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Flanfire (Duggan Flanakin) is bringing LIFE to Austin music -- and telling the world how sweet it is!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Wedding Bells and Honkytonks
You never really get weary of the Weary Boys - those California hippies who staggered into Austin a few years back with big dreams and hopes of learning how to actually play their instruments (and, yes, they eventually brought another NorCal dirt farmer to join up with them - but opted to keep their actual Texan bass player). I remember an early show at the Continental - some punk kid on guitar with curly hair, a tall skinny guy who held the fiddle all wrong and the big guy in the middle .... and yet ... and yet, their music made you feel good and you had a good time.
Darren Hoff and Mario Matteoli -- "good boys."
Fast forward a few years and a few CD's and a LOT of beer (and such) .... and those wild-eyed lads (of the type for whom songs of legend are written) are all respectable citizens (okay, that is a stretch) in the sense that they all are tied to one woman and quite happy about it -- and have much improved their musical skills without becoming geeks seeking individual attention in the process. In short, the Weary Boys have matured as a BAND and in particular as a band the whole of which is far greater than the sum of its parts. [Which means that the internal charisma and camaraderie adds something extra!]
This was the final weekend of bachelorhood for front man Darren Hoff - whose own website proclaims that he is "getting married to the most wonderful girl in the world" - this coming weekend, by the way. And electric guitarist and songwriter Mario Matteoli (who on this night also sat in with singer-songwriter Mark Ambrose, whose opening set featured a couple of brand-new songs of his) is engaged (and the personal favorite of both the lovely Ashley AND her great dancer mom Betsy), and fiddler Brian Salvi looked quite happy at his family table during Ambrose's set. The best news about the three musketeers is their choice of Cary Azanian (the fourth musketeer) to play drums and sing a bit and of Darren Sluyter to thump the acoustic bass and sometimes the electric bass (and not sing). Because a band without a great rhythm section can get lost out there.
The real genius of this band (now, Mario is a fine songwriter and their originals are very good) is their ability to take old classic tunes from the heartland of America and rework them with this Weary Boys kind of shuck and jive bouncy sound that keeps toes tapping and jaws yapping. Guy at the table next to me was telling his buddy, "This is the best band in [was it Austin, Texas, or the whole effing world?]" And THEN he added, "And the drunker they get the better they play!" [Well, maybe, maybe not -- but let's hope these guys' livers last a while.]
But then on the other side of me, someone said, "These are the guys whom you want to play at your wedding." And I immediately thought, absolutely at the finest Hill Country weddings, these guys would make the party happen and even get feuding families to kiss and make up (and let the "kids" get on with their lives). My favorite songs of the evening (which I had to cut a little short - and you will hear why) were the Doug Sahm classic, "Mendocino" (which is not far from these boys' hometowns), Mario singing "Matilda," Cary singing "Ophelia," and the whole band taking us to Lafayette for Clifton Chenier time (Wearies style).
Jesse Dayton Rules!
But I had promised myself I would not miss Jesse Dayton, who was playing a rare gig at Ego's (with the Texas Sapphires, whom I missed, opening). Now I had not seen Jesse live and up close and personal on stage in waaaay too long (back in my Houston daze), but since this honky tonk hero is cutting a duets record with my good friend Brennen Leigh [and by the way, her gospel collaboration with Maria Mabra may be available very soon], I thought it was HIGH TIME I got another honkytonk fix (and I really needed one).
Now there MAY be people in Austin (or anywhere else who read these words) who are ignorant of the Beaumont flash who is every bit as good a guitar picker as he is a singer -- and as Brennen sez, he has great hair! too -- and an infectious laugh-smile that makes every gig a high school hop reunion. But then what would you expect from a guy who still has his best friend since sixth grade (Eric Tucker) playing drums in the band? Also on stage was bassist Justin Kolb and the youthful (but fast emerging) Nathan Fleming -- who has been seen aboutt town with STAR Sapphire Rebecca Lucille -- on pedal steel guitar. And since this was an Ego's gig, there would be a LOT of people up dancing and carrying on.
Jesse is still beside himself at the fact that our hero Willie was pulled over in south Louisiana (a special humor here given Jesse's Cajun heritage) and the arresting officers wisely noted that the pound and a half of non-industrial hemp (and other assorted goodies) were not for distribution but for personal use. Because it was Ego's he felt no fear in playing "real white trash honkytonk music" ... and promptly proved his point with the stirring "I'm home getting hammered while she's out getting nailed."
Now Jesse is the man who once played guitar for Waylon Jennings and who covers everybody from Rob Zombie to George Jones to Townes Van Zandt -- and then demonstrates he can write songs that oughta be hits .. in fact, the very first time I heard Jesse Dayton I kept asking why this guy is not a household name. It never ceases to amaze just how blessed we are in Austin to get to see this kind of talent for a few bucks and a beer or two. And, yes, Jesse and the Texas Sapphires are playing at the Continental Club for First Thursday on November 2, and Jesse will be back at Ego's on November 9 and again at the Continental on November 16.
Nathan Fleming - one tough customer!!!
Jesse, by the way, has picked up the Texas Sapphires' new CD, "Valley So Steep," to give it national distribution -- and the band has changed out some personnel since last we reviewed their gigs. Haystack Novak (from Bakersfield) is playing pedal steel and dobro, Austin's Trey Wilson is on bass (and vocals), and Craig Bagby (like Jesse, from Beaumont) is on drums -- with Paul Schroeder (another Beaumont kid) on banjo, mandolin and vocals .. and of course Billy Brent Malkus and Rebecca Lucille Cannon doing the lead singing (with Brent also on guitar).
In other tidbits, Brent says he and Nathan Hamilton have just wrapped up recording tracks for the upcoming No Deal CD -- likely out after the first of next year -- and it is pure bred rock and roll!!! Smokin'! And speaking of Brennen Leigh, she debuted at Hippie Church at Maria's Taco X-Press in the chilly wind on Sunday (with Josh Hoag, who just got hired by the Asylum Street Spankers, on bass, and Ricky Turpin (Asleep at the Wheel and many other bands) on fiddle.
You never really get weary of the Weary Boys - those California hippies who staggered into Austin a few years back with big dreams and hopes of learning how to actually play their instruments (and, yes, they eventually brought another NorCal dirt farmer to join up with them - but opted to keep their actual Texan bass player). I remember an early show at the Continental - some punk kid on guitar with curly hair, a tall skinny guy who held the fiddle all wrong and the big guy in the middle .... and yet ... and yet, their music made you feel good and you had a good time.Darren Hoff and Mario Matteoli -- "good boys."
Fast forward a few years and a few CD's and a LOT of beer (and such) .... and those wild-eyed lads (of the type for whom songs of legend are written) are all respectable citizens (okay, that is a stretch) in the sense that they all are tied to one woman and quite happy about it -- and have much improved their musical skills without becoming geeks seeking individual attention in the process. In short, the Weary Boys have matured as a BAND and in particular as a band the whole of which is far greater than the sum of its parts. [Which means that the internal charisma and camaraderie adds something extra!]
This was the final weekend of bachelorhood for front man Darren Hoff - whose own website proclaims that he is "getting married to the most wonderful girl in the world" - this coming weekend, by the way. And electric guitarist and songwriter Mario Matteoli (who on this night also sat in with singer-songwriter Mark Ambrose, whose opening set featured a couple of brand-new songs of his) is engaged (and the personal favorite of both the lovely Ashley AND her great dancer mom Betsy), and fiddler Brian Salvi looked quite happy at his family table during Ambrose's set. The best news about the three musketeers is their choice of Cary Azanian (the fourth musketeer) to play drums and sing a bit and of Darren Sluyter to thump the acoustic bass and sometimes the electric bass (and not sing). Because a band without a great rhythm section can get lost out there.
The real genius of this band (now, Mario is a fine songwriter and their originals are very good) is their ability to take old classic tunes from the heartland of America and rework them with this Weary Boys kind of shuck and jive bouncy sound that keeps toes tapping and jaws yapping. Guy at the table next to me was telling his buddy, "This is the best band in [was it Austin, Texas, or the whole effing world?]" And THEN he added, "And the drunker they get the better they play!" [Well, maybe, maybe not -- but let's hope these guys' livers last a while.]
But then on the other side of me, someone said, "These are the guys whom you want to play at your wedding." And I immediately thought, absolutely at the finest Hill Country weddings, these guys would make the party happen and even get feuding families to kiss and make up (and let the "kids" get on with their lives). My favorite songs of the evening (which I had to cut a little short - and you will hear why) were the Doug Sahm classic, "Mendocino" (which is not far from these boys' hometowns), Mario singing "Matilda," Cary singing "Ophelia," and the whole band taking us to Lafayette for Clifton Chenier time (Wearies style).
Jesse Dayton Rules!
But I had promised myself I would not miss Jesse Dayton, who was playing a rare gig at Ego's (with the Texas Sapphires, whom I missed, opening). Now I had not seen Jesse live and up close and personal on stage in waaaay too long (back in my Houston daze), but since this honky tonk hero is cutting a duets record with my good friend Brennen Leigh [and by the way, her gospel collaboration with Maria Mabra may be available very soon], I thought it was HIGH TIME I got another honkytonk fix (and I really needed one).Now there MAY be people in Austin (or anywhere else who read these words) who are ignorant of the Beaumont flash who is every bit as good a guitar picker as he is a singer -- and as Brennen sez, he has great hair! too -- and an infectious laugh-smile that makes every gig a high school hop reunion. But then what would you expect from a guy who still has his best friend since sixth grade (Eric Tucker) playing drums in the band? Also on stage was bassist Justin Kolb and the youthful (but fast emerging) Nathan Fleming -- who has been seen aboutt town with STAR Sapphire Rebecca Lucille -- on pedal steel guitar. And since this was an Ego's gig, there would be a LOT of people up dancing and carrying on.
Jesse is still beside himself at the fact that our hero Willie was pulled over in south Louisiana (a special humor here given Jesse's Cajun heritage) and the arresting officers wisely noted that the pound and a half of non-industrial hemp (and other assorted goodies) were not for distribution but for personal use. Because it was Ego's he felt no fear in playing "real white trash honkytonk music" ... and promptly proved his point with the stirring "I'm home getting hammered while she's out getting nailed."
Now Jesse is the man who once played guitar for Waylon Jennings and who covers everybody from Rob Zombie to George Jones to Townes Van Zandt -- and then demonstrates he can write songs that oughta be hits .. in fact, the very first time I heard Jesse Dayton I kept asking why this guy is not a household name. It never ceases to amaze just how blessed we are in Austin to get to see this kind of talent for a few bucks and a beer or two. And, yes, Jesse and the Texas Sapphires are playing at the Continental Club for First Thursday on November 2, and Jesse will be back at Ego's on November 9 and again at the Continental on November 16.Nathan Fleming - one tough customer!!!
Jesse, by the way, has picked up the Texas Sapphires' new CD, "Valley So Steep," to give it national distribution -- and the band has changed out some personnel since last we reviewed their gigs. Haystack Novak (from Bakersfield) is playing pedal steel and dobro, Austin's Trey Wilson is on bass (and vocals), and Craig Bagby (like Jesse, from Beaumont) is on drums -- with Paul Schroeder (another Beaumont kid) on banjo, mandolin and vocals .. and of course Billy Brent Malkus and Rebecca Lucille Cannon doing the lead singing (with Brent also on guitar).
In other tidbits, Brent says he and Nathan Hamilton have just wrapped up recording tracks for the upcoming No Deal CD -- likely out after the first of next year -- and it is pure bred rock and roll!!! Smokin'! And speaking of Brennen Leigh, she debuted at Hippie Church at Maria's Taco X-Press in the chilly wind on Sunday (with Josh Hoag, who just got hired by the Asylum Street Spankers, on bass, and Ricky Turpin (Asleep at the Wheel and many other bands) on fiddle.
