Flanfire

Sorry for the long time between posts. But there have been some good times. Let me start with tonight. First off, it was KRIS BROWN'S BIRTHDAY! So we hung out a while after he had finished a 13-hour workday. Then I trundled over to Threadgill's to catch David Hamburger and his "other" band - Beaumont LaGrange, which tonight featured Nate Roe on standup bass, Alex Ruebe on mandoline, Dan Torasian on clarinet, and Rick White on trumpet -- with David of course on guitars and dobro. Now that would be good enough for just about anyone, but add in CINDY CASHDOLLAR (more on her later) and you have a rare treat indeed! In the house were such luminaries as Jenny Reynolds (who'll be playing with a full band - including Hamburger - on Monday May 10 at the Saxon at seven o'clock or so), Kerry Polk (whose CD release at the Cactus Cafe on May 17 at 9:30 - after an earlier CD release party at the Cactus by fiddler Amy Farris - will also feature David Hamburger on guitar and Karen Mal on mandolin), and Catherine Berry - David's own spouse, who is starring in her brother Ron's play, Orange, at the Blue Theater later this month and in her own one-woman show at the Blue Theater in July. Lest I forget, these Tuesday gatherings at one of Austin's hoariest and most honored music venues are brought to us in part by Greg Adkins of the Gospel According to Austin project. The next two Tuesdays will be Austin's Best New Band (per the Austin Chronicle poll) WideAwake - which features Greg's own son-in-law on drums.

On Sunday, the frau and I spent the entire afternoon at the Violet Crown Festival - in our own neighborhood at Brentwood Park. And why not? It was the loveliest of days, temperatures in the seventies, a cool breeze and not a cloud in the sky (after Saturday's rains and wind and cold). There were about 2,500 of us who spent part of the day checking out North Austin artists of many stripes, chowing down on food from Curra's, Threadgill's, and Texas Rib Kings, and catching tunes from neighborhood resident Dale Watson, the lovely Sara Hickman and a cast of children, world music from Susanna Sharpe, wonderful ballads from "southside girl" Abra Moore (who was amazed at the hipness of the crowd), and blues from the Joe Richardson Express (catch them at Joe's Generic Bar sometime). Dale's brand-new CD was on sale (as was Abra's poignant new CD), and I snagged one = Cindy Cashdollar plays on one cut, and it is good. Sara has (I think) two new CD's - one about children and one for her older fans. It's all good.

Last Friday, Kris Brown and I trucked down to Tavern in the Gruene (my first time there), as he was sitting in with Bonnie (Whitmore) and (Jamie) Blythe - who host the happy hour at the Tavern every Tuesday. We had a lot of fun, and I got to meet Michael Recycle - and we got to talk recycling and stuff. I also got to meet the owner and his wife (their son runs the place and is also an owner). He told me that until a few years ago, the building was part of an active sheep ranch, and that the place was boot deep in sheep sh*t when they bought it and started turning it into what it is still becoming. THere are 26 hotel rooms, a swimming pool, and more on the property, and the building holds 260 people inside. The stage, however, is still a work in progress - the room has a tin ceiling and brick walls and a concrete floor. There is also an outside stage that is just about ready for use - as soon as grass grows and the dance area dries out from the rainy season. Of course, it is just down the road from Gruene Hall and the New Braunfels Music Museum and other places. Warning - there is NO FOOD - so chow down before you get there. On the same night, Carolyn Wonderland was playing at Threadgill's Riverside and Shelley King at Jovitas -- and who knows how many other great shows were in Austin and central Texas and the Hill Country that very evening.

All good, all good - but then there was last Tuesday, and that was awesome. It was the second night of the Cindy Cashdollar CD release party at the Cactus, and I slipped in late after an evening with the frau. I walked in to the sounds of Stephen Bruton on vocals and guitar (he also played his mandolin that night), with Cindy on the steel and one of many great songs. Also picking with Cindy were legendary pedal steel player and former Bob Wills band member Herb Remington - whose licks are still better than good; bassist Mark Rubin; and guitarists Steve James and Asleep at the Wheel veteran Johnny Nicholas - both of whom are endorsing National steel guitars. Words cannot express -- and I forgot some of the players and have not name dropped the other musicians just in the audience. Cindy's new CD is entitled Slide Show, and what a show it is -- duets and trios and such with Sonny Landreth, Mike Auldridge, Jorma Kaukonen, Steve James, Herb Remington himself, Johnny Nicholas, Lucky Oceans, Marsha Ball, and more. My pal Greg Adkins says he must have played the CD twenty times on his recent trip to Colorado. I am ranking it right up there with The Trinity Sessions (Cowboy Junkies) and Sessions at the San Jose Hotel, Room 51, by the Loose Association of Saints and Sinners, as one of the most listenable sets of music anywhere.