Flanfire

Wednesday in the rain and very very cold!

Took my grandson and his pal to Threadgill's to munch lunch and catch some of Troy Young Campbell's showcase. Missed a bit, but got to hear Michael Fraccasso and Brian Keane (whose new CD is in his hands but his CD release is not till May and he is shy about selling them -- just beat him over the head until he forks over a copy -- produced by El Goins) and Gurf Morlix (backed by Jeff Plankenhorn, whose own set I had missed) and a little of Troy with Andrew Nafziger until Elizabeth McQueen showed up to finish her own set with Andrew. Later in the day, out in the cold at Gueros, it was Elizabeth, Andrew, and an enlarged bunch of Firebrands (bassist Lindsay Green with his lime green hat), including visiting keyboardist Austin de Lone, to play songs off her brand new CD, Happy Doing What We're Doing, which celebrates and re-creates 70's British pub band music. After zero minutes, no one cared how cold it was - the diva's warm smile and bouncy spirit warmed everyone up -- the gal has just gotten better and better and prettier too since her wedding a year or so ago. I must add that I saw Elizabeth a THIRD time on Saturday afternoon at Opal Divine's before the rains came - this time with just four pieces, but just as spunky and just as much fun. We stayed on (along with a large contingent of Austin's better musicians) to hear Nathan Hamilton and No Deal - with Billy Brent and a hot rhythm section belting out Nathan's classic songs. I ducked the evening shows - cold!

Thursday started off with me taking young pal Laura Lang to see her buds Brennen Leigh and brother Seth - backed by Lisa Pankratz and Brad Fordham PLUS the awesome Robbie Gersoe - outside in the sunshine at Threadgills' - site of the previous day's frozen chosen party. Later that evening (had to skip everything in between for family reasons) I snuck out to see the wonderful CLOUD 8 with AnnMarie Harrop, drummer Perry Drake, and Michael JACKSON on guitar doing things he has NEVER done with Leeann or his own band. Another of AnnMarie's projects, Lucid Dementia, just won best goth-industrial band in the music poll, and of course AnnMarie was a longtime player with Roots Rock winner the Shelley King Band. She's also a member of Sis DeVille (of which more later). CLOUD 8 reminds me of the Jimi Hendrix Experience -- a band I had the pleasure of working the light show for on four straight wonderful nights at the long-defunct Ambassador Theatre in Washington, DC, back in 1968 or 9. Not the vocals, but the energy -- AnnMarie's voice is clear and bright, and her lyrics must be heard. Visualize unicorns and another world of great light and peace, and also remember that this is (in the words of a major Austin guitar player who shall be nameless) is one "very sexy" woman. Words to the wise - catch Cloud 8 while you still can at an affordable price -- if this band keeps developing, they may be harder and more costly to find in town.