Archive for the ‘Richard Carter’ Category

Bad Romance

Richard Carter

The insanity of X at the Pub last Saturday

Unfortunately, Emily Pothast’s multimedia band Midday Veil will not be performing in Wichita Falls this March 9th on their way to performing at SXSW. A Dallas show came through, so they will play there, and when I find out the details, I promise to share.

I had the opportunity to talk with singer Elizabeth Speer and guitarist Johnny Divine of jazzE this last week and the story will run in NEXT on Feb 24 for their March 2 show at Backdoor. The group does Patsy Cline covers plus jazz standards and also Julie London stuff. I think they’re going to be amazing and there are only 100 seats, so get them early if you plan on attending. (940) 322-5000. Since it’s on the dinner stage, you might ask about the possibility of wine.

I got to watch the biannual X show at the Iron Horse Pub last Saturday and the big news was they were playing a Gaga song “Bad Romance” based on the Halestorm version. They played that as the song second in their first set, which I thought was a strong set. Their version included Dustin Fike (of Miyagi) on background vocals, and I told him that he was wearing more makeup than his model girlfriend. Needless to say, the show was very well attended and people had a genuinely good time. The gals from the Derby Dames were out their doing a raffle and they made about $300. The girls have asked X to play the halftime show at their first match. That would be interesting, if it happens.

I keep thinking that in addition to Valentine’s Day and Halloween, that perhaps X should do the “School’s Out” show that’s been rumored that the band will do for a while.

Radio Republic played last Friday night but I missed them and will watch the band play on Tuesday night, February 21 at the Pub, which is part of the all-next week Derby Dames pub crawl. The other night of live music the Dames will be hosting will be Thursday night at the Spot, which could be all kinds of crazy. Looking forward to it.

Regarding last week’s Grammy awards, I think it was interesting that so many musicians I know—who bothered to mention it—thought it was strange and kind of bad that Amy Winehouse was not mentioned once during the ceremonies. Winehouse had won Grammy awards, if I remember correctly, and I think politics should have stayed out of it. It was a sad loss of a woman at the top of her career.

For those of you who dig “new” music, the second Sleigh Bells CD is due out on Tuesday and a lot of people are excited. Sure, it’s another one of those male and female duos that perform high-energy stuff with drum machines and everything, but the first CD was amazing, and I cannot wait to hear their second outing. Let’s hope they have enough ideas and music in them to do two good CD’s.

I am hoping for acknowledgement of some interesting rumors of major tours to come through the area that might actually spur some serious ticket sales. Hopefully some of those touring bands get signed.  Summer is not that far away, and it would be cool to see some serious bands. I hear the Pretty Reckless is touring with Marilyn Manson and that would be lots of fun, not that this is one of the rumors for the area.

Queen for April 7th

Richard Carter

Shantell plays P2 this Thursday at 7 pm

I got a text from my favorite guitarist, Brian Harris of Dallas’ Queen for a Day, earlier this week that his Queen cover band will be playing one final show—the band’s last show ever—at the Iron Horse Pub on April 7^th. The night before that the group will be playing the large room at House of Blues. The group is unbelievably popular in Wichita Falls having played the Pub any number of times along with Hotter’N Hell and also the Dutch queen’s birthday party at Sheppard Air Force Base. I think the only major show these guys haven’t played was FallsFest and I promise you they would have rocked that as well. It’s amazing they will play here gain, and I think that it’s a must see show.

The reason this is Queen for a Day’s last show is because the singer, Greg, has a gig with a west coast Queen cover group. But as a friend of mine commented why would you leave the best Queen cover band ever to play in another one? Shame that.

I went by The Spot on Thursday and watched about an hour and a half of the venue’s now once a month open mic. You cannot argue with success as the more limited open mics are drawing better than ever. But, I sort of miss getting to hang out at local venues and get to listen to new performers. The musicians enjoyed the attention and the crowd was there. I guess I can wait until the first Thursday in March to check out the next one.

On March 3, area band Brother Sharp will play for a marathon (www.runtheexpress.com) benefitting the area Xpress Soccer Club, and they will be playing starting at 8 a.m. in the morning. It’s a great cause, obviously and it should be a lot of fin if you enjoy running and stuff. But wow, can you imagine local rockers waking up, getting there and setting up to play at 8 a.m. Sweet.

I am writing a story on Radio Republic who will be playing at the Pub on Feb 17 with the Tejas Brothers—a really good regional band from Fort Worth with a drummer from Wichita Falls. It will be an interesting combination of music, and the guys from Radio Republic can clearly play. Hint: the band has some major former members from 10 Cent Pistol.

The Lemonheads will be playing at The Prophet Bar in Dallas on Thursday February 9 in Deep Ellum. Check it out, the band is playing “It’s a Shame about Ray,” and that is cool. Motorhead plays the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas on March 1. And Neon Indian plays the Granada Theater in Dallas on Tuesday, March 13. All three shows should be amazing.

Finally, there is an interesting local trend around where it seems like everyone is playing in more than one band. I wrote about that last week re: drummers, but it would appear that other musicians are finding a variety of bands to play in. if that gets us some new music, I am looking to hearing some new bands. Still, it’s been my experience living in Dallas and Seattle that ‘rock’ musicians who are serious tend to put all of their eggs in one basket. There are exceptions, of course, but I guess we shall see. Let’s hope that bands maintain some diversity because musicians want to expand their palettes and song selections.

Grammy nominated performers playing locally

Richard Carter

Ray Tarantino performing Saturday night before Del Castillo

I had the opportunity to interview blues-y singer songwriter Marcia Ball last Thursday and had a great time. She’s recently been nominated for the fifth time for a Grammy and will know if her new album, produced by Gary Nicholson, will receive best blues album this February. By the way, Ball and her band—which includes former Wichitan Don Bennett—will be playing in the Great Hall at the Kemp Center for the Arts next Saturday, February 4. It should be a great show.

I got a text from John Langford the other day and his band Louis Lewis will be playing a backup show to Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights at the Pub on February 24. It’s a good show for the band and a good night to hear them if you have not already checked them out.

Speaking of staying in touch, the Black and White Band, after playing Backdoor Theatre last Saturday also played Fuzzy’s Tacos last Thursday and is scheduled to play at Fuzzy’s again next Thursday, February 1 from 7:30 to 10 pm. They will also play at the Wichita Theatre on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The group plays James Brown and is becoming the hardest working band in showbiz—at least locally. Fuzzy’s will be showcasing local bands, and supposedly they are having good crowds come to hear them.

I chatted with Chris Roberson last week and he told me the first Dr. Philgood show in forever will be at Toby’s in later February and it will be a slightly acoustic show. It seems that guitarist, drummer and singer Stephen Welch purchased electronic drums. and the band is looking at doing some new stuff in different ways. We shall see. The area group hasn’t played in a while and is looking for some new options. Perhaps a full-length CD by the beginning of summer.

Speaking of the look at the summer music scene, I will be interested in what happens at Bully’s if the area bar and grill manages to expand its live shows outside. They are doing jazz inside right now but have a lot of options for live music during the summer. The same is true of the Neon Spur, which has so much potential. I would suggest contacting them if you want to express your ideas on what they should do with live music. If they know what the people want, that makes it a lot easier for them to fulfill it.

I ran into drummer Brandon Arnold of High Windows, Lycergus and Coffin Crusher this week, and he told me that the first Coffin Crusher CD is about done and that second High Windows CD is about to be recorded. If you have not heard Coffin Crusher, the band is a must and features Johnny Thrash on vocals. I will let you know when and where the CD is available.

I dropped by the Wichita Theatre tonight to listen to the sound of the Music Man on their new stage and it sounds amazing. The interesting thing is that it’s kind of a good idea anymore to go and listen to musicals at the Backdoor or Wichita Theatres starting at 8 pm or so before going to the clubs and listening to more music. The thing is that music at clubs never starts until 10 p.m. so if your budget affords it, you should check out some live music musicals. Seriously, I saw two metal performers I promise you that you know at Music Man Saturday night. It’s kind of happening.

Drums, drums, drums

Richard Carter

Dan White and Alan Black set up at Backdoor

I am happy to announce that the Black and White show Saturday night at Backdoor Theatre sold out. It’s a great sign for horn music in town and a great sign for the Backdoor. The live music program that the theater does with local bands is good for the theater, the bands and the audiences. The theater and the bands both get money and the audiences get a great venue (smoke free) that they can listen to live music. There is another show coming up sometime in March featuring Elizabeth Speer and some jazzy types. Pay attention to the Backdoor website for more information. Should be a blast.

Strangely enough, I have been noticing what seems to be a shortage of drummers in town lately. Not that any bands are at this point doing without, but that drummers are being stretched tighter than a snare drum that’s tuned several notes too high.

The Dopplegangers were searching for a drummer while their full-time guy was on hiatus for his job, and the Blue Light Specials had to find a full-time replacement for Ricci Amador who committed to playing with James Cook and the Audacity. Any number of drummers are playing for more than once band, including, for example, Dave Norman who is playing for Miyagi and also for X. The area band Breakfast of Champions is about to break up because their drummer is leaving the area. Dopplegangers is playing with Barry Sloan right now, and he’s solid. But, he’s also playing with the Jason Brown Band, the Ranchrockers as well as another project.

By the way, the next X show is on Saturday, February 11 at the Iron Horse Pub for the annual Valentine’s Day extravaganza. Women get in free and it’s a crazy night with live ‘80s metal and so forth.

It seems odd that there would be a shortage of drummers—I mean, I know Michael Christmas quit the drums to do his own music and Rob Kirkland left the drums for harp—but it’s a large town with loads of people to cull from in the county. We are one of the few cities in the state that has a dedicated drum shop. There’s also a ton of people to take lessons from—anyone from Chris Hunt to Alan Black of Midwestern State University.

Drums are fun to play, if they are a little loud, and it’s probably one of the most therapeutic things you can do. Trust me, nothing relieves tension more than playing drums. Everyone plays guitar, so there’s less bass players and even fewer drummers. At least guitarists can easily switch over to bass, if they need to.

That said, I would like to briefly mention the Bleu Edmondson show last Saturday at the Iron Horse Pub. The cool thing about the show was that Matt Morris (bass) and Matt Preston (keyboards) are both former long-term Wichitans playing with Edmondson. They are both super talented and have played in any number of area bands.

A number of things struck me about Edmondson’s band besides the fact that they have dialed down the country next to nil. I mean, for a band that is called a red dirt, they would likely be heard a lot differently in places like New Jersey where Bruce Springsteen holds sway. Another thing that struck me about his band was the rhythm section.

Bleu Edmondson probably has the best rhythm section of any band that comes through this town. The drummer was doing seriously amazing things while also singing background vocals and Morris’s bass was right there. I mean, if you owned a Timex and it still worked, you could set your watch to Edmondson’s rhythm section. They were just that good, and they are also musically interesting.

Breakfast of Champions

Richard Carter

Local guys Matt Morris and Matt Preston with Bleu Edmondson

Sadly one of the area’s more interesting groups, Breakfast of Champions, is recording something right now before their breakup. Drummer Clint Thorman is preparing to move, so guitarist and singer Caleb Brantley told me that that would be the band’s last hurrah. The group is rounded out by bassist Mack Carter, and all three of the members sing. They’ve been around for a while and played several places, and I liked them. Brantley and Carter were founding members of Chillum some years ago, and it seems like more and more bands are breaking up, or at least losing members and are having to start over again from square one.

It’s never easy to replace someone in a band, and some people really cannot be replaced. It always changes the dynamic when you lose a member or replace one. For example, when It Hurts to be Dead lost guitarist Roger Whitaker, I was really worried and they really did come through, but it wasn’t just by dropping his part out of the sound. They had to work with that space, and I think they did that creatively.

Recently White Knuckle lost drummer Michael Christmas, which to my way of thinking was not good for them, and they brought in Taylor Labrum who is very good. But I understand they just lost rhythm guitarist and singer Marcus Wise.

Different bands react differently to the loss of a member. I remember playing in one band that started with four people, then lost a keyboardist who was replaced with a bassist, and then lost the bassist not too much longer than that. The three-piece was probably my favorite iteration of the group. But there was no more losing anyone from the band, and that was the problem.

The most popular touring act in Wichita Falls, Queen for a Day, could not survive losing their singer and keyboardist, because I mean who is going to sing the Freddie Mercury part. Even Queen itself, the band, has never really replaced Mercury. It’s one of those voices, and that’s all there is to it.

Looking at area bands, it could actually be a game, and I promise you that there are musicians out there who play it. The game is called who can be replaced in a band, or who can a band find that will make them better. Of course, there are better guitar players, bassists, drummers and singers out there at all times, but the people who write the music and play it have a certain dynamic together and it’s not something that can be duplicated or enhanced without taking a big chance. You can lose everything by getting a new guitarist.

It’s fun to play that game, though.

As I was driving this evening, I passed by the house of someone who I first played with in a band, and it brought back interesting memories. It was actually three of us and we all played guitar, and as the group was coming together, it became obvious that friends don’t necessarily make great band mates. But sadly when the changes were made, something was lost in the recipe.

Musicians and listeners would be wise to remember that anything started locally should be for the fun of it. As it develops, things will change, but for right now it should be for fun.

It won’t be long before musicians are in their late 20’s or even early ‘40s and that’s all they are doing is playing music that makes them money, and more often than not they’re miserable with the compromises they made to make that money. Have fun now. The professionalism will eventually come, and it ruins pretty much any fun that the music was when you first started playing with other people.

Broadcasting on all Frequencies checking the mics

The Beauty of Soundchecks

Richard Carter

Miyagi doing a soundcheck

Anyone who has read my blog for some length of time knows how much I enjoy hanging out and listening to musicians do soundchecks before their club dates. After the mics get set up for vocals, or during that time, the musicians will goof off playing some great old songs or some new songs that you would never expect them to play.

Briefly some terminology and appropriate manners if you ever manage to attend a soundcheck. The term “wedge” is the monitor—those angled boxes at the front of the stage that musicians hear themselves and other members of the band through. If you’re close enough to the stage, that’s probably what you’re mostly hearing as well. It’s my favorite mix.

In terms of manners, if you ever see a musician bent over in pain during sound check holding their ears, it’s because there was feedback in their in-ear monitor and they are in extreme pain. It’s considered polite not to laugh.

Best band ever to watch a soundcheck was Queen for a Day, now sadly defunct. They would play Rush, Led Zeppelin, goofball cheesy Billy Joel songs, and pretty much anything they wanted to because 1) they were musically that good and 2) they had like the best sense of humor, ever.

Any experienced band (with a sense of humor) is worth checking out on soundcheck.

Last week, I got to watch Miyagi goof off and then watch lead singer Nolan Cannedy go all operatic while getting his mic levels together. It was pretty funny, and I was rolling laughing, the band members tried to get even by insisting that I call out a song for lead guitarist Travis Dosch–who was playing his last show with the band–to play. For the life of me, I couldn’t think of anything. It was embarrassing. Where is Rush’s “2112” when you need it?

Anywho, if you play lead guitar or know anyone who can play lead guitar real good, you might contact Nolan on his facebook.com address. I think that Miyagi also has a band address that you might like and contact. The band is fun and solid, they’re all great guys and they really need a lead player, so get on it.

Tonight (Friday night), I happen to be at the sound check for Black and White and pretty much MSU band guru Alan Black was doing the drums and the keyboards. Bassist Austin Monson is doing double duty tonight playing bass for both Black and White and also the opening band–Broadcasting on All Frequencies. WFISD fine arts music guy Dan White is playing guitar and doing all sorts of ‘70s stuff. The guy can play. What am I writing? Everyone in both bands can play.

There’s talk about all three instrumental bands in town, Broadcasting, the Jason Brown Band and The Doppelgangers will play a show somewhere all together. I don’t know about you, but a night without singers could be a good thing to check out.

Leading into the Broadcasting on All Frequencies soundcheck, drummer Mason Warren started the sound check off playing pretty much anything he could get people interested in, and Pedro Moreno (on saxophone) started playing jazzy lines, so their check started out as sort of a funky hard rock beat with a jazzy sax. Guitarist Bryce Falnes is stating to throw in heavy-duty jazz chords.

The beat temporarily stopped which killed the momentum while Warren is changing out his cymbals. Without drums, it sounds kind of like what a band hall at the MSU stage jazz band hall might sound like. The bass is now starting to come in and Falnes is starting to bust a Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar line.

Of all things, Pedro started laying into some Kenny G sax and we all beg him to stop. Now, the full band is going into a full jam that sounds a lot more like them. The bass is funky, the drums are rocking, the guitar is jazzy and now the sax is on hold because I guess sax’s don’t play during guitar solos.

This could go on for a while.

Part 2 of best of 2011

Richard Carter

Ali Holder at the Pub

Here were some posts that I thought were were repeating, as they were some good happenings locally.

Jessie Brashear

Long-time area drummer Jessie Brashear had a blood clot removed from his head earlier this week after experiencing an extreme headache while playing on stage. I spoke with him at the 11th Street campus hospital the other day, and while he was wiped out on pain medicine, he is handling things pretty well. He sounded upbeat and said that his doctor thought that his drumming would be great rehab. I just hope that he continues to get better and continues to be upbeat. He told me that musicians are coming from out of the woodwork to come see him, and that’s really deserved. Jessie is a totally good guy and we all wish him the best.

Doug Boyd

Doug Boyd is a really great story. This is a guy that used to play metal in the ‘80s and is now playing music again. The next time you see him on stage with whomever he happens to be playing with, say “Dude, I remember you from way back when…”

Lead singers working their off jobs.

I just left The Spot where Chris Roberson and Jac Chalfant were working. Of course, they are both the lead vocalists of their respective bands, Dr. Philgood and the Let’s Get It On’s and also Jac Damsel. It’s sort of cool that two singers work together in a pizza parlor where they have live music and a free juke box. When there is an open mic, they both sing and when it’s just the jukebox they are also both singing. The Spot is sort of a musical place.

Windmill Gardens

As I recall, we played several times at the Windmill Gardens, a club on Call Field that used to be a second-rate carpet shop before it became the first-ever Apple store and is now the end part of high-end furniture row near the mall. Just for the record, it was in the parking lot of the old Brickhouse (for any of you unreconstructed Ten Cent Pistol fans). Back in the day, the Windmill Gardens was completely without cool, and when we played there it was during the winter, and there was no heat… and we were stuck in the corner playing to almost no one except for our friends who had managed to scam their way into the show free of charge. The owner sold some cokes, and we never really got paid.

Ali Holder

Ali’s new sound is tastefully sparse and yet also the right kind of full. Her musicians allow her to play her songs without her having to carry the performance. Easing off the guitar playing a bit and the intensity of the vocals just a touch, the bowing of the fiddle and the picking of the bass gives her guitar playing and bluesy singing a sort of haunting dynamic that fits the sort of country-ish folkish blues of the music. It’s more intense en masse.

The other Doug Boyd

Speaking of people in Austin, I had the opportunity to talk with Douglas Jay Boyd Saturday afternoon, who plays bass, but not the guy who was in the hair metal bands in the ‘80s but rather the guy who lives in Austin who plays in an anti-folk band called “The Sweetness.” He and the band of three talented songstresses will be playing at the Iron Horse Pub on Wednesday August 24 starting at 9 p.m. or so. I think their music will be different from things people have heard around here and that’s worth checking out.

Hotter’N Hell

“Very hot, very hot” is the line that Anthony Michael-Hall’s geek character in “16 Candles” uses to his quest for Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald). In a very ironic sense, it’s a positive way of thinking that hot can be kind of good. The movie was set in Illinois or Ohio of course and not Texas during the summer. There’s also plenty of not so very good ways of thinking about hot, and that was something I experienced this Saturday at the Hotter’N Hell Hundred Finish Line Village. The bands played well, and the crowd enjoyed them, but the heat was palpable.

Brian Harris

After chatting the other day with Brian Harris, the awesome guitar player for Queen for a Day and the Allmost Brothers, I discovered how to restring a Les Paul where it’s plays a lot more slinky. It’s actually pretty easy to do. But of course, me being me, I strung it with ‘09s rather than ‘10s, which is what he recommended and now it’s way too slinky. Brian, I hope you’re not reading this.

The good news that you should have gleaned from the previous paragraph is that one of my favorite guitarists, and also one of the more popular locally, has recovered from heart surgery enough to be back at work in Dallas. He played his first show back in Denton Sunday at 5 p.m. at Dan’s Silver Leaf and I am told it went well. He even showed off his scar!!! Harris is a great guy, and we need guitarists with his mad skills.

Btw, I am restringing my guitar early next week.

Jason Brown

I had the opportunity to talk with the three members of the Jason Brown Band earlier this week, and it was a total blast to talk with such well-travelled musicians who were such an integral part of music in Wichita Falls during the ‘80s and to the present. All of them are good guys and I am looking forward to seeing them play at the Pub in early October. By the way, these “geezers” will be playing with MSU freshman and sophomores who comprise another instrumental band called Broadcasting on All Frequencies. I’ve written about those guys in the past, and it should be a nice evening of music with no vocals.

Pretty Reckless

It’s fun to watch a band develop live watching them play twice a year or even as little as once a year. The Pretty Reckless continue to get better. The first album did not sell enough to do a major headline tour, so instead they are touring behind a band that draws very well in larger indoor venues. I do think the Pretty Reckless is going to be around for a while. But for them to headline in large venues, they need to put out a second album that’s as good as their first one with enough singles to make them a household name.

Texas Country

So, Sam Baker played last week, and Billy Joe Shaver played in town about a month ago, and Ray Wylie Hubbard played in town about two weeks ago. If you are a Texas singer songwriter fan, Wichita Falls is your town. Seriously, we get Texas singer songwriters like no ones business around here, and it rarely costs more than $7 or so to go and see them. There are exceptions of course, such as Joe Ely and Guy Clark down the road, who cost a little more than that to bring to town.

Classical Music

The other day I was asked in a radio interview about culture in Wichita Falls, and I observed that we can’t have it too bad because we still have a symphony. There are much larger cities out there that have lost theirs. We also produce some brilliant singers who go across the country and the world to perform. And it was just announced—from what I understand—that MSU will host two additional classical programs each semester. Again, we should feel lucky that people want to perform and play here–even if we can’t seem to show up in droves for major shows like Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Lady Antebellum.

Best of 2011, part 1.

Richard Carter

Slabrat playing the Backdoor in early 2011

For the end of the year, I chose some great posts from 2011. This is part one.

Van Halen cover

I wish you could be here to listen to the Mr. Fairchild guys put this Van Halen cover song together in practice. It’s really cool to hear it come together. The pace is a little quicker than you would think, and the guitar parts are sort of involved with lots of tremolo bar (both Jon Richerson and Cody Tucker are playing Strats on the tune). But the real key to the song is the spoken interlude for the tune where David Lee Roth is talking to a girl about what he likes. That part said with a straight face and the right attitude should bring the house down.

“Cinderella”

I got to check out the live music of the staged “Cinderella” on Friday night. I went to check it out for like 20 minutes and ended up staying for the whole first act.

The show has a lot of charm and just the right amount of magic. Watching the horse-driven coach appear from nowhere was pretty amazing. It was also very cool to hear everyone sing. I thought everyone did a very good job, and they should be very proud of the production and their accomplishment.

Forever the Sickest Kids

The vocalist for Forever the Sickest Kids had the forethought to wear a Bowling for Soup shirt. They toured with the Denton-based band last October in the UK and said they had a blast. Both groups play power pop and have a great sense of humor, but the Kids also had a guitar player who had an ear for some more electronic oriented stuff. Because Forever the Sickest Kids has such a reputation for horsing around on stage, I was wondering if the bass player took a back of the head stage dive on purpose. I think it was accidental because he looked a little shaky getting back up. Good thing he had a hard head.

35 Conferette

Last Thursday, the 35 Conferette four-day music festival began in Denton Texas, and numerous bands from all over the place played a city with a population about the same size as Wichita Falls. Already in its third year, the festival continues to grow and this year features bands and such diverse music as Big Boi, !!!, Mavis Staples, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dr. Dog and so on. 170 bands played Denton, and people from all over the state came and visited and enjoyed the city square, the numerous clubs, the great coffee shops and all the cool things to do in the city.

Culture Crawl

I also got to listen to my favorite band locally, Dr. Philgood and the Let’s Get It On’s and they did a four-piece show with some hand percussion, electric guitars and a bass, and it was pretty amazing. The band has a huge crowd in front of Alley Cat Collective and it was a good time. There were people of all ages coming and going with a guy selling pizza from the Spot and people at tables giving away literature for what I do not know.

Slabrat

Last night, I happened to wander by a meeting of (wait for it, wait for it…) Slabrat where the band members were actually talking about their set list for a forthcoming show at Backdoor Theatre and I guess an upcoming tour where they play all over the region or something.  Don’t count on a whole lot of shows, but the good thing is they they’ve scheduled practices and stuff. How long has it been since these guys actually played? I think anyone who has seen Slabrat play will pretty much recognize most of the songs on the group’s set list, but there will be some special guests and stuff like that, and there will be a few new tunes. Needless to say, I hope we have a few shows coming from up from them including perhaps a Neon Spur show. That would be cool.

Drums and documentaries

You really hear music differently when you’re on stage, especially as a drummer, and it’s something that I wished more people got to experience. It’s not just the drums either. You are more part of the musical process, and you hear things as they come together. The cool thing is that you take that experience with you when you hear that band again, as well as others. Speaking of being closer to the band experience, I got an e-mail from Tim McMillan the other day about his new band Tantrum. On April 29, there will be a screening of a film made by an MSU film team that’s been following the members of Tantrum for the last two months.

Too many drummers

I am sitting in the Bluelight Special Blues band studio right now as they get their show put together to open up at the Pub this Saturday. Sadly the drummer has not yet shown up and Rob “I am a harpist now” Kirkland is sitting behind the drums to play, and it sounds pretty good. Ooops, the drummer just showed up, and now Kirkland is leaving the drums to check out the keys of his different harps. I honestly thought I would never hear him play drums again. But then again, now Rob is singing again and I’d much rather hear him play drums. For the record, there are three drummers in the band: Troy (who actually plays drums when he is there), Dustin (who plays keys) and Rob (who cheerleads, plays harp, sings background vocals, and is right now playing cowbell).

Denton:

I was in Denton the other evening on the town square. The square is gorgeous at night, and it’s always lively. There’s at least 14 clubs within a block either way but that magic to me really is about all the people hanging out and walking around or sitting on the lawn of the courthouse or sitting at tables at the coffee shop (Jupiter House) or liking the chill scene at the wine shop or whatnot. It’s an amazing area to hang out at night that’s not only scenic, but cool because it brings such a wide variety of hangers out as well as musicians. I love the idea of walking into a coffee shop at 10 p.m. and sipping quality espresso and listening to a band play jazz standards from the ‘50s and ‘60s. That’s pretty cool and it’s not so loud that you cannot sit down at a table and talk with friends.

Alternative places to see shows locally:

There is some really great music out there, and it’s cool to go to the Kemp Center or Memorial Auditorium to see a show. Because, the music can be pretty fresh there as well (it doesn’t just have to be a club). Remember, it was at the Memorial Auditorium that the Clash played one of their last shows. And it was Ely who was responsible for them coming here to play that show. Just saying. Okay, Ely didn’t jump on my table at this show like he did in the mid ‘80s at the old Shakey’s Pizza Parlor (now a church) behind the old Treasure City (now a building supply store) off Southwest Parkway and Jacksboro Highway.

Band stress:

I went to see White Knuckle practice the other day, and I really like their band dynamic. At one point their drummer Michael Christmas was bouncing a drum stick off one of his floor toms while the guitarists were trying to figure out an intro. He was bouncing it higher and higher and then catching it and then bounced it where it hit the wall behind him and made that part of the routine. The singer was laughing while that was happening and I was rolling, because it was so funny. Band practices can get really stressful when a part isn’t working, and I thought that was an inventive way to undercut the stress.

“Not even Memorex”

Richard Carter

Johnny Cooper plays the Iron Horse Pub December 23

Thursday night I dropped by Akin Auditorium at Midwestern State University to check out and listen to the dress rehearsal of the Christmas Homecoming show that benefits the Opera Breve Vocal Intensive two week seminar at MSU. The program brings former Wichita Falls singers back to town from New York and other cities to sing, and the voices are pretty amazing.

Their final performance is today (Sunday) at MSU and I believe it starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at the door. Tickets, I think, are $25.

While I recognized the three singers that I interviewed for the opera and noted their good diction while they spoke to me, it’ always amazing to hear those same people when they sing. It goes from a good, reserved, spoken voice to amazingly well-trained singing voice with real power. Seriously, listen to Eugenie Grunewald “lay into” the high points of an aria and it’s amazing. Very few non-opera singers have the power and the passion that opera singers bring to their profession. And, here we are in Wichita Falls getting to experience people at the top of their game singing, and the price to hear this kind of talent sing is pretty affordable. I hope that people don’t miss out on this, and that we can continue to host such an excellent program and talents.

It’s so much more direct and immediate to hear live voices—even if amplified—as opposed to recorded voices in the various shops around town singing the same songs. There’s something lost in translation along the way.

The other day I was asked in a radio interview about culture in Wichita Falls, and I observed that we can’t have it too bad because we still have a symphony. There are much larger cities out there that have lost theirs. We also produce some brilliant singers who go across the country and the world to perform. And it was just announced—from what I understand—that MSU will host two additional classical programs each semester. Again, we should feel lucky that people want to perform and play here–even if we can’t seem to show up in droves for major shows like Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Lady Antebellum.

After the dress rehearsal at MSU was over, I went to the Spot to listen to the last of their bi-weekly open mics. Starting in January 2012, the open mics will be limited to the first Thursday of each month. I think it’s sad that cool open mics don’t draw the way they used to, but maybe the time for that locally is over. I remember when Vincent’s first opened and they had open mics once a week and sometimes more. Despite this setback, there are still some good performers and some intriguing new performers who continue to show up. I’m not sure if it’s the weather, the economy or whatnot that stops more people going to appreciate free live music. It may be a while if we ever know.

I understand that the Mix is going to have a huge rave for New Year’s Eve, and that has possibilities. Finally, I got to hear an area blues band work up a version of Prince’s “Let’s Get Crazy,” which was so much fun. It’s almost as good hearing a band kill it live as hearing them painstakingly put it together in the studio. Wonder what that was like back in the day when Prince himself was putting it together.

“Music everywhere”

Richard Carter

DJ Marcus at the Spot Saturday

Outside of concert halls, cars and clubs, music has always seemed to be standard in places like elevators, lobbies and cafeterias. Now music in all the coffee shops, grocery stores, pawn shops, malls, bathrooms and pretty much everywhere. I’m not sure that we haven’t becoming kind of immune to “listening to” and appreciating music, and that cannot be a good thing.

I started reading a new novel last night and it opens with a young woman noticing a particular orchestral piece while sitting in the back on a cab. The storyline notes the musical implications of the particular music and its historical implications at the time it was composed as well as at the time the piece is being heard by the woman in the novel. The scene gorgeously sets up what promises to be a significant theme in the novel.

Around people who listen to a lot of music, such as record stores and music stores that I’ve worked in, it’s amazing to follow the conversations of people about a song that happens to be playing and what that song (or the music of the group performing it) invokes to them. People who love music can more often than not tell you stories about when they first heard a song or some wild story about something that happened to them while that song happened to be playing.

The point I am trying to make here is that more and more live music has become a sort of background music to people going out and partying or drinking or doing something crazy. This became obvious to me Friday night at a restaurant where a musician was playing a variety of wind instruments and then a club later on where a live area band was playing.

Surely, a musician playing music at a restaurant is performing what would be called background music. But yet I was shocked to discover after I commented to people at the table that he had not played a standard yet that no one really had noticed anything that he had been playing. But then the conversation turned to the current song that he was playing, “Girl From Ipanema,” and the brilliant 1964 “Getz Gilberto” album by Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao and Astrid Gilberto.

It was the kind of conversation that befitted the music and the importance of it to the people at the table.

Later that evening, I went to the Spot for their third birthday party. While I missed Jay Burnam who will be back in town for a while, I did get to hear Markus play a DJ set. I cannot emphasize enough all the sounds and things which people take for granted that are being done by a good DJ. While people were hanging out and sipping beer, eating pizza or talking, he was doing all sorts of slides, hitting buttons, doing scratches and going in and out of the songs on his laptop and the LP on his turntable. Watching that over his shoulder seemed to emphasize the effects on the music coming through the speaker. It actually showed the live musicianship of what was being done and how “sick” it was. It generally appeared that the crowd was hearing little more than the beats on the PA.

It wasn’t much different when the band, Dr. Philgood, came on. While I can see someone ignoring muzak in an elevator or possibly even a live musician at a fancy restaurant, it seems odd to be oblivious to a loud live band in an eatery that is playing music that’s making conversation nearly impossible.

Dempsey reunites Friday night to play the Iron Horse Pub

“Clubs and Bands”

Richard Carter

Earlier this week, I was preparing to be interviewed about the state of popular music in the area, and a notion hit me about how the actual places to play in a town influences the bands that manage to form and to play consistently.

Not that the venues around this area literally spawn the bands who play at them, but the clubs do influence the formation of bands and what those bands will try to write, practice and play as also how successful they will be.

Forming a band and developing it without a sense of where one will play, what the sound will be and who will be in the crowd is simply not realistic. At some point, bands leave their garages to play in front of people. There are only so many high school stages that people can get built-in crowds to play high school assemblies and talent shows.

In Dallas or Denton or Fort Worth there are a ton of clubs, and there’s at least one club that will suitable for any band who manages to play their music well. Smaller cities like Wichita Falls don’t have the masses of people or the number of clubs to specialize in music to the degree that clubs in the Metroplex do.

So choosing cover songs and writing music and arranging music must be done by bands with some real idea of where those tunes will be performed. How loud and energetically a band practices also depends on the club and its patrons. For example, shows at the old 169 were perfect for all-out loud noisy garage practices, because the sets were mostly going to be deafening on a cramped stage with not always the best sound. Larger all-ages venues like the Hangar allowed the sound to breathe a little more, despite the stage still being crowded and not always the best sound. The bottom line for bands that played that music was that they could write, practice and play loud and extreme, and if their music was “bad” enough, it would appeal to crowds who regularly assembled there.

Knowing your crowd is important and the type of people who regularly attend the different area clubs. For example, while bands will always bring their own audience to see them–up to a certain point, club regulars will also be in attendance and club owners generally have a pretty firm idea of what kind of club they want. I’ve heard extreme metal bands play at established clubs in the area and even if they were really good, they were still out of place (for the most part) and they didn’t get regularly booked.

The bottom line is that when the 169 was open, there were tons of metal bands forming on a regular basis and playing there on a regular basis. There are still area metal bands that are headstrong enough to stay together and practice regularly and play from time to time in various venues–such as Bully’s who recently hosted the Derby Dames Benefit. But those are the same bands that end up practicing here but mostly playing other cities. Lycergus, and members of Coffin Crusher, are holdovers from the 169 days who play out of town more often than not–if they want to play in front of people who are actually there to hear them.

The bands that do regularly play at area clubs are the ones who play classic rock or standard ‘80s and ‘90s FM music: the type of music that appeals to the masses of club goers in the area. There are exceptions like funk bands or (large or small) jazz bands that occasionally play clubs but mostly do private parties.

If you are going to form a band here, know your audience, your clubs and the regional outlets. The same is true if you enjoy certain forms of music and want to hear it live.

Away from the smoke

Richard Carter

Rocketboys at the Pub last Friday

Lazy rainy wintery days can be some of the best days to just get away from it all and discover some great new (old) music online.

In older days, the best way to find music–that you had not heard before–was to either listen to FM radio (of course, back then the only way to get KZEW was at night on the parking garage of the Sears building downtown). Nowadays, I would not recommend that, and besides KZEW is long gone. Now we have Internet radio, if you want to pay for it, and there’s really no reason to get out of the house.

The other place to go (back then) was the record store. I could wax prosaically about the joys of discovering cool new bands on LP at the great old record stores in town. But the days of Ripoff and (the original) Disc Records are long gone, as are a lot of the people who worked there. Fellow haunters also seem displaced, which is sort of sad.

More recently, during my Dallas days, there were plenty of places to go as late as the early ‘90s. But alas all of those places are gone as well. The days of the record store have all but ended. During the last years of the CD Warehouse in town, I tried to play a mix of interesting new tunes, such as Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and Liars, but even that was limited.

So, with record stores near the end of a downward spiral, I think your best bet is Internet radio but what (to me) is better and cheaper is Youtube.com. I have mentioned this Internet site in the past, but the better that you get to know Youtube and how to browse through it, the more interesting stuff you are going to find.

The majority of that interesting (new) stuff seems to be from the past. I have always prioritized live music over recorded music, but over time I have begun to more fully appreciate the joys of older music that never made the charts or heavy rotation (not that that business concept existed back then on the FM). There is some great music from the 50’s through the ‘70s that didn’t get promoted properly and as a result has been relegated to the bin.

Let me back up for a minute. We live in a town that very much emphasizes live bands covering other bands’  music. That’s part of the area entertainment economy. For one, it’s easier to learn a good song and play it as opposed to actually writing a good song. And, two, I’m not sure (having been to a ton of area clubs over the past 10 years or so) that all that many people are really there in clubs for the live music.

I would like to see more area bands, who choose to cover other people’s music, actually change that music up more. I think the Jason Brown Band does a great job of rearranging songs. But what I would also love to see would be for cover bands to discover some of really underground old gems that most nobody has ever heard before.

The point I am trying to make is that there is some perfectly great music from back in the day to be discovered on Youtube.com, and some really interesting websites and subscribers are doing a great job digging this stuff up and promoting it.

And on those cold days when it doesn’t seem prudent to get out of the house, and the notion of watching infomercials hardly seems appealing, it’s time to dig up some old music and check out some great stuff.

Richard Carter

Late Fall?

Richard Carter

Kellie Lee Saturday at Quail Creek

Something recently hit me at the Thursday night open mic night at The Spot, and it’s so obvious but it had never really occurred to me before.

Because it gets colder during the winter, it seems like more musicians are writing tunes this time of the year, and it shows in open mics where people are busting out new tunes at an outrageous clip. Sure, it’s hot in the summer but people tend to swim and stuff. When it gets this cold, and you’re not near any slopes, the thing for musicians to do is to grab an acoustic guitar or find a piano and noodle. Noodling leads to riffs, which leads to new tunes, which manages to find words.

So, right now is not a bad time to get to open mics to hear some new songs fresh off the artistic “stove” so to speak. Besides, what else are you going to do during the wintertime besides go to hear some new bands in warm clubs?

My friends who went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra said that the show was pyrotechnically amazing and they really enjoyed the musicianship. Supposedly the best seats (in terms of proximity to the stage) were sold and people were going all batty about the show—immediately afterwards on Facebook and then to each other for the following week. It’s a shame that not more bands come through town to play, but there is that economy of the thing.

Friday night was an excellent night with Dr. Philgood playing at Old Town mixing in their sets with DJ sets by their phenomenal DJ Marcus McGee. That same night, one of my favorite bands, The Rocketboys, came through Wichita Falls. One day I should write a blog about the shortening of names. For example, Dr. Philgood was originally Dr. Philgood and the Let’s Get It Ons, while The Rocketboys were originally Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys. Perhaps the trick is to keep things short so that it all fits on a marquee or on the Facebook page.

Also, the fabulous Kellie Lee played at Quail Creek Saturday afternoon and the great City Lights parade downtown was also on tap.

I am at the Spot checking out a really good singer songwriter David O’Dell playing an extended set. He’s played so many originals that he ran out. He’s currently playing the standard, “Georgia,” which is very nice, while David Thompson plays some tasteful lead. A girl is crocheting, while other people are talking about whatnot. It’s cold outside. And, now Chris Roberson is starting a song.  I can tell you how amazing he is, but I hope you already know this.

It would appear that Dempsey is playing on December 9 opening up for the Minor Prophets show. This change was made last week after two members assured me they were going to push the show back. Sometimes you should trust the club website when it lists a band.

Minor Prophets has a new guitarist from what I understand. Charles Harlow, formerly of White Knuckle, will be playing lead for them. The Dec 9 show is still supposed to happen.

Finally, Johnny Cooper is playing the Wednesday next week before Thanksgiving at the Pub. It’s pretty much become a standard show like X playing Halloween.

Check out my story on The Doppelgangers next Friday in NEXT. Their band is great and indicates that instrumental music is starting to make its move locally.

Kellie Lee is coming back in town

Richard Carter

Kellie Lee is coming back

Erratic Method at Bully's Saturday

In case you missed it, Kellie Lee—originally from Wichita Falls—is coming back to town on Saturday, November 19 to play a free show. It’s her first time to play the area in about a year or so, and I think it’s going to be a blast.

She will be at the Quail Creek (shopping center) Grand Opening that runs from noon to 4 p.m. The shopping center is located across the street from the Wal-Mart on Lawrence Rd. She will be playing music from her first solo record “Stereo Type,” which includes two singles “Soul in a Shell” and “Toxic City” that have been getting some air play. She is also supposed to be recording right now and should play a few tunes from the new album.

The event is totally free to see a gal who was a regular at the area Rudolph events back in the day and who has taken the great local experience she got playing in Wichita Falls and is making the best of it on the West Coast. She’s played some great clubs like the Whiskey a GoGo, some great festivals and an MTV eco event in Beverly Hills.

The show will also feature another good local guy, the Jay Hollis Band, and it’s going to be outside, so it will be effectively smoke free. If you’re a Kellie Lee fan from back in the day, or if you just like good home-cooked music from someone who can vocally bring it, you should check Kellie out. She’s the real deal.

For more info on Lee, go to http://kellieleemusic.com

This Saturday, November 12, I spent time hanging out at Bully’s out west of Wichita Falls for the Derby Dames benefit. We are having remarkable weather so far this late into fall for outdoor shows, and that’s a very good thing. I think the problem is that most people think that outdoor venues like Bully’s and Neon Spur have long closed down for the season, so those shows are not drawing as well as they probably should.

Needless to say, it was an eclectic mix of bands that was begun by Miyagi who then hung out all day to watch live music. I got to chat with most of their members, and they were having a blast. The dames from the Derby Dames were also having a blast and were appreciative for the fans who were there supporting the cause. The groups were playing on the side stage, which has some decent lights and is close enough to the main bar so that people don’t have to make too much of a walk into the now grassy Back 40 to see the bands play on the main stage.

If you missed out, then you missed out. I wished I would have had the time to check out the Texas Blues Runners at the Backdoor Saturday night, because you know those guys are always good.

The guys from Minor Prophets are about two weeks away from dropping their first CD, which they recorded in Dallas and is supposed to be very good. Their CD release party, is on Friday, December 8 at the Pub. It says that Dempsey is opening but that reunion has been pushed back until at least early 2012. I am looking forward to seeing Dempsey reunite even if it is for the one show.

The Rocketboys play the Pub on Friday, Nov 18 and it should be brilliant. Jay Burnam will open and that will be more than worthwhile.

From Itasca to Wichita Falls

Richard Carter

Sam Baker at the museum last Thursday

Probably the best musical deal of the year for listeners was last Thursday at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University (wow, that takes a breath or two to say.) Anywho, the Austin-based singer songwriter Sam Baker came to town with a piano accompanist and played for an hour and a half. The best thing about the show was not that it was free (though that was a good part). The best thing about the show was that the man is extremely talented and is able to convey that music and that energy to a live crowd with music that sticks with you.

He joked about area football rivalries (this being Old High-Rider week) and Baker was in a position to do so having played football in high school in Itasca, Texas in the early ‘70s. Soundman Abby Abernathy particularly took some grief about his Archer City allegiances. The humor was all in good fun. Again, the best thing about the night was Baker playing amazing melodies on his Taylor and Art & Lutherie acoustic guitars, while singing and speak-singing what he has seen in small towns and on the road about life and some of the less fortunate parts of life. There was also some very tasteful accompaniment on piano and acoustic guitar.

Baker played in a tastefully lit gallery with some art on the walls and music coming from four speakers. It wasn’t quadrophonic, if that’s what you may have been thinking. There was no smoke and the only liquid was occasional wine, which people drank sparingly and acted accordingly. The crowd was quiet and applauded enthusiastically after the songs were over. I’d have to say that Baker should come to town again, soon. It turns out that he had played Archer City a number of years ago, but I don’t think anyone really recalled that until several days before the show.

So, Baker played last week, and Billy Joe Shaver played in town about a month ago, and Ray Wylie Hubbard played in town about two weeks ago. If you are a Texas singer songwriter fan, Wichita Falls is your town. Seriously, we get Texas singer songwriters like no ones business around here, and it rarely costs more than $7 or so to go and see them. There are exceptions of course, such as Joe Ely and Guy Clark down the road, who cost a little more than that to bring to town.

What’s confusing to me is that it seems like anyone of note in the rock or the country genres are considerably more expensive to go see, even if they would come to the area.

And that’s the thing, Peter Frampton came to Ardmore Oklahoma on August 24 just north of here and everyone rocked out. Surely, Frampton came to Wichita Falls and played the Memorial Auditorium in the late ‘70s or ‘80s just like Ted Nugent did and the Clash did and any number of other bands who were relevant (at the time they played). But at some point bands like that stopped coming to Wichita Falls with any real frequency.

Nostalgia bands like Frampton play in small towns near here, and even casinos get groups like Poison. I hear that Willie Nelson is going to play an Oklahoma casino before too long. Maybe we need a casino in town?

Remember to go see some really good local talent next Saturday at Bully’s playing a show to benefit the Wichita Falls Derby Dames roller derby skating team.

“Put on ya costume, already”

Richard Carter

X at the Pub Saturday night

Last Saturday, a new band called Doppelgangers performed their first ever show in Wichita Falls at Old Town playing in front of the Blue Light Special band.

To be honest several members of the Doppelgangers play for Blue Light Special but the band sounds quite different. One plays instrumental sort of prog rock tunes, while the other plays sort of ‘70s blues songs.

Doppelgangers features the guitar players and keyboardist of Mr. Fairchild, who played their last show ever Saturday October 29. Anywho, the band also has former 10 Cent Pistol (and current Enthusiast) bassist Jason Cooper. Louis Tucker plays drums but he’s not the guy from Lewis Louis. That’s John Lankford on the drums.

Anywho, the Doppelgangers plays songs by bands that you’ve never heard of before, but the tunes are tight, have tons of energy and a good beat. Nobody danced to their music, though I think they could have. People did nod their heads and seemed to enjoy themselves.

Wow, do we have some instrumental bands in town. We have Broadcasting on all Frequencies and also the Jason Brown Band, and for a small town like Wichita Falls, that’s saying something.

Speaking of Fairchild, they practiced with their original drummer Rob Kirkland who actually played drums with them some Saturday night. He also sang some Dio and that was entertaining. Dude even picked up a guitar and played some. When asked at practice, he explained why he actually quit playing drums, but I am not allowed to say.

Word on the street has it that the Soundgarden show with Mastodon Wednesday night in Grand Prairie was one of the better live shows ever. Supposedly Soundgarden played two hours non-stop and people never sat down. That’s what they call a great show.

There is no word yet what the guys from Fairchild will do now that they’re calling it a day. They’ve been together for over 10 years, and it’s kind of strange to think there will be a local scene without them. No one around them knows what to say about it. Shame that.

I chatted with one of the members of Minor Prophets earlier this week, and they are nearing the end of their recording in Dallas at the same studio that Bowling for Soup and a number of other major recording acts have laid down tracks. I can only imagine that it will sound pretty good. I will let you know when the band is ready to release the CD.

The Derby Dames benefit is coming up on (I believe on) November 11 to replace the one that was rained out. The Doppelgangers will be playing the show. Also playing is Standing Hallow, Roselawn, The Disco Rico and possibly Broadcasting on all Frequencies. There will be some good bands out there and the cause is totally worthwhile, so check it out.

A documentary called “Thunder Soul” opened Friday at the Parker Square Cinemark and from what I have read about the high school funk band from Houston (and the few previews I saw of the flick) it looks absolutely great. There are not that many great documentaries about high school jazz turned funk bands. This looks to be a sweet movie that people should consider checking out.

I interviewed Texas Blues Runners tomorrow, and that’s an awful lot of talent and ability playing together in one band. They will be playing at the Backdoor Theatre as part of band night weekend after next, and that’s a great environment to see a show.

Finally, don’t forget to see Sam Baker next Thursday at the Museum. He’s a pretty talented guy and it’s totally free. No bad, there.

“On the road again”

Richard Carter

The Pretty Reckless in Dallas last week

During the busiest time of the year, I heard that The Pretty Reckless was playing in Dallas. And that a cool new band called Rival Sons out of Los Angeles was also playing.

Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows how I feel about The Pretty Reckless. They’re a fun band with great songs that can play and grab an audience’s attention. Their lead singer sings like she means it, and the rest of the band can jam.

I have seen the band on its first tour in 2009 opening for the Veronicas. I missed Warped Tour two summers ago but saw them again in February 2011 and then again last week. The group has always been energetic and really good. I had hoped to hear a new song or two when they played last week, since the rumor was they were recording in LA right before the tour, but they did nine familiar originals, mostly singles, and an Audioslave cover.

The show started off well but the band was plagued with sound issues, so they didn’t really hit their full stride with their sound, presence and getting the crowd into it by the sixth song. They did 10 songs overall, but there was no encore. I suspect that Evanescence wanted the time to play, and supposedly shows in that venue end before midnight.

It’s fun to watch a band develop live watching them play twice a year or even as little as once a year. The Pretty Reckless continue to get better. The first album did not sell enough to do a major headline tour, so instead they are touring behind a band that draws very well in larger indoor venues. I do think the Pretty Reckless is going to be around for a while. But for them to headline in large venues, they need to put out a second album that’s as good as their first one with enough singles to make them a household name.

I did get a chance to talk with The Pretty Reckless bassist, who is actually quite a nice guy. We had met at their last show and he has a good sense of humor and does not act the way he looks. On this tour, he said that he’d been checking out Rival Sons, who played a 35-minute set.

The band reminded me of an early Led Zeppelin mixed in with an early ‘70s Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart singing. The singer had one of those great blues voices and the guitarist could crank. The bassist is a former 1 o’clock jazz band guy from North Texas State and the drummer was up to the task. They were a lot better than the average opener on a three-band set. I wished they had a second guitarist to cover some of the lines they overdub on the record.

If you haven’t heard The Pretty Reckless (or Rival Sons) yet, you need to check them out.

I went to the Friday night benefit at the Neon Spur and wished there had been a larger crowd. I think that most people don’t even know the club is open this year, or if they did know then that maybe the club had already closed down for the season.

Zombie crawl is next weekend, so I recommend that you check it out and also see X play their annual Halloween show at the Iron Horse Pub. X really is the premiere ‘80s hair band playing locally.  Jac Damsel will open, so it should be an entertaining and fun evening.

Honky tonk

Richard Carter

BIlly Joe Shaver at the Pub Saturday night

Friday night I found myself at the Pub to watch the Josh Weathers Band–the first time I have seen the band since the sound check for their very first show in town. That’s kind of amazing, because they completely blew me away in their sound check. but I had a sinus headache that night and didn’t stay around for another four hours to watch them play.

Well, I did get to watch them play about four or five songs on Friday night and the guys were amazing. It’s an interesting mix because Weathers is young, as is his bassist and saxophone player, but the drummer and keyboardist are sort of a lot older, but no less awesome. Needless to say, the band has the musical aspect of the equation wired, and they also have a lot of energy. I can see why the group has become a popular act in Wichita Falls. You might want to check them out their next time through, and it’s actually not that far away. They will be back on November 25 at the Pub headlining over the Blue Light Special band.

Just for the record, I just discovered that the Rocket Boys are coming back to Wichita Falls on November 18^th with Jay Burnam opening up for them. If you have not seen this former Abilene and now Austin band, they are pretty cool. Stephen Welch calls them the Coldplay of Texas, but I think they’re better than that. And, while I am promoting forthcoming shows, I strongly suggest that you go to see Dr. Phil Good do their record release show next Friday. It’s going to be good.

Saturday night, I went to see Shantell play yet another benefit show in town. Not every band does benefits, and these guys are always great at playing things to help other people. They were playing P2, and Doug Boyd was on bass having a great time playing with them as a last minute sub.

Right after that, I went to the Pub to watch the sound check for Billy Joe Shaver  (who is awesome) and also to say hello to Ali Holder and her band (and they are also awesome).

The last time Ali brought her fiddle player and standup bass player to town, they had only been formally together as a band for not that long. The trio played very well the last time in town, and this time they showed the sort of growth a gathering of musicians get with musical familiarity and the time together enough to get to know each other’s style. There was no looking back and forth between the three to figure out where the other was. Sure, Ali was a little nervous as anyone is when they come home to play with their friends and family in the crowd. They knocked it out of the park. Great show, and everyone was asking about the EP. I am pretty sure that Great Neck has some of those for sale, by the way.

Anywho, the headliner, Billy Joe Shaver then brought some seriously awesome honky tonk to the Pub. His band nailed it, and so did he. The man is one of the best songwriters around, and one of the few songwriters who sings all of his own songs. There surely are enough tunes that he’s written over the years, but I don’t think anyone is tired of his tunes. Great performance by a man who belongs in the same sentence as Guy Clark, Waylon, Willie, Joe Ely and the rest of the boys. If you missed it, you missed out.

Crowds on Vacation

Richard Carter

People on Vacation Friday night at Neon Spur

Before I went to check out the new project by singer and guitarist Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, I ran by the Mr. Fairchild jampad to check out what was going to happen at their annual Office show. In case you didn’t know, Halloween is actually one of the best nights ion town to go and hear live music. If you decide to dress up like a zombie or whatever, all power to ya.

Anywho, so I was walking into the jam pad when I heard them cranking Dio through the PA. We all love Dio, and I assumed it was a joke, until I heard former drummer Rob Kirkland belting out “Rainbow in the Dark.” It turns out that he will guest sing on the Fairchild set that night by doing some Dio screaming. And let me tell you, getting to hear the guys go through Dio was sort of like hearing Loudness (the Japanese metal band) back in the day.

I am not trying to cause any trouble or anything, but it’s sort of peculiar how the Dio tune sounds a lot like Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” and I may not be the only person to suggest that. Check it out.

Okay, once I was bored of hearing covers of Dio, and trust me about three times is the trick there, I headed out to Neon Spur to check out People on Vacation, the indie pop duo of Reddick and Ryan Hamilton (who does sort of look like a hipster when you meet him). Anywho, the band was really good, and the cool thing is they sounded full by using a laptop, an iPad and all sorts of electronic musical loops to play guitar and keyboard and sing along to.

They are a cool pop band with some indie overtones and nice harmonies and of course a sense of humor. It was perhaps the sense of humor that may have saved the evening for some people that night. Despite getting two guys from successful Metroplex bands with a local tie in, there was less than 100 people there. I mean, what the “what the,” right? You have a cool duo who are about to release a CD that will get national attention and there’s almost no one there?

I mean, the newspaper wrote a story (that was me, by the way) and they were all over the TV, the Facebook.com on the Internet and there was word of mouth. What is it about certain bands that don’t seem to get any love? I don’t get it. it was sort of embarrassing.

I am just saying this so that when Billy Joe Shaver plays the Iron Horse Pub with no less than Ali Holder on Oct 15 at 9 p.m. or so, I want to see a crowd of people out for some very good music. Shaver’s music dates back to the early ‘70s when Waylon Jennings discovered his music and used 9 songs on an album. Shaver is the real deal, and it would be insult to injury of he doesn’t draw well.

Also, Dr. Phil Good is releasing their first CD on Oct 21 at the Pub with a big show, and that should be an all-out blast. Represent.

“Perfect Storm”

Richard Carter

the members of a group formerly called A Band Called John, Kory and David at the Downtown Culture Crawl Thursday night

Surely the cool breeze in the air means Fall is here, and if there were really any doubt, all it would take would be to look at the cover of NEXT and see that FallsFest was hitting town.

But this year, the music kind of started early—before FallsFest. It was the back to the downtown area culture crawl that came Thursday night, the day before everyone heads out to Lucy Park.

So, downtown Culture Crawl is like turning back the clock 30 years and pretending that downtown is still the coolest place in town to go and to do things. Downtown is, of course, back during the day, and it’s sort of back at night. Indiana on a Friday night can be pretty busy at night with plays at Wichita Theatre and Backdoor Theatre and also the club action.

At the Culture Crawl, all the places stay open late, and musicians play on Indiana and Ohio. The guys from Dr. Phil Good and the Let’s Get It On’s were in front of the Alley Cat Collective, while Bayou Funk Debris was playing in front of Artifact Emporium at the Littlest Skyscraper. I thought I saw the members of a Band Called John, Kory and David in front of the old Muehlbergers building, but I was wrong. They were just hanging out, and it wasn’t a reunion of the famous power trio that was spawned at Vincent’s coffee shop and art emporium so many years ago. It did turn out that Kory and David were playing in front of Eastern Treasures. There were lots of other bands, and the crowds came out to crawl a little late, but they did come.

While it was a nice touch to have a city trolley out there, it was kind of odd to have a trolley at a crawl. It was my impression that crawls are supposed to be about walking or running or maybe even riding a bike. Anywho, I think people had a blast and it set up the following Friday night.

Friday night, I was debating going by to see FallsFest country night, but instead decided to defer going to the big annual party on Saturday night where I am to write about KC and the Sunshine Band and also Slab Rat and whomever happens to win the Battle of the Bands and gets to play on the main stage.

So, I ran into the members of Slab Rat doing a last minute practice, and they were kind of practicing like there was no tomorrow. The worst thing for them was that singer Ben Prater was recovering from a brutal mike stand accident. The bases on those things are a lot heavier than they look, and it would appear that one fell on his right toe. If you see him, wish him well, and hopefully he can still hit the high notes. The horn section sounded fab, and the background vocals were sweet. Should be a fun show.

Bryan Reilly is playing trumpet at Akin Auditorium at 3 or so on Sunday afternoon Oct 9, and I really like his Chet Baker influenced style. It should be a good afternoon.

The new Mastodon CD is solid, and they are playing in front of Soundgarden in Grand Prairie on Oct 26 or so. I think you can still probably find a ticket.