Monday, June 28, 2010

BEN MALLOTT


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MARGO VALIANTE

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the scene at Wyldwood

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BEN MALLOTT at Wyldwood House Concerts 6-26-10

Hadn't seen Ben in quite a while.  This was a good time to see him as Wyldwood is a very cool place for live music.
Ben played 2 one hour sets.  Had a full band.  It was a great show!
He did a bunch from his fantastic "Look Good, Feel Good" record along with some new stuff and some cool covers.  Noelle Hampton sat in with him on several songs playing harmonica and/or harmonizing.  She has a great voice and the harmonica was really killer on his songs.
My favorite song off his record is "Midnight and Broke Down."  This was the first time I got to hear it live so that was a real treat for me.  We also got "Shotgun Suzy" and "Heartbreaks," both songs that have received airplay here in Austin.
If you don't have that record, you should check it out.  Very good, from beginning to end:

http://www.benmallott.com/music/music.html

As I mentioned, he did some fun covers that ranged from the Rolling Stones "Dead Flowers" to Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" to "Long Black Veil," Johnny Cash style, along with some Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waites.
Also cool, the opening act was Margo Valiante.  We hadn't heard her before and thought she was great! Fortunately, she lives in Austin so we will definitely be looking out for some local shows to go see her at.
This was a $10 cover.  I think most of their shows are $10.  A real bargain.
One of the covers he did, I got a pretty good video of.  Tex-Mex Mile, a fun little country rocker by The Gourds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYYU7EJxUQ8

MALFORD MILLIGAN

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MINGO FISHTRAP

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KELLY WILLIS


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THE GOURDS

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SHINYRIBS

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BETTYSOO

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ELDERCARE FAN DRIVE at Threadgill's 6-25-10

Not really a concert but a charity event where bands come in every hour, play 2 songs live on the radio and the rest of the time is spent sitting around waiting for the next hour to come by.  I don't think I'll go back to this again.  I'll donate my money but skip the day spent sweating like crazy to hear 2 songs every 60 minutes.  It used to be much more fun and the bands got to play more than 10 minutes.  Now, not only is it kind of a waste with so little live music, but there is just no personality to the event.  They used to, between sets, have dj's and others come up on stage, offer information, kind of chat it up to boost the crowd, give them a reason to stay there, suffering in the heat, but no more.  You know, actually engage with their audience and supporters.  A very boring affair now (other than the 10 minutes of live music each hour).  I remember as recently as 2 years ago, the place being packed.  Things have changed.  The radio station who is a co-sponsor, KGSR, has lost a bunch of loyal listeners who always supported this event.  The station is a skeleton of its old self and the days of Jody Denberg (no longer there), Susan Castle (no longer there), Bobby Ray (no longer there), Bryan Beck (still there) being at this event and talking to fans, a real community of people out to support a great cause and have fun doing it, is just a memory.  A real shame.
As for the music, we got to hear:
BettySoo (our fave)
Shinyribs (aka Kevin Russell, The Gourds, loved Shinyribs, country funk!)
The Gourds (always great country rockin' and fun)
Kelly Willis (love love love and she doesn't come out much anymore so even 2 songs is worth the sweating to hear)
Mingo Fishtrap (horns, funky r & b)
Malford Milligan (serious soul)
We left with 3 more performances to go.  First time we've left early but like I mentioned, it was so hot and so boring, we said to heck with it.

CAROLYN WONDERLAND



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CAROLYN WONDERLAND at Shady Grove 6-24-10

Carolyn did 2 shows in Austin, back to back.  We skipped the night before at Blues on the Green and opted for the more relaxed Unplugged at the Grove series at Shady Grove.  We did hear there were 5-6000 people the night before at BOG!
This was a typically great show even though it was as laid back as I've ever seen Carolyn.  Which, her laid back is still most people's full speed ahead pace.
We did get to hear a few new songs so that was cool, also.  First time seeing her new drummer, Rob Hooper.  He's played with Guy Forsyth, among others, and that is who I've always seen him with.  Anyway, he's fun to watch, very expressive.  He played a Black Swan, a cajon, a snare, a couple of cymbals and the biggest tambourine I've ever seen in my life.  Pretty cool.
Also, Shelley King sat in on several songs.  Shelley makes everything sound better.  What a voice!

JESS KLEIN along with SCRAPPY JUD NEWCOMB


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JESS KLEIN at Momo's 6-23-10

Jess did a month long residency at Momo's on Wednesday nights and we hadn't made it to any so we skipped Blues on the Green with Carolyn Wonderland as we knew it would be a madhouse (billed as part of Antone's anniversary show) and trekked downtown for a more mellow evening.
We enjoyed the show.  Got to hear a couple of new songs and she had Scrappy Jud Newcomb with her.  Any time you get to hear him, it's always a plus.
Another neat thing.  Heard a new voice.  Following Jess was Emily Elbert.  Loved her!  Loved her voice and her writing.  Looks very young.  Gotta check her out.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

DAVID PULKINGHAM and ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO

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ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO at Long Center 6-18-10

Not a concert but a cool thing so I have to write about it.
Next week the Bruce Springsteen dvd of his concert at Hyde Park last summer, called "London Calling," comes out.  Several select markets got to premiere a 90 minute segment of it ahead of time.
So, we bought tickets, of course.  $10 to see it on a big screen, high def., etc...
Lo and behold, Alejandro and his great lead guitarist, David Pulkingham, opened for the film!  They came out and played 3 songs off his new record called "Street Songs of Love."  Believe it comes out in the next couple of weeks.  Springsteen sings on it, too!
There we were, seeing one of our great, local talents kicking off a Springsteen movie event.  Man, it was cool!
Totally acoustic and we heard all new songs, including the one Springsteen sings on, "Faith."  The other 2 were "Anchor" and "Down In The Bowery," which was written for his 18 year old son.  This is gonna be another great Alejandro record.
Telling you, this stuff only happens in Austin.
PS  "London Calling," from the 90 minutes we saw, is nothing short of spectacular.  Finally, a film that is as close as you will ever get to his live show, without being there.  GREAT!

MARCIA BALL


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MARCIA BALL at Shady Grove 6-17-10

God, what a show!  It was a hot, muggy night in Austin and when Marcia took the stage, it ratcheted everything up another notch!
This was another Unplugged at the Grove show.  Always free and always fun.  Good food, cold beer, great music.
Marcia's band included bass, lead guitar, sax and drums.  They played an almost 2 hour straight set and it was jumping.  There were only a few slow songs while the rest of the evening you were bop, bop, bopping.  Was it ever fun.  A night of full throttle, rollicking, Louisiana blues rock.
We got introduced to a new guitar slinger in town.  His name is Mike Schermer and is he ever good!  Her whole band was fun to watch.  The sax player, and I'm sorry I don't remember his name, when not playing, was always smiling.  The drummer was a blast to watch, lots of facial expressions and then you have Marcia with her legs a kickin' and looking like she might just jump right off that piano stool.
You know, it's funny, the song I will remember was probably the slowest one played all night.  Written by Chip Dolan (he was at the show, also), it's called "Bucktown."  Written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, God, it gave me goose bumps listening.  She sang the heck out of it.  Painfully beautiful song.
Got a pretty good video of Marcia'a opening number.  See it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpD_2Rguefs

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

ANNE MCCUE


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ANNE MCCUE at Continental Club 6-5-10

Really looked forward to this one.  I like her a lot.  Been a fan since I first heard her being played on XM Radio, The Loft channel, probably 6 or 7 years ago.  Briefly saw her during SXSW this past March, but it was only a 30 minute set.
This was an early show, 8pm, which was great.  Think cover was $10.
Kind of unusual, she played with a full band of local players and some songs were learned on the fly, even that day.  Therefore, it was not the tightest set you've ever heard, but it was still fun.  I always love it when you get to watch a good player up close.
She is touring behind a great new record just released called "Broken Promise Land."  It is very good.  She rocks out on it, has some horns, gets funky, and she is a heckuva guitarist, period.
So, her time slot at the Continental was 90 minutes and we did hear a ton off the new record.
Well worth the $10.  The place was fairly crowded.  All tables full and some standing, too.  It was a heckuva night in Austin.  To see her we passed on Eliza Gilkyson at Threadgill's, Carolyn Wonderland at Antone's, Dwight Yoakam at Nutty Brown, Neil Young at Bass Concert Hall (will not pay his ridiculous prices. he may not be singing for Bud but he is still a greedy bastard).  Sorry about the little rant there.  Anyway, on a night where there was much great music happening, I thought she pulled in a good crowd.

BETTYSOO

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BETTYSOO and JEFF PLANKENHORN

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WILL SEXTON

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BETTYSOO and Band

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BETTYSOO at Shady Grove

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BETTYSOO at Shady Grove - Unplugged at the Grove Summer Concert Series 6-3-10

This was cool, seeing one of our favorites headlining at our most fun summer concert series.  Always a stellar lineup, a good mix of mostly local Austin/Texas artists mixed in with some neat national acts, also.
The place was packed and BettySoo put on a great show.
 Had the whole band, including 2 lead guitarists.  Somehow, it works out just fine between Jeff Plankenhorn and Will Sexton.
Also, she called up Charlie Faye and Abi Tapia, who were both in the audience.  They harmonized on a couple of songs.
Got to hear a couple of new songs.  There is this one, about "lying to me" which is stuck in my head and I've only heard it twice.  It's a good one!  One of the things I love about living here, where so many of my favorites play on a regular basis, you hear new songs come to life, evolve, until they finally make it to their recorded state.
Did her usual great covers, too and what I will remember from this night is when they did "Gotta Serve Somebody," Jeff Plankenhorn did a searing, jaw dropping solo on it.
They played without a break for about an hour and forty minutes.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

RANDY WEEKS and JESS KLEIN

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RANDY WEEKS at Joe's Bar and Grill 5-30-10

Well, the weekly Sunday afternoon show got moved to Joe's after Irie Bean got shut down for a problem with noise or music license or who knows what?
This day was to be his last show for a while as he's heading north to do some shows where it's not 110 degrees everyday.  
Seems like Randy has a bunch of new songs and hopefully he'll put out a record soon.  He had Will Sexton again  playing guitar and Jess Klein singing with him.  Played about an hour and it was a fun set.  That guy writes great songs.
After his set, Jess did her own set and Randy, along with his band, backed her.  It was really good.  She also had Ray Bonneville do a song with her.  It was killer!
We left after that so who knows who showed up and played as the evening wore on?!
Free show, tip jar only.

INDIGO GIRLS and LLOYD MAINES

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TERRI HENDRIX and INDIGO GIRLS

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