Flanfire

Want to watch great Austin music in downtown Austin, have a pizza and a cold draught beer, and maybe meet some great new friends? All at the same time? Then you will want to trek over to 8th and Colorado -- a block off Congress -- to the Amsterdam Cafe. But, you say, the Amsterdam has been in town for a long long time -- whazzis about live music?

As I walked in the door early Thursday evening, I was greeted first by the wonderful Karen Deschamps and second by music manager Kent Mayhew -- himself a performing songwriter who understands what musicians need and want in a venue. The stage is large enough for a full band but intimate enough for a solo performer playing acoustic guitar.

Food? Paninis, pizza, soup, appetizers, cold samiches and even rabbit food -- plus (for the downtown crowd) a brie plate with green apple and a demi baguette. And, yes, they ALSO have coffee (including espresso) -- and a good selection of beer, wine and even the harder stuff. Fellowship? Well, I had an all-night party (till I had to leave) -- and did I mention there is even a pool table on the lower (side) level near the outhouses (inhouses?).

Aimee Bobruk led off, followed by an in-the-round with Kim Deschamps (playing pedal for everybody but a variety of his own guitars on his own excellent songs), Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (of Edge City) with songs from their new CD, "Plans Gang Aft Agley," and a young woman whom I have known a while but only this evening got to hear play and sing -- Jodi Adair.

Jodi has a new CD out next week, and Jody Denburg has already been playing a cut or two on his afternoon show on KGSR. Onstage she's like an older Ruby Jane -- full of energy, always learning from her fellow musicians, and ready to take the mike and fire up the audience -- and just as much fun! Truth be told, though, this little young lady from Pasadena ran from high school straight to Europe a while back (a lady never tells her age) and has been singing and busking ever since. Word is that folks like Carolyn Wonderland, W. C. Clark (what a story she had about this legend!), Kris Brown, and many more helped make this recording sound great -- so keep on the lookout because Jodi will find a way into your set list.

Earlier in the week (or sometime recently -- time just slips away) my pal Chris Brecht invited me down to the Cactus Cafe where he was opening for Denton's Doug Burr and San Antonio's Buttercup. Now Joe Reyes of Buttercup is a special friend of mine (goofiest Grammy winner I know), and I love this wacky band of cutups -- who also make DAM good music, and LOTS of it. It's been a year since they released their most recent song collection [The Head Sits Upside Down on the Top of the Head !], so expect another one really soon. The set included "Bellatrice," "In Spain," and a new one called "Superior," among others -- and, yes, Joe DID play the bells. These guys to me exhibit the SPIRIT (though not the style) of Doug Sahm -- irreverent but always inventive and never ever boring.

But back to Doug Burr -- a favorite songwriter of both Chris Brecht and Jeremy Nail (and countless others, from what I hear). A few years back he put out a "gospel" record, "The Sickle & the Sheaves," and lately he has been working on a project called "The Shawl." But the record I want you to hear right now is the amazing, "On Promenade," eleven songs with pithy words and pungent music that ranks among the best I have heard not just this year -- we are talking about Daniel Lanois good.

The record starts out with "Slow Southern Home," voted song of the year by the Dallas Observer -- "A blind man sang, Bells of joy, I was a stranger, but still a boy; my parents dead. The vines had grown through my slow southern home." Then there's "Come to My Senses" -- "There's a darkness hangin' o'er the West here in the land of progess...." The sad tale of Graniteville, a town hit by a toxic cloud from a chemical train wreck --but also a love song.

One of my favorites is "How Can the Lark (My Dear Theo)" -- here the music just takes over. "Should've Known" -- "Nothing changes here .. for all your broken-hearted, bloody souvenirs..."

"Thing about Trouble" "Up ahead at the bend, Seek help from the wind, Open eyes on the river bank where anything can happen, things you can't imagine -- a flood is gonna come this way."

"Last Promenade" is a classic tune -- a march, really -- "Promenade me down, Meet me in the field, A trail of blood upon the leaves, There are two moons out tonight and all the stars are thick as thieves. Now one minute I was sleeping and the next I was awake. And I was uninvited but a guest at midnight made... " The song set closed with "Blood Runs Downhill," with just Doug on guitar and vocals, Todd Pertll on pedal steel, and Glen Squibb on Wurlitzer.

Closing out here, I will just say that the Sideshow Tragedy (great T-shirts, eh?) and Drew Smith played at Momo's on ACL Fest Friday and it was quite a joy. Drew has T-shirts, too -- and a new CD which we will one day tell you more about. Suffice it to say that I tend to stick around to hear this guy either solo or with his band (which again I will write more about someday -MICHAEL!). But not this day.

And, oh by the way -- Blues Mafia made their Momo's debut opening once again for Patrice Pike on ACL Fest Saturday Night -- they have just completed their debut album and are working on artwork and other post-production stuff with the intent to release it prior to their adventures in Ireland in early December for the Blastbeat world finals.