Flanfire

Adoniram Lipton has been in Austin for about five years, but I first met him playing piano for my pal Bryce Clifford. Did not know he was really a guitar player (in fact, I have learned it was his brother who was the piano player in earlier versions of his band Slowtrain -- dating back to their early daze in upstate New York (the Mets fan finally has something to cheer about again!).

Slowtrain has a brand-new lineup (well, since May), and on Saturday night the band was at Trophy's (with a full house, many of whom had come to catch the early band, The Fault Line). Bryce's band would close out the night (but I had to get home). So the new lineup [which you can learn more from at myspace (/slowtrainmusic)] is Adoniram on keyboard, guitar, and harmonica and vocals; Brett Staggs on drums and vocals; Matt Roth on bass; and newcomer to Austin Andy Keating on guitar (a Marylander! whose other band here was Underwood).

Now I had caught Adoniram and Slowtrain much earlier this year with a very different lineup (also at Trophy's), but had not really heard the songs ... and so I was pleasantly surprised - in fact, downright thrilled! The band, BTW, is playing Jovita's on August 19 -- and if you like songs with catchy lyrics or if you just like a guy with a major Fro, they will not be turning folks away.

Most of the songs from the set will likely end up on a forthcoming CD, Adoniram's first since a 2003 Slowtrain record (Escape the Sun) when it was mostly a family band. He started out on guitar with a humorous ditty called "About You," which is a kind of love song with words you would never say to the one you love though you might be thinking them to yourself ... "It might not be that bad (to spend the rest of my life with you -- and other such punchlines)." Moving to his Yamaha, Adoniram belted out the bluesy "Bound to Find You Out" (also the working title for the new CD), and then "Love Me Again," which begged for a guitar or piano solo. Next up was the ballad, "Beautiful Soul," which you can hear on the Myspace.com/slowtrainmusic website.

Then Adoniram switched from Billy Joel to Randy Newman (figuratively speaking) with "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do," and then "Take Me Home," which featured a nice guitar solo from Andy. Andy also had a nice solo on "Not the Only One," and then the band paid its debt to the author of "Slow Train Coming" by covering him. "Waiting Just for Me" (a spiritualized number with Adoniram on guitar and harmonica) was next, followed by "I Thought I Would See You Again," which reminded me of McCartney in its feel. Then it was back to piano for the rockin' boogie "Don't Say It's the End" (and it wasn't) - a song the audience begged the band to do twice (to no avail). The end did come with a cover of Bryce's own ballad "Beautiful."

The kinks are still there in the performance (partly due to the awkwardness of the Trophy's stage and setup), but this was a set well worth hearing from start to finish. And as for Bryce, he will be playing at Monday's benefit concert and on Tuesday at Ego's (about 11). [PS -- Hi Sophie from Toronto!]

On Saturday afternoon I did get down to Antone's for part of the School of Rock showcase, but I missed the set I had wanted to hear, a band that featured the very cool Sasha Ortiz. But folks, she will be singing on Monday night at the "Lose the Medical Blues" benefit (for my wife Nancy) at North By Northwest (near Whole Foods at Gateway Shopping Center on FM 360 near its origin at MOPAC). So will some of the folks I got to see on First Thursday at Ruta Maya.

Austin Daze knows how to shine on Austin nights (especially First Thursdaze)! On August 3, the city's best alternative newspaper held its monthly fundraiser - as always at Ruta Maya Coffeehouse - and this time the event doubled as an indoor barn dance, complete with potluck dinners, tasty Independence Ale, and even multiple birthday cakes for super South Austinite Priscilla (who had a real blast!).

The music was not half bad, either. LZ Love started things off, backed by guitar whizzes Charlie Pritchard and Adam Raven -- in a special bonus, LZ asked Shelley King to hop on stage and recreate a duet they did on LZ's latest CD (done in San Francisco last year). Next up was Leeann Atherton (with Jackson and Sunny Coleman) -- and Leeann got both Shelley and LZ to help her out on a couple of songs .. and some extra help on harmonica and washboard. Shelley's own band played next, with Kyle Judd on guitar, Jackson sitting in on lap steel, and Clark Drake on harmonica (lost my notes, and I cannot remember the name of the fine harpist who played with both bands who recently relocated here from the Crescent City). This was a ROUSING set that got most of the crowd up and dancing. Closing out the evening (though I had to go home) was Kris Brown's Mr. Brown (reggae music per excellance).

A few side notes -- the minister of music himself, Courtney Audain, was very excited to tell me he has become an official representative of both RKS Guitars (played by folks like Dave Mason, who helped design this radically different instrument, and Rickie Lee Jones) and Epifani amps. RKS is a new company, born of the frustration of industrial designer Ravi Sawhney after he began taking guitar lessons. First, the guitars (and basses) all have grooves running just outside the fretboard (in the body area) that allow the player better access to the very high notes; second, the pickup selector switch and the control knobs are set within these grooves. Now I have not heard them played yet, but Courtney (who runs Coinhead studios) is excited about them. He would be thrilled to get a chance to show these instruments (and amps) off to you.

BTW, Kris and Courtney flew up to Baltimore with Cyril Neville and Tribe 13 for a major gig on Saturday to play the Baltimore International Festival (along with the Iguanas, the Average White Band, Ashford and Simpson, and others) ...