Flanfire

On the first of October I got a double dose of sad news.  I last saw that red-headed fiddler Amy Farris on stage with Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women at the Old Settler’s Festival in April (though she was with the band just two weeks ago at Antone’s).  Just 40 years young and gone, officially on September 26th.  I first saw Amy playing with Kelly Willis at Stubb’s I think for a KGSR T-Shirt show, and got to see her CD release at the Cactus Cafe not long after she had left Austin for southern California.   I will steal one comment from Austin360.com –

Our dear, sweet Amy — For now, it is almost hard to be sad because thinking of you brings back so many hilarious and wacky memories. And don’t think that you pulled the wool over our eyes as parents — we figured out:  That you spent every dime you earned as a music teacher buying rewards for the kids. That your extraordinary talent was just a means to an end, that your real objective, along with teaching a love of music, was to teach our kids how to love and accept themselves. But you knew that you first had to teach us as parents how to see our children as perfectly imperfect, glorious human beings, and to do that, you had to teach us to accept ourselves as perfectly imperfect, glorious parents. I am eternally grateful. You are pure love. I hope you will visit often.  

The other news shook me to the core – Monte Wise was the husband of my dear friend Natalie Zoe, the stepdad of my wonderful friend Sasha Ortiz, and a very kind man who lent his talents as well to the memorial service for my beloved Nancy Flanakin.  At the Blues Mafia show at the Saxon the day after Monte died over a thousand miles away, Sasha reminded the crowd that her stepdad had installed the sound systems at the Saxon, Antones, and many other places in Austin.  Monte nurtured Natalie through a debilitating injury that left her with an artificial hip and other ailments from which she was just beginning to recover (though her voice was strong as ever as she belted out songs with her band CandiLand and with the Divas at a recent benefit concert in her honor.  Now we all need to lift up Natalie like never before — just as she lifted up my family three years and some ago when my wife was diagnosed with lung cancer. 

BUS TO BROOKLYN – ep

So I got this email a week or so ago from Jesse Felder, lead singer and songwriter for the Austin band Bus to Brooklyn, and HE says that he heard about FLANFIRE from Vanessa Lively (whom I just saw at House Wine for the John Grubbs and Valerie Fremin photo exhibits party).  The band — Felder on guitar and vocals, Casey Halliburton on bass, Matt Reynolds on drums, and Spence Hughes on lead guitar — will be celebrating the release of this six-song EP at Momo’s on October 9th. 

So when I got their CD in the mail and put it on, I realized that Vanessa would never steer me wrong.  I look forward to hearing the live show, but if the record is any indication, those who come will not be disappointed.  Jesse’s voice reminds me a little of Scott Taylor of Feeding 5000 (who in turn reminds me a little of Eddie Vedder). 

The songs here are equally strong – “Oh, Serpeant” warns us against the liar and exhorts us to remember that “everybody has a path, a direction for their life,” while “Devil Release Me” is even more of a rocker that is sandwiched around the much slower, quieter “Sorrow Song’:  ”Drinking Queen,” another rocker, is a topnotch ending song.  I look forward to meeting these guys and hearing their live set on October 9th at Momo’s Club.  [I also look forward to hearing Courrier -- CD release -- and Jets Under Fire at La Zona Rosa the night before (after Jarrod Dickenson's set at Momo's).]

ALEX DUPREE AND THE TRAPDOOR BAND – CROWN & ANCHOR

The first time I saw Alex Dupree on stage (at Beerland) I immediately thought, Tim Buckley.  As I read the lengthy lyrics to his new CD, “Crown & Anchor,” I thought, James Joyce.  The Trapdoor Band includes Seth Woods (Whiskey Priest, Sad Accordians, Zookeeper) and a cast of characters that (on the record at least) includes Sean Padilla, Nicole Kern, Matt Matherne, and Aisha Burns but can include more or fewer at any time.  The liner notes, written by Drew Stout, state that this is not an album of answers, but rather “these songs ask the unanswerable questions that seem to loom indefatigable in the loneliness of experience.  But it is the terrifying vastness of these questions, their imposing persistence, that is the very possibility of life.”  This is not exactly party music.

But then again, the MUSIC that augments these poems is very engaging (and very varied).  “Little Stars,” which opens the door to this nautical adventure, is a quiet ballad (that is, until the cacaphony at the very end) in which our protagonist realizes that “it seems that my mind by some grace has already been pardoned” for having a heart that had hardened.  “Have You Built the Ship of Death?” has six stanzas and references to Zachariah, St. Francis, Evangeline, Barbara Allen, and Solomon — and the questions raised in this song alone verify Drew Stout’s analysis.  Just one line here tells enough — “ten million voices from across the sea are gasping underneath the hurricane, and the wind of their collective cry puts a creak into our rustling weathervane, a creak just like is in the captain’s bed when he stumbles home soaked with moonshire, but not loud enough to turn a sailor’s head, or to unwind my arms and alibis, bound with rosaries to Evangeline, well if you’re going to make me live here, could you give me the keys into your door?  give me consciousness?  give me quiver?  could you pull your needle out and rent me maybe one more attic room, forsaken?”

The bouncy “City of Wheels” also references Evangeline in the context of finding a room to rent, but she responds, “No Sir, I cannot spare anything for you, “well, then, white boy, why did you come down anyway?”  “If I Could Fall in Love” is another ballad of sorts, in which our poet admits his incompetence to love without feeling weighted down like the law.  “I Cannot Call Affection Sweet” takes the words of a hymn by James Montgomery and turns them in to a plea sung with a full chorus.  “Bottle Belle” is yet another quiet lament, “There are two black birds I’ve never known; one she calls me from the throne her family rents; the other one will end up walking home with my best friend.”

“Stone by Stone (Let Them Go)” is a African gospel-feeling song with that incredible line, “the children that he loves our God will surely drive insane,” while “The Holy Mountain” speaks of a love who challenges our poet, “how will you stand in the rolling wind?  in the grasses bent and whitened?  when she looks down on all the world with a solemn vow of silence…”  Alex ends with a vow to walk alone into the world “until a love for one becomes a love for every other.” 

The title cut (Alex notes the Austin bar with a similar name and Joni Mitchell’s song “Blue” which inspired him here) has even more verses than “Ship of Death,” more words than even a song from Danny Schmidt.  And just as challenging!  [I am trying to get you dear readers who seek out the deep things to take some time to listen to this tall, shy poet who is often on the road.]  This cut opens with a piano solo (with organ and violin following) and Alex’s soft voice, “for eyes that cannot look to see her features disassociate and drift away unmoved, for hands that cannot shake a man, or fold inside a bluff, or hold the door ….  good God, y’all, is there no one who will crown and anchor me?”  Somewhere in this dream/nightmare, Alex sings, “so, sick with huner, I went up to the hilltop in the last watch of the night; I demanded there an audience with the tribulator of my soul ….” only to get this answer, “for what grievances do you address yourself to me?”  And yet, at the end of the song, our protagonist agrees “to be grafted in the goodness of that indiscriminate decree,” and to “step int with the chorus then, come and crown and anchor me.” 

It is not just the lyrical symbolism that led Drew Stout to proclaim that this album is “so dominated by water.”  Listening to this music is like rolling in a small boat on a huge sea — undulating with the wind and the waves, wondering if you are about to be thrown overboard, given over to the feeding sharks, or perhaps (miraculously) rescued just as you fade out of consciousness into peace.  We need to hear the Trapdoor Band at a venue like the Cactus or the Bugle Boy — where others actually let you LISTEN and let the music and the lyrics be absorbed into your very being. 

Time flies when you are having fun.  Sometimes you just have to play catch up — and in this case, Flanfire had to back off on this column to write a speech that justified his recent pilgrimage to the shanties outside Cancun with a bunch of eager beaver college kids.  So here we have some of the OTHER stuff from the August month of 100-degree pure joy.  Sometimes we even just put down the camera and enjoyed the day — usually that happens on Monday nights at House Wine, thanks to Abbi Sims and the wonderful Kerry White (and her main man Nick).  Just yesterday we got to hang out with old pal Chris Jamison, my new great friend Ruby James, and a BUNCH of newcomers to the House Wine stage — including one Barbara Nesbitt, transplanted Georgia peach who had just escaped San Diego four days earlier.  Gal has the spunk, the spark, and the smile — and yes she paid her dues in Virginia Beach with a Grateful Dead cover band before embarking on a career as a singer-songwriter.  But that was not all — just two nights earlier I had been hanging with Natalie Zoe as her daughter’s band blew away Gary Clark Jr.’s crowd at Antone’s (see below) and I looked around and saw not only my good friend Nano Whitman (who played a solo set at Botticellis on Monday) but also an even older acquaintance — guitar genius Brad Tretola, whom I had not seen in five years.  He promised me he was back in Austin for good (or at least a good while) this time.  Next I know (maybe I said something), Ruby is over at Nuno’s on Monday recruiting Brad to come and play a few songs at House Wine – and nobody who had stuck around till nearly midnight was disappointed.  Brad’s return to Austin is great news for music lovers — and good friends.

And speaking of those returning to town, here is Jackie Bristow fresh from six weeks in Australia working on her new record at the Red Shed Tavern (how about that stage built by Chad Pope?) with my favorite Austin guitarist, Van Wilks.  I think these two ought to play LOTS of shows together — Van was as energetic as I have seen him on acoustic guitar making beautiful notes happen, and my good pal Mark Addison was caught playing DRUMS on one of the songs they did together.

In the middle is that same David Ramirez whose new record I just reviewed — shown here playing at Momo’s Club just before embarking on a lengthy tour with Boerne native Matt McCloskey (last I heard the boys were chowing down at Katz’s Deli in Noo Yawk City).  And truth be told, no collection of photos of Austin music would be complete without Scrappy Jud Newcomb, shown here on the Momo’s stage backing Jess Klein just before the two left on a West Coast tour.  Jess will be back at Flipnotics on September 3rd before heading east this time — to New England where the rain has been falling every day this summer, I am told by old friends) and the Carolinas. 

There is NOBODY better as a lead singer on any stage in Austin than Drew Smith — and I mean NOBODY.  Last week Drew was set to play a trio with drummer Kyle (the Smile) Thompson and Ryan (Beef Beeferson) Bowman, but at the last minute Guitar Hero Jake Owens (who admits to being influenced by fellow San Antonian Joe Reyes) showed up, and it was the Lonely Choir in toto sans keyboardist Matt Russell — and thus a brand-new sound, edgier in some ways.  And Drew?  He was just out there sweating and shouting and bringing goosebumps to just about everybody at Momo’s Club — especially that lovely woman in the second tier of tables who inspires many of his songs.

My very next trip to Momo’s was just as good — what with Ian Stewart and the Fireants down to just three members for the night (Victor Ziolkowski and Rebecca Pledger) but with musical magician Erik Hokkanen swapping licks with Ian, nobody seemed to mind.  Just WOW!  Erik has also been spotted at Momo’s lately sitting in with Utah emigres Wisebird (a band NOT to be missed while the price of admission is still affordable).  Earlier that same evening I had stopped by Flipnotics for a RARE appearance by sultry songbird Tawnya Lorae (again, a packed house cheering her every breath).  And to my joy and surprise there was Ram Zimmerman tapping out the rhythm to her blues … but no wonder!  I had not seen Ram since the Kim Deschamps Band days of olde. 

Here we have Austin newcomer (and Berklee grad who hails from California) Michelle Alany playing fiddle with The Inheritance (featuring Amanda Kitchens on accordian) at a packed-out Flipnotics (this band is HOT and will be back there and elsewhere soon).  Next up is Sasha Ortiz in total ecstasy at a Blues Mafia show at Antone’s (opening for Gary Clark, Jr., who along with Eric Zapata and a killer rhythm section blew the walls off the storied blues venue on Saturday night.  Blues Mafia was just as impressive in a shorter set — and they will be back at Antone’s on August 27th with the Bubbles as openers at The Daze CD release party.  The rowdy Mandy Rowden, she of Girl Guitar, is shown HERE with her all girl (what else?) band, Cover Girl (playing, what else, covers!) during a nine-band, six hour showcase at Antone’s sponsored by Austin Music Marketing.  I got in early to catch a short set from my old pal James Bullard and returned later for a kicking set from The Skeletons — punkabilly at its very best!  I have long been fond of Jeremiah and Amanda Ingram (that gal can pound the skins!), and bassist Vincent Salcedo is just pure slap-happy — but the band has taken on new life with lead guitarist Dan Nettles and mandolinist Nick Wicker.  I wanted these guys to play another hour or two.

Natalie Zoe had quite a night at Antone’s at a benefit to raise money to help with the costs of her hip replacement surgery (details are gruesome).  Players included her own band CandiLand (featuring Candy Sanders on vocals and keyboards), her daughter Sasha’s band (Blues Mafia), her old roommate Malford Milligan with John Gaar and the Hopeful Souls (that John Gaar is an awesome, yet humble, guitarist!), and the likes of LZ Love, Sarah Fox (with Joel Guzman), and much more.   [Check out the "divas" videos over at our Youtube site.]   Natalie has long been a good songwriter, and a pretty good singer herself, but with the powerful Ms. Sanders aboard, she is willing to take a back seat and let the sistah deliver!

But that is the way Natalie Zoe has always been (on stage, for sure) — supportive of the creative, the artistic, the energy of those around her.   For years, just about every month or so Natalie would be introducing some new to Austin musician and having him or her play a couple of shows with her … and then came the day she (and Sasha) volunteered to put on a benefit to raise funds for the Flanfire family during a time of crisis and illness.   Here’s hoping she will soon be able to scrap the cane and dance like she usta.  One thing fo sho — she can still bring the funk!  [Gaar, Zoe, Milligan below.]

Okay — my photos suck.  But here on the left are Forest Sun and Ingrid (like I can spell Swedish names).  And who is this Forest Sun dude?  Well, he served as priest at the wedding of Noelle Hampton and Andre Moran back in their Mill Valley days.  The singer-songwriter and healthy living guru was in town a couple of weeks back to host another in the “Songs for Laura” series — named in honor of his late mother, singer Laura Purusha, who lost her fight with cancer.   Forest is working on the third compilation of songs donated by friends who are songwriters, and proceeds from these concerts and the albums themeslves go to fund cancer treatment.  The 19-song Volume One alone has cuts from the likes of AJ Roach, Brett Dennen, Matt the Electrician, Libby Kirkpatrick, and Danny Schmidt, while the 22-song Volume 2 includes cuts from Carrie Elkin, Noelle Hampton, and many many more.  We were blessed to get out to the Wyldwood Concert series for THIS version of Songs for Laura.

The young woman in the middle is Miranda Dodson — and from what I heard of her set at Momo’s Club, I want to hear more.  Then on the right we have one of my personal favorites, Patrick Conway and the Lost and Nameless Orchestra out at Central Market (my favorite outdoor venue in town of course — see “Flanfire Favorites” and you will know why.]  Also in this band are Chris Petersen (fiddle, shown here) and my great friend Harmoni Kelley and a host of others.  At this show Patrick’s four? year old daughter hardly had to work to steal the show just as she had long ago stolen his heart.

Stay tuned for more — but the technology is being finicky so we are splitting this up.