Flanfire

Okay – I finally got a new camera and realized afterward that my old one may still be under warranty.  But no photos of lots of great shows last week — so I am hoping for guest photos, and I did hear about some awesome video that Ihor Gowda shot of Tiny Tin Hearts during their show on Friday at Momo’s Club [the Book People Party].  Others may have photos of that wild and wacky Friday night at the Scoot Inn with Stonehoney and 29 Mules (a bunch of Texans living in Lost Angels who write a lot of songs about God’s own country). 

On Wednesday I got to hear Dave Phenicie of Stonehoney singing solo in a song swap with his old girlriend (and the inspirational founder of Stonehoney, so the story goes) Angela Easterling.  The lovely South Carolinian (from Greenville) was in town after showcasing as a New Folk Finalist at Kerrville and yes this was her first ever Austin performance — at Threadgill’s (indoors south).  Angela, who has a brand new record out, will just have to come back to town this fall so we can get to know her better.  Well of course that evening (as did Friday) ended up with a jam with Danny B. Harvey and more of the Stonehoney boys. 

Thursday I stopped by early to catch Andrew Hardin and Kelly Mickwee, hung out with Kevin Welch (even as Dustin Welch was playing the Continental Club) — and Kevin was excited about this new song he and Dustin had just finished.  [Late Friday night I ran into Dustin, who was just as thrilled about the song -- but HE will be out of town most of June!]  Meanwhile, little sis Savannah is busy making movies — both here and (if all goes well) in Berlin later this year.

Now on Wednesday I was having lunch with the gorgeous Jessica Shepherd (who played me tracks from her forthcoming new release) at Habanero’s (what GREAT food they have!) and as we were walking out I ran smack dab into Hector Ward — and he said I had to come out to Molotov the next night for his full band show.  And so of course I did — gotta support my man Phil Roach, my old friend Scott Beardsley, and Matt Price and the horn section — and of course Alison Beardsley (whom I have known since she was 15) is back from Boulder (she’s a Buffalo!) to sing with her dad’s band.  Boy has this girl got some PIPES — and great energy as she stands toe to wheelchair with Hector and his booming baritone.

As if discovering Molotov as a live music venue (with original songs, not covers) was not enough, I then trekked over to Fifth Street at the invitation of impresario Brian Conway to catch a set form The Finest Kind — only their second show with new drummer Daniel Jones.  Ross and Rolf and Adam “Slowpoke” Temple (from the Scabs) were just wailing the whole set (no vocals!).  We are talking phunk!  Just go check these guys out at their MySpace site — brand new improvs up.  But that’s not all!  The THIRD unlikely (for me) original music venue of the evening was (I think) called The Madison — next to Beso – and there was Graham WIlkinson, dreads and all, rockin’ the house with a trio whose members I did not know — and the whole house was dancing and having a ball.  And unlike the other venues, there was no stage — just three guys in a room grooving the joint.  Nice joint, by the way — and Graham apparently is playing there every Thursday for a while.

But back to Friday — I love that stage at the Scoot Inn, and Stonehoney’s set was one I will have to remember until fall.  But this was a party — and 29 Mules was having a ball.  The two Army brats — singer Casey Cannon and guitarist Xavier Gonzalez sing about their homelands of Fort Worth and Corpus Christi and all things Texan.  Their bassist is this big Swede Johnny G. who has a Mohawk and just happens to have been Slash’s bass player for years.  Folks, they even did “Redneck Mother.”

But the best was still yet to come — as the Mules brought back the Stonehoney boys, Angela, aDanny B, and special guest Jim Lacey-Baker (another ex-Angelino now thriving in Austin) kicked out the james for another half hour or so (and this does not even include the after party).  One of the peeps dancing the night away said it was just like Los Angeles moved to Austin — well, JOsh and Teal were in the house — and we were drinking Independence Ale and Live Oak!

Matt the Electrician (sporting a BIG beard) opened Saturday at Momo’s before it got dark — always love that guy’s music.  The crowd starting rolling in during the Fireants’ set, and sweat was the order of the evening for those on stage.  The Outfit are headed off to the hinterlands very soon and by the time they get back they ought to be BIG STARS!  This may be the tightest, most professional band I have seen in quite a while — by a hair, of course — lots of great talent in Austin, and maybe Phoebes is just such a favorite of mine (watching her grow from shy high schoolers in her first gigs with the Hudsons to standing alongside Lyle Lovett — and becoming an AMAZING fiddle player.  But the whole band — Jeff and Jon holding down the rhythm, Marshall Hood on guitar (so effortless — and did I mention his singing!), Connor Forsyth on piano and keys (he AND Marshall have cut their hair), and the effervescent Rob Teter on lead vocals and songwriting (Phoebe writes as well). 

But the evening was far from over –Wisebird (those guys from UTAH! plus Joe Beckham) just smoked their very hot set.  Paul Oveisi was in the house puffing one of his brand-new Momo’s Own cigars (that’s right — you can only get THESE babies in the club!).  Daren Fire-Eye Appelt was in the house, recording the whole show for posterity and looking mighty spiffy for a guy who has just been through living hell (aka chemo).  I was having a blast visiting with old friend Heather Webb who tells me that big things are in store for Adrian and the Sickness!  Jackie Bristow — fresh from some hot recording sessions – popped in for a while, too!  Paul Schieffer, too, was hanging out, having recently moved up from San Antonio and catching up on great bands to hire for an inaugural ball (just in case).  Paul is playing with San Antonio based Elijah Zane.

Sunday was quiet — and yet I got out to hear the B. Sterling Band play at Mosaic — with special guest Sarah Lincoln who is joining the band for their upcoming Southwest tour before heading off to graduate school in Pullman, Washington.