January 4, 2012 Island Moon A 7

By Ronnie Narmour

ronnienarmour@gmail.com

Three Chords and the Truth

Live Music

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Wednesday. Jan. 4th

Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach HouseMedicare Band @ Moby Dick’sBad Chords @ Dr. Rockits Beer & Berto Show @ House of Rock Thursday, Jan. 5th

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice HouseBleu Edmondson @ Brewster Street Ice HouseHOBO @ Executive Surf Club |Fallujah/ Aegaeon/ Fall @ House of RockFriday, Jan. 6th Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats LoungeSpazmatics @ Brewster Street Ice HouseAnother Level @ Dr. Rockits The Groove @ Executive Surf Club The Shakedown @ House of RockSaturday, Jan. 7th The Roast of Roman @ House of Rock17th Annual Rockport Gospel Music FestivalMichael Holt & Trophy 500 @ Dr. RockitsCarlton Pride & Mighty Zion @ Executive Surf ClubSunday, Jan. 8th Open Electric Jam w/ Rockin’ Ricke @ Tarpon Ice HouseTumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House17th Annual Rockport Gospel Music FestivalThe Weekday Boys @ Dr. Rockits Monday, Jan. 9th Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Dr. RockitsAcoustic Monday w/ Benny Perez @ House of Rock

Tuesday, Jan. 10th Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Dr.

RockitOpen Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @

House of RockScarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club

Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar &

GrillWednesday. Jan. 11th

Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge

PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House

Songwriters Contest/ Flatbroke @ House of Rock

Flat Broke @ Dr. Rockits Medicare Band @ Moby Dick’s

Thursday, Jan. 12th Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House

Ballabajoomba Poetry Slam @ House of Rock

Jon Cortez Band @ Executive Surf Club

Friday, Jan. 13th Carol Elliott (5-7) @

Tarpon Ice HouseRay T & the City

Crew @ Flats Lounge

Wesley Paul @ Dr. Rockits

Venomous Maximus/ Bertha/ Switchblade Jesus @ House of RockScarecrow People @ Executive Surf

ClubSaturday, Jan. 14th

2nd Saturday Sing-Along Piano Show @ Brewster Street

Ice HouseLuke Nelson &

Promise of the Real @ House of Rock

Wesley Paul @ Dr. Rockits

Max Stalling @ Executive Surf Club

Sunday, Jan. 15th Aaron Lewis @ Selena Auditorium

Open Electric Jam w/ Rockin’ Ricke @ Tarpon Ice House

Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House

Tuesday, Jan. 17th

Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Dr.

RockitsScarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club

Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar &

Grill

Welcome to the other side folks. It’s 2012 and away we go. We’re at 3C&T numero 65…one more in a series of a million. Bring it on! I ain’t a scared. Every day I don’t wake up with a yellow chalk line around me is a blessed day. I’m looking forward to keeping you up on the music scene in 2012. But right now, time’s a wasting. Let’s roll…

Winter Texan Street Team

I am in the process of assembling a street team of Winter Texan correspondents to keep me apprised of all activities they find fun and interesting around our islands. I’ve enlisted a few folks already. If you are a Winter Texan in Port A or Padre Island; are slightly busy-body by nature; like to write and would like to help me put a Winter Texan Round-up together; please email me. I’m looking for reports on various activities around town (birding, poker night, plays, music, dances, art shows, bridge night, domino night, bingo, good buffets, restaurants with specials, bars with cheap beer, exercise classes, organized RV Park activities, volunteer work, lectures, church activities, city activities, arts and crafts, etc., etc.) which appeal to our snowy northern friends. The more photos the better! I want to know who you are, where you came from and how you occupy your time on the island. And, I want to know who drove the farthest this week to get here.

PA Rockers/ Medicare Band

The PA Rockers have kicked off their regular Wednesday night gigs at Bernies and the crowds

are growing as fast as the Winter Texans can get here. The Rockers (Winter Texans themselves) have enlisted local boy Charlie Rouzer to play organ with them this winter and are finding their chops fast. We’ve also seen Rocker’s front guy, Colorado Bob Reed, lending his ample talents to the local jams around town (including sitting in with Steve Goldstein and the Free Beer Band every Thursday at the Tarpon Ice House). Bob plays a mean harmonica and ain’t no slouch on guitar and keys either. Also, the Medicare Band is playing at Moby Dicks every Wednesday and at Sharkeys every Sunday. I caught a Medicare set of Christmas carols during the holidays and it was adorable. This band is (literally) made for Winter Texans and the shows start early, around 6:30 or 7:00.

Ray T/ Cody Angel

I kept it local (and walkable) through the holidays…mostly the Ice House, Flats, Bernies and Hooks. Ray T and the City Crew (Aransas Pass, TX) were on fire at the Flats where they played throughout the holidays. They had J.T. Coldfire in tow the Friday before New Year’s with Ray and J.T. sharing some wild bottleneck licks. But I’ve never heard the Crew sound better than on New Year’s Eve. They definitely found their sweet spot. Speaking of sweet spot, that’s what Cody Angel found on the 30th at Hooks when Hammond B-3 ace, Charlie Rouzer, sat in and fattened up the sound. Of course, having Antone Perez on drums, and bass maestro Mike Guerra for a rhythm section doesn’t hurt either. These four guys really clicked. In fact, I think this was the best I’ve ever heard Cody sound. Looks like the High Plains are working some good juju on him.

Billy Snipes/ Todd Dorn/ Transistordale

Billy Snipes (Wimberley, TX) paid us a visit and played Christmas Eve at the Ice House. His high energy performance and quirky original songs kept it fun and lively. Todd Dorn played the Coast Club and Transistordale played the Ice House. The Coast Club spiked their entertainment with a High Heel Shoe Contest. Transistordale spiked their show with tequila and fireworks. Those guys got it going on. Did I mentioned they made it to the top ten albums for 2011 in the San Antonio Current?

Port A Open Jams catching tread…

With all these musicians in town for the holidays, local jams have kicked up a notch. Both the Wednesday night jam at the Flats with Jarod Clark and the Sunday night jam at the Ice House with Ricke Burnett are catching

some tread and attracting more talent. I’ve recently seen several great local guitar players sit in like L. Leon Sands, Dan McLeod and J.D. Moore at the Flats. And the best tuba player in town, Kit Gutherz, sometimes adds his eclectic talents on Sundays at the Ice House.

Slaid CleavesSlaid Cleaves (Austin, TX) played his annual

Christmas show to a sold out crowd at the Third Coast Theater in Port A on December 17th. He was accompanied by Chojo Jacques on violin and mandolin. In his own words, “Slaid Cleaves. Grew up in Maine. Lives in Texas. Writes songs. Makes records. Travels around. Tries to be good.”

Cleaves is an exceptionally skilled wordsmith

and troubadour who migrated to Austin from Maine some 20 years ago and has managed to assemble a dozen albums in the journey. His songs are heartfelt stories that are an eloquent weave of pain and pleasure; an honest depiction of people trying to make sense of their lives. He first received regional recognition with the release of his 2001 CD, Horseshoe Lounge. His song, Broke Down, won “Song of the Year” in the Austin Music Awards and did well on the Americana Charts. As Cleaves puts it, Broke Down launched him from “total obscurity to relative obscurity.” The next year, Cleaves won the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, previously won by such noteworthy artists as Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen and Nanci Griffith.

After ten more years of intrepidly touring the world and staying true to his art, Cleaves can now boast enough fans to perform an evening’s worth of his songs made up entirely from audience requests…which he did at this show. And the audience at the 3rd Coast wasn’t shy. They wanted to hear all his hits including Horseshoe, Broke Down, Breakfast in Hell, Horses, and Drinkin’ Days--which has the memorable line, “Sometimes you gotta act like you got a pair.” He played one song I hadn’t heard before called, Rust Belt Fields, which he co-wrote with his lifelong friend, Rod Picott. They depict present day economic hardships faced by the working man, “...they sent the elbow grease down to Mexico and off to the Chinese. I learned a little something ‘bout how things are. No one remembers your name just for working hard.” This song powerfully parallels WoodyGuthrie’s songs of depression

era troubles. Cleaves has a way of carefully choosing his words to instantly create a visual storyline. That’s what good songwriters do.

Slaid did play a couple of covers that night but they weren’t your garden variety crowd pleasers. Being that it was Christmas, he graced us with one of his childhood favorites, You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, with such historical lines as, “You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel. You’re as cuddly as a cactus, and as charming as an eel” and “You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch! With a nauseous super nause! You’re a crooked jerky jockey. And you drive a crooked hoss.” He also fearlessly took on the Don Walser yodeling challenge, Rolling Stone From Texas. I’m surprised he didn’t pass out after that one. Check it out on You Tube…it’s no easy feat. This was a great, warm show and wonderfully ushered in Christmas for us.

And that’s the truth!

Live Music Every Friday

Mon-Sat 10am- 2am

Sun Noon- 2am

Welcome Winter Texans

The GaffBeer ● Pizza ● Belt Sander Races (361) 749-5970

TonightThe PA Rockers are back in town and play Bernies

every WednesdayPhoto by Miles Merwin

Free Beer Band

Every Thursday (7:00pm)

Open Jam Every Sunday (5:00pm)

321 N Alister * (361) 749-2337

Carol Elliott (5-7)

Friday 1-13 Friday 1-27

Cody Angel with Charlie Rouzer, Antone Perez and Mike Guerra played Hooks BBQ on Dec. 30th

Slaid Cleaves and Chojo Jacques played the Third Coast Studio on Dec. 17th.

J.T. Coldfire sits in with Ray T and the City Crew on Dec. 30th at the Flats Lounge.

Billy Snipes played the Tarpon Ice House on Christmas Eve

Ronnie Narmour and Kit Gutherz play the weekly jam at the Tarpon Ice House

Welcome Winter Texans

Moby Dicks

517 South Alister StreetPort Aransas, Tx

Medicare Band Every Wednesday

All You Can Eat Shrimp