Flanfire

A quiet week in Austin does not by any means suggest a dearth of music. Not in this town. Not even when it rains and hails. So Friday at supper time we trekked out to the County Line on the Lake to hear Steelbeam – P J Lyles on lead vocals, Eric Leikam on guitar and vocals, Kris Brown on lead guitar and vocals (Kyle Judd was out with Shelley King), the king of New Orleans Steve Gavigan on walking drums, and a drummer whose name I forget). This band is a living celebration of working America with songs like Engine 17, Boilermaker Blues, and Redneck Ways, written by Stevie "Guitar" Sparks, who recently lost a 3-year battle with Lou Gherig’s disease. Now Stevie Sparks was part of the circle in Washington, DC, that included the band GRIN which featured Nils Lofgren when he was still a teenager and drummer Bob Berberich, whom I particularly remember for buying an old Cadillac and taking us all for rides. We had some really good times with Nils’ other band, DOLPHIN, which included Paul Dowell and the younger brother of Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady.
I was too tired Thursday to get out to the Illustrated Band-Van Wilks show (which must have been super), but Wednesday was a big music day. Early on it was Jovita’s for the happy hour set by the Aaron Hamre Band, hot on the heels of its top 10 jam band finish in the Austin music poll. The band also blew away a packed house at Adam Brewer’s Heart of Texas showcase (which coincided with SXSW), thanks in part to new drummer Pete from Seattle and in part to bassist Upton (Uppie) Ethelbah, whose artwork won him a top 10 placing in the music poll for posters.
With Aaron and Uppie (and former drummer Miguel Velasquez) all hailing from Santa Fe, the band has been honored by the New Mexico Legislature and invited by the head of the state’s tourism department to play a showcase set for New Mexico musicians in town for SXSW. The guys are playing a lot at Jovita’s and will be at the Red Eyed Fly next week. They are working on beefing up their act with extra players in anticipation of playing larger venues.
Afterwards, we trekked over to Sholtz’s Bier Garten (oldest in all of Texas) to catch the inaugural KGSR music fest there. Missed Micky and the Motorcars, but caught the first hour or so of the Charlie Robison Band. The house was packed - and the weather great. Charlie’s band includes good friend Kim DesChamps (who had turned us on to the gig) on pedal and lap steel, dobro, mandolin, and whatever, Kevin Carroll (Mister K) on lead guitar - and I had never seen him play hotter licks than he did that night; Scott Esbeck on bass and harmony vocals, and Keith Robinson on drums - pushing the lead players to their best.
Charlie played a bunch of tunes from his fairly new CD, Good Times, including the title cut, hit single El Cerrito Place, and the double entendre cut Love Means Never Having To Say You’re Hungry, and a bunch of his classics, including Sunset Boulevard, The Wedding Song (with guest female vocalists from the audience), and one of my favorites, Desperate Times. Got to hang out with the lovely Karen D and Canadian super singer Andrew Walker, who introduced me to "Mrs." Robinson, the lovely Beth Black - and others of their friends. It was a lot of fun, though I had to leave early to pick up the wonderful Nancy at the airport.
Meanwhile, the buzz is HUGE for the forthcoming (April 16) Shaggy’s Reunion Party featuring a reunion of sorts for the great reggae band, The Killer Bees (minus of course the departed Michael E. Johnson, but with his Shreveport buddy and fellow founding member Malcolm Papa Mali Welbourne). As I said, it was a quiet week (with more yet to come, of course), but this IS Austin, the live music capital of the world.