A line from one of his songs, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes", says, "who's gonna give their heart and soul to get to me and you?" That's what George did. Gave his heart and soul in every song. And that voice……the one Waylon sang about in his song "It's Alright." He sang, "If we all sang like we wanted to we'd all sound like George Jones". Here are a couple of videos of George spanning the years. Watch, enjoy, and ask yourself, who really is gonna fill their shoes. Brantley Gilbert?
Watch the music video for this one here. I didn't post it because it is kinda hokey and takes a long time to get to the song, but it's still worth watching.
He had numerous hits with his then wife, Tammy Wynette, so I have to include this as a tribute to Tammy:
I feel like I've been really lazy lately because I've hardly posted anything at all other than the throwbacks that I don't even write... but the truth is I've been incredibly busy. Since this isn't something I pay for (school) or that pays me (my job) it gets put on the back-burner. But hopefully after Christmas I'll have a lot more free time.
I had planned on writing all about the singer-songwriter competition finale that went down Monday at the Blue Light.... but I don't remember a damn thing about it other than that the candy burns were aplenty and Erick Willis didn't win, even though he played my favorite "song with no name." I couldn't tell you a thing about the guy that won (Danny Cadra) or what his songs were like, but it's who my dad voted for so I trust his opinion. When I Googled him, all I could find was a Myspace page and I couldn't open it at work.... so there's that.
ANYWHO, I found this song today that is evidently the next single off Randy Rogers Band's next record, Trouble. I am still not sure what I think about their last single other than that it was a good song with an awesome video, but it was way too over-produced for my taste. This next one however, I am loving. I was sold at Willie Nelson. Yup, that's all it takes. See for yourself.
The first time I heard this song, I wanted to hate it so bad because it's full of typical drinking/name-dropping clichés. But it gets stuck in my head and every time it comes on the radio I love it more.
I've missed The Cadillac Black the past two times they've been in Lubbock but from what I've heard they are awesome live so I hope they come back soon. In fact I had never even heard of TCB until they showed up on the JAB Fest line up. And of course I went with people who only want to see bands they know so we went after they played. I ended up hearing about it from everybody else who got there early and I've been kicking myself ever since. I've been listening a lot lately on Spotify and YouTube and they are just good old Southern rockers that I really want to party with. They remind me of the next Whiskey Myers or Blackberry Smoke.
Now doesn't that just make you want to drink whiskey?
Here's another throwback courtesy of my friend JNJ!
Today Throwback is Glen Campbell. Most everyone know his great hits of the 60's and 70's. but his career has span 50 years, 70 albums, grammys, a tv show, and one of the most sought-after session guitar players of his time. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005, and today is still one of the greatest entertainers in country music. With classics like "Rhinestone Cowboy", "Wichita Lineman," and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," he paved the way for many with his style and talent.
Read all about him and enjoy the video of "Gentle on my Mind." This video incorporated another of my legends, Leon Russell, and along with a great song, it shows Glen's talents as a guitar genius.
Here is another video where he sings "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Galveston."
This video came out yesterday. I'm already a fan. Mostly because I love Rich O'Toole and red wine but also because I love lipstick. Call me 64 years old, but this West Texas girl has discovered the secret to dirt and hair getting stuck to your mouth and it's called lipstick instead of lip gloss. You're welcome.
I loved his last CD, in fact it was probably one of my most played CDs from last year and I don't think it quite wore out it's welcome before he started releasing new music, but I'm excited to hear the rest either way.
Steamy. Who wants to join me for a bottle glass of cab now?
In unrelated news... did y'all know there was a presidential election yesterday? I don't participate in social media so I had no idea! Anywho... I voted. It may or may not have counted. Long story... I'm not concerned... I did my civic duty as best as I could.
If you're wondering who I voted for... here's my opinion on politics: I'll be voting for Cody Canada in 2016. And that's all I have to say about that.
For Throwback Thursday today, I have one word for you…….Outlaw. And not in the traditional sense of the word. Jerry Lee Lewis, "The Killer", has put forth a career that has span 60 years. This singer/songwriter/piano extraordinaire did it his way, and really didn't care what people thought of him. From his rockabilly roots to his country years, he has placed his name beside the great ones in history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and Rolling Stone put his box set All Killer, No Filler in their top 500 albums of all time. He was one of the original four of the Memphis sound, with Johnny Cash, Elvis, and Roy Orbison. You can read up on him, from his rock and roll success in the late 50's, to his marriage to his 13 year old cousin which lead to his controversial downfall, then his resurrection into country music in the late 60's and 70's. He has, and still is, doing things his way. Here is a video of Jerry Lee in the early days, doing "Great Balls of Fire."
1st cousins to the great Mickey Gilley, here is a great example of how two boys from poor upbringing in Louisiana made it big. If you love piano, you'll love this!
Lastly, put Jerry Lee with Willie, Merle, and Keith Richards on a bluesy "Trouble in Mind"……Amazing!
PS - Thanks to my old friend who was born in the '60s for helping me with this one.
This song from Red & the Vityls has been on the top 5 most requested on the radio here in Lubbock every day for a few weeks now. For good reason! This guy's the next big thing if you ask me. Listen to the rest of his music and get hooked here.
I love songs that tell stories like this. This "East Side River Snake" just sounds nasty.
Warning: the recommended videos after this one are of real live snakes. Don't freak out like me.
Last time I saw Dirty River Boys was right after I got their new album Science of Flight. Then I said something about wishing they would do "El Pescador" live because I thought it would be a big hit. Well.... I'm not taking credit for this, but they evidently have added it to their live shows. I know this for a fact because I saw them again two weekends ago and they did it! And yes I sang every word, because I know them all. Just kidding, but my friend Carter pretended to and it was hilarious, too bad the video I took of him got lost.
Here is the video I finally tracked down on Facebook from the weekend before I saw them do this song in Lubbock.
I remember the first time I saw him. It was after an acoustic Jonathan Tyler show this summer and afterwards Erick, Red Shahan, and Brandon Adams did some acoustic song-swapping and I've been hooked ever since. I've heard him on Texas Red Dirt Roads and he's getting a lot of attention in Fort Worth and across Texas recently. My friend Carter is also a big fan so when we heard he would be doing a full band show in Lubbock we knew we couldn't miss it.
And thank God we didn't. I've never seen him with a full band, and as much as I love him acoustic, this just added to it.
Erick played lots of songs I've never heard as well as all the ones we downloaded off YouTube in the past few months that TXRDR added. I'm ready for his EP which I think he told me is coming out in the next few months but I can't really remember because I was too busy checking out his tattoos.
In the middle of his set he kicked the band off stage and did a few acoustic covers. Thank goodness because that meant my friend Carter could quit screaming "LANDSLIDE!!" He covered that one first, which I recorded on my iPhone because it is amazing and I want everyone and their dog to hear it.
(If you hear somebody cussing and singing along in the background, it's not me.)
He covered a few others like Ray LaMontagne and Red Shahan's "Broke Down Dreams" and did a really cool acoustic version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Then the rest of the band came up and they did what may be my new favorite song, but when I asked him what it's called, he said it doesn't have a name yet. But I will tell you it's badass and if I could play guitar and write a song, that's what it would be. Another favorite moment was when he did a duet ("That Makes Two of Us") with Tori Vasquez who opened for him. I had never seen her before, but I had heard a lot and I was not let down. She can play that guitar and is a powerhouse.
Here's my new favorite song, "The Song with No Name."
This week's throwback is about a guy who you cannot put in any category. He has span the genres: folk, rock, pop, outlaw country, & bluegrass! Born in Dallas, he grew up on Cowboy songs, and that has been his staple throughout his 40+ year career. An inspirational songwriter, he has written hit songs for Johnny Lee, The Monkees, Cher, Roger Miller, and many more. He is also the author of the New Mexico state ballad, "The Land of Enchantment". From his outlaw country days through his very popular pop country times to his most recent tributes to bluegrass, Michael has always done things his way.
The first video is Michael singing "Cosmic Cowboy," which was written and recorded in the early '70s when he was a large part of the Outlaw Country scene in Austin with Willie, Waylon, Jerry Jeff, and Gary P. Nunn.
The next song is from 1982, where he achieved mainstream success with #1 hits like "Still Taking Chances."
Last week I got to see a true Texas legend. Billy Joe Shaver. I didn't know I loved him so much, but I do. I left wishing I could just adopt him as my grandpa. He is a phenomenal story teller, not only in his lyrics, but in between songs too. I had no clue he wrote so many songs that I have been listening to all my life and just assumed Waylon or whoever made them famous wrote.
The crowd was small - way too small considering the legend that was on stage. But I guess in a bar where the majority of the crowd is college students, that would be expected. The crowd was a lot older than normal. Probably the most people my parents' age and older I've ever seen at Blue Light. There was only a handful of the regular crowd there which was fine by me because for the most part, the people there knew and respected Mr. Shaver. There was even a mother and daughter I met in the bathroom on vacation from Sweden. I asked them why the HELL they came to Lubbock from Sweden and they said they wanted to see Billy Joe Shaver. Badass.
He strolled on out and hopped up on stage at a time most people his age have already been in bed asleep for several hours. It amazes me that he is still going strong after all these years and the life he has lived. He said at one point his family thought he'd be the first to go, but he ended up losing his wife, son and mother in the same year. I read several biographies since seeing him last week and was reminded about what all the people in his generation have seen and lived through. If you do nothing else, read this biography, written in his own words. No wonder his songs and stories are so incredible.
Billy Joe started off telling us that he wouldn't be playing guitar too much because he's got a messed up should but said he "don't play worth a shit anyway." I should have done my research a little more because I had no idea he wrote "Honky Tonk Heros," and "Black Rose," one of my favorite Waylon songs. He also played songs that I knew from dudes like Jason Boland, Reckless Kelly, and Roger Creager.
He played everything from his oldest hits to newer stuff like "Wacko from Waco," which he told the full story beforehand and it just made me love him more. (You can read about it here.) He played "That's What She Said Last Night" TWICE because some drunk dude kept begging him to so he finally said "if I play it will you get out of my face??" This song is hilarious. A 70-something old man saying "that's what she said..." solid gold.
After writing songs for 40 years, he is still relevant with his songwriting and his first hits are still played or even covered by people of all ages every day. But he is so humble. The stories he tells about his personal life and career show a side of him that you may not expect. I saw a picture of him in the latest Texas Music magazine and he was wearing the exact same outfit he had on last week. Denim head-to-toe and even the exact same belt buckle, I swear.
I had no idea how much I would love and respect Billy Joe Shaver after this concert but as far as I'm concerned he's right up there with Willie. If you can, get out there and see him. You never know which show might be his last! (Just kidding, we all know he's going to live forever.)
ps - please ignore the weird donkey thing at the beginning of this...
This has been one hell of a week. Every day has seemed like Friday. Probably because I've been waiting on this Friday for months. Last night I saw the Damn Quails but on the most badass show at the Blue Light and a new CD is on the horizon (next summer hopefully, still not soon enough). Their new stuff is kick-ass. Tonight the Departed is playing Lubbock Music Fest and I could not be more excited... I could go on but I'll just re-live it here next week.
I got to see Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans Wednesday night. That made for a pretty awful Thursday morning, but it was worth it. Corb showed up rocking his usual punchy cowboy hat with a green hockey jersey. That's not something you see every day in Lubbock. But then again it's not every day there's a Canadian country music superstar at Blue Light either. My friend Carter decided it would be cool to give him shit about it the jersey and I guess it got to him because when Corb hit the stage he was in a regular brown t-shirt.
Terrible picture but that's all I got.
I almost didn't go but I'm glad I did. I didn't realize how much of his music I actually knew. Cabin Feverhas been in my rotation a lot here lately so I guess it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.
Favorite moments of the night:
"Cows Around" - Like the cattle breed version of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere."
"Bible on the Dash" - Recorded on the album with Hayes Carll which only makes it better.
"Time to Switch to Whiskey" - Yup, like the Kyle Bennett song. Corb actually wrote it and made it famous in Canada before most of us in Texas ever heard it. Corb's is way better and who doesn't love screaming the RYE WHISKEY RYE WHISKEY part over and over?
It feels so cliche for me to be posting a George Strait song. But I am still in mourning that the King announced his final tour yesterday. His first stop is in Lubbock in January so I'm praying my parents are quick enough to snatch up some tickets for my sister and I for Christmas. Lord knows I won't be able to afford them myself. I've seen him twice and while it's not my preferred concert environment (beer-soaked bar, front row, rowdy crowd), there's nothing like seeing a man that has been an icon for many generations singing hit songs from before I was born that are still played on the radio every day.
Nothing will take me back to my childhood faster than "I'm Carrying Your Love with Me" or "Check Yes or No." I can't pick a favorite. I have tried and I think it changes every time but is usually somewhere around "Blue Clear Sky" or "Run." It's impossible to pick just one, but I love this list Galleywinter put together last year. It's pretty cool to see what an impact one singer has had on so many.
ps - Sorry. This is probably the sappiest song I've ever posted but it just fits the bill too well. :)
Yesterday morning I heard this song on the radio from one of my most favorite bands, Six Market Blvd., so I'm assuming it's safe to say it's their next single. Which is fantastic because I it's my favorite song, or at least in my top three favorites, from their album, Shake it Down. I'm ready for it to be played and requested on the radio 900 times a day. Bring it on.
These boys are in town this weekend and I hope I can catch them after JAB Fest Saturday because they are always a great time!
When I heard they were playing I did the usual Spotify stalking beforehand to get a taste of what to expect. I liked what I heard but nothing too groundbreaking. But this is another one of those bands that you just have to see to believe. They started playing while I was still in line (Blue Light was PACKED Friday night) and when I got inside I could barely wiggle my way to the bar, much less see the stage. But I could hear them and I knew I HAD to get to where I could see asap. So my friend Emily and I grabbed a drink and headed to my favorite short girl spot... the church pew on the wall right by the stage.
