B 8 Island Moon November 16, 2011

By Ronnie Narmour

ronnienarmour@gmail.com

Three Chords and the Truth

Live Music

Great

Live MusicHappy

Thanksgiving!

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Wednesday, Nov. 16th

Flatbroke @ House of Rock Johnny Love & Dankadelics @ Doctor Rockits Ruben Limas @ Blackbeard’s Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats LoungeThursday, Nov. 17th

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House Clay Wilson @ Executive Surf Club Turnpike Troubadours/ Rodney Parker/ 50 Peso Reward/ Brian Keane @ Brewster Street John Cortez @ Doctor Rockits Friday, Nov. 18th

Hilda Lamas Band @ The Sea Wall Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge The Groove @ Executive Surf Club Darkest Records/ Shy One/ Smokehouse Junkies/ ABK @ House of Rock Chris Watson @ Doctor Rockits David Brown @ Coffee Waves Port A Gary Moeller @ C-Bar Café Independent Music Fest @ Theo’s Billiards Ruben Limas @ Blackbeard’s Colin Roche @ Doc’s Seafood Another Level @ Brewster StreetSaturday, Nov. 19th

Profile Variety Band @ The Sea Wall Black Veil Brides/ Vallejo/ The 71’s/ Hudson Moore @ House of Rock Bus Stop Stallions @ Executive Surf Club Duke E. Brown @ Doctor Rockits Emily @ Hooks Bar-B-Q David Martinez @ Coffee Waves Port A Get Off the Lawn @ C-Bar Café Independent Music Fest @ Theo’s Billiards Fred Jarmon @ Blackbeard’s Too Colin Roche @ Doc’s Seafood CC Live: The Water Cooler @ Performing Arts Center (TAMUCC) Metal Shop @ Brewster StreetSunday, Nov. 20th

Mike Guerra & Chopper @ The Sea Wall Green Mountain Grass/ Bluegrass Outfit @ Doctor Rockits Monday, Nov. 21st

Austin Lounge Lizards @ Burning Bush Coffee

Acoustic Night @ House

of Rock Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits

Tuesday, Nov. 22nd

Open Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @ House of

Rock Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Doctor Rockits

Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar and GrillWednesday, Nov. 23rd

Roger Creager/ Rankin Twins @ Brewster Street Sun Salutation @ Doctor

Rockits Ruben Limas @ Blackbeard’s

Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats LoungeThursday, THANKSGIVING DAY

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House

John Cortez @ Doctor Rockits

Friday, Nov. 25th

EMT @ The Sea Wall Larry Joe Taylor w/ Deryl

Dodd @ Third Coast Theater

Jiffy CD Release/ Pinata Protest @ House of Rock

Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club

Little Brian Terry & Zydeco Travelers @ Doctor Rockits

Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Spark in the Dark @ Coffee Waves Port A

Stuart Burns @ C-Bar Café Colin Roche @ Doc’s Seafood

Five Card Draw @ Brewster Street

Saturday, Nov. 26th

Hilda Lamas Band @ The Sea Wall

Richard Lockhart @ Hooks B-B-Q

Flashback @ Executive Surf Club

Rotel & the Hot Tomatoes @ Brewster Street

Stuart Burns @ Coffee Waves Port A

Chad Martin @ C-Bar Café

Fred Jarmon @ Blackbeard’s Too Colin Roche @ Doc’s Seafood

Sunday, Nov. 27th

Bar Nutz @ Doctor Rockits Monday, Nov. 28th

Acoustic Night @ House of Rock

Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits

Tuesday, Nov. 29th

Open Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @ House of

Rock Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Doctor Rockits

Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar and Grill

Happy Thanksgiving boys and girls. As we lope into the holidays, I hope the year has been as good to you as it has been to me. I have much to be thankful for. The Island Moon has nearly made it through 2011 (with me riding their coat tails every step of the way) and we have nothing but bigger and better plans for 2012 as we go weekly in January. I’m going to stay bi-monthly with this column but will be stretching out in other areas. I hope you’ll stay tuned.

I have some sad news in the musical community. Blues icon, Doyle Bramhall, Sr. passed away at the age of 62 at his home in Alpine, Texas last Sunday. Bramhall was a singing drummer and songwriter originally from Oak Cliff. The story goes that when Doyle was playing with such early Dallas bands as The Chessmen and Storm, the guitarist, Jimmy Vaughan’s, kid brother would hang around and watch them practice. That kid brother, a fledgling Stevie Ray Vaughan, imitated Bramhall’s voice and did pretty well for himself. Bramhall wrote Life By the Drop which SRV recorded as his sober anthem. The late Clifford Antone, The Godfather of Austin Blues, said of Bramhall, “As much as Stevie’s guitar style came from Albert King, his voice came from Doyle.” Heaven done called another blues singer back home…RIP Doyle Bramhall.

But right now, time’s a wasting. Let’s roll…

Walt Wilkins & the Mystiqueros

Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros (Austin, TX) played the Tarpon Ice House on November 4th. When I go to a show, I always feel it is my job to try to describe the performance to everyone who wasn’t there. The problem is adjectives like awesome, fantastic or great just don’t quite measure up to what I observed. This show was one of those experiences where I found myself absolutely consumed by the music. Here’s why…

First of all, there’s Walt Wilkins. His songs are warm, passionate and musically dynamic. And, he doesn’t just front the band; he shares the stage

with the other musicians. At no point did I get the impression this was “The Walt Wilkins Show”. It was a total band experience who just happened to be playing Walt Wilkins’ songs (for the most part). And, the musicians he surrounded himself with were not only incredible players, they all had great voices which, at times, allowed for amazing five part harmonies. The Mystiqueros consisted of Walt’s wife, Tina Wilkins, on vocals, Bill Small on bass and vocals, Corby Schaub on lead guitar and lap steel, Ray Rodriquez on drums, Brian Langlinais on lead guitar and vocals, and the show stopping Jimmy “Daddy” Davis on acoustic guitar and vocals.

Wilkins has recorded five solo records and had dozens of his songs recorded by the likes of Eric Church, Kenny Rogers, Pat Green and Ricky Skaggs. He played in Pat Green’s band for about a year in 2000. The Mystiqueros were formed after Wilkins moved back to Texas from Nashville in 2006. In 2007 they recorded with storied producer, Lloyd Maines, spawning their first big Texas radio hit, Trains I Missed. Wilkins told me, “This band has always been unique, being that each member writes and sings and has made their own records. We have dozens and dozens of songs to choose from each night and no two nights are ever the same. Port A is the perfect place in Texas to feel like you’re escaping.  Playing the Tarpon Ice House was a great, wild

night. It’s the perfect beach bar.”

At the Tarpon show, all of the Mystiqueros vocalists took front man duties on occasion and harmonized on every occasion. Not since the Shoemaker Brothers or The Trishas have I heard voices compliment each other so well. I was drawn in on every single note of every single song. I watched this show with a group of my friends who, after each song, just looked at each other in amazement and muttered stuff like, “Oh my God. Can you believe this?” In my mind, every one of the Mystiqueros is a star and every song they play deserves a Grammy. This was one of the best shows I’ve seen all year. The energy was off the charts.

Alejandro EscovedoI found myself in Austin last week and caught

Alejandro Escovedo (Austin, TX) at one of his resident Tuesday night gigs at the Continental Club. Escovedo had just released his 14th solo record since 1992 (entitled Street Songs of Love). Typically each Tuesday he uses the Continental to showcase new songs and experiment with arrangements on stage. It’s a kind of interactive work in progress. I’ve been a fan of Escovedo since the 80’s and often went to see his old punk bands, Rank and File and The True Believers. His 2006 CD, The Boxing Mirror (produced by John Cale) is one of my favorite albums of all time. His music sometimes whispers the soft breath of a haunted muse, sometimes rages like a soul on fire; always bending genres and flooding the senses. Seeing this show at the Continental meant a lot to me.

When I got to the club, people were lined up around the block. Escovedo has always been embraced by Hip City purists. The stage plot for his latest production is sans strings, opting for two guitars, bass, drums and backup singers in lieu of cellos and violins. His guitarist, David Pulkingham and drummer, Hector Munoz, have been with him for years. Bassist, Bobby Daniel,

is new to the band. The two backup singers (“the angels”), Gina Holton and Leila Henley, also played in the band, Sweet Meat, which followed Escovedo’s set. I wasn’t familiar with his new material but I loved it. The only song I did recognize was from his Boxing Mirrors CD: I Like Her Better (When She Walks Away), and it drew the crowd into a sing-along. His encore number, Miss You, from the Rolling Stones’ Some Girls album, rocked the house. Although he only played about ten songs, this show was pure magic. It was worth the five hour drive and 45 minutes standing in line. I might do it again next Tuesday.

DO NOT MISS LISTLil’ Brian & the Zydeco

TravelersLil’ Brian Terry & the Zydeco Travelers

(Barrett Station, TX) will play Dr. Rockits on Friday, November 11th. East Texas, from up around Baytown to Port Arthur, is right in the middle of Texas Zydeco country. The Creole people of this part of the country, most with strong Louisiana roots, are at least as ardent about Zydeco as their neighbors across the border in Louisiana. Brian Terry grew up listening to the music of Clifton and C.J. Chenier, Boozoo Chavis, Buckwheat Zydeco and John and Geno Delafose. He is a virtuoso of both the large piano note accordion and the old-style diatonic accordion and is serious about showing how this instrument can be as hip as any in contemporary music. “There are no limits to this music,” says Lil’ Brian. “I love the roots of Zydeco. My greatest joy is to take Zydeco roots and combine them with today’s beat to make it my music.” The Zydeco Travelers played clubs I ran in San Antonio and I will attest YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS SHOW! Bring your dancing shoes. Aayeee!

Asleep At the Wheel/ The Trishas

Nine time Grammy winner Ray Benson will bring his Texas iconic swing outfit, Asleep At the Wheel (Austin, TX), to the Brewster Street Ice House on Saturday, December 3rd. The Wheel has been around since 1970 and has pumped out over 25 albums, charting more than 20 singles on the Billboard country charts. Not since Bob Wills has western swing ever sounded so good.

As if that weren’t enough, the adorable Trishas (Austin, TX) will open the show. Jamie Wilson, Kelley Mickwee, Liz Foster and Savannah Welch (daughter of Kevin Welch) put out a harmony the world hasn’t heard since the Andrew’s Sisters. I caught this act at the Third Coast Theater in Port A last year and was blown away. It’s only a little over two weeks away, so make your plans now NOT TO MISS THIS SHOW. It will be great…guaranteed!

And that’s the truth!

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Alejandro Escovedo played the Continental Club in Austin on November 8th

Asleep At the Wheel will play Brewster Street on Dec. 3rd

Lil’ Brian Terry & the Zydeco Travelers will play Dr. Rockits on Nov. 25th

Walt Wilkins and the Mistiqueros played the Tarpon Ice House on Nov. 4th