Flanfire

Alice's Restaurant on a Sunday afternoon with Mandy Mercier sandwiched in between Byrd and Street (the early set) and Slim Richey and a host of others (playing for Bert's Birthday Bash). The drive down to Alice's is easy going on US 183 to SH 21, a little trickier going down IH-35 and cutting across Buda to Niederwald -- but always well worth it if you like to eat, listen to good music, and hang with real down home folks.

Mandy, who has a new CD almost ready for release called "Run out of Darkness," played without a mike inside the main restaurant (it was hot outside) - with Paul Skelton on guitar too. There may be folks out there who have never heard this woman sing - all I can say is that she has the voice of an angel, the purest and most compelling vocalist that I can even remember, a voice that makes you cry sometimes just from the pathos that comes from the depths of her oft-broken heart. [She also plays a mean fiddle, and will be backing Dana Cooper on Tuesday at the Saxon.] Those who know all too well may remember that sometimes it has been hit or miss, but the woman looks healthy and her biggest vice these days (she says) is 3 am ice cream pints. Well, and a coupla cupsa joe a day.

Mandy sang a bunch of old favorites - Homeless (honoring longtime buddy Blaze Foley), some Lucinda (her old running mate), some Emmy Lou, some Calvin Russell, a song of hers honoring Uncle Walt, and such -- and some songs that may be on her new CD, including "This Beautiful Day" and "The King of Hearts," both of which were just wonderful on Sunday. The CD release was to have been hosted by Clifford Antone, and the event may yet be held at Antone's -- but there is no definite word as of today. But she is playing at BB Rover's on July 22 (I will be out of town, I think) ... so I suspect she may hold off on the release party until September. But who knows? Mandy was all but written off for dead from a dread illness a few years back, but she learned from being sick and was very sweet to the missus today (who starts a new treatment scheme tomorrow that we trust will bring victory in Jesus).

[NOTE: Mandy says the new disc is mostly a BLUES record that features Dana Cooper and Shake Russell and as an extra bonus some guitar tracks from the wonderful Champ Hood -- and the title cut is a duet with Mandy's really old friend Ray Wylie Hubbard (who wrote the song).]