On a blues note

a slight return

One 2 One (http://www.one2onebar.com/) is realistically the home of all that is good in Austin music and the live music scene. Yes! There are many other great venues, older and newer, but for all that is right about the Austin music scene, Gregg and Destinee do it right! With a venue that was designed for sound and stage, if you haven't been there to hear and experience what I am talking about, you can't say you have had the Austin music experience.

When you walk in the door you are faced with a very nice sized, rectangle shaped room. On the far end is a beautiful stage. Just the right height to see from any spot in the room with a full house. The bathrooms are located on either side of the stage. There is also a large bar on the right side, running about halfway down the long side of the room. Service has never been an issue at the bar and they are always friendly and smiling.

It was a spectacular start to the New Year at the One2One. Might not have been their first show if the new year, but it was stunning. Even better is after all the time I have spent sitting at the bar or roaming the crowd, here or at the original location, my dad joined me for this night of great music.

The big voice and personality of Lisa Tingle (http://www.lisatingle.com/) kicked things off in smashing fashion. Lisa started things off fast and only built the show from there. Lisa Tingle is one of the strongest voices, male or female, in the Austin Blues rock scene. With a backing band able to handle the performance, the crowd was on their feet throughout the whole performance. The Lisa Tingle catalog of music encompasses everything you would want to feel in good rocking blues music! Belting out the songs with her voice and the accompaniment it is best described as "being taken to church!"

Van Wilks (http://vanwilks.com/) was up next on stage. Not only did he proceed to slay the audience with his own brand of "21st Century Blues", but I have to say, I have NEVER seen so many camera personnel in the One2One shooting at once. Vans performances are always electric, satisfying, and really leave you wanting more. His sound is familiar and fun, but at the same time clean and providing you those moments of 'WOW'. The best thing about his performance is being in the crowd. By the end of his set everyone was on their feet and and the crowd in front of the stage was proving the thrill of live music transcends ages!

Andy Macintyre (http://www.macintyre.rocks/) came up next. Not knowing what to expect and thinking about the two stellar performances right before him, Andy laid it out in blazing fashion. Another guitar talent on stage before us, would make any one think they grow on trees down in Austin. But we know the truth, it's in the water. Not only was Andy Macintyre's performance ridiculously fun, but his voice in song was just damn spectacular. Paying a little tribute to a local guitar legend we recently lost (JT Coldfire - and if the song wasn't so damn good I would've cried at the tribute) and the music worlds loss of David Bowie, Andy completely owned every note he played. All of those in the house that remained after the previous gig were treated to one the brightest and best new talents - and he's been six stringing it for years!

Having both Van Wilks and Andy Macintyre perform on the same stage in one night was just damn mind blowing. Having Lisa Tingle start the night out made it unbelievable. Having this last band be our night cap was just plain old, toe tapping goodness.

The Cody Bryan Band (http://codybryanmusic.com/main.php) was a last minute addition. It is also proof to go out, listen to some live, local, music. Find a great spot to listen to music. pick a night and a band you are interested in. Go, hang out, watch the fun, be a part of something great, and see who else walks in the door.

For the late night folks that just couldn't get enough of a good thing, The Cody Bryan Band did all of us alright! It is fun, toe tapping, sing along, Texas Country, at about it's finest. Seeing this band grow through the years is beyond a great thing. Seeing this band on stage tear it up like there was an audience of 50,000, makes me know these guys are doing it right and doing it well. No doubt you can catch The Cody Bryan Band band near you soon, as they are touring extensively supporting there new EP 'Small Town Noise'. It is a great performance that will have you on your feet and swinging your favorite partner to the beat.

and for all it is worth, the great performances, the amazing music, the fun shows that I talk about....it doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't go out and support the music in our beautiful city.

Laters

They wish

I'll get to that in a minute

Threadgills (http://www.threadgills.com) South is both wonderful outside (weather permitting) and interesting inside. The food is fantastic, and the ambiance is pure Austin,Texas...y'all. It is home to the remnants of the famous Armadillo World Headquarters (look it up) an establishment that helped establish Austin with the title of 'live music capital of the world'.

I will withhold my normal description of the venue as you really have to see it to understand. BUT...the inside stage is in the 'Threadgills Saloon'. You have to walk through the restaurant and smell the good food to get to it. Oh yes, you can order food in the Saloon as well. It seats about 90. Tonight was beyond standing room and it was glorious! The crowd was great and the music...well that's what I want to talk about.

The Cuckoos (https://www.facebook.com/thecuckoosaustin/) are a 3 piece. Vocals do the keys, there is a guitarist, and a drummer. With a packed house, these 3 young men made their way onto the stage and with little warning laid into their first track. It seemed to get oddly quite from the crowd once they started playing. Yes, there was the normal murmur, but it was mostly people saying "WHOA!", "Wait! Who is this again?" and of course the overwhelming tone I heard was "Oh my God!". Yes they weren't just that good. They were stunning. 

Once again I have designs on going to see one particular band and am blown away by something completely unexpected and sensational. The Cuckoos were just that. Everybody loved them. Though the house was packed for the headliner, I saw and heard no one exclaim anything other than joy at the sound of The Cuckoos. I even had a friend task me with hunting them down so that we could go to their next gig with less distraction than this evenings headliner.

Here is the obvious and needed comparison. WHICH I DON'T DO! I have said this before, a lot! I don't compare because what I hear and you hear would not be the same thing. I wouldn't want to jade you from seeing something you think is wonderful. These kids sounded like The Doors. Yes, if Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek had a child it would have been the lead singer and keyboard player of The Cuckoos. The sound, the voice, the keys. It was eerily bad ass! As for the Doors, THEY WISH they had a guitar player like this. I don't care what you say about The Doors guitarist, with The Cuckoos, the guitar was not buried behind they keys and the vocals, he was just as much the star, and damn impressive at that.

Much love, respect, and future/ongoing success to The Cuckoos. Do you part, feel nostalgic for that sound from a by gone time, go see The Cuckoos. Want something that is different from that 'Austin Sound' go see The Cuckoos.

Enough of that! Let me tip my hat in grand respect to the man of the hour. Van Wilks (http://www.vanwilks.com). I can't say I don't like writing about artists over and over again, I love talking about good music. This, though, seems to be different and ever evolving each time I see him. Van Wilks has been doing his thing in Austin for a long time, but just doesn't seem to get the love here as he does in, say,.....FRANCE! 

I am glad Van calls Austin, Texas home and you really should get out and see him if you haven't. On a good night, there may be a stunning list of guests who make it onstage with him or sit with you in the crowd. If not, then you are in for just a bad ass guitarist with some fantastic blues/rock music. 

Not needing to prove himself with a new album, Van Wilks has definitively grabbed a hold of that guitar throne and declared himself King of the "21st Century Blues"(http://www.waterloorecords.com/UPC/678572221743/Van-Wilks_21st-Century-Blues). It is not just the stunning guitar work on the new album, but it's his ability to be more impressive live. Not the familiar sound we know, but the sound we love. It is comforting to know that level of talent and Vans respect for where he came from musically, is for all of us to share on the new album and see in his live performances. 

For the show this evening, it brought special guest guitarist Josh Smith onstage. Beautiful to know Van Wilks, as a guitar man, has no ego about sharing the stage. Oh yes! Legendary vocalist Malford Milligan stepped onstage for two songs. Charming, humble, and still the most notable of blues/rock vocalists and distinctive voices pretty much anywhere.

They wish they had a set list and guest list like this. They wish!

Laters

Happy Birthday to Austin PubCrawl, William Tompkins. Got a photo of him, his daughter, and Malford Milligan.

Strange things Brewing

The first blog post and performance review of the year and what an amazing start to 2015.

Strange Brew Coffee House (http://www.strangebrewaustin.com)and Strange Brew Lounge Side (http://www.strangebrewloungeside.com)is located on Manchaca Rd., just off of Stasney Ln., in South Austin, Texas.

Strange Brew is quite an interesting and genius combination. Put a coffee house with lots of great choices on some very good brews and pair it up with a nice little music lounge. The coffee space side is HUGE. Several large rooms to sit and enjoy some friends company, work on your thesis, or do an interview with a Austin guitar legend, you know....stuff like that.

The lounge side is much smaller than the coffee house space. Strange Brew Lounge Side is just a square room. The stage is to the left corner opposite of the door, and there is a beer and wine bar in the far right corner. That's it. Not sure of the room capacity, but this evening with seats and standing room, was about 100. Van Wilks had the house packed. No new video, no new CD, just a packed house for an evening of blistering guitar work and great music.

Van Wilks (http://www.vanwilks.com) is currently in production for his newest CD, which will be released later this year. All in attendance had the joy of some of the new music as well as some of the old. No doubt this was a great way to start the year. Van Wilks music catalog is quite fantastic and his ability to take the crowd on musical journey from Boys Town to all points north, was mind blowing.

The crowd this evening encompassed all ages. From the packed seating area to the standing room only at the back, every person in the house was smiling and grooving to the blazing guitar work of Van Wilks. Some amazing 10 finger work, the ability to make the guitar tweet like a bird, and phenomenal picking skills is just part of the talent Van Wilks has. His voice is smooth and perfect for the mix of rock and blues that Van Wilks is. From some of the more rocking tunes to the bluesier tracks, Van flawlessly traded the licks and lyrics with a pleasant monologue to make the hour and a half performance fly by.

If you fancy yourself a rocker, a lover of the blues, or fan of the Austin music scene, you can't proclaim it anymore than if you attend a Van Wilks performance. There are only a few guitar men around that can hold a candle to, and stand with Van Wilks on that pedestal razor sharp ability. After experiencing this performance I can truly say that Van Wilks is one of the greatest writers and guitarists that you never knew you loved!

Look for the audio interview with Van Wilks here (https://soundcloud.com/livemusicinaustin/van-wilks-kickstarter) and a short video of his guitar work on YouTube can be found here (http://youtu.be/0y56bRCJWyM).


Laters

Down at the Y

So this little place isn't so small, The Rockin' Y Ranch ( http://www.rockinyranch.com/ ) is just a rabbit hair outside of Austin on 71. Book for your own event or just book it for a family weekend. But make sure it is a BIG family weekend. Plenty of acreage, a nice pool, camping, chickens (yup), and of course the rockin part of the ranch...the game room/party barn! With trophy heads on the wall, a pool table, a ping pong table, a bar, and loads of seating, this place was rockin on this particular evening.

Although the event was somewhat a private engagement party....oh what the hell, they went ahead and got married anyway...SURPRISE!! Congratulations Alice and MC! There was plenty of music and fun to go around for this special event.

Dropping in just in time to catch Robert Johnson's Soul ( http://www.rjsoul.com/  ) wrapping up was a pretty great way to start the evening. Here is another Austin guitar specialist, but with what I felt was a more rockin twist than a blues sound. You make the call. Originals and covers to make the fill was a great blend. Opening or headlining would be a great spot for this group. Nice respect to the crowd interaction as well as the big stage feel and presence produced by this performance. Check out the web page.

Next up, and what a special treat this was, Lisa Tingle ( http://www.lisatingle.com/bio.htm ). Having the unabashed privilege of seeing and hearing Lisa again (* check the prior write up) wasn't just great, it was stellar. Enjoying her performance with family and friends who have never experienced that Tinlgey sensation was even better. My sister aspires to be the next great female blues singer, and I believe this was inspirational to her. My daughter, loving music and good music they way I do, was in awe of Lisa's power. My girlfriend and one of her friends both couldn't stop smiling the whole time. Belting out her brand of blues and soul was worth every bit of the short drive to get here. If you get a chance to make a short drive to see her anywhere, it is worth the long trip! While local legend Van Wilks dropping in on guitar was great, seeing these two on stage and laughing and smiling was...well...one of those HOLY SHIT moments.

SO, speaking of that holy shit moment. I have been circling Van Wilks ( http://www.vanwilks.com/ )shows on my calendar for more than a year. Always thinking about it and wanting to go, but never quite walking in the door of whatever venue is hosting the performance. Lucky me, here he is topping off the evening at The Rockin Y.

So here I am, walking up to the bar in the back of the party barn (to get a soda of course) and the party organizer (Pat Tompkins of Pat's Party's) introduces me to the unassuming guy leaning on the bar in the corner. "WOW" and "Holy shit" I think were the words I used. The sense of humor and humbleness was immediately evident with the response from Van "Uh Oh did I do something wrong?" NICE!

Minutes later he is in front of the crowd and it is immediately evident of Vans skills. Joined only by an accompanying guitarist, Van started with this little ditty from the Beatles that got Pat into the Barn ('Here Comes The Sun'). That song and the rest of the performance was lightning quality, and by lightning quality I tell you that it made the hair stand up on the back of your neck. A few technical difficulties later and now we have Van joined by his bass player and drummer.

The best way I can describe this rock/blues sound of Van Wilks was a phone call from my 16 year old critic. Yes, phone call from across the yard. " OMG! Dad what is the name of this song. It's awesome!"  Well, hell I don't know, but this instrumental was every bit as kick ass as all of the vocal laced tracks that were part of the performance. Seeing folks get up and dance throughout is proof of his skills as a performer and entertainer. Van may have been running through the Austin music scene for a while, BUT do not take this for granted. I would be proud to take any of my guitarist friends from a number of other bands I have written about and go to a Van Wilks performance. Let that be part of the testament to the joy and greatness it is hearing and being part of the Van Wilks legacy!

Laters

* - http://livemusicinaustin.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-felt-all-tingley-inside.html