I looked around and noted the presence of one Jimmie Dreams aka the booking agent Jimmie Graves, and it was to be his night after the ladies were done.  Mind you, the Gypsy’s owner noted that his website will be up “soon,” and a quick check of his Facebook page was equally unrevealing, so for now the best way to find out who is playing is word of mouth.  And the place is full – even in the back tented (and heated) smoking lounge.  A few minutes later D-Madness walked in, and I knew I was not going ANYWHERE!  You just have to know that this smiling, very charming visually impaired but musically gifted man [Brian Conway long ago told me D-Madness was the most amazing musician in all of Austin, and he just might still be right!) is going to rock your world — tonight he was playing (as he often does) his Tama drum kit and sampling on a keyboard, while using his voice as a musical percussion instrument in addition to singing and rapping and playing styles from jazz to funk to ure soul.  I have also seen D (aka Dwayne Jackson) playing bass (notably, on a SXSW Sunday at Hickory Street with Corrina Rachel).  Tonight was no exception — last time I saw D was at the Moody Theatre with Bavu Blakes at the fundraiser for Austin Music People (AMP) — tonight it was the interplay of drums, vocals, a little keyboard action, and alternating lead guitarists (one of whom was the illustrious Mister Dreams).  All in all, the Gypsy is going to be HUGE in this town — next door to Hotel Vegas, around the corner from the White Horse.

Before I go, I want to thank Lee Duffy and Rick Busby and all of the folks who made last weekend’s Austin Songwriters Group confab so special – I only got to spend half a day on Saturday, attending three or four sessions and listening to music from Marvin Dykhuis, Will Sexton, Joe Manuel and Sonny Throckmorton, but the time was more than well spent.  Friday night had been special at the Continental with the Mastersons (Chris and Eleanor), and Saturday night just as special with the return of Cowboy and Indian (plus a fine set from the Dead Left, with Neal Kassanoff, Lindsay Greene, and Lauren Gurgiolo).  I spent Sunday evening chilling at Baker St. for the open mike, heard some fine sets from close friends and newcomers to Austin (even Marcia Hayden Hendrick all the way from East Hampton, Massachusetts) – and we all got an unexpected blessing when Mandy Rowden and Deann Rene played a short set to close the evening.

Previews of coming attractions — Let’s start with the Love Leighs next Tuesday at the Gypsy, but first we get the first shows of the year from the Moonlighters and Deadman on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, at the Saxon (both shows at 10 pm), and tomorrow night it’s Josh Buckley at Trophy’s with Bob Hoffnar sitting in on pedal steel (after Kem Watts plays the Crow Bar).  Lots more I could write about, after all this IS Austin — but wow two chances to see and hear Lonnie Trevino, Jr., in one weekend (with friends coming in from Colorado and Louisiana to see the Deadman show).

Finally, I just heard from The Iveys, The O’My’s and Judson McKinney — all of them with new music and all hitting Austin for SXSW, along with half the plugged in world.  It’s just two months off … so catch up on your sleep now.

Earlier today, I got to hear the Jackie Myers Band (Jackie, Mike Brinley, Mark Williams, and Stewart Lane) for the first time since before they went into the studio to cut a new record (release date in early spring 2012). People at the Cedar Park Farmers’ Market loved what they were hearing. I did too!

Friday night Brett Randell had a welcome home to Austin show at One 2 One Bar — soon to be relocating to an as yet undisclosed location, but not before a knock-down New Year’s Eve show hosted by the venerable Donny Jones! Then it was over to Skinny’s Ballsoom (thanks Brad and Maggie for keeping this great room alive!), and I got there in time for some of Kyle Offidani’s amazing guitar work. I was there mainly to hear Digital Antique, one of my favorites (two violins, a viola, a cello, plus electric guitar and electric bass and drums) … and soon, apparently, a vocalist as well! Stay tuned! I stuck around for the second Austin show of The Bellmen (featuring Travis Sutherland of Utopia Fest fame) plus Dustin Halsell (lead guitar), Reid Faist (drums), Jeremiah Silsby (bass), and Benjamin Taylor (keys). Lots of energy there — and they rocked on in spite of equipment issues.

Thursday night was pretty special — the night before I had run into James Hyland while watching Amanda Cevallos at the Broken Spoke (happy hour, with Glen Rexach on guitar!), and he told me about a benefit he was playing the next day – at Spicewood Elementary. So I get there and it is the Stonecastle Family Band, which I had not seen since Lauryn Gould was a teenager (or so) singing with her dad (Rick Steinburg), his wife Deby, and her sisters at the Triumph Cafe (long before I actually MET Lauryn, my favorite flutist/keyboardist). The benefit was for a beloved teacher who has tongue cancer … and it was well attended! Hyland played a set with Will Dupuy on bass and Bobby Socia on guitar; Datri Bean put on an amazing show on piano and accordian; Ryan Gould and two of his fellow Jazz Pharaohs (notably the amazing Stanley Smith); and this gal playing bagpipes! It is always fun to watch Ryan sing and Lauryn dance! And, yeah, they play bass and flute (respectively) pretty well!  Later, I stopped by Baker St. to see the best set yet from JUSTIF and the Missing Pieces (Jenna G and Samantha Burge) — ran into Hector Ward and half of his band who had been dining there, and stuck around for Charlie Mason.  Good times!

[Meanwhile, I am listening to Doug Burr as I write this stuff -- and also Steve Carter!]

Wednesday was, admittedly, ridiculous! Started out at The Crow Bar for Kem Watts (her trio sounded quite good, and HalleyAnna showed up!), then to the Spoke for Amanda (where I also ran into Waldo Wittenmyer, who is now doing some booking at the Hole in the Wall), then all the way up to the NeWorld Deli to catch half a set from Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (such dear friends!), then over to the Hole in the Wall to hear Ashley Monical (with Brian Paugh on fiddle!), then down to Trophy’s to catch a set from Austin newcomer Jason Ludwig (that boy can wail!), and finally to the Mohawk (thanks for the reminder, amazing woman Sarah Gonzales) for a super set from Danny Malone – with strings and horns (notably Steve Bernal on cello, Andrew Pressman on bass, Jenni Wieland on French horn and more, and Andrew Noble on viola — the others – violin, sax, and trumpet - were from Little Lo and Mother Falcon).

Now Monday was COLD and thus the outdoor open mike at House Wine was short but very sweet … and I was at Momo’s early and later … first for William Kelley, later as Dustin Welch sang the songs of his father Kevin.  But it is Tuesday that made this week special (not counting the amazing show out in Luckenbach by Phil Hurley, Phil Bass, Lonnie Trevino, and Josh Zee with help from Teal Collins Zee — the Moonlighters!)!!!!  SONGWRITER NIGHT at Momo’s, starting with Jenny Reynolds (who brought some really good songs new to my ears) and the awe-inspiring Nathan Hamilton (the Abilene native whose songs ought to be listened to with the reverence others hold for TVZ, Guy C, etc.).  Nathan has a brand-new CD, “Beauty, Wit and Speed,” that like all of his others is just phenomenal!    [Watch for my review!]  Nathan Hamilton is one of my role models (did I mention?) — a man who lives by his code, who speaks the truth, and who has fought through anger to find a quiet peace.

Next up was the Drew Smith-Jon Beckham-Graham Wilkinson song circle, with special guests Nathan Singleton and Will Webster.  I had encouraged new-to-Austin songwriters Jason Ludwig and Josh Buckley to come, and Shilah Morrow and a bunch of other music people were in the house for what turned out to be an amazing circle of songs by friends who supported each other with hot licks, harmonies, and sometimes witty banter.  Highlights (a few among many!) — Jon Beckham’s “Snowy River, Mountain High” (a song covered by James Hyland but sung even better with Jon’s twangy voice), Graham’s “Personality Disorder,” and Will’s song about his parents and his other song about the War Between the States.  Words cannot describe the energy in the room (the garage doors were shut on this cold, damp night, and that perhaps added to the energy!) — and the exhilaration from the love being poured out by every man on stage!  Also in the house were the Los Angeles based trio, The Fallen Stars, who played afterward …

My evening was far from over, as i hustled over to the 29th Street Ballroom at Spider House to hear Meggan Carney with her trio (Johnny Vogelsang and Drew D’Entremont) — with Meggan on electric guitar.  Meggan has a major show at Momo’s on December 23rd, where she will be releasing another new EP .. a teaser is already up on her Facebook page … words and music for “Empathy,” which includes the line, “Understand that I will never be
unwary of your heart….”

One more note — Chicago songbird Laura Jean Thompson flies into Austin on December 20th to play shows at Romeo’s (12-21), Momo’s (12-26), and the Ham Jam House Concert (12-28) — plus the Cedar Park Farmers’ Market and maybe a few surprises!  I am thrilled to be sponsoring this tour … and just as thrilled that well-known author and public speaker Jenni Schaefer will be making her singing (only) debut at the Ham Jam show.  For details just let me know via Facebook, email or slapping me upside my head!

From the first time I heard Barbara Nesbitt sing at the House Wine open mike (over 2 years ago) and got the CD she made in San Diego, I have wanted to hear her with a full band.  Tonight that dream came true — and what a band!  Clint Short on drums, Sean McNulty on bass, Shaidri Alrich on violin and backing vocals, and (what can I say?) Phil Hurley playing his 1967 Gretch (the same one that he blew me away with the night before at the Saxon with the Moonlighters).  The crowd continued to swell, with Noelle Hampton and Andre Moran, Charlie Faye, the Justif duo, Josh Zee and Teal Collins (Phil’s bandmates in the Moonlighters), Nick Randolph and many more … because Barbara — like Jean — is both well worth hearing but even better worth knowing.  This Georgia Peach cut her musical teeth in Virginia Beach, then spent years becoming one of San Diego’s most sought after singers before gracing Austin with her presence (when she’s not in Hong Kong or somewhere for the summer).  To me, she STILL looks like that kid of mine caught sneaking back into the house who totally avoids being grounded by curtseying and smiling and saying, “Daddy, I love you!”  I mean, what are you gonna do but smile back!  Taking her awed audience on a musical tour through her foibles and her passions (“The Bees” is as hauntingly beautiful as her song “that includes the word ‘love’” is impishly fun), Barbara closed out the night with a rousing rendition of the Everly Brothers classic, “When Will I Be Loved?”  [Later, a few of us got a preview of the next Austin supergroup -- Barbara with Nick Randolph and Teal Collins singing the same song in three-part harmony!]  MEANWHILE — aside — catch Nick solo at Whip In next Monday at 8 pm!  Barbara has also promised a new CD of her own soon — and we all hope to see more of this hot band backing her!

Many stuck around to see Little Brave (Stephanie Briggs, K Phillips and the crew) — with Bob Hoffnar on pedal steel (first time I have seen him with this band!).  Bob is the Steve Bernal of the pedal — which is to say he makes notes with the instrument that most players, even masters, never knew could be made — at one time, he was making the pedal steel sound like a cello!  Yummy as it was, i ducked out to write this post, but not before saying Hi to Ethan Kennedy — INSTANT PLUG for his Kinky Machine show tomorrow (Thursday) at Frank (and of course the Meggan Carney-Madi Diaz-Kyle Andrews show at Frank next Wednesday).  And I note that new dad Sam Lipman has what looks to be a delightful evening of music for Momo’s patrons on Friday … something about “Nebraska” (surely he is not recreating Bruce Springsteen?).

OKAY ALREADY — Jean’s new record!  From the first acoustic notes of “You’re Only Human,” to the swingin’ “Five Things To Do Today,” the songs just roll off, each one unique and sassy.  Gosnell wrote “Be a Good Girl” and sings it with Jean on the CD (and at the show tonight).  But the record truly begins to soar with “Full Moon Eclipsing,”  juxtaposing Jean’s power pipes against Red Young’s orgasmic organ.  This is a radio hit if there ever was one — Charlie’s saucy guitar chops and Bruce’s nasty bass and my pal Rob’s on-time drums make this a very tasty cut indeed.  Then another balls to the wall ballad – “Enough Is Enough,” a New Year’s resolution song about Grace’s liquor store and car wash.  “Red Vase” is an even slower shuffle that reminds me a LOT of Sarah Vaughan (and why not?).  OMG, “Happiness Factor” says that “good girls aren’t perfect, bad boys aren’t cool, but no one need ever atone…” and starts with a sultry sax (Sosa) — in short, another pure jazz classic.  I could go on — but suffice it to say, Jean promised to do some major booking, and yeah there’s this little show at Book Woman tomorrow but that is a benefit of sorts .. we are ready for some more juicy meat and red red wine … Girls .. Good and Otherwise … yum/purr!

Dennis Ludiker, Brian Beken, Noah Jeffries, and Matt Mefford call themselves Austin’s Art-Folk-Progressive Acoustic String Band.  The band (so their bio says) actually got its start in the northern climes of Idaho, where principal songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Noah Jeffries grew up playing bluegrass and gospel in his family’s band and started writing amazing tunes at age 14.  Jeffries moved to Austin and moved in with fiddling champion-mandolin player Dennis Ludiker, whom Jeffries had met long ago when both were kids competing in the National Old-time Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho – as well as the young Brian Beken, who also would ultimately join the band.  With the addition of bass player Matt Mefford, who was in South Austin Jug Band with Ludiker and Beken, the band was complete and became MilkDrive.  AND THE REST IS HISTORY — if you can keep up with the finger pickin’.

Chad Pope, when challenged (and after telling me he would be playing solo), got Eldridge Goins and Bobby Perkins to play the set at Hyde Park as Triceracoccx, but they liked the gig so much they may be out and about under a new name.  Just listen to this cut — and wonder why you have not heard of this mofo of a guitar picker.

This audio is courtesy of MediaTech, whose students recorded and mixed all of the music performed on stage at the Hyde Park Bar & Grill, West Gate, on Saturday, March 19, 2011, during SXSW Austin. Patrick Mertens, Kai Roach, and Colter Luce form the basis of this band, plus some special guests. Kai and Colter are currently playing with Ruby Jane Smith on their way to Lollapalooza.

Vaughn Walters (Jenny’s beau and musical partner in Loves It!) took time before jumping on stage to sing with Leo (his regular gig) to hand me a copy of “YAY!”, the Loves It! CD I have been hearing so much about. Thirteen songs (including Dinosaurs, which is really jazzed up on the record) with that gentle touch (even on the murder and suicide ballads) — plus a tribute to “Bobby Kennedy,” whom the duo sings was “better looking than his brother” and a true inspirational leader until Sirhan Sirhan shot him down. WOW — hearing that song for the first time on the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I COULD digress here with a diatribe about the lack of inspirational leaders like RFK and MLK … or even about the sense that today so few “have a dream,” but why be boring when the very next moment I run into Katherine Edmonson (Kat to most folks), who was out with two girlfriends to hear Leo and have some fun while in Austin for a few days. Kat made her Kickstarter goal and is well on her way to finishing up her new recording, which will include two songs she debuted at my house concert last April.
As the week rolls on, I will be listening to more of the 30-plus bands we recorded live at the Iguana at SX620 — and looking at some of the video as well. We’ll soon know what we really have and whether and how to make it available to others.
One more thing of note — I fear that Slowtrain’s long-awaited CD release is on the same date that Dave Madden brings his OMG orchestra (this time with John Pointer and Sara Hickman and others on vocals here and there – DO NOT MISS THIS!) back to Momo’s. Even sooner, he is about to unleash some video of the OMG’s that will make you want to wear sandals (uh, with your socks knocked off, that is!(. Caught a wee bit of the big shew over at Romeo’s on Sunday night, most notably Sara with her now-13 year old daughter Lily singing a duet. Good thing Romeo’s extended its stage — that was one large band that Dave brought == even without his string section!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Friday, March 18

12 pm  –  King Corduroy [Austin]

  1 pm   -  The Wandas [Boston]

  2 pm   -  McAlister Drive [Boston]

  3 pm  -  Sons of the West [Chicago]

  4 pm  -  Brothers Lazaroff [St. Louis]

  5 pm  -  Rene Breton [Nashville]

  6 pm  -  John McLaughlin & the Rogues [Milwaukee]

  7 pm  -   Union Pulse [Milwaukee]

  8 pm  -  How Far To Austin [Chicago]

  9 pm  – Great Divide [Chicago]

Saturday, March 19

12 pm  –  Brett Randell [Austin]

  1 pm   -  The Down Feathers [Chicago]

  2 pm   -  Jackie Myers Band [Austin]

  3 pm  -  PolySky [Austin]

  4 pm  -  Will Wallace [Austin]

  5 pm  -  Justif [Austin]

  6 pm  -  Kellen & Me [Chicago]

  7 pm  -  Union Specific & Friends [Austin]

  8 pm  – The Lonesome Heroes [Austin]

  9 pm  – Donny Jones & Friends [Austin]

Sunday, March 20

11 am  – Hannah McLendon [Austin]

12 pm  –  Meggan Carney [Austin]

  1 pm   -  Kole and Abel [Austin]

  2 pm   -  Ghosts along the Brazos [Austin]

  3 pm  -  Luke Axtell [Austin]

  3:30 pm – Tessy Lou and the Shotgun Stars [Wimberley]

  4:30 pm –  Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay [Austin]

  5:30 pm  -  Quenby and the West of Wayland Band [Austin]

  6:30 pm  – Mikaela Dewar [Nashville/New Zealand]

  7:30 pm  – Jackie Bristow [Austin/New Zealand]

  8:30 pm  – Songwriters in the Round [Everywhere]

Featured Artists

Valerie Fremin – Photography

Ashley Kukla – Mixed Media

Cheryl Latimer – Sculpture

Justin Marks – Painting

Landry McMeans – Mixed Media

Mona Pitts – Photography

Christopher Rains — Sculpture

Orchid Robinson — Painting

Afterward, it was on to Flipnotics for Sweet Bunches of Daisies, the brainchild of fiddler, cellist, and keyboard player Danny Levin, who among other things was a founding member of Asleep at the Wheel (and, yes, I hardly remember seeing a fiddle player in the band when they played those shows at Emergency! on M Street in Washington, DC, back in 1970). Tonight’s players included Dennis Ludiker, Phoebe Hunt, and Noah Jeffries — plus special guest on mandolin Dominic Leslie, down visiting from Berklee School of Music in Boston but actually from Colorado. Smiles galore and audience gasping sometimes for breath the music was so fine! With free admission you just dug deeper into your pockets to show your gratitude. The group is playing again on March 14th at the Tequila Mockingbird pre-SXSW soiree at 306 W. 16th Street (near the Clay Pit).

I really love this bunch, maybe in part because my grandfather, who was in his eighties when I was born, was the Dennis Ludiker of his day a century earlier and more — which is to say he was a Texas champion fiddler and with his cousin won many a fiddling contest in north Texas and parts unknown long before my father was born. So I guess the love of the fiddle is in my blood. John Henry Flanakin (grandson of Old Three Hundred pioneer John Henry Isaiah Flanakin — and yes I do have a copy of the original land grant, which is housed at the University of Texas) went to Add-Ran Male and Female Christian Academy (the forerunner of TCU) after losing his father and mother by the time he was eight years old. He was a barber by trade and a restaurant owner and musician by night – raised nine children and stayed married to the same women for 62 years.

Next I trekked across the street to Romeo’s (thanks, Aly Tadros, for the Facebook reminder) to catch Brian Hudson and Raina Rose (Jack Wilson sat on on two songs), and chowed down with yet another fiddle genius, “Dr.” Sick (who is turning 30 this Friday). Raina to me is my favorite female songwriter since Joni Mitchell. Enough said!
Then it was back to Flipnotics for the final half of Mo McMorrow’s Living Room Sessions with special guests Charlie Faye and Ben Mallott (who has been hibernating of late). Lots of friends were in the house, including my pal Darwin Smith whom I had not seen in far too long! Charlie says she is about to go into the studio to mix the tracks she did all over the USA last year with a different band in each of ten cities. We can hardly wait. And Mo — what an international treasure! And to think she did not begin her professional singing career until very nearly her 40th birthday and yet her songs are some of the best (even her rooster song!). Great weather, a day at the park, and all of this music (plus pizza and pumpkin pie!). I am ready for what tomorrow brings!

Lauren Bucherie and Lauren Bruno

Lauren Bucherie and Lauren Bruno are two of the smartest, most productive young women in Austin music — and we are not talking about on-stage performances. Bucherie, along with business partner CJ Vinson, started up The Sessions Music, LLC, in April2009 after meeting up at MediaTech. She is from Vegas, he from New York City — they began hosting shows at the Hideout Theater and people began talking about the atmosphere they were creating. Last summer the pair extended themselves to shows at One World Theatre, and now they are planning a BIG SURPRISE for everybody that they will be putting together during SXSW — something about live performance videos but we are not telling.  CJ is a musician .. I love it that he purports to love Phish while Lauren loves Portishead, or as CJ said last night, any band with a girl singer who also plays lead guitar and screams sometimes.  Oh, yeah — we were being blown away by White Dress, a two-member band featuring guitarist-singer Arum Rae Valkonen
and drummer Grant Van Amburgh.  Next show for them — 11 pm Sunday at the Hole in the Wall (this is a residency). 

And, yes, this was at a $2 Show at the U.S. Art Authority (now being renamed “The Ballroom”).  The place was packed — five bands, lots of artisans, even fire dancers, and the entire event a benefit for The Revival Fund, a new nonprofit which provides temporary financial assistance to Austin area musicians and their families in times of crisis.  [Note to friends -- the beloved Ginger Leigh may be in such a crisis, having just been diagnosed with breast cancer -- send her much love!]  For info about this nonprofit, email info@therevivalfund.org .  Lauren (Bruno) and Clayton have plans for a 20-band extravaganza during SXSW week — details to be found at their Facebook site.

Speaking of Lauren Bruno, she and Clayton met while studying music at Berklee in Boston.  Clayton is the San Antonio superkid who won a Presidential medal for starting a nonprofit venture to repair bicycles and donate them to the disadvantaged — over a thousand now since he started at 10 years old.  [Check out http://claytonsbackyardcrew.com/ for more details.]  Lauren hails from Portland, Oregon, and the pair started the band PolySky and the local $2 Shows long before they began to look more deeply into each other’s eyes.  

$2 Shows, Inc., is a grassroots nonprofit organization  (the parent entity is based in Los Angeles and is quite a story in itself — you can look it up!) that aims to create a renewed purpose for the arts in ordinary people’s lives by collaborating with other local nonprofits. Their aim is to produce affordable concerts and events, on a monthly basis, to help inform and engage the community about the artists and organizations around them.  And boy are they meeting that goal!

Lauren and Clayton began PolySky at Berklee and re-formed the band with new members once they arrived in Austin.  Clayton (who is also an excellent drummer in various bands about town) plays guitar and Lauren is the lead singer (though not the only one) — she is a little pixie on stage with bright eyes that connect with her audience, no matter what their age.  Their joint venture is social entrepreneurship of the highest order — two kids with a dream of fostering a creative, yet giving, environment that emanates joy far beyond the walls or backyards where the performances take place. 

Two Laurens with two creative visions — and two guys (CJ and Clayton) with equally creative visions who were wise enough to work with a Lauren to make great things happen.  Thanks to all four of you for helping make Austin a better community!