Flanfire

I did not really want to go. I mean, you drive down this steep hill just to get in, then you park and walk up a lot of steps just to get to the box office. THEN you stand outside in the cold (or heat, or rain, or whatever Texas weather the day brings) before they let you in (or you stay downstairs and hobnob with the usual pretenders crowd of one-percenters, as they are now called). And, yeah, rain or shine you have to walk up this outdoor spiral staircase … and that’s all BEFORE you get into the theatre.
But, OK, it really IS worth it all, because the acoustics are great and there is not a bad seat in the house (unless you do not really enjoy getting up for late arrivers with middle of the row seats). You have to stand in line to get a drink, and there is only a single unisex bathroom upstairs (and who wants to traverse those circular steps and miss half the show?). The theatre seats really are from an old theatre, with oversized cup holders suitable for 40-ounce soda pops. And all of the music — until recently, that is — is out of towners whose clientele is the snobs who never come to the Saxon, the Continental, or even the Spoke. Well, ,mostly.
The truth of course is that none of those venues has what One World has to offer. Parking, to start with (OK, the Spoke has a parking lot!). A huge stage with great lighting. Great sight lines and high ceilings. Not even the heralded Paramount has as many seats that close to the action! And when it is Alyse Black and Little Brave, you feel really great that Austin musicians are on a stage worthy of Austin talent.
Little Brave opened, with Gum-B (Mark Williams) sitting in on cello — a stripped down Brave with K Phillips ONLY on accordian, Michael Christmas on drums, and of course Stephanie Briggs at center stage on guitar, keyboards, and ukulele. [After the show, a 16-year-old singer-songwriter was so thrilled to meet Stephanie, as she too plays those three instruments with her songs!] It was funny to see Stephanie wonder whether it was okay to “cuss”!
But this was Alyse Black’s night. She had a seven piece band PLUS special guests — notably Kalu James and White Widow. The band itself was pretty special: the afore-mentioned Gum-B on standup bass and cello, Shawnee Kilgore on backing vocals and guitar, Will Wallace on lead guitar, Alex Henley on electric bass and guitar, Bruce Logan on drums — and a trumpet player too. One of the things that makes Alyse’s shows special is the care she gives to her fellow players — it is as much their show as hers, in her view.
The show was officially to unveil Alyse’s brand-new project, “The Honesty EP,” along with her live album, “The Triple Door Sessions.” The set list, though, included selections from her two earlier releases and some special surprises — not the least of which was Alyse’s very sexy red sparkly dress, which she claimed to have found just a day earlier at Goodwill (yeah, right!).
The blown away moment was Alyse’s rendering of the Willie Nelson classic, “Crazy,” with only Will Wallace’s acoustic guitar (including an amazing, lengthy solo). Songs like these show off the power and tenor of Alyse’s radiant voice — and this was followed by a song from Shawnee Kilgore about her favorite pirate — with Wallace and Kilgore on twin guitars and Alyse also providing vocal support. White Widow and Alyse rocked out together, and Kalu’s powerful song about his Nigerian homeland was given quite a special full-band arrangement.
The new recording is stripped down — and thus I suspect it will rapidly become my favorite Alyse Black record of all time (until of course she puts out something even newer). I mean, people like her flirtatious spirit onstage and her bouncy songs (including an Adele cover this night), but truth be told, Alyse’s real strength is singing ballads without a lot of instruments to drown out her voice. The banter keeps the show alive and energetic — and then she drops the H-bomb on you with “Even the Best” (or really just about any song from the new EP).
Okay, I admit it. I loved going to One World when we won tickets to see Judy Collins (by knowing that Sandy Denny wrote and originally sang “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”) — but I never saw One World as a local music venue — until tonight! And better yet, the management is talking about an entire SERIES featuring local music … now THAT to me is worth the steep driveway, the outdoor climb, and the other stuff. [Aside - do smokers even care that they sometimes miss half the show to step outside?]
Other Music Highlights from Thanksgiving Week
Bar none — Drew Smith and the Lonely Choir in what may have been the best performance EVER by this amazing band — my favorite (and Ihor’s) for several years running. Jake Owen played what may have been the most powerful guitar solo I have ever heard during Drew’s song, “Bending Like a River Flowing,” and Ryan Bowman (bass), Kyle Thompson (drums), and Matthew Russell (keys), along with Drew, played inspired music in what may have been their last show for a while (the BoDeans are going on tour, taking some of Drew’s players with them).
Earlier that evening, the Beckham Brothers once again showed they are a band to be reckoned with — and one that needs to get off the Willis Alan Ramsey kick and RELEASE the music they have recorded. The Band of Heathens as usual really brought it — and yes I took a detour on Friday evening to go hear Max Frost along with Face, Tiny and Dave Scher rock the house at Beale Street Tavern. Even earlier I had caught a smokin’ set from Edison Chair — which plays Wednesday night at the Parish — if you like the Beatles you will love this band that has that same energy and real potential for playing bigger stages (for example, opening for Fastball New Year’s Eve at Uncle Billy’s on the lake).
Thanksgiving Day was wonderful, the crowd gathered for the third year in a row at Donny Jones’ country estate to chow down and jam. Later I slipped out to catch Dustin Welch’s set with Steve Bernal (cello), Mike Bernal (percussion), and Roberto Riggio (violin) … and it was the way I have been hearing Dustin’s music ever since I saw him with Joe and Trisha Beckham and Brian Standefer on cello at Lambert’s. And Saturday night we stopped by to see Dale Watson (who will be taking a hiatus from performing starting in February to act in a play) and ran into Sunny Sweeney and her new husband at the Spoke — and then dropped by Momo’s to see George DeVore with his brand-new hot band. And there was even MORE!

OK, on Amanda Cevallos’ new CD, “Country Music Turns Me On,” she ONLY does “Luxury Liner” that Gram actually wrote, but who else has NEIL FLANZ — who toured with Gram and Emmylou in the Fallen Angels Band (you know the live recording from New Jersey at least!) — as her pedal steel player? PLUS Gram and the Burrito Brothers did maybe the best version ever of “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, and Loud, Loud Music,” and she has Neil Flanz.
Amanda, who has been performing as Loretta Lynn of late (and looking and sounding quite lovely, and whipping out those Conway and Loretta duets with guitarist Will Dabbs), contributed four of her own songs to this fine collection, including the title cut, a paean to playing at the Broken Spoke on Tuesdays for Happy Hour. She also covers Tanya Tucker (“When I Die”), George Jones (“Why Baby Why”), Leon Russell (“Truck Drivin’ Man”), and the Oakridge Boys (“Elvira,” and I gotta luvit!).
Did I mention that the whole band — and yes this is a live recording done by my very close friend Jason Richard of Clockright Studios “at a church in South Austin” — sounds crisp and tight? Dabbs has a fine touch; Chris Trafton is on drums, Ben Eisenberg is on bass, and Grammy nominee Jorge Herada plays acoustic guitar. At her live shows, it’s Robert Maas on drums.

Maybe my favorite song on the record (starting with Dabbs’ opening guitar licks interspersed with the pedal steel) is “Think I’m Goin’ Crazy,” as Amanda sings, she used to think he was “the one,” but now, she tells him “…I’m thinkin’ maybe, you’re just a son of a gun.”

But the truth is that I am a pedal steel junkie — and Neil Flanz played with Gram and made his music sing! He makes Amanda’s music better, too, by also being her musical director — writing the charts, even giving fashion advice (again, he DID play with GP!), and being “very computer savvy” too. But I think the biggest thing Neil Flanz has done for Amanda Cevallos is to give his total affirmation — by, for example, writing out charts to ALL of her songs before they even had their first practice!.
Amanda and her band have been playing Tuesdays at the Spoke for several months, thanks to the wisdom of the legendary James White — and this Sunday (November 6) the band has the 10 pm slot at the Saxon Pub as part of a tribute to Doug Sahm.

[NOTE to self -- Beg, cajole, plead, do ANYTHING to make sure that Neil Flanz gets added to the GRAM PARSONS TRIBUTE SHOW at Threadgill's World Headquarters on Sunday night -- YUP -- that show precedes the Doug Sahm tribute at the Saxon, so you can get to BOTH if you can get in the door!]

Which brings me to a quick point about what an AMAZING TOWN AUSTIN IS! Just take the past couple of daze — great open mikes at Baker St. on Sunday and House Wine on Monday (and Lisa Kettyle is doing a great job at Romeo’s on Mondays as well); over at Momo’s on Monday, it was Meggan Carney and her hot band (in full Halloween regalia!), followed by the Huey Lewis endorsed Chewy Sprewis and the Screws (George DeVore and friends), then by the Velvet Underground as interpreted by Jack Edward Martin and Cause for Applause (with special guests). On Tuesday, I caught Amanda’s Loretta Lynn show at the Spoke, rolled down the street to the Saxon for a smokin’ hot set by The Moonlighters, featuring Lonnie (soon to be married and off to Spain for a honeymoon!) Trevino on bass and front and center vocals, slash and burn guitar gods Josh Zee (Mother Truckers) and Phil Hurley (Stonehoney), and drummer Phil Bass. You might say, “It doesn’t get any better than this!” OR you could go from electric to acoustic (as I did) and head back to Momo’s for the Drew Smith songwriter circle featuring (on this night) Graham Wilkinson, Jon Beckham, Kurt McMahan, and Ethan Kennedy. My idea here is that these guys should turn this into a college credit course in songwriting … and pack the house every week! Graham BTW has a release of his five-song EP “The Spiritual Accessories” on Friday (Drew’s band The Lonely Choir will also be on that bill at Momo’s); Ethan’s new band Kinky Machine (named after a Jimi Hendrix line) has a hot show at Frank on Thursday; Kurt’s band King Biscuit will be playing every Sunday in November at Momo’s; and the Beckham Brothers will open for the Band of Heathens on Thanksgiving Friday (again at Momo’s).

Meanwile, I am promoting TWO SHOWS with great lineups NEXT WEEK –

Tuesday, November 8th at Beauty Bar — Holiday, Sorne (fresh from their Southeast tour), and Brooklyn-based RUBBLEBUCKET whom I saw in Chicago three weeks ago and immediately jumped on board to help fill out this bill … This eight-piece band — with Hammond B3 and a great horn section — marched into the crowd at Chicago’s Double Door and they have asked local horn players to show up at the Beauty Bar for what they hope will be a Nawlins style parade as part of the show. My report is that I danced for 90 minutes straight to this band and plan to do so again!

Then on Wednesday, November 9th, it is Meggan Carney and her band opening for Nashville-based Madi Diaz and Kyle Andrews.
Like Gillian Welch and her inseparable, unbilled cohort David Rawlings, Madi Diaz is actually a duo. One half is Diaz herself, and the other is her performing and songwriting partner Kyle Ryan, whom she met while studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. The two had begun playing music in their teens, and Diaz even had an odd, early brush with the spotlight: At 16, while attending Philadelphia’s now-infamous Paul Green School of Rock Music, she appeared in the documentary Rock School, which inspired the 2003 Jack Black flick. [OR SO THE STORY GOES -- Dave Sebree recalls that the movie's creators actually spent time at the Austin School of Music and Rock Camp in their research for the film.]

Kyle Andrews may be best known for his song “You Always Make Me Smile,” which was featured in a worldwide Holiday Inn ad that included a massive water balloon fight. He travels with a hot band and will be playing songs from his brand-new release, “Robot Learn Love.”
BOTH these shows will be absolutely awesome — and at Frank you can get waffle fries with your Chicago dog!

Before I go, I have to mention that, among the new to Austin artists whom I have caught at recent open mikes, these few stand out (though others are also pretty good!) –

Ima Nsien with Ashton Sullivan — Ima, whose family came to the U.S. from Nigeria, sings R&B, and Ashton, who hails from Virginia, is a fine jazz guitarist — they had a band together in L.A. and separately decided to move to Austin just a couple of months ago.

Thick Red Wine (aka Mike Wojciechowski) – This New Jersey native found his voice while at college in Chicago and then moved to Austin, where he regales a growing fan base regularly with his witty, self-revealing songs that transmit his zest for everyday life into the hearts of those blinded by boredom.

Erica Nobel — this Phoenix transplant just writes great songs and is attracting top players to back her.

Heidi Nadine — This Canadian songbird just flew in (by way of Denmark) bringing tracks she had recorded in Switzerland and around and borrowing a keyboard from the lovely Kristin Astourian (out on her own after leaving Children of the Feather). She totally STUNNED me at Baker St. the other night.

And let’s not forget nationally known author-public speaker Jenni Schaefer — whose book “Living with ED” has helped untold fellow sufferers of eating disorders — but who is also a singer-songwriter with a lovely voice and powerful lyrics. Jenni, by the way, is speaking (and hopefully also singing) at the National Eating Disorders Austin Walk at Mueller Lake Park in Austin on November 19rth.

AND BEST OF ALL — my new friend Laura Jean Thompson, who debuted her new CD “River of Doubt” at Chicago’s Uncommon Ground last Friday, will be bringing her songs to Austin in late December – shows are already set at Romeo’s (12-21) and the Ham Jam Concert Series (12-28), and others are lining up fast.

Planning a trip to San Marcos tonight to see my buds from Deadman — but it is that HalleyAnna Finlay who is dragging me down to Cheatham Street for my very first time there. Oh, and it will be Steven Collins’ birthday as of midnight tonight! Got to catch most of her set at the Saxon last night after an evening that also saw me at Simplicity for Ethan Gardiner and then at Opa’s (thanks Jim Leverett for the invite for coffee and a tour of the new back room) for some of Cass Brostad’s songs. Lots of developments on the SX620 three-day flying circus (28 bands plus two songwriter circles, eight visual artists, and more!) at the Iguana Grill — a new report will be out soon on this one! And more love to Quenby (and Clint) and her West of Wayland (reincarnated here!) Band .. blew everyone away at Trophy’s on Wednesday night … My pal Kevin Fox reports good things about his upcoming European tours with Deuce Coupe (gotta see those guys soon!), and that old golfer go-fer gopher George DeVore invited me to see the Twalls next Tuesday at Happy Hour at the Saxon … what’s not to like? Finally, I have been hearing much about the El Paso trio the Dirty River Boys and finally got to meet Nino and Marco last night … looking forward to hearing their set soon.

I will always remember the first time I met Jess Klein — at Momo’s, of course — Charlie Faye introduced us.  So a couple of weeks ago, Jess introduces me to her old friend Jessie Torrisi — who, like Jess, escaped from New York (a la Kurt Russell?), another in the never ending parade of wonderful people who were wise enough to come to Paradise where the streets are paved with golded songs and our pockets are lined with lint and sweat.

I will also never forget the first time I heard Jess Klein sing — last January at Flipnotices, and thank God the window was open, because her songs heated up the room.  Last Saturday I got to hear Jess again at Flipnotics, first solo (with her hair down), then with Jud Newcomb (who has just buried his close friend and fellow Resentment, Stephen Bruton, a man whom I admired and loved but nowhere near as much as Scrappy and the guys who knew him best). 

Like Suzanna Choffel, Jess appears the mild-mannered woman off stage but as soon as her guitar gets some action, she is pure dynamite.  I was just sitting there in awe and all of a sudden it hit me — Jess’s songwriting reminds me of the young Bruce Springsteen (and, by inference, Tom Waits at any age) in the way she weaves her stories from the vignettes of life she captures in her soul as she goes through everyday life.  Austin is so very blessed to have her here and yet Jess says that Austin has been a life saver for her as well – and folks, this new record she did with Scrappy and also with Mark Addison is like a seven course meal followed by another one — and dessert and brandy and coffee.  [Which is to say there's a lot of meat, plenty of spice, a touch of sugar but a pound of honey, and vegetables like great-grandma used to make.   [But for us here in Paradise, we get that kind of cookin' so often we may forget to kiss the cook even when it's finger lickin' good!]

Earlier in the evening, I got to see Jessie Torrisi (whose mom told me that Jess has had concerts in her living room), who had dragged me out to see Elvis Perkins in Dearland earlier in the week (a rare event for Flanfire checking out a non-Austin band, but what a wonderful experience that I will tell you about for hours if you just ask (but not here, though DO check out the photo of the young man whose father was Norman Bates and whose mother was Marisa Berenson’s sister).  [The photo is of Elvis to the right of the trombone player from Stillwater (OK) band Other Lives, who opened the show -- the Dearland guys, like Elvis, are Brown graduates.

Now, Jessie is really from Philadelphia but did go to Columbia and lived in NYC for a decade -- so she knows her bagels and her cheesesteak and STILL came to Austin for the music and the life.  And she is a drummer and percussionist and a very good one, as friends have told me.  At Ego's on Saturday, though, she brought out an acoustic and an electric guitar and her friend Alissa Schram to play cello -- and Carl Ryals on drums, Raul Vallejo on trombone and a brand new father Josef Butts on upright bass.  The thing with Ms. Torrisi is that she just gets you before she even sings a note -- maybe it's the time she spent learning Brazilian beats, maybe it's just her natural gift of gab, maybe it's just her devilish smile -- but she filled up the room with fans (some all the way from Manhattan) and with smiles of joy.

Later in the evening, I went over to Momo's to catch Goldcure in their final set before a Southeast tour -- now they are covering the Who, Bowie, and the Beatles and yet their originals are what blow people away.  Even their closest friends are amazed at how these guys have gotten so much better since arriving maybe two years ago from Fort Lauderdale (well, Adam, Craig and Gavin - bassist Marcus is their best Austin find other than producer (and great guitarist and songwriter) Stephen Doster (shown here with birthday boy Gavin Inverso -- and yeah it was also Will Evans' birthday too!)  The big surprise of the evening, though, was Ryan Harkrider and his band -- wish I had gotten the name of that pretty law school student who sang harmonies and leads with Ryan all night long.  Ryan, BTW, won the Austin song contest -- just gotta love the emerging talent this town produces (yup, he's a native!).

Friday was sort of a makeup day for Wednesday, when to accommidate a late-booked private party, Scholz's Biergarten moved the Fireants and Blues Mafia show to the choirlike Sangerrunde Hall, which does not handle electric instruments well and which did not attract anywhere near the normal crowd you get outside at the venue.  Plus, it was a chance to check out Tim's Porch at the Old Backyard -- just a fabulous place to sit outside and listen to great music.  And folks, Malford Milligan is back in town to do a show there on May 30th!

The Fireants were missing Rebecca Pledger (bass) and Steven Campbell (keys) but then again that put Danny Levin on fiddle, cello, and keys and Jon Blondell on bass for quite a show.  Carson Brock even sat in on a song or two -- after telling me he was a little ill and "glad he was not playing." But of course he is a featured member of the Lake Travis Fiddlers (playing guitar) as is my old friend Richard Parke's lovely daughter Catherine.  I really enjoyed this ensemble, which is directed by Anna Macias who has been such a developer of young talent for so long in this town.  And yet -- the best show of the night may just have been the very informal jam sessions with Carson Brock (he of the weak-kneed feeling earlier), Victor ZIolkowski, Zeke Jarmon, and Danny Levin -- sometimes with Zeke or Carson sitting in on drums).

Later on Friday, I stopped by Ginny's Little Longhorn for a set from Jenny and the Corn Ponies (which includes my pal Missy Beth on fiddle and vocals) -- and Vaughan and Sly from the Shake-Em-Ups showed up, Mr. Barrack on his brand-new motorcycle!

 NOTE - I am reserving an entire post just for the Ricky Stein CD release and family fun fest at the Continental Club last Thursday.  Earlier that evening, the lovely Jackie Bristow (with Mark Punch and Mark Hays) put on an amazing show at the Amsterdam despite the ongoing renovations at the venue that its owners hope will turn the former diner into one of the city's top intimate music venues.  ANd I even had been to Momo's for Happy Hour thanks to Aimee Bobruk who had told me not to miss her friend from south Georgia via Noo Yawk City (there's that place again!), Mary Bragg.  ANd boy she was RIGHT!  Lovely woman (with her husband on bass), gorgeous songs.

Despite the last-minute relocation, there was much good to say about the Fireants and Blues Mafia at Scholz's -- first, I had never been to Sangerrunde Hall, but now I see why acoustic groups love to play there during SXSW or at any time.  Second, I got to go see and hear Stefanie Fix with Mark Williams on bass and cello down at Botticellis.  [Which makes me wonder just how good "the Marks brothers" would be -- Mark Williams on bass/cello, Mark Hays on drums/percussion, Mark Addison on keyboards and some guitar, and Mark Punch on lead guitar, all from this post. 

 Gotta throw in a few kudos for Slaid Cleaves, out with his brand-new CD (I caught part of his Waterloo show, which was phenomenal -- and have to note he sings a duet with Jess Klein on her new CD.]  And then there’s that great new project for George DeVore (he gets to wear his overalls), the Twalls, which also features Matt Powell — and Curley Sue Twall on bass.  The garralous Douglas Jay Boyd made his Saxon Pub debut last week (he’s also singing with Dertybird of late) — and the always fun Nathan Hubble delivered as promised with Miss Brennen Leigh on electric, rock and roll mandolin at Momo’s.  [I might also mention Jackie Bristow’s warmup show at Flipnotics and my late-night taste of Warren Hood with Ruby Jane Smith at Momo’s on Sunday — after the Kris Brown Taurus birthday party — his mom and girlfriend are also Taureans, and it was a great party at Happiness Nursery which I heretofore had not even known about but which was such a cool little place tudked away off South First Street.

Finally, I have to give kudos to Blues Mafia (and to the Greyhounds and to Stephen Marcus of San Antonio’s blues rock band The 46, who also played) for helping raise nearly a thousand dollars for hte Leukemia and Lymphoma Society last weekend at Jovita’s.  Stephen’s drummer was in bed recovering from a tonsillectomy so he just came solo but ended up in another of those famous Austin jams with Patrick Mertens, Chris Copeland and Kai Roach of Blues Mafia and later Syd Sanchez on guitar.  The Mafia then put on a show that brought out the dancers (young and older, got a saxophonist up on stage for a song or two, and unveiled another new song that totally blew me away.  Later that evening I stopped by Botticellis to see Margo Valiante, dropped in at the Continental to catch two songs from LZ Love, and then went over to the Saxon and watched in total awe as New Orleans’ Theresa Andersson (who lived in Austin after Katrina) just mesmerized a packed house with her one-woman, five voices band show — violin, guitar, drum kit, various other percussion, and of course her loop machine that enables her to dance around barefoot pushing pedals and harmonizing with herself in four octaves. 

And after she sang a joyful tribute song  in the Nawlins tradition to Poodie Locke (it really WAS a hard week for Austin music, losing two of its finest who were both born in 1948), Theresa got a note telling her that Stephen Bruton, too, had died.  She paused for just a moment, then announced she was doing one more song — and proceeded to sing “Find the Cost of Freedom,” that great anthem from CSNY, with just her voice (looped for effect) — and as we cried our bitter tears we were slowly transfigured by the power of her soul as Bruton’s spirit entered the room and calmed all of our hearts.  My boys from Stonehoney closed out the night, but even their sweet four-part harmonies could not touch what we all had just seen and heard.