CCP

Since I live down in South Austin, Texas and  Moontower Saloon  (http://www.moontowersaloon.com/) is a couple of minutes away. This allows me the joy of hanging out at Austins original, bad ass, outdoor venue. With a 21 and up policy, it allows for a great time to be had by all. With a ton of parking, there is o need to fret, and if you have had to many, don't worry, they are cool with you leaving your car to make it safe for everyone out there on the road.

The facility consists of a small house that is the main bar and building, a huge outdoor covered deck with another bar and a large TV for your sports viewing pleasures. Another small deck attached to the back of the house which works as the stage. Tons of table seating, fire pits, washer pits, cornhole, sand volleyball courts in the distance. There is another satellite deck that works as a VIP area. 

To enjoy music pick your Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday and go. Be surprised and be entertained, always.

Knocking down a tic mark on my Austin music bucket list this night was the  Chris Castaneda Project   (https://www.facebook.com/ChrisCastanedaProject/). What an outstanding group. Even better than just the CCP electrifying the crowd with his wicked guitar skills, super tight band, and great singing voice, but a special guest, Rojas - El Guitarrista,  stunning us all on the acoustic. This performance simply proved what I always preach - go out and catch some live music in Austin. You will NEVER know who you will see and what performances you will experience. 

The Chris Castaneda Project mixes originals with classic and iconic covers. The crowd stayed tuned and drawn in while Chris played, sang, and the band performed. The sound was a little bit rock and a heavy Latin influence, it is a group you have to catch. An evening performance, and afternoon festival or fair, it doesn't matter, you will be thrilled and enjoy the performance like every person in the crowd did during this set.

Joining Chris and the CCP on stage was  Rojas - El Guitarrista (https://www.facebook.com/caleb.s.rojas). This is was the special, unexpected, joy of this performance. Something new and freaking bad ass. Rojas was a stunning fill with his abilities and talent on the guitar. Although I had never seen the Chris Castaneda Project before this evening, it was stellar to take in the whole performance with this special guest. I was not aware of how lucky all of us in the crowd were until my dad saw Chris the next night. He was blown away by the performance, but was surprised when I asked him about the acoustic prodigy of Rojas. My dad indicated the performance was sans Rojas talents. 

Lucky for all of you Rojas performs regularly all over the place as does Chris Castaneda Project. 

Go out support live and local, and tell both Chris and Rojas I sent ya!

Post Script - I Saw The Castaneda Project one more time at Moontower as a trio. It is frigthening how bad ass these guys are. I had to look twice to believe there was not another guitarist on stage with Chris. There sound is full and exciting....and just wait, maybe Chris will do the National Anthem - Hendrix style for you!

Laters

Let's talk about love

Back at my close to home hangout, Moontower (http://www.moontowersaloon.com/). 21 and up, ID upon driving in - and the bartenders will still card you if they want - Crazy amount of parking, and loads of space to play and have fun. With the tiny little house that represents the bar, a pool table, bathrooms, a couple of TVs, and some tables. Step outside onto the deck with another outside bar, a large TV, and more seating. Attached is also a smaller deck that acts as the stage. Out into the insanely huge yard that has tables, fire pits, food trucks, washer pits, more bathrooms, sand volleyball, another deck, and loads of fun.

But this particular nite hosted not the normal 1 band from 8 - 11, but 3 bands. NICE!

Opening the evening was Austin's darlings, and multi- award winning U-18 band, the          Tiarra Girls  (http://www.tiarragirls.com/). With their personal stamp and flair for the latin/rock genre, the Tiarra Girls completely rocked the yard, taking to school the two bands that followed, and that - I promise you - is not easy. I have had the pleasure of hearing them for the last 3 years and watch them grow as talented musicians and band. Crisp, confident guitar licks and solid vocals to a super tight back line (with one of the best and only female drummer in the Austin Music Awards top 10) is how these young women do it. So I really don't know how to say this any other way, but anyone that has the confidence to bust out bells and a clarinet during a rock show performance is worthy of your time and money. Enjoy the Tiarra Girls here in Austin now because they are on a trajectory that is soon to take them beyond us!

The second set was Evening Optimist (https://www.facebook.com/eveningoptimist/). Brand new to my ears and well placed in this set. Follow up the previous could have proved daunting to many other bands, but these Austin rock veterans had no trouble moving the night on. The crowd swelled in front of the stage, hips were moving, and drinks were flowing. Evening Optimist had that rock/pop/punk sound that was super enjoyable on this cool evening. The four piece which comprises Evening Optimist entertained us with the blazing lead guitarist and cool as ice lead singer, but the eyes seemed to be on the exciting bass player as he was the wild man! It was all fun and with a solid performance, you would definitely be happy you took the time on any night out and run into these guys on a stage here in Austin!

And on to the headline performance. I have talked about them before, they were the headliners for a reason, and they are a band EVERY SINGLE other band should take performance notes from. Yes! Vallejo (http://www.vallejomusic.com/) rocked our faces off. With the massive amount of talent in front of them, Vallejo only had one way to finish out the night, and that was like every other other performance they have done...like EVERY SONG WAS A FINALE AND IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD. Brothers AJ, Alex, and Omar, along with Alex and Bruce comprise the ultimate Latin/Rock musical experience of fun that can be had! To top it off they were joined onstage by the Amazing Kelly Green of the Texas K.G.B. (https://www.thetexaskgb.com/), just goes to prove you can't miss a show because you never know what will happen!

With over 2 decades of performing and hit songs there is absolutely no question Vallejo remains top of the food chain when comes to The Austin Live Music Capitol of the World and MUST see bands!









Laters