0705 CLM - Country Line Magazine

4 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
IN THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E S
Bruce robison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
miranda lambert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
music rising auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
taylor swift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
latino music month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
austin movie industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
DEPARTMENTS
Nashville Music News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Texas Music News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
’Round About Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
by Sandra Greaney
on the trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
by Kendall Hemphill
Homespun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Movie Reviews
Recipe & Grandma’s Hints
Cowboy Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
On Pit Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
by Chuck Licata
The Texas Outdoor Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
by Larry LeBlanc
Fishing Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
by Don Gordon
w w w. c o u n t r y l i n e m a g a z i n e . c o m
5 1 2 - 2 9 2 - 1113
MAILING ADDRESS
9508 CHISHOLM TRAIL • AUSTIN, TEX. 78748
LETTERS & COMMENTS
[email protected]
OR MAIL TO ADDRESS ABOVE
PUBLISHER & EDITOR |
T. J. Greaney
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chuck Licata, Don Gordon, Kendall Hemphill,
Larry LeBlanc, Pauline Reese, Sandra Greaney,
Sheryl Bucsanyi, Shirley Baker,
I
F I was in the process of writing this
editorial on Virginia Tech and the
argument for gun rights as I went to
check video files and the things others
were arguing. I came across a video file
that was slowly scanning the memorials
that students have put up around the
VT campus and I realized I was writing
about the wrong topic.
One poster board from a sorority girl
to one of her fallen sisters read, “Thank
you for choreographing the belly dance
for us — I am glad I got to hug you after
our last practice.” I began to cry. I
thought of all the parents and friends of
students who did not get a last goodbye
or a last, “I love you.” The ones whose
last words were of anger or
disappointment with their child or
friend.
Just a few weeks ago my daughter’s
school had a lock-down because the ex
of one of the cafeteria workers
committed suicide in the parking lot in
front of the school. It was apparently in
front of the school police officer and
some of the cafeteria workers. That guy
could have chosen to enter the crowded
middle school cafeteria and taken the
lives of many of those kids, including my
daughter.
It is not about the guns, it is about
the people who are so sick they would do
something like this. This is also not
something new. History tells of mass
killings since the beginning of time.
Poison, cars and bombs have all been
used. Look what happens almost daily in
Iraq right now — hundreds of people are
killed by bomb wielding martyrs in the
middle of a market.
It is not where you live. It happens
in small Amish schools in the country
and high schools and colleges, it
happens in Furr’s Cafeteria and
McDonalds. I don’t know that you can
get away from it or protect yourself.
I do agree that an armed society can
protect itself in many situations. You
don’t hear those stories told on the
nightly news very often — but they are
out there. The problem is there is evil in
the world. There has always been evil —
since God cast out Lucifer and his
followers. (Rev 12:7-9)
Yes, I fear for my family and those
who may be in harm’s way. Yes, it makes
me mad as heck if I dwell on it too long.
But we each have a destiny, some end in
a blaze of gunfire — others die old. It is
how we live each day that matters. You
will never know exactly how many
people you have affected in your life.
You will never know if you’re telling that
teenager at the grocery store “hello”
with a smile kept them from killing
themselves that day because they saw a
glimpse of light from a stranger. Well,
actually you will find out when you get
to heaven and all of that is revealed.
I think we will find a lot of those
killed at VT will have done many things
that meant a lot, even after they were
gone — maybe even more because they
were taken from us. I don’t like it; I don’t
accept it all the time. It doesn’t mean we
don’t fight to make things safer or kick
butt on those who perform these acts of
inhuman suffering. Ultimately God will
judge it all and I pray that those at VT
who lost their lives were met with “job
well done my good and faithful
son/daughter” when they stood before
Him, and hopefully they will have made
a difference on this earth in a way that
mattered.
God bless,
T. J. Greaney
Publisher
[email protected]
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 5
JOE WALSH JOINS
KENNY CHESNEY
BAND
It’s not that things aren’t hot
enough when Kenny Chesney, the
man whose 1.3 million fans played to
on last year’s The Road & The Radio
Tour made him the #1 ticket-seller in
North America in any genre – beyond
even the Dave Matthews Band and the
Rolling Stones, gets rocking. But as
somebody who always thinks there’s
another degree or two to add to the
moment, Chesney wanted an aceshigh way to increase the heat, finding
it in iconoclastic rock legend Joe
Walsh, a man known for his searing
electric guitar and wry wit.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in
the world who doesn’t know ‘Life’s
Been Good To Me’ or ‘Rocky
Mountain Way’ if they’ve listened to
any rock radio at all,” enthuses the
reigning and back-to-back Academy of
Country Music and two-time and
current Country Music Association
Entertainer of the Year. “Those are
songs you know even if you don’t know
that much about music… and then
there’s the way he tears through
‘Life In the Fast Lane’ and ‘All
Night Long.’ We’re talking some very
serious stuff! (Lead guitarist) Clayton
(Mitchell) couldn’t be happier –
because he’s gonna get to go out there
and trade some hardcore playing with
not just a hero, but a guy who really
turned electric guitar into something
scary on pop radio.”
Joe Walsh is one of the most bluessteeped electric guitarists of the
twentieth century – long on serious use
of slide, effect pedals and outright
swagger. The man who captured the
excess of the rock & roll life with But
Seriously Folks and the ironically titled
The Smoker You Drink, The Player
You Get incinerated the James Gang –
a burly power trio of Midwestern
hippies with two gold albums and
freeform FM anthems “Walk Away”
and “Funk #49.” After a distinguished
solo career, he was lured into the
6 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Eagles for Hotel California, where his
presence brought forth the far more
ragged, insistent rock sound that
marked the rest of their ride.
At the same time Walsh assumed
the role of the “rocker Eagle,” he was
playing with an eclectic roster of rock
royalty – from Rod Stewart to Warren
Zevon, Michael McDonald to Steve
Winwood, Etta James to Dan
Fogelberg, Ringo Starr to Rolling
Stone Bill Wyman, fellow flamethrowing guitarist Rick Derringer to
Lionel Richie to the equally gonzo
Pete Moon. Omnipresent on too many
film soundtracks, starting with “Fast
Times at Ridgemont High,” Walsh’s
searing guitar became the signature
laceration sound of hardcore rock &
roll over the past three decades.
“Like I said,” Chesney says about
WRANGLER LASSOES
GEORGE STRAIT FOR
NATIONAL
PROMOTIONAL
the guy adding the firepower with the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame credentials.
“If you’ve ever listened to rock radio,
you KNOW Joe Walsh. Getting him to
come out here with us is gonna be a
total blast… cause nobody’s lived the
life quite like him and absolutely
nobody plays guitar like he does,
either. I think it’s gonna take it up a
bunch getting him out here with us.”
Always one to rock where he finds
it, Chesney quickly took his pal up on
the offer to come out and play. Though
it’s a last minute deal, Walsh will be in
Omaha for the tour’s kick-off
Thursday, April 12 – but he will not
begin touring regularly with the Flip
Flop Summer Tour until the tour stop
in Vegas.
“We’ve got a pretty hot line-up,”
Wrangler
embarks
on
its
endorsement
for
Strait
with
promotional placement in more than
90 retailers, surfacing in 22 cities
nationwide. The campaign includes a
poster giveaway in select outlets, in
addition to possible ticket giveaways to
a stop on the Strait tour to those
patrons purchasing $30 of Wrangler
gear. Posters and tickets are extremely
limited and available in select retailers
nationwide.
Available in countless stores
nationwide is Wrangler’s George Strait
Collection, a distinguished line of
Cowboy Cut jeans and long and short
sleeved button-up shirts that mark the
country crooner’s cowboy style.
Launched by Wrangler in 2003, The
George Strait Collection developed
concedes the man who just had The
Road & The Radio’s third multiple
week #1 with his self-penned “Beer In
Mexico,” written at no less than
Sammy Hagar’s pool in Cabo San
Lucas. “Figure we’ve got Pat Green,
who knows how to throw a party out
front, and Sugarland, who’ve been
tearing it up, right behind him. We’re
ready to rock… and we’re coming fully
loaded. All the fans gotta do is show up
and be ready to party.”
into a popular choice of attire for those
seeking to mirror the singer’s style.
GRETCHEN WILSON
WRAPS “BACK TO
THE BARS” TOUR
Helped Raise over $1.5 Million for Charity
The venues ranged from cozy
lunches to large concerts; the crowds
ranged from intimate and reverent to
completely out of control. And when
the dust settled on Gretchen Wilson’s
10-city coast-to-coast “Back to the
Bars” tour, over $1.5 million was raised
for charity.
“My musical roots are in clubs and
bars,” said Wilson. “We’ve done all
these huge arenas and stadiums over
the past three years – which has been
amazing, but there’s nothing like
playing for people standing just a few
feet away. It was really rewarding to be
able to go back to these cities and these
radio stations who supported us from
the very beginning and give something
back.”
Individual events with KASE radio
in Austin, WGH in Virginia Beach,
WPOC Baltimore and KBQI
Albuquerque netted close to $70,000
for St. Jude, Make-A-Wish and the
American
Heart
&
Stroke
Association.
Gretchen will kick off her summer
tour with a free concert at the famed
Las Vegas Fremont Street Experience
Sunday evening, May 13. Her longawaited third album One of the Boys
hits stores Tuesday, May 15, 2007.
KELLIE PICKLER
EXPERIENCED
HILLBILLY HEAVEN
Performing at the Grand Ole Opry
is always approached with reverence
and honor for every country artist, and
for the experience to end with a
standing ovation is the ultimate in
Hillbilly Heaven. Kellie Pickler
experienced that nirvana on Saturday
night with her current and top 25
single, “I Wonder,” a song she wrote
about her mother.
Sitting on the edge of the Opry
stage with a simple introduction of
“This song is very special to me, it’s
one that I wrote to my mother,”
Kellie’s powerful and emotional
delivery earned the spunky singer
songwriter a standing ovation. “I never
thought in a million years this was
even a possibility,” she said.
“I Wonder” draws from Kellie’s life
experiences. Kellie’s mother left her
when she a child, and Kellie was raised
by her grandparents and her father
when he was not incarcerated. Kellie
was left to wonder, did her mom ever
think about her or would she even
recognize her? California was one of the
last places Kellie knew her mother to
be, which Kellie references in the song.
In addition to “I Wonder,” the
ACM Top New Female nominee
opened the show with “9 To 5,” a
rousing tribute to her idol Dolly Parton,
and then performing her Top 15 single,
“Red High Heels.” She also sang
“Things That Never Cross A Man’s
Mind,” another song from her gold
selling debut album, Small Town Girl.
Kellie takes these songs and more on
the road beginning Thursday in
Chattanooga where she opens for Brad
Paisley’s Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour.
Against better judgment and advice,
Kellie continues the playful trash talk in
the pre-game of the prank-wars that
Brad is well known for. Stay tuned …
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 7
by Pauline Reese
A
F
April was such an eventful month!
Blaine’s 1st Annual Hill Country
Picnic was an absolute blast! They had
the concert outside in the field next to
the Harley Davidson shop in Boerne,
Tex. I brought my horse Blue Diamond
and kicked it off with the national
anthem. I ran into Drew Kennedy who
played and he told me his album is
about to hit the airwaves! I absconded
a copy and it hasn’t left my truck yet! I
really love it! Drew and I are linked up
on my space. Charlie Robison put on a
great show as always. I got to hang out
with my amigo Kevin Fowler who is
also releasing a new album very soon.
Personally I think he’s out done
himself! Really! The production, the
songs, it’s going to be a big hit.
Also last month I had the honor of
hanging out with the three time World
Champion saddle bronc rider Monte
“Hawk Eye” Henson. I did a show at the
Cowboy Hall of Fame and he showed up
to show his support and even sat in and
sang a few songs. Monte sings and plays
all around the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. He
may be coming down to Austin for a few
shows in the near future! I’ll keep you
posted.
Speaking of DFW, I happen to be
killing some time before a radio show and
stumbled upon one of the most fun live
shows I’ve seen in awhile. The name of
the band is Spoonfed Tribe. This band
can rock! One part of the show the whole
band played drums and percussion. They
have four albums and are on tour now!
Go to myspace.com/spoonfedtribe or
spoonfedtribe.com and check them out!
Brennen Leigh is about to do a six
week tour out East with her brother
Seth. So she said she’s gearing up for
that along with her other shows here in
Central Texas. She’s also recording a
duet record with Jesse Dayton to be
released by June. To find where
Brennen with be next go to
brennenleigh.com
Dan Crump will be back on the
airwaves real soon with a re-release of
his Truth Is CD. He’s got a brand new
Web site you can go see built around
his music video “She Likes Shoes.” But
the biggest news is the announcement
of his engagement to Connie Enderli.
No date has been set as of yet. Dan had
been doing a lot of writing and is ready
to get back out on the road to tour.
He’ll hit the trail this June!
DanCrump.com
Todd Fritsch released his CD
Sawdust on April 17th. The project
was produced by Doug Deforest and
the single is “What’s Wrong With Me.”
I think this album will do really well!
It’s out as we speak so go get your copy!
Or go to toddfritsch.com or
myspace.com/toddfritsch
Just wanted to give you a heads up
on the Best in Texas Music Festival in
Bandera, Tex. May 25-28! Go to
bestintexasmusicfest.com for a line up!
I have some exciting news! I’ll be
heading up to Nashville with Freddy
and Catherine Powers this month to
meet with some old friends of Freddy’s.
Sign up on my e-blast on the front page
of my Web site and I’ll keep you
informed on the trip up. Wish me luck!
paulinereese.com
PA U L I N E R E E S E I S A P R O U D T E X A S
MUSICIAN. TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT
W W W. PA U L I N E R E E S E . C O M
JACKIE BRISTOW AND
CHRIS KNIGHT TO
PLAY IN AUSTIN
A•P•R•I•L
22308 HWY 71 WEST
SPICEWOOD, TEX.
512/264-0318
Voted on of the Top 20 Places to
Visit in Austin . —Austin Chronicle
21 AND OLDER
TUESDAYS
The Troubadillos
Pool Tournament
WEDNESDAYS
Open Pickers Night
w/ Jimmy Lee Jones
5-THU
The Lonesome Heroes
6-FRI
Dixie Beal
7-SAT
Rare Dog CD Release Party
13-FRI
Brandon Jenkins
14-SAT Keith Davis Band
20-FRI
Barnhill
Brooks Allen Brannon opens
21-SAT Tracy Conover
26-THU Green Mountain Grass
27-FRI
Magnolia Band
CD Release Party
28-SAT Rusty Wier
Jeff Strahan opens
29-SUN Kip Attaway (America’s
Premier Cowboy Comedian)
Check out our menu, music calendar and events at
WWW.POODIES.INFO
8 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
the young artists sharing the stage with
one of their heroes — on May 9 at The
Granada Theater in Dallas, May 10 at
The Glenn in Austin, May 11 at
Floores Country Store in Helotes and
May 12 at the historical Crighton
Theater in Conroe.
Together, Reckless Kelly and Ely
make fine work of Newman's "Rider in
the Rain," the forlorn country-western
song (complete with sweet harmonies
and whining guitar), and the recording
process spurred the upcoming tour
dates. Other tunes planned for the set
include their take on Dylan's "You
Ain't Going Nowhere."
For more info, recklesskelly.com
and ely.com.
RECKLESS KELLY
JOINS JOE ELY
FOR RIDERS IN
THE RAIN TOUR
For four shows in four days in May,
raucous roots rockers Reckless Kelly
join veteran rocker of the road Joe Ely
for a Riders in the Rain Tour, named for
the Randy Newman-penned ballad the
pair recorded on last year’s “Sail Away,”
The Songs of Randy tribute album.
Reckless Kelly kicks off the show
and then plays with and backs Ely —
Pop singer-songwriter Jackie
Bristow, who puts a soft, sensual spin
on love songs and life lessons on her
new recording, shares the stage with
country singer Chris Knight this
month at Austin’s Continental Club
with cuts from her haunting and
beautiful “Crazy Love,” the recording
she did through Sydney-based
independent label Craving Records.
Fresh from shows in her new
hometown of LA and showcases during
South By Southwest last month, the
warm and soulful Bristow plays at 10
p.m. Saturday, May 19, at The
Continental Club, Austin, Tex. For
info, call 512-441-2444.
TODD FRITSCH NEW
CD, SAWDUST
The much-anticipated second CD
from real-life, cattle-ranching cowboy
Todd Fritsch, hit the street April 17.
The 17-song collection gives the
listener an up-close look at America’s
new breed of “singing cowboy.”
Traversing the well-traveled trails of
love, loss and redemption, Sawdust is
nonetheless rich with depth, diversity,
and style. The disc includes seven
Fritsch
co-writes,
and
shows
throughout that he has grown not only
as a songwriter but as an artist as well.
There is more power in his rich
tenor; the songs are a little “riskier”
than on his debut, while staying “trueto-form” and immediately identifiable.
“We call it ‘All Fritsched Up,’” says
Todd’s friend (and well-known
songwriter) Joe Bob Barnhill. “It’s
amazing how much of his personality
shows through in his music. Todd
throws himself into it just like he does
everything in life — 110% — and the
effort shows. Todd just laughs, and tells
me ‘that’s the cowboy way.’”
Every cowboy knows the two-step,
and Fritsch dances out of his traditional
country box with the disc’s first single,
Andre Boudreau’s “What’s Wrong
With Me.” An infectious grooveoriented track, it’s already jumping up
the country charts, buoyed by its
offbeat lyric, steel guitar riffs and the
undeniable energy of Fritsch’s
performance. On “The Rock”
(Scherz/Batson/Shepherd),Todd shows
the vocal maturity that was glimpsed
on his previous releases; there is
mastery in every note, magic in every
breath and poetry in every line. It is a
perfect match of singer and song.
Fritsch knows his way around a
song — and a campfire, and he closes
Sawdust with the cowboy classic, “Little
Joe The Wrangler.” It’s the perfect
ending for a near-perfect album.
For TF news, go to toddfritsch.com
or myspace.com/toddfritsch
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 9
BRUCE
ROBISON
EMERGED FROM THE FIRE
ON APRIL 4TH
G
GREAT STORYTELLERS ARE MADE,
not born, forged in the white-hot fire
of creativity by paying painstaking
attention to the subtle nuances of the
human experience. Master storyteller
Bruce Robison emerged from the fire
on April 4th with Eleven Stories, a new
collection of songs that chronicle the
complexity of relationships with an
honest simplicity steeped in truth.
Robison’s songs have been featured on
over 20 million records by the top
names in country music including Tim
McGraw, The Dixie Chicks, Garth
Brooks, Faith Hill, George Strait and
Lee Ann Womack. The Austin, Tex.based singer/songwriter decided to sign
with Sustain Records, a new Texasbased label distributed by Universal
Music & Video Distribution, to release
his latest effort.
This newest song cycle also
continues his streak of marrying
emotionally complex songs of
substance with melodic hooks a mile
wide. That’s why superstars like
McGraw (“Angry All The Time”) and
the Dixie Chicks (“Travelin’ Soldier”)
continue to mine his catalog for hits.
“If a song feels real to me then
hopefully it will feel real to someone
else,” says Robison of his approach to
songwriting. “It’s an instinctive thing
for me. I try not to analyze it too much
because that will paralyze you. I write
about things that are interesting to me
and with any luck they’ll be interesting
to other people, too.”
That instinctive approach informs
all the songs on Eleven Stories and gives
it a true cohesive feel. While these
songs can stand alone, put together
they create an album that is bigger and
better than the sum of its parts. “All
Over But The Cryin’” delivers a
punch-in-the-guts look at a failing
relationship with plainspoken poetry
that takes the breath away. The
riveting, “Don’t Call It Love,” uses a
sultry groove of a song to explore
satisfying a need from a woman’s
perspective. Heartbreak never sounded
so good on the Texas dancehall twostep classic-in-the-making “You Really
Let Yourself Go.” “Kitchen Blues” is a
stripped down acoustic number that
tumbles out of the speakers like a soft
rain falling on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
“Virginia” contemplates the choices
that lead young lovers in different
directions with a unique rolling
melody.
The six-foot-seven songwriter was
already becoming a towering figure on
the Texas music scene and not because
of his physical heights, but because of
the strength of songs like those on
Eleven Stories. These songs will cement
his reputation as songwriter and
member of the first family of Texas
music — he’s married to country
chanteuse Kelly Willis and his
roadhouse rocking brother Charlie’s
wife, Emily, is one-third of the Dixie
Chicks.
B R U C E R O B I S O N ’ S M AY D AT E S
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miranda lambert
A P L AT I N U M R E C O R D , T W O A C M N O M I N AT I O N S
A N D A H O T N E W V I D E O K I C K O F F M I R A N D A’ S S P R I N G
2
2006 was a banner year for
Columbia fireball Miranda Lambert in
virtually every aspect of her career, and
she is kicking off 2007 with news that
her debut album Kerosene surpassed
sales of 1,000,000 units. Sony BMG
Nashville Chairman Joe Galante and
Executive Vice President Butch Waugh
surprised Miranda with a plaque
signifying the achievement following
her rousing performance in front of
several thousand radio station
programmers at Nashville’s annual
Country Radio Seminar.
Kerosene debuted at #1 on
SoundScan’s country chart when it was
released in March of 2005. At the time,
only six other country artists in the
history of SoundScan had ever earned
a Number One country album debut on
their very first release. Kerosene went
on to be the 2nd highest debut for a
new country artist in 2005 and made
Lambert one of the Top-Selling Debut
Country Artists of the year.
On March 5th, the songstress
learned of her two Academy of
Country Music nominations as well.
Lambert is nominated for “Best New
Female Vocalist” and also the
prestigious “Best Female Vocalist”
where she joins one of her Idols,
Martina McBride, as well as Faith Hill,
Sara Evans, and Carrie Underwood in
the category. “Being nominated in the
Top Female category is thrilling. I feel
like I’ve been validated as an musician.
I can’t believe I’m in a category with an
artist like Martina who I’ve always
admired!” Miranda said.
Miranda also recently shot the
video for her first single off her latest
album. “Famous in a Small Town” hits
radio on March 19th and the video will
debut shortly after. Director Trey
Fanjoy captured Miranda’s hardrocking style and balanced it with a
small-town feel. The song reflects
Lambert’s own experience growing up
in the small town of Lindale, Texas.
In the last two years Lambert has
toured with Keith Urban and George
Strait, and she is currently opening for
Toby Keith’s Ford Truck-sponsored
Hookin’ Up & Hangin’ Out Tour and
Dierks Bentley’s High Times and
Hangovers Tour.
Her second album for Columbia
Nashville, titled Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
will hit stores May 1, 2007. Miranda
wrote or co-wrote eight of the 11
cuts, and she also interprets the work
of some of the world’s finest writers,
including Gillian Welch, Patty
Griffin and Carlene Carter.
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 11
historic sale of iconic rock memorabilia
TO BENEFIT MUSICIANS, CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS
The “Icons of Music” auction held
Saturday, April 21, 2007 in New York to
benefit Music Rising, a campaign cofounded by U2’s The Edge, raised $2.5
million. Julien’s Auctions conducted the
sale and bidders from around the world
paid record prices for some of the most
iconic rock memorabilia ever offered to
the public. Music Rising, administered by
the Gibson Foundation, was launched in
2005 and has since won numerous
awards. To date the campaign has aided
more than 2,400 professional musicians
and more than 20,000 students and
parishioners of the Gulf Coast region.
The Edge’s beloved 1975 cream
Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar which
was played on every U2 tour since 1985,
sold for a record $240,000. His Gibson
ES-295 Archtop guitar brought $105,000
and Bono’s signed guitar brought
$187,500. The auction marked the first
time such a wide selection of U2
memorabilia was available to collectors.
Among the more than 200 items
sold were former President Bill Clinton’s
saxophone ($54,000), a pair of John
Lennon’s round, blue-tinted sunglasses
($30,000), Edge’s Ethiopian necklace
worn in “The Fly” video ($27,000),
Bono’s Armani sunglasses and signed
case ($24,000), Adam Clayton’s studio
played bass ($23,000), Larry Mullen’s
Tom drum used on the Vertigo tour
Juliens Auctions website beginning
Monday,
April
23,2007
at
juliensauctions.com. The final amount
going to the charity will be tallied up,
with some items having the total selling
price going to Music Rising, and other
($19,000), Paul McCartney’s handpainted and signed Epiphone Texan
($63,000), Kurt Cobain’s MTV Award
($40,800), Slash’s Signature model
signed Gibson guitar ($20,000), The
Edge’s jacket ($33,000), and a guitar
owned by Jimi Hendrix sold for
$410,000. Other highlights of the
auction and results can be viewed on the
items designated a portion of the
proceeds to the charity.
Supermodel and actress Christy
Turlington co-hosted the event which
opened with “The Saints Are Coming”
video, followed by a special performance
by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
straight from New Orleans. Before the
paddles went up, The Edge welcomed the
12 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
crowd and later was the recipient of a
special donation by the Hard Rock New
York, in exchange for a Music Rising
Epiphone guitar signed by The Edge,
which will be displayed as a sign of hope
in the Biloxi, Miss. Hard Rock location.
The auction ran for several hours as
bidders from around the world were
vying for a piece of musical history either
by phone, online or on site. The night
ended with a special closing performance
by legendary musician Allen Toussaint,
which was standing room only.
Music Rising, a campaign launched
in 2005 to replace musical instruments
lost or destroyed by hurricanes in the
Gulf Region. The initiative continues
to aid those in need through its
consistent efforts to aid professional
musicians, churches and schools. Music
Rising was formed in late 2005 by U2’s
The Edge, legendary producer Bob
Ezrin, Gibson Guitar Chairman and
CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. Music Rising is
administered
by
The
Gibson
Foundation.For more information on
Music Rising go to musicrising.org or
gibsonfoundation.org.
taylor swift
1 7 Y E A R S O L D A N D A S TA R O N T H E R I S E
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Swift
has reached another milestone in her
exciting music career. On Monday,
April 9, 2007 the music sensation
will performed a live concert with
her full band to kick off the Los
Angeles Dodgers brand new season.
The 30-minute concert was held at
Dodger Stadium and preceded the
traditional stealth fighter jets,
fireworks and first pitch. Taylor also
performed the National Anthem for
the event.
“I can’t believe I was given the
chance to perform at the Los Angeles
Dodgers opening day! The Dodgers are
such a great organization with so many
talented players and it is an honor to
share a part of the season with them. I
was also excited to play in front of
thousands of fans on the west coast
who might not otherwise have the
opportunity to see me perform. I have
so many happy memories of going to
baseball games as a little girl. I am
really looking forward to it!”
Taylor’s self-titled album debuted
in the Number 3 spot on the Billboard
Top Country Albums chart based on
the Top 5 success of “Tim McGraw”
and was RIAA certified Gold after just
13 weeks. The single landed inside the
Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100
Chart, where she joined platinum-plus
superstars Rascal Flatts and Carrie
Underwood as one of the only three
country artists in the all-genre Top 40
listing at that time.
Taylor’s second single from her
Gold album, “Teardrops on My
Guitar,” is the most added single on
country radio for the 5th week in a
row. The accompanying video, which
she filmed with One Tree Hill star
Tyler Hilton, is receiving heavy
rotation on both CMT and GAC. Her
MySpace page is one of the most
popular in all genres and has reached
more than 10 million hits.
Taylor has appeared on National
TV programs “The Tonight Show with
Jay Leno,” “Good Morning America,”
“The Morning Show with Mike &
Juliet,” “Fox & Friends,” and “Access
Hollywood.” She was also recently
featured in CosmoGirl and Us Weekly
as well as numerous other national
publications.
Taylor is touring with country
music superstar Brad Paisley. Swift has
already achieved so much as an artist,
and her future looks just as bright. Be
on the lookout for more exciting news
from this sensational teenager!
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 13
14 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
LATINO MUSIC MONTH
RETURNS WITH SPICY SOUNDS
Month-Long Festival Rocks Austin throughout May
The city known for live music and
listed among the “top cities for
Hispanics to live and work,” celebrates
Latino Music Month throughout May.
The City of Austin features Latino
artists as part of “Live from the Plaza”
noon concert series every Friday at City
Hall, at Austin-Bergstrom International
Airport and during weekly Austin City
Council meetings. A number of special
showcase are produced during the
month, and many local clubs and
venues book Latino artists.
Organized by the Austin Latino
Music Association (ALMA), Latino
Music Month is intended to increase
knowledge and awareness of Austin’s
Latino music scene.
“This is a great opportunity for Latino
musicians to shine and to raise awareness
about this important segment of the local
music scene,” says ALMA founder Raul
Alvarez. “This month-long festival
celebrates everything from Latin country
and western to salsa and flamenco.”
The celebration kicks off with a
party on May 1 from 6-9 p.m. at the
Gibson Guitar Showroom, located in
Penn Field at 3601 South Congress
Ave, Ste. G-400. Attendees can enjoy
performances by Davíd Garza and
Alejandro Escovedo.
Other highlights during the month
are Grupo Fantasma and Vallejo, May 5
at Antone’s; Justin Treviño, Wednesdays
through May 30 at Ginny’s Little
Longhorn; and Ruben Ramos at Round
Rock’s Fiesta Amistad on May 26.
May also includes the celebration
of Cinco de Mayo, May 3-6 at Fiesta
Gardens. The festival commemorates
the Mexican holiday and includes
activities such as a jalapeño-eating
contest and Polka dance contest.
The month is also packed with
other events such as the Austin
Conjunto Festival on May 6 at Fiesta
Gardens and the Old Pecan Street
Festival, May 5-6, which features
Vallejo, Son Y No Son and more.
A complete schedule of events,
festivals, performances and venue
listings during Latino Music Month is
available at austinlatinomusic.com.
THE MISSION OF ALMA (MEANING "SOUL" IN
ENGLISH) IS TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND
AWARENESS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT LOCAL
MUSICIANS AND IMPORTANT HISTORICAL FIGURES
IN AUSTIN’S LATINO MUSIC SCENE, PROVIDE
EXPOSURE AND RESOURCES TO LOCAL MUSICIANS,
AND TO FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG
MUSICIANS WHO WILL KEEP LATINO MUSICAL
STYLES AND TRADITIONS ALIVE IN THE CAPITOL CITY.
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 15
LIGHTS … CAMERA … ACTION!
A N O T H E R C H A R T-T O P P I N G Y E A R F O R A U S T I N F I L M
T
F
The latest issue of MovieMaker
magazine names Austin as number
three in its annual ranking of the “Top
Ten U.S. Cities to Live and Make
Movies.” The Capital City has
appeared among the top three cities on
this notable list for six consecutive
years.
“So much of Austin’s reputation as
a world-renowned moviemaking
capital has to do with the unique
education and support that the
community fosters through film
festivals,
special
screenings,
retrospectives and even contests,” says
MovieMaker. The accompanying
article also cites the Austin Film
Commission’s new online film
production guide and online location
database as other reasons the city
remains a favorite. In addition, the
writer spotlights the partnership
between Burnt Orange Productions
and the University of Texas Film
Institute as the only program of its
kind that gives students the
opportunity to work on union films
with professional crews.
Other cities ranking among the
top ten include, in order: (1) New
York,
(2)
Philadelphia,
(4)
Albuquerque, (5) Las Vegas, (6)
Shreveport-Bossier City, (7) Memphis,
(8) Miami, (9) Portland and (10) Salt
Lake City. Austin ranked second to
New York in the past two years.
“Landing near the top of the
MovieMaker list again is an award that
is well deserved. Austin has long been
considered a film friendly city. The
support of city government and
the local film industry including
the Austin Film Festival, Austin
Studios and South by Southwest
are crucial to our success as a
film hub,” says Gary Bond,
director of the Austin Film
Office. “Our golden reputation is
furthered by the city’s progressive
culture and the moviemakers who
choose to call Austin home.”
According to the Texas Film
16 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Commission, Austin led all Texas
cities in film and television total
production budgets in 2006, for the
sixth
consecutive
year,
with
approximately $131.9 million in
production budgets. That accounts for
45% percent of the $291.3 million in
total film budgets in the Lone Star
State last year.
Production wrapped on more than
22 feature films in 2006, including Fast
Food Nation, The Hitcher, Teeth,
GrindHouse and Gary the Tennis Coach,
along with NBC’s television series
“Friday Night Lights.”
by Sandra Greaney
T
F They say that “April showers bring
May flowers“and boy how we look
forward to the sights and smells of
those Standing Cypress, Mexican
Hats, Clovers and those wonderful frog
fruits! As I write this column, I’m
reminded of a quote I read the other
day that read “Some people walk in the
rain, while others just get wet”. With
that being said, during this predictably
rainy month, I encourage you to not
let a few showers put a damper on any
plans that you have to attend outdoor
events scheduled here in Central Texas
this month. There are many to choose
from but here is just a taste of what
May has to offer.
around austin
MAY 3 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
MAY 3-5 CINCO DE MAYO MUSIC
F E S T I V A L with live music, food, arts
and crafts, carnival rides and jalapeñoeating contests.
MAY 5 LEGENDS OF TEXAS MUSIC
F E S T I V A L in Dripping Springs. This
event featuring Roger Creager, Larry
Gatlin, Wade Bowen, Brandon Rhyder,
Michael Myers and other special guests.
Enjoy food, drink, a huge silent
auction, market booths, children’s area
and more all at the Nutty Brown
Amphitheatre. 512-694-0874
MAY 5-6 OLD PECAN STREET
S P R I N G F E S T I V A L Musicians, food
vendors, artists and craftspeople turn
Sixth Street, originally named Pecan
Street, into a lively street fair.
MAY 12 HERITAGE HOMES TOUR
Celebrate Historic Preservation
Month with this annual walking tour
of seven historic homes on 31st Street
between Guadalupe and Lamar.
MAY 13 MOTHER’S DAY CONCERT
beginning at 7pm at the Zilker Hillside
Theater. The Austin Symphonic Band
will be performing show tunes and
light classics to make this a most
enjoyable evening. 512-345-7420,
asband.org
MAY 19 ARMED FORCES DAY
MAY 19-20 LEARN TO WINDSURF
You can learn how to windsurf at the
Bob Wentz Park. The Austin Windsurf
Club presents its annual Learn to
Windsurf
Festival.
Experienced
instructors will teach basic skills on
land and then in the water. Space is
limited and registration is available on
the web. A suggested donation of $20
benefits the Spastic Paraplegia
Foundation. austinwindsurf.org
M A Y 1 9 THE ROAD TO AUSTIN FESTIVAL is one
HUGE event coming to Austin that you
won’t want to miss. On May 19 starting at
7pm, the banks of Auditorium Shores will
be the place to be to hear 3 _ hours of
non-stop music by some of the best
musicians from Texas. Bonnie Raitt, Kris
Kristofferson, Delbert McClinton, Joe Ely,
Eric Johnson...to name just a few that will
be performing. roadtoaustinconcert.com
MAY 28 MEMORIAL DAY
M AY 2 5 - 2 8 BEST IN TEXAS
F E S T I V A L in Bandera is an annual
festival celebrating all the things that
make Texas great. Fun for the whole
family including; great Texas music,
arts and crafts, cook offs, carnival rides,
food and libations. bestintexasfest.com
Have a great March!
E-MAIL YOUR EVENTS TO
[email protected]
F O R C O N S I D E R AT I O N . S PA C E L I M I T S
O P P O R T U N I T Y.
out of town
MAY 11-12 117TH ANNUAL
M A I F E S T Enjoy one of the oldest
German festivals in Texas in Brenham.
There will be colorful parades,
spectacular pageants, food, crafts and
exhibits. And you can enjoy some
wonderful polkas, waltzes and country
music. 1-888-2736426, maifest.org
MAY
11-13
RATTLESNAKE
R O U N D - U P in Freer. Join in the fun at
the Freer Cactus Corral for the biggest
Party in Texas featuring concerts with
nationally known country western and
Tejano artists. Fun for the whole family
including carnival, parade, arts/crafts,
stage shows, dare devil snake show,
fried rattlesnake meat, talent contest
and much more. 361-394-6891
MAY
19-20
OLD GRUENE
M A R K E T D A Y S Nearly 100 vendors offer
uniquely crafted items collectibles and
packaged Texas foods in the Gruene
Historic District. gruenetexas.com
M A Y 1 9 - 2 0 LAVENDER FEST AT
B E C K E R V I N E Y A R D S Three acres of
lavender fields profusely bloom purpleblue under the Texan sun at Becker
Vineyards. Hoed rows of vibrant lavender
contrast with the red, sandy loam soil it
grows in. The event features various
vendors selling lavender plants and
products as well as speakers promoting
lavender education. There will also be
gardening tips, cooking demonstrations,
wine tasting, and lavender featured
luncheons. beckervineyards.com
M AY 2 4 - J U N E 1 0 KERRVILLE
F O L K F E S T I V A L More than just a “folk
music” festival, Kerrville offers music
of many styles including traditional
folk, bluegrass, acoustic rock, blues,
country, jazz, and Americana. The
common thread is songwriting.
M AY 2 5 - 2 7 2ND ANNUAL TEXAS
P R O U D F E S T I V A L and John Wayne’s
100th Birthday in Llano. Gunfighters,
varmints, chuckwagons, trail bosses and
more turn Llano into a Texas Living
History happening. 325-247-5354
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 17
by Kendall Hemphill
A Convenient Lie
Al Gore may not be the sharpest
croquet ball in the set, but he’s at least
smart enough to know that, if you want
to get people to give you their money,
you have to offer them a solution to a
problem. It really doesn’t matter
whether the problem is real or
imagined, as long as the dollars they
give you are the real kind. If you tell
them there is no problem, then there is
no money.
Yes, we’ve talked about global
warming before, but it’s kind of like one
of those kids’ punching bags with the
picture of a clown on the front. You
knock it down and it just pops right
back up, asking for another swat. And
it never quits smiling. It enjoys getting
smacked.
But just to set the record straight, I
want to point out that, in my last
column about this subject, I admitted
that I really do believe global warming
exists, and that it’s happening right
now, almost everywhere. I even tried to
worry about it some, but I got
distracted over Easter weekend, when
the snow was piling up in Central
Texas so deep kids were building
snowmen and making snow ice cream.
It’s hard to ponder the demise
of earth due to
excessive heat while
you’re getting hit
with snowballs in
April.
Of course, the
fact that it snowed
in Central Texas at
Easter is not proof
that
global
warming isn’t
happening, any
more than a
heat wave in
December is
proof that it is.
That’s just one
of those strange
things
that
happens in Texas
sometimes, like Ann
Richards being elected
governor, or your sink drain stopping
up. It’s unpleasant, but you have to deal
with it and go on.
What I don’t believe is that
OUTDOOR RADIO
LIVE
IN
AUSTIN
The Texas Outdoor Zone Radio Show
www.texasoutdoorzone.com
Exclusively on 1300AM The Zone
6 - 8 am
Every Saturday
Morning
18 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
humans are causing global warming
through blatant use of aerosol
deodorant or gasoline
exhaust or excessive
belching or anything
else. I think the cycle
of gradual warming
and cooling of the
planet is caused by
natural changes in
ocean
currents,
which are affected
by lots of factors,
including
fluctuation of
salinity in the
water. And
I’m not the
only one who
thinks
this
way.
William
Gray, an emeritus
professor at Colorado
State University, agrees
with me. Well, OK, to be totally honest
the ocean current salinity thing was his
idea to begin with, but I don’t see any
need to split hairs, here. The main
thing is to stay focused on the problem,
and what needs to be done about it.
Which is, ah, nothing.
Gray is the absolute top dog head
cheese big enchilada in the entire US
of A when it comes to predicting
hurricanes and other major weather
events. His annual hurricane forecasts
are awaited with bated breath and
crossed legs and tapping feet by the
horn rimmed glasses and pocket
protector crowd. There isn’t anyone
who knows more about big storms than
this guy. So I’m forced to bow to his
expertise.
At the recent National Hurricane
Conference in New Orleans, Gray
addressed
the
nation’s
top
meteorologists
and
emergency
management specialists. He told them,
basically, that Al Gore was full of
guacamole. He called Al a ‘gross
alarmist’ and said Al’s claim that storms
have gotten worse since the 1970s isn’t
true. So I guess he called Al a liar, too,
although calling a politician a
prevaricator is like saying the
Mississippi River is damp. Not exactly a
shocker.
Al’s
documentary
‘An
Inconvenient Truth’ claims earth is
headed south on a greased pole. The
idea is that humans are ruining the
planet with greenhouse gasses like
carbon dioxide, and unless we do
something about it we’re in deep
trouble. But Gray, who evidently
doesn’t hold a candle to Al in the fund
raising department, says that’s a bunch
of hooey. When asked about Al’s
predictions of horrendous flooding and
other disastrous weather events, Gray
said, “He’s one of these guys that
preaches the end of the world type of
things. I think he’s doing a great
disservice and he doesn’t know what
he’s talking about.”
So Gray is pretty critical of Al, but
I don’t think he’s adequately
considered the situation. Al is trying to
win the democratic nomination for the
presidential race, and that takes
money. And if you come out and tell
folks everything is fine, they will
inconsiderately fail to donate huge
wads of legal tender to your campaign.
And that doesn’t help anyone. Except
maybe the citizens of the country, and
who cares about them?
Gray says the current cycle of
warming oceans, which is causing
recent hurricane activity, is going to
start going the other way in five to ten
years. But then, by that time we’ll all
be on mopeds and bicycles, and
smelling each other’s B.O., and Al will
claim his movie caused the reduction
of poisonous fumes, which in turn
saved the planet.
But, hey, Al’s a politician. Saving
the planet is his job. Well, that and
playing croquet …
KENDAL HEMPHILL IS AN OUTDOOR
HUMOR COLUMNIST AND PUBLIC
SPEAKER WHO OWNS HIS OWN
C R O Q U E T M A L L E T. W R I T E T O H I M AT P. O .
B OX 1 6 0 0 , M A S O N, T X 7 6 8 5 6 O R
J E E P @ V E R I Z O N. N E T
by Shirley Baker
MOVIE REVIEWS
Each month Country Line has the opportunity to review lots of music. We also
have been blessed to preview many new books and movies over the last few
years and in the next few months there will be a lot of opportunities for you
to relax with one of these great books or films. Here are a few favorites we
picked to review this month. These are hand picked for the whole family.
MOVIE
Bug Rangers Submarine Sandwich
In Bug Rangers: Submarine Sandwich
everyone’s favorite Roach Rangers are
back with their fifth installment of the
critically-acclaimed hit series from
Wacky World Studios. Following Don’t
Miss the Boat!, The Mane Event!, Slingshot
Slugger! and Hairy Situation, Submarine
Sandwich draws upon the biblical story of
Jonah in the warm-hearted, hilarious tale
about a family of roaches that learn an
important lesson about obedience and
the amazing power of forgiveness.
Join Squiggz, Grandpa, Flutter and
seven seas. Grandpa soon joins Squiggz
“in the belly of the whale” and there he
recounts the humorous tale of another
fellow he once knew who found himself
in much the same predicament. Along
the way, Squiggz begins to understand
the value of obedience while learning the
biblical story of Jonah and the whale. By
the time Flutter and Cosmo pass
themselves off as “fresh bait” on a
fisherman’s hook, help land the giant
fish, and reunite with Grandpa and
Squiggz, everyone has learned an
important lesson about obedience, God’s
awesome love, and the amazing power of
forgiveness.
This salad is most refreshing and so easy to
prepare. Fix ahead and a salad will always be ready for
guests, picnics or family fare.
BLACK BEAN, CORN
& TOMATO SALAD
1 can black beans
1 can kernel corn
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped red onion
Marinade:
1
/8 tsp salt
1
/8 tsp black pepper
5 Tbsp salad oil
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1
/4 cup snipped fresh basil
Toss marinade with beans,
corn. Gently mix in 1 cup
halved cherry tomatoes and
1 cup chopped red onion.
For a Southwestern flavor, one can always add cilantro.
?
?
G R A N D M A’ S H I N T S
Freshen potato chips by placing on cookie sheet,
place under broiler of oven. Remove before too brown.
Olive oil revitalizes stainless steel
Use plain toothpaste to remove scratches from glasses.
When your car heats up in the summer,
turn on the heater and watch the temperature gauge
go down until you reach a service station.
?
?
Cosmo as they learn the consequences
that come from disobedience and the
power of God’s amazing love and
forgiveness. Approved by the Dove
foundation for quality children’s
entertainment, Bug Rangers: Submarine
Sandwich crawled onto DVD April 3.
Synopsis: On the hottest day of the
year, Nana sends Squiggz out on an
errand. But instead of going where he’s
asked, Squiggz sneaks down to the beach
for a quick swim. He finds a child’s wind
up submarine that’s been abandoned in a
tide pool, and when Squiggz climbs
inside its all hands on deck for the
adventure of this bug’s young life. The
sub is swallowed by a very big fish as
Grandpa, Flutter and Cosmo are
attempting the wackiest rescue on the
MOVIE
This is Tom Jones
Wanted:
Dynamic
young
singer/TV host. Must be fluent in
rhythm & blues, rock ’n’ roll, pop and
country music. Extraordinary vocal
ability, charisma, and stage presence
essential. In the late ’60s, there was
only one man qualified for this job:
Tom Jones. Time Life presents The
Tom Jones Show, featuring live musical
and comedic performances by Tom
Jones, Burt Bacharach, Richard Pryor,
Aretha Franklin, and many more!
Over 50 songs performed and more
than 10 comedy sketches! Watch for it
in June!
True Texas spring water
bottled right here in
Austin. Don’t buy bottled
city tap water when you
can enjoy natures pure
refreshing spring water.
KEEPIN’ IT LOCAL!
Home or Office Delivery
Call Today! 512/280-4037
Official Water of
The Texas Outdoor Zone
Texas Proud!
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 19
Local Horse Rescue Organizing Horse
Expo to Educate the Public about
Proper Horse Care and Raise Funds to
Help More Horses
Bluebonnet Equine Humane
Society (BEHS), an organization that
helps starving and abused horses across
Texas and Arkansas, will hold their
first annual Bluebonnet Horse Expo on
October 20, 2007, at Silver Hill
Stables in Austin, Tex. The Expo
serves four purposes: educate horse
lovers about proper horse care, provide
family entertainment, introduce rescue
horses to the public, and help BEHS
raise funds. The event includes clinics
and demonstrations about horse
training and horse care as well as fun
activities for the whole family.
Al Ragusin and his Dancing
Horses will be featured at the Expo in
an exciting musical performance
where his horses dance in perfect time
to the rhythm of the songs. Al Ragusin
will also be conducting a clinic to
teach his methods to a few BEHS
foster parents riding horses that will be
available for adoption after the show.
Al Ragusin is well-known for his RFD-
F
B
TV series and Texas Horse News
column titled, “Train Your Own
Horse.” Winner of over 300 awards
and trophies for Dressage, Cutting,
Reining, Western Pleasure, Barrels,
Racing, Charro, and Bullfighting
(bloodless), Al Ragusin also trains and
rides the only true dancing horses in
the world.
The Bluebonnet Horse Expo will
also feature an exhibition by Rowdy
Yates, America’s Best Known Colonial
Spanish Mustang Stallion, owned by
Karma Farms. Karma Farms will be
performing their musical BreyerFest
exhibition, which includes mounted
games such as Stick Ball. The
excitement will continue with a
demonstration by local members of the
Cowboy
Mounted
Shooting
Association. There will be clinics on
Early Foal Training, Equine Dentistry,
Natural Horsemanship, Natural
Trimming, The Equine Touch, and
How to Keep Your Horse Sound in 10
Minutes a Day. The event also includes
a live and silent auction of horse items,
and plenty of vendors.
Twenty to forty of the rescue’s
20 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
horses, donkeys and mules plan to
attend the event and will be
introduced to the public. If you are
interested in adoption, come meet the
horses and find your new equine pal.
Pre-approved adopters may adopt an
equine on the day of the Expo, so be
sure to get your Adoption Application
in early! Horse Happy Hours (free
non-alcoholic beverages) will focus on
the equines and their sponsors.
BEHS needs help to make this a
successful event. The organization is
currently seeking:
Event Sponsors: Sponsorships start at
just $25 and the organization offers
varying benefits depending on the
sponsorship level.
Vendors: Vendor space starts at just
$35 and gives all vendors access to
hundreds of horse lovers.
Tack and other horse-related items:
The rescue is seeking new and used
tack, farm and ranch items and horse
and ranch-themed jewelry and home
décor for a live auction, silent auction
and sale area. All donations are taxdeductible.
Bluebonnet Equine Humane
Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization whose mission is to
improve the lives of equines by
educating and helping owners,
assisting law enforcement agencies,
rehabilitating abused and neglected
equines, and placing them into safe,
permanent homes. With the drought
last year and associated hay shortage,
BEHS has been overwhelmed with
calls about starving horses throughout
Texas and Arkansas. The Bluebonnet
Horse Expo will be BEHS’s major
fundraiser for the year, and will directly
impact the number of horses they will
be able to help in the future.
F O R M O R E I N F O, V I S I T …
B LU E B O N N E T H O R S E E X P O. C O M
CALL 888-542-5163
OR EMAIL
E L I Z A B E T H B E V E R LY, E X P O C O O R D I N AT O R
E L I Z A B E T H @ B L U E B O N N E T H O R S E E X P O. C O M
by Chuck Licata
I
Gordon may never get the
respect he deserves
In my days as a track announcer at
San Antonio Speedway and Thunder
Hill Raceway, I enjoyed “playing” to
the racing crowds by talking a lot about
NASCAR drivers — and picking on
one Jeff Gordon.
Gordon, a four-time Cup
champion, has already been ridiculed
by NASCAR fans across the country
for many years. Gordon — who tied
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. with his 76th
career victory on Saturday, April 21 –
was born in Vallejo, CA. before
moving to Pittsboro, IN to pursue his
racing career.
Gordon “flashed” his talents at a
young age on the open-wheel circuit
before driving in the Buck Baker
Driving School at Rockingham, N.C.
After taking his first-ever spins in a
stock car, Gordon declared to his
parents that driving a stock car was
“what he wanted to do for the rest of
his life.”
After getting his start with Bill
Davis Racing and winning the Busch
series Rookie of the Year award in
1991, Gordon met up with one Rick
Hendrick and the rest is history.
Gordon, who’s been with
Hendrick Motorsports for 15 years —
and the same title sponsor, DuPont, for
the same amount of time — grabbed
Cup championships in 1995, ’97, ’98
and 2001. He owns the NEXTEL Cup
record for most series wins on a road
course — nine — and counts three
Daytona 500 and four Brickyard 400
checkered flags among his 76 career
victories.
But oh no — don’t think
NASCAR fans have a love for the man
nicknamed “The DuPont Dude.”
Gordon is NASCAR’s “Pretty Boy:” in
a sport that was started and thrived in
the rugged South, Gordon’s good looks
and “dazzling” smile has earned him
the Pretty Boy label since the day he
began his NEXTEL Cup career back in
1992.
For nine years, Gordon and
Earnhardt, Sr. were the two icons of
NASCAR — and a great topic of
discussion and parallellism. Earnhardt
was the hard, rugged, win-at-all-costs
seven-time Champion who — along
with Richard Petty — best embodied
NASCAR’s southern-boy roots.
Back to my point now. Gordon
may be the poster boy for winning but
F
Oh yah — he’s also one of the best
natural drivers auto racing will ever
see.
CHUCK LICATA, AN AWARD-WINNING WRITER, HOSTS
THE MOTORSPORTS ZONE RADIO SHOW ON AUSTIN
KVET-AM 1300 (SATURDAYS 10 – 11AM CT). HE IS
ALSO CO-OWNER OF K-MAC SPORTS PRODUCTIONS,
AN ONLINE COMPANY THAT BROADCASTS HIGH
SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND SHORT-TRACK AUTO
RACING. E-MAIL:
[email protected]
he also is the poster boy for ridicule in
NASCAR. Trust me, if you were ever
announcing to a crowd and you got in
a pinch for a topic to get a crowd “fired
up,” just mention Gordon’s name and
pick on him — and there’s your recipe
for entertainment and success with the
masses.
But truth be told, I respect Gordon
for everything he’s done in his stellar
career. In fact, I’ll tell anyone who will
listen that I agree with many of the
media who believe it was the influence
and popularity of Gordon and
Earnhardt, Sr. (before he passed away
at the Daytona 500 in 2001) that
eventually helped NASCAR make its
jump into the “mainstream” sports
with a TV package which allowed the
sport to make the jump to being
televised on the “big networks” of
NBC and FOX in 2000.
For years I’ve been calling Gordon
one of the three best natural race car
drivers in the world. Gordon, who will
be 36 on Aug. 4, is showing signs of
“settlling down” but only in the sense
that he’s now married (to model Ingrid
Vandebosch) and that he’s an
expecting father.
However, Mr. Gordon has led the
Cup points chase most of the season
and looks geared towards winning a
fifth Cup championship.
But as Gordon drove around
Phoenix International Raceway on
April 21 with a black #3 flag in his
hand (marking his tie with Earnhardt.
Sr., who died driving the famous black
#3 Mr. Goodwrench Chevrolet), he
was booed; fans threw items such as
beer cans and bottles on the track in
protest of Gordon’s tribute to the elder
Earnhardt.
While it certainly made for some
funny video, I can only hope
NASCAR fans in general realize what
Gordon has meant to the overall
growth of the sport.
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 21
by Larry LeBlanc
C
Camping this spring requires
preplanning
Camping can be one of the most
enjoyable outdoor events with which we
can get involved. It can also be one of
the most miserable of times if one has the
wrong expectation or is not prepared for
the event.
When going out on a camping
experience we should first examine what
we would like our experience to be and
prepare for that accordingly. If one
wishes to plunge forward into Mother
Nature’s back yard and have all of the
artificial, man made, creature comforts,
most have grown to expect in their
everyday lives, about the closest you are
going to get is in a motor home or a 40
foot, fifth wheel trailer, parked in some
appropriate area of a state park or a
private area constructed for such
vehicles that will have all of the hookups
providing the amenities one can expect
in cities.
On the other extreme if one chooses
to delve into the world and adventures
reminiscent of those experienced by the
mountain men two hundred years ago, it
will be necessary to get back into the few
A tent stake is much easier to make when camping than a hammer.
remaining areas of our country where the
federal government has preserved, to the
best of their ability, some of the wildlife
and natural habitat of wild America.
The major atmosphere that is missing
from today that was quite real in 1700
and 1800 America are the wild, native,
human savages, a few imported human
22 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
savages, such as the infamous Jessie
James and family from Missouri, and
other human trash of varying races and
origins.
Many campers will fall between the
two extremes mentioned and just want
to get out for a couple days and enjoy the
woods with the family or alone, recharge
their human batteries and commune
with nature. Once in the camping area
of your choice it is important to leave the
area at least as clean as you found it and
better if possible. There is no excuse to
leave a camp site for others to come
along and have to pick up drink
containers, paper and trash left behind
by others.
I would like point out a few useful
items that you have around the house
that can be handy to have with you at a
camp site. Channel lock pliers make
good pot holders and are good for
holding almost anything hot and can
help retrieve items that fall into the
campfire that should not have.
Nylon rope can be used as shoe
laces; can secure a tarp to trees to offer
shelter from the sun or rain. Zip lock
plastic bag, filled with air, can function as
a pillow, if you’re desperate. They are also
excellent for holding almost anything.
Including bait, but remember a sealed zip
lock bag is air tight and anything alive
left in them for too long a time will
expend the oxygen sealed inside and die,
so keep them open or open them
periodically to keep bait alive.
I am all in favor of loading my
drinking water in an approved container
and taking it to camp in my truck. If you
are back packing, to be safe, purchase a
proper canteen or other approved water
container.
Twist ties, metal coat hanger, and
bungee cords can have enumerable uses
in a camp site to hold down almost
anything when the wind picks up, to
make hooks and hangers; the list can go
on almost forever.
There are many other household
items that could be added to the list, but
one important item that should never be
forgotten is a hammer or hatchet.
Pounding in tent stakes is not much fun
when you are trying to accomplish the
feat with a rock or a log. There is also a
lot of wisdom in the saying when one has
some difficult feat to accomplish and
that has always been, “Get a bigger
hammer.”
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y L A R R Y J. L E B L A N C
F
by Don Gordon
A
F As previously reported, on March
17 the weather created some problems
— flooding, discolored water, and
debris — for the fishermen
participating in the Fishers of Men
Tournament on Lake LBJ. Two weeks
later on March 31, also on Lake LBJ,
the weather treated the fishermen of
the Skeeter Bass Champs Tournament
to a little more of the same. The
torrential rains in the last week of
March intensified the flooding, the
discolored water, and the debris on the
lake. So even though the floodgates
were opened on Friday to relieve these
conditions, and the majority of the
rain had passed on Saturday — the
water was still as dark as chocolate
milk and heavily coated with litter.
Heath Moody and Zach Parker
abandoned their original plan and
utilized the poor conditions to their
advantage. They keyed in on the
incoming water at the back of the
creeks by pitching black and blue jigs
in ten feet of water and letting the
current carry them into five-foot
depths. This plan gave them a five fish
limit of 17.96lbs to win the $20,000
check. In addition to the grand prize,
the anglers got the Sure-Life bonus of
$250 and an additional $1,000 bonus
from Skeeter, bringing their total to
$21,250.
Second, third, and fourth places
were only ounces apart. Randy Hibler
and Randall Christian focused on
ditches and depressions in the flats by
slow rolling large spinner baits for a
limit of 14.94lbs of fish. The two split
the $4,000 second place prize and the
Skeeter bonus of an additional $4,000.
Eric Cover and Jason Lamberte won
third place with 14.76lbs of fish for a
prize of $2,000 — the team used jigs
and sinkos to catch their fish.
Finishing in fourth place with 14.56lbs
of fish was Jeff Pitrucha and Scott Dyer
winning $1,500 for their efforts.
5th Joe Medrano/Sammy Jones, 12.98lbs
6th Patrick Anderson/Jerry Johnson, 12.90lbs
7th Floyd Hill/Joe Sierra, 12.66lbs
8th Keith Combs/Landan Ware, 12.30lbs
9th Adrian Sanchez/Mike Richardson, 12 lbs
10th Damon Ross/Scott Ross, 11.48lbs
11th Kenneth Cummins/Brian Mater, 11.46lbs
12th Brandon Day/Aurbrey Balfour, 11.32lbs
13th Richard Cone/Billy Jeschke, 11.26lbs
David Stephens and Bill Kimberly
had Big Bass of the tournament at
7.52lbs for a $1,000 prize plus a check
of for $1,000 for tying Cone and
Jeschke for thirteenth place in the
tournament.
There were a total of 193 teams in
the tournament with thirty-five fish
limits and twenty-six places paid.
The floodwaters that swept
through Lake LBJ ended up in Lake
Travis elevating the lake to 669.2 feet-within 11.8 feet of full pool. Much of
the structure that was exposed in the
early spring is back in the water and
should make for good fishing.
The third event of the season for
Fishers of Men was held on April 14 at
Lake Austin. Once again a cold front
blew through before dawn giving us
breezy conditions — up to twenty-five
to thirty-five miles per hour!
The first place finishers put out a
windsock and stayed over a grass bed
up river from the 360 Bridge. Gus
Chavira used a white spinner bait with
thirty pound braid line over the top of
the grass while John Baran, his
teammate, used a watermelon red
sinko “dead sticking” it over the inside
grass line. The teamwork paid off with
a 22.70lbs sack and a first place finish.
The last time Fishers of Men fished
Lake Austin in 2005, John and his
then partner won first place also.
Mike Hastings and Steve Magnelia
caught 20.92lbs of fish using
homemade chatter baits in gray and
silver. (Rumor has it that these baits
may be available for purchase soon.)
Mike and Steve worked over three
primary grass areas and concentrated
on the outside edges.
3rd B. Cook/D. Jurecha, 18.50lbs
4th D. Read/P. Carmen, 18.40lbs
5th L. Wenmohs/M. Clark, 17.37lbs
6th R. Crabb/M. Garrett, 16.86lbs
Big Bass A. Gass/T.Gass, 9.04lbs
Forty-seven teams fished Lake
Austin and six places were paid.
The first event for Fishers of Men
that was cancelled on January 20th has
been rescheduled for June 23 on Lake
Belton.
CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE AT
CAPITOLVIEWGUIDESERVICE.COM.
BUILT BY DARRIN LEBLANC, 512-736-6552.
FOR CURRENT FISHING REPORTS ON AREA LAKES
AND MORE — LISTEN TO THE TEXAS OUTDOOR
ZONE RADIO SHOW, SATURDAYS 6 – 8 A.M.
ON 1300 AM, THE ZONE OR VISIT
TEXASOUTDOORZONE.COM.
’07 Skeeter Bass Champs Tournaments
Apr 28, Lake Belton
June 9, Lake Choke Canyon
Oct 20, location TBA (Championship)
A D D I T I O N A L I N F O R M AT I O N AT B A S S C H A M P S . C O M
’07 Fishers of Men Tournaments
May 19, Lake Stillhouse | June 23 Lake Belton
For more info or guide service,
call Jeff Cook 512-413-4178. www.fomcentex.com
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 23