March `11 - Texas Music Magazine

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Foley, known as much for his uncompromising artistic vision
as his unique personality, was killed in 1989.
(Photo: Dana Kolflat)
Blaze of Memories
Never mind that 22 years have passed since his
death ... Blaze Foley is still a revered presence
in Texas music culture, and the eccentricity
that complemented his honest, soulful lyrics
has secured him a permanent spot in Texas
music history. “Even in Austin, a city filled
with non-conformists, the duct tape-adorned
Foley stood out,” notes the website bearing
his name. He made the Austin Outhouse his
surrogate home, Townes Van Zandt was his
buddy, and his affinity for duct tape lent a
degree of allure to his peculiar personality.
Following the February release of Gurf Morlix’s
Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream, an album of
Foley covers, Austin filmmaker Kevin Triplett
premiered his documentary, Blaze Foley: Duct
Tape Messiah, a 79-minute film that took 12
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years to complete. The documentary depicts
Foley’s life and his struggle for recognition in a
chronologically non-linear narrative. “Why am
I doing this? Sometimes I don’t even know,”
Triplett says. “Blaze isn’t a star or a celebrity,
but his life and his pursuit of his destiny
captured my imagination — it has the power to
capture people’s attention and give new insight
into the human condition, artistic expression,
justice and redemption.” The documentary will
tour over the next several months, with Morlix
accompanying the screenings and performing
songs from the new album. One such event
will be at Austin’s Saxon Pub on March 12
during SXSW Film. Both the documentary and
Morlix’s renditions of Foley’s songs should, in
part, help immortalize Foley in the hearts and
minds of those who never had the chance to
experience him. (www.blazefoleymovie.com)
up on the Texas country scene, its real worth
is reflected in the donations to the Food Bank.
Counting the 52,640 pounds of food collected
during the 2010 series, the partnership
between County Line and the Food Bank has
yielded more than 530,000 pounds of food in
11 years. This event “has helped feed thousands
of hungry individuals each week in Southwest
Texas,” says Eric Cooper, Food Bank president/
CEO. “[Event founder] Randy
Goss’ legacy of helping
others and fighting hunger
continues to remain strong
through this partnership.” All
acts perform on the outside
patio stage. Openers begin
at 6:30 p.m., and headliners
take the stage from 8–10
Cory Morrow plays
p.m., rain or shine.
April 27. (Photo:
corymorrow.com)
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Food (and Music) for Thought
Country music lovers in San Antonio can again
enjoy homegrown Texas country talent every
Wednesday night of the spring and summer for
the suggested admission price of a donation
to the San Antonio Food Bank. The 11th Annual
Live Music Series at the County Line (10101 IH10 West) kicks off with Turnpike Troubadours
March 16, and the weekly performances will
include familiar names such as Kyle Bennett
Band (March 30), Cory Morrow (April 27), Kyle
Park (July 20) and Two Tons of Steel (August
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Lambert’s back-to-back sellouts were a Billy Bob’s first.
(Photo: Courtesy Billy Bob’s Texas)
Honky-Tonk Queen
Here’s one for the record books, courtesy of
Miranda Lambert. The platinum-selling and
Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter
added to her long list of achievements with an
unprecedented feat: selling out two consecutive
shows — Friday, Feb. 18, and Saturday, Feb.
19 — at iconic Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth.
Known for 30 years as “The World’s Largest
Honky Tonk,” Billy Bob’s has featured the likes
of Willie Nelson, George Strait, Garth Brooks,
Reba McEntire and Johnny Cash, but none has
ever had two shows sell out on consecutive
nights. Moreover, Lambert’s shows sold
out in a record-breaking 30 minutes back in
December, when tickets first went on sale. “We
couldn’t be happier with Miranda,” Billy Bob’s
entertainment director Robert Gallagher
says. “ She was the only female artist to sell
out our venue in 2010, and nearly 6,000 fans
per night came out last Friday and Saturday.”
SXSW Shout-Out
Planning to attend SXSW this year? Or maybe
you can’t make it but would love to hear some
featured bands? Either way, look — rather,
listen — no further than the SXSW Player
powered by SHOUTcast.com, a streaming
station comprised of acts performing at this
year’s festival. Though the station has been
streaming for years, listeners can expect
new improvements in 2011. Kevin Connor, for
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example, now adds a voice to the player, and,
as a reflection of SXSW’s growing size and
diversity, tracks by more than a thousand artists
from around the world are available. Though
the player is aimed at encouraging listeners to
discover new acts and go see them live at the
festival, even listeners from afar can appreciate
the performers via streaming radio. The player
can be accessed through SHOUTcast.com,
a division of SXSW sponsor AOL, or directly
through the SXSW.com homepage.
Art of the Dead
Conrad Keely, as it turns out, is a multidimensional artist. Best known as the
frontman for the Austin-based …And You Will
Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Keely recently
spoke about the elaborate comic artwork he
pens for some of the band’s albums, including
the latest release, Tao of the Dead. “The idea
actually came from a local independent comic
store,” Keely says. “Kind of arrogantly, I
Keely’s comic art is a Trail of Dead staple.
(Artwork: Courtesy Stunt Company)
thought, ‘Hey, I could do this,’ and I realized I
had a story I wanted to tell.” The first 11 frames
of that story serve as the majority of the
album insert. Keely also designed the cover, an
intricate collage of the characters and settings
that create the story’s world — an idea he says
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was inspired by the original Star Wars movie
posters. Though Trail of Dead has used Keely’s
art for previous albums — the young boy Adsel
is on the band’s 2009 release, The Century
of Self — the art becomes a larger part of the
music on Tao of the Dead. “Strangely enough,
it’s leaked into our music,” Keely adds. “If this
[story] was turned into a film, the record would
be the soundtrack.”
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the prestigious Santa Fe Opera. “As singers,”
Hopkins says, “we’re always looking for
opprtunities to perform for important people
in the industry. This competition provides
that.” Conroe residents, meanwhile, eagerly
await the end-of-competition concert and
awards show — to be held this year on March 12.
Though the town may be small, the outpouring
of support from the community has grown to
make the competition as distinguished as it is.
“Every year,” Pokorski says, “someone tells
me, ‘I can’t believe this wonderful event is in
little Conroe!’” (www.ytamc.com)
What’s in a Name?
Violinist Natalie Lin was a 2010 winner in the strings division. (Photo: Courtesy YTAMC)
Little Town, Big Rep
Historic Crighton Theatre in Conroe will soon
bustle with promising young classical musicians
as the 27th annual Young Texas Artists Music
Competition kicks off March 10. Competitors
must be state residents or enrolled in a Texas
music school. With so many prestigious music
programs around the state, young musicians
come from all over the world to study and
compete in events like this. “Our state has a
great international reputation in the arts,”
says Susie Pokorski, chair of the competition.
“Texans don’t like to be outdone.” The young
artists compete in four divisions for prizes
ranging from $1,000 to $20,000. In addition
to the cash incentives, of course, musicians
also seek national notoriety, and many winners
have gone on to pursue successful professional
careers. One such winner, Joshua Hopkins,
who participated in the 2003 competition,
has advanced to lead roles in productions with
Oh, the joys of SXSW! We’re not just talking
about live entertainment here ... we’re talking
about real creativity: band names. We figured
it would be tough to top last year’s collection
of zany monikers — what with Flosstradamus,
the Tumbledryer Babies and Say “No” to
Architecture. But this year features some ...
er ... downright wacky naming. Our favorite
— for its irresistible non sequitur: Everybody
was in the French Resistance...Now! But even
that has some competition thanks to these
eccentric labels: Cymbals Eat Guitars, Banjo
or Freakout, We Were Promised Jetpacks,
Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire and You
Say Party We Say Die! Party on.
Texas Serenade
Texas songwriters have something new to sing
about in April — a chance to showcase their
songs in the fifth annual Songwriter Serenade.
Some 25 Texas songwriters will be selected
to compete in this year’s contest, which
takes place in Hallettsville (halfway between
Houston and San Antonio) on April 15-16. Past
winners include Jessica Graves, from Austin, in
2010, and Bill Passalacqua, from Schulenberg,
in 2009. Following the finals on Saturday,
attendees will be serenaded themselves —
by Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros. (www.
songwriterserenade.com)
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MARCH
1–20
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Reliant Park
Houston
www.hlsr.com
Delbert McClinton is one of five inductees.
(Photo: Courtesy Delbert McClinton)
Texas Heritage Songwriters
Hall of Fame Awards Show
ACL Live at the Moody Theater
March 6 • Austin
The Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall of
Fame Awards Show — with emcee Red
Steagall — will spotlight songwriters who
represent the spirit of Texas in a unique
ceremony and performance March 6
at the new ACL Live at Moody Theater.
Five individuals will be inducted into the
TxHSA Hall of Fame: Delbert McClinton,
Bruce Channel, Gary Nicholson, Lee Roy
Parnell and the late Cindy Walker. Billy
Minick, proprietor of Billy Bob’s Texas in
Fort Worth, will be honored with the Darrell K Royal Patron Award. (Coach Royal,
the original recipient, has spent years
supporting and honoring songwriters.)
Following the award presentations, the
honorees will perform together backed
by Delbert McClinton’s band. (Bonnie Bishop will perform Cindy Walker’s
songs.) The mission of the TxHSA, in the
interest of cultural preservation, is to
honor and celebrate Texas songwriters
who have played an important role in defining and interpreting Texas’ distinctive
culture. Artist Robert Hurst has created
oil paintings of each of the honorees.
Limited run prints will be available at the
event for purchase. For information on
the honorees and ticket purchase, visit
www.texasheritagesongwriters.com.
Doors: 5:30 p.m. Show: 6 p.m. Ticket
Price: $49-$59.
3-6
Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas
Downtown Port Arthur
www.mardigras.portarthur.com
4-6
Texas Independence Festival
Cotton Gin & Longhorn Ranch
Maxwell
www.texasindependencefest.com
5-6
Texas Independence Day Music Fest &
Chili Cook-off
Heritage Place Amhpitheater
Conroe
www.texasindependenceday.org
5
Texas Western Swing
Fiddling Showcase
Bell County Expo Center
Belton
www.texaswesternswing.com
Plenty of Texas talent is on display at
SXSW March 11–20, including Grupo
Fantasma. (Photo: Daniel Perlasky)
10-13
Texas Steel Guitar Jamboree
Sheraton Grand Hotel
Irving
www.texassteelguitar.org
35 Conferette
Various venues
Denton
www.35conferette.com
11–26
State of Texas Fair & Rodeo
Travis County Expo Center
Austin
www.rodeoaustin.com
15-20
SXSW Music
Various venues
Austin
www.sxsw.com
18
Texas Music Reader
Appreciation Party
Scholz Garten
Austin
www.txmusic.com
3/31-4/3
Texas Hill Country Wine & Food
Festival
Various venueds
Kevin Fowler plays Mardi Gras, Southeast Texas style, March 4.
(Photo: Mike Mull)
Austin
www.texaswineandfood.org
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Lisa Morales
Beautiful Mistake
Zaino
Make no mistake,
Lisa
Morales’
Beautiful Mistake
is the masterwork
of a songwriter
taking life’s tragedies — its disappointments and
those desperate
midnight-hour stares into the soul — and turning them into personally cathartic, yet universally reverberating, songs. This is much more
real than a peek into the journal of a forlorn,
heartbroken twentysomething. Morales gives
us the hard-earned honest emotions that only
a far wiser women with new perspectives on
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life and love would be willing to wear so proudly on her sleeve. Morales wrote the material
on Beautiful Mistake in the wake of both her
mother’s death and the dissolution of her marriage. “Fool That I Am” finds Morales taking
stock of both events (“Here it is more than a
year and I’m finally waking up“). On “They’re
Gone,” she mourns the departure of both
mother and husband as well as the futile realization of fate (“I can’t stop this all from happening — goodbye”). But it’s not simply “woe
is me” from Morales. “Wanna Be in Love” may
well be the sexiest song this side of Marvin
Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Produced by Michael
“Cornbread” Traylor with contributions from
the likes of Walt Wilkins, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Dustin Welch and Matt Giles, Beautiful
Mistake emanates unblemished truth from beginning to end.
GLEASON BOOTH
new releases
March 1 Lucinda Williams March 1 Tejas Brothers March 1 Amplified Heat
March 1 Bart Crow Band
March 1 Sad Accordions
March 1 William Clark Green
March 8 Little Brave
March 8 D.C. Bloom
March 8 Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils
March 15 Black Joe Lewis
and the Honeybears
March 29 Band of Heathens March 29 Los Lonely Boys
April 1
Gray Floater
April 19
Robyn Ludwick
April 19
Thom Shepard
April 19
Bob Schneider
April 26 Brandon Jenkins
April 26 Libby Kirkpatrick
April 26 Owen Temple
April 26 Steve Earle
Blessed
Rich Man
On the Hunt
Brewster Street Live
The Colors and the Kill
Misunderstood
Wound and Will
New Man
El Sonido Nuevo
Lost Highway
Smith Music
Gonzolandia
Drift-Ring
self-released
CDBY
self-released
Table or Booth
Spark and Shine
Scandalous
Lost Highway
Top Hat Crown
BOH
& the Clapmaster’s Son
Rockpango
Playing in Traffic
Floater Rising: The Songs
El Paisano
of Gary Floater
Out of these Blues
Late Show
Texas Girls
Smith Music
A Perfect Day
Kirtland
Under the Sun
Smith Music
Heroine
Heart Music
Mountain Home
El Paisano
I’ll Never Get Out of Here
New West
D.C. Bloom
New Man
Table or Booth
San Antonio singer/songwriter D.C.
Bloom was pushing middle age
when he finally
made it to Texas
a few years back,
but his approach
to his art suggests he’d have fit in nicely in just
about any era. His writing, which leans toward
the eccentric and/or topical, brings to mind Al
Barlow whimsy with an edge of Kinky Friedman’s bite and the Austin Lounge Lizards’
absurdity. Backed by a cast of all-star Texas
roots musicians (Warren Hood, Chip Dolan and
Elizabeth Wills all contribute), Bloom wisely
frames his songs with subtle bluesy and jazzy
textures and an economic vocal approach
that focuses on personality and doesn‘t overtax his range. Highlights include the cheery
shuffler “Dusty Wingtip Shoes,” the moody
“On That Primal Shore” and the tongue-incheek, JJ Cale-ish “I’m Dirty.” If Bloom’s singular sense of humor doesn’t strike a chord
with you, a couple of the more novel numbers
might rub you wrong, but you can never fault
the guy for not taking chances; the flutelaced blues of “Fits & Starts,” the juxtaposition of sax and bluegrass on “Another Day”
and the accordion-and-slide-guitar kick of
“Yes Indeedy” reveal Bloom’s commitment
to bringing his music to life, in a Texas tradition but with some ingenious twists of his own.
MIKE ETHAN MESSICK
q&a Louis Black
Photo: Kristy Duncan
Some people possess a rare quality of speaking about their passions in a way that makes
you eager to adopt them yourself. The unmitigated and unapologetic Louis Black is one such
character. You can credit Black — or blame him
— for the media frenzy that overtakes Austin
annually during spring break. As co-founder of
SXSW — now officially termed the SXSW Music
and Media Conference — what was once just
a music festival has become much more. The
25th annual version of the event descends
upon the captial city March 11-20, offering a
treasure hunt of day parties, secretive lineups
and discriminating venues. Whether an invitation-only show at a converted supermarket off
I-35 or a huge draw at the Convention Center,
the festival pairs more than 1,500 performers with 80 venues around the city. Black sat
down to talk with us about the phenomenon.
It’s SXSW’s 25th anniversary. Is this what
you and your partners envisioned back in
1986?
We thought it would be nice to start a little music festival. I had no idea it would become one
of the most important festivals in the country — or the world. The amount of energy in
the middle of it is insane, and the sparks fly in
every direction. When anyone says they imagined something like this, I always say they’re
lying.
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What were your expectations?
It’s like having a kid — you don’t really know
how they’re going to turn out. For example,
I thought we’d have a film festival that emphasized regional independent films from the
Southwest. I didn’t think it would be a big deal;
there are 500 film festivals. But now it’s regarded in the top five, and that has a lot to do
with Austin ... the fact that Richard Linklater,
Robert Rodriguez, the film department at UT,
the Austin Film Society are here. They really
gave us the momentum we didn’t expect.
There must be complications with putting on
an event of this size.
We’ve had tons of adversity — growth can be
as much a problem as no growth. We had periods when we grew too much, and we had periods where we shrunk and had to lay people
off. I tease the staff here when they’re whining
about something: “We used to walk 10 miles
through the snow.” There wasn’t a model for
SXSW. But at the end of the day, we were doing it for the right reasons, and that helps
enormously.
So who’s in charge?
Nick Barbaro and I are the two non-managing
partners. We met our managing partner, Roland Swenson, at Raul’s, which was a punk
new-wave club on Guadalupe. There are three
areas where most of my colleagues met: Cinema Texas, a film society for graduate students,
the Daily Texan, where we worked, and Raul’s.
Some people call us the Granola Mafia.
What’s SXSW week like for the employees?
It’s work. We start having staff meetings in
February, and during the meetings, Roland will
say, “Remember, SXSW is not for you.” You’re
not in the mindset for the experience ... you’re
wired. I’m learning now how to go out and enjoy
it, because for the longest time I just worked
it. But if I had the choice between attending
it and working it, I’d take working it. If I lived
in Austin, I probably wouldn’t attend. It’s big,
loud and noisy. I love it, but I’m old.
Worldwide, those left out of last year’s festivities coordinated pity-induced “Not at
SXSW” events. Why has the festival flourished to this extent?
I always think of it as a Disneyland for rock ‘n’
rollers. It’s pure. Everyone has a sense of commitment to their work, to their media and to
the overall community. Austin’s about a righteous way to live. Several hundred bands here
have followings somewhere in the world.
How would you characterize the feedback
from those who attend?
It’s uniformly enthusiastic. There’s always bad
press and people who don’t like us. People
used to come back and write about how badly it sucked, how terrible we were and how it
had gotten too big. That’s kind of gone by the
wayside. And it’s not that we’re so smart or
we’re so gifted; it’s that we’re smart enough
to recognize we should dance with the one
who brung us.
Some people are harsh in their critiques. Do
you take an active role in defending your
work?
I’m painfully sincere. I’m surely capable of
spinning stuff, of being a hustler. You don’t get
done what I’ve gotten done without being a bit
of a politician. But at the base, you ask me why
I do something, and I’m going to go through
our reasoning. Because I can defend it.
What’s your bottom line in response to your
critics?
SXSW gets a lot of grief from bands we don’t
book. You can find any musician in the world,
and you’ll find out how badly they’re being
treated by everybody. At the end of the day,
my feelings are still, “Go screw yourselves.
Look at what we’ve done — for everybody.”
You were already editor of the Austin Chronicle when you started SXSW. What motivated
you to take on another creative venture?
I have a voracious appetite for popular culture,
and I’m comfortable with failing. After you try
enough things and you fail, you aren’t afraid to
try new ones. When we started the Chronicle,
Nick had never failed at anything, and I’d never succeeded. I think that combination is the
reason the paper is still here.
How important are the Austin Music Awards
to the festival?
For a long time it was a symbiotic relationship.
They still complement each other. It used be
really thrilling — it doesn’t stand out as much
now, but it works.
What advice do you have for Texas bands on
the fringe?
People are constantly reading about or listening online to Texas bands. If a Texas band has
anything going for it, it has to promote itself.
No one is going to knock on your door and say,
“Oh you’re so wonderful.” But if you’re making
any kind of effort, it’s a very receptive world.
The most rewarding aspect of SXSW is ...
On Saturday night, I stand in the street and
just look. People are running every direction,
smiling, they’re with friends. The Scandinavian bands look like they’ve died and gone
to heaven. It’s about Johnny Cash playing at
Emo’s — to me, that’s the ultimate highlight.
SXSW is Austin. We run it, we’re the brains behind it, and other people have done it. But the
prototype — the model — is Austin, Texas. It’s
the most fun I have all year. I wake up in the
morning so proud of SXSW.
You can finally say you’ve succeeded.
We talk about how lucky we are. In graduate
school we’d watch movies until midnight, hear
music until 2, and then write all night. That’s
still what we do. It’s not very far from what
this town is about — all the time. And yet, I’m
still miserable and complaining. [Laughs] I
have nothing to complain about, but I don’t let
that get in my way.
ALANA PEDEN