Flanfire

Artist, photographer, graphic designer -- and now teacher? Sydney Berry gathered friends to purchase "Eggs for Education" in support of the work she will be assisting in Kampala, Uganda, starting in May. Gina Chavez and the band Jets Under Fire (really nice sound) showed up to eat, play music, and be merry -- and ogle Sydney's wonderful art. The Jets have a brand-new CD, "Kingdoms," of which I will say more soon.

These past two weeks have flown by, yet they were marked by two great celebrations -- the first anniversary of the grand opening of Ming's, MY favorite Chinese food since owner Fai Jow [pictured here with Momo's co-owner Paul Oveisi] opened his FIRST Ming's in the Montrose area in Houston a decade ago. Then the annual reunion of Sis Deville -- Austin's premiere all-woman, all sassy rock and roll band.

One-time Houstonian Eldridge Goins has also long been a fan of Jow's cooking (and his ebullient personality), and shortly after the new place (the old Little City coffeehouse on Guadalupe) opened, he began gathering together Laura Scarborough and Brad Houser (most of the time) and a few other friends to play standards as the Mingtones on Monday nights. In the house for the big party were bandmates Johnny Vogelsang and Suzanna Choffel (the main Mingtones are also in Suzanna's great band), Kevin Lovejoy and Kat Edmonson (frolicking with Laura), fellow old-school Houstonians Darren Fisher and Carolyn Wonderland, and a host of others -- and of course the soon-to-be 97-year-old Eluida Flanfire. Later that week we trekked down to the Elephant Room and caught Kat and Kevin's REAL set (with J. J. Johnson on drums, John Fremgen on bass, and Ephraim Owens on trumpet) -- WOW!

Then there was this Tuesday, when I ran up the stairs at Momo's to catch Sis Deville -- Texas musician of the year Shelley King, the aforesaid redhead (Miss Wonderland), the belle in black Ann Marie Harrop (who spends most of her time these days on the road with Brave Combo and who did one of her Polish songs that Carolyn spent all day learning on he guitar), mother of two and new Dallas celebrity Floramay Holliday, and the world-traveling Lisa Pankratz on drums. Signature SIS -- enough to make Sunny Sweeney think about (but not dare to) hop onstage. [That's major music lover Kathy Kelly on the dance floor!]


The saga would hardly be complete without mention of the lovely Raina Rose, shown here as she shared the Opal Divine's stage with Vanessa Lively and Gina Chavez. But that's nowhere NEAR all the great music [no, I did not get out to Old Settlers, but I do want to congratulate The Fireants for being chosen as the best young band at the annual event]. Well, of COURSE you will find fireants at an outdoor party in Texas. I caught Aimee Bobruk at Botticelli's (and enjoyed their amazing Botticelli Bread); the Hudsons WITH Leah Zeger at Waterloo; and one of the most amazing shows I have seen in quite a while, Dustin Welch with Kevin Welch and sister Savannah at the Continental Club. After playing a bunch of his own songs, Dustin brought up his new Texan dad, who smoked the house with "Beneath My Wheels" and kept on going through "Millionaire" (written for Solomon Burke) and "Cold Train." It was a joy to behold!

Other great fun of late included Blues Mafia at Antone's for the Austin Blues Society -- Sasha has never sounded so strong, and the crowd warmed up to the band quickly. Then it was Goldcure under the night lights at the Belmont (yummy burgers, too!). I also got out to the Blastbeat Battle of the Bands at Akins High School but missed the set by winning band The El Guapos.

Made up for that, though, by catching part of their set at the Red Eyed Fly the same evening I was invited to Emo's Lounge for a private hearing of the brand-new Kissinger CD, "Underwater" (and a long-awaited introduction to the artful Chopper). I promise reviews of Kissinger, Jets Under Fire, the amazing John Pointer CD, Schizophonic," and maybe even my nephew's band, "The Spaghetti Western String Company" (and likely a bunch more).

For the record, the El Guapos and three other battle of the bands winners (in shows produced by Blastbeat companies at Austin CAN Academy, LASA, and Anderson High) will be duking it out for a trip to the national competition later this summer at Emo's Lounge on the afternoon of May 31st. This event is cosponsored by Rock Camp USA and the Austin School of Music.

Flanfire -- Bringing LIFE to Austin music.