Flanfire

Ever have a CD release party, get it written up in The Onion, and then have it moved less than 24 hours before the show? That's what happened to Honor Farm over Halloween weekend -- they got bumped from the Scoot Inn (for a strobe light dance party) and moved (along with Slowtrain and Silver Pines) to the Mohawk, which already had a couple of bands scheduled. And then, with help from Dwayne the sound man, you put on maybe the best show ever (despite having to cut your superexcellent cover of Prince's "I could never take the place of your man," which you thankfully got a release to include on your new CD, "Wait and See."

We have previously reported that this music is just what the doctor ordered -- with elements of the Byrds, Gram Parsons, the Jayhawks, and other classic alt-country (which of course includes the Stones!) and Tonne's lyrics. My favorite, BTW, is "100 years too late," which touches close to home for me -- "it might be true I ain't no cowboy, but oh how my heart aches for open plains." Vocalist and keyboardist Lacey Pipkin flew in from Mexico City (where she is working for several months at an international film festival) just for the gig -- and looked and sang better than ever! Drummer Yamal Said had to get the gig in before leaving on tour with The Black; the rest of the band is bassist Zachary Firnhaber and guitarist Doug Walseth, whose other band, Crawling with Kings, is on sabbatical for an indefinite period.

Now this was my first time at the Mohawk since The Bachelor and his Brothers had refurbished the building as the Velvet Spade. The chaos that was one band taking more time to set up than to actually play their set (well, they would have played longer had they loaded in more quickly) soon gave way to an orderly evening, as Slowtrain followed Honor Farm using the same setup and then Silver Pines set up on the side (old) stage during Slowtrain's set. MORE PLAUDITS to Dwayne and his "crew." What a way to salvage a disaster. Slowtrain is introducing a few new songs as they are also wrapping up work on their long-awaited debut CD. Silver Pines is getting rave reviews all over Austin (pretty good for a San Marcos band!), thanks in large part to an eclectic sound and power packed vocals. More on this band another day.

The music just kept on coming, though. On Monday, I slipped out to the Parlor on North Loop to hear Infinite Partials, with Grant Hudson, Chris Sebastian on percussion, and the Andrews (Strietelmeier on violin, Noble on viola and mandolin, and normally Davis on cello but not this evening) -- plus when she can, Amy Downing (Grant's better half) on vocals as well. These lads, too, are working on a new CD -- and one track is already up on their myspace. I also ran into Sean McCarrey, who just moved up to Austin from his hometown of San Antonio, and he slipped me his own new CD, Death Folk Architecture -- review forthcoming (Mikey likes it!).

Tuesday found me plotting a return to the Parlor to catch at least some of the set from Loy Bones with special guest Silas Lowe. Well, I caught one and a half songs -- but had a blast visiting and learning that two-thirds of the other guys in the band are Silas' dad (Roy Michaels) and his brother -- AND that Jenny Parrott of Shotgun Party has said that Loy Bones is the CUTEST band in all of Austin (even cuter than The Shake 'em Ups!). These guys play every Saturday at noon at Gene's New Orleans Po Boys, so you can eat well and groove. Meanwhile, Silas allowed as how he and Brennen Leigh and Matt Rowe are working on a new trio project (details to follow) ... that sounds like a LOT of fun!

My Tuesday journey, however, had begun at Momo's where I just had to catch another set from the awe-inspiring Gina Chavez (whose voice is catching the ears of lots of Austin players) -- and then ducked out before Suzanna Choffel and company enchanted me completely so that I could get over to Jovita's to catch up with old pal Jim Stringer and his AM Band and their special guest -- 12-year-old fiddler, singer and guitarist Ruby Jane - who with her mom Jobelle are new Austinites, having just moved here from Columbus, Mississippi.

Ruby Jane has been on the circuit since she was eight years old; thanks to home schooling, she gets around to play all over the country at little venues like the Grand Old Opry and various festivals. She has performed with Big and Rich and oh by the way is the 2007 recipient of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin (made by Mainiac Jonathan Cooper, this violin passes from one young musician to another each year in honor of Pearl, who was as much a musician as a journalist). This journalists thinks the Smiths have made a wise decision -- because Austin is a town chock full of teenagers who are also very talented players on big stages here and around and a town where musicians actually encourage one another (even if they are a little jealous of each other's successes).

Just a few more words -- and young players could learn a LOT from Stringer, who has toured the world and played with legends over his nearly 50 years in the music business. Jim had been hosting an open mike of sorts at the soon to be demolished Brentwood Tavern on Burnet Road and a few weeks ago Ruby Jane asked if SHE could come up and play -- Jim, not knowing that this was an Opry veteran, was literally BLOWN AWAY and wondered why he had not asked her to play the rest of the evening. THUS a gig set is born -- and Jim got Ruby Jane to wander through Jovita's with him as he played "The Wanderer" (well, DUH!) -- and then, because it is the season, he dusted off the CLASSIC (yes, this was Top 40 radio back in the day when there were no separate rock/country/R&B/etc. stations) "Haunted House" (written by Jumping Gene Simmons of the Bill Black Combo).