Last night, a group of locals was sitting on the porch outside the Starlight Theatre when a plume of black smoke starting snaking up in the sky in the Terlingua Ghost Town.
Smoke in the Ghost Town
I jumped in the 4Runner and raced down to take a look. A motor home was on fire.
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When you click the “Donate” button and contribute, your money goes to TerlinguaCares, a 501 c 3 non-profit based in Terlingua, Texas. 100% of all donations made will go directly to Sam and Dani.
The Viva Terlingua Film – Music – Photography festival will be held in Terlingua and Lajitas, Texas, August 14-17.
The first annual Viva Terlingua Festival is all about potential. I looked around at the gorgeous Lajitas Golf Resort and the Starlight Theatre, just 12 miles apart, and realized that they’d both be absolutely empty in mid-August.
What an opportunity! It’s usually cooler in Terlingua than it is in Austin in the summer. There are accommodations for any budget: You can get a luxurious suite at the resort for less than a hundred bucks, park your RV with full hook-ups, or pitch your tent at the RV park for $25/night. Continue reading “Viva Terlingua Festival”
The Succulents are an indie/folk/country/soul band from Austin, Texas known for their three-part harmonies. All three of their founding members, Erin O’Keefe, Audrey Abbott, and Stacey Blackman are singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists who bring a diverse range of influences to their songs and performances. Some of their favorite artists include The Beatles, Kitty Wells, John Lee Hooker, Daniel Johnston, Stevie Wonder, Lena Horne, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, and Lita Ford. They are frequently likened to Mazzy Star. They proudly accept tips, hugs, compliments, and whiskey drinks at their shows.
They pulled into the Starlight parking lot hauling a U-Haul trailer, from which they extracted an impressive array of acoustic and electric guitars, a vintage RMI keyboard, kalimba, harmonica, and amplifiers.
The Road to Austin and Doug Moreland and the Flying Armadillos – this week in Terlingua.
I’ve said that “everything comes to Terlingua if you just wait long enough.”
Sometimes you don’t have to wait long at all.
Gary Fortin brought his amazing movie, “The Road to Austin,” to Lajitas last Wednesday.
Gary Fortin and Trevor Hickle Poster
The movie starts out with a brief history of Texas music, then morphs into the story of a concert held in Austin. Stephen Bruton was music director of the concert. A few months before the concert, Stephen was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. He heroically did a fine job producing the concert with Gary, but by the night of the show he was very ill and weak. Continue reading “The Road to Austin – Doug Moreland – Terlingua.”
GoatStock 2014 was a chance to hear speeches and meet the candidates to replace the beer-drinking goat mayor of Lajitas.
There are 4 candidates running for mayor- a goat, a mule, and two guys who kinda look like goats. Or rejects from a ZZ Top cover band.
On May 10, 2014, at GoatStock in Lajitas, Texas, we got to meet them and hear their campaign speeches.
The goat, Claymore Henry, is the favorite. He’s a direct descendent of Clay Henry, who was the original beer-drinking goat mayor. His speech was short and direct. He spent most of his allotted time trying to eat the banner on the front of the stage.
Claymore Henry
Pancho the mule is running a strong campaign. He’s firm and resolute and required quite a bit of coaxing to hop up on the stage and give his talk.
Pancho the mule
George Goss, whose slogan is “Respect the goat, give George your vote,” promised free beer if he’s elected mayor. George gave a rousing speech and promised changes in Lajitas.
George Goss
Tate Treybig is running on the “Three C’s,” Corrupt, Crooked and Convenient. Although Tate is running an old fashioned “Texas Politics” campaign that would make Rick Perry proud, his speech tugged at the crowd’s heart strings. Continue reading “GoatStock 2014 – party for the candidates.”
2014’s “Voices From Both Sides” Fiesta Protesta celebration at the Lajitas crossing was a success on every level.
There were many more people on both sides of the Rio Grande. There was massive media coverage- National TV, radio, and print outlets sent crews to cover the celebration.
Brewski Salmineo – Bruce Salmon, Michelle Alany and Amanda Kitchens put on one of the best shows I’ve ever witnessed at the Starlight Theatre last night.
No shit.
Bouncing effortlessly from Hungarian to French to intricate instrumentals in odd time changes to songs from Bruce’s new CD, they left the audience – including pretty much every musician in town – slack jawed and stunned.
And that is not hyperbole. Frank Myer, Trevor Reichman, Chase Peeler, Jeff Haislip and I kept looking at each other and laughing- not really believing what we’d just seen and heard.
Hearing musicians of this calibre perform and laugh and joke while performing reminded me of why I picked up the guitar in the first place.
First, I stopped by the Terlingua porch in the ghost town. In addition to the usual suspects, Will Rogers award-winning songwriter, Gil Prather, was back in town.
Gil Prather Will Rogers award winning songwriter, Gil Prather.
Staying overnight in Boquillas is fun, easy, comfortable and like being in a time warp.
It’s as if the flat-bottom boat that the smiling guide delivers you to Mexico in is actually a magic device – like climbing through the back of the wardrobe in “The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe,” or climbing down the rabbit hole with Alice.
Boquillas is another country and another world- especially at night.
George Womack, drummer and solar power expert, talking to the press.
During the day, the sun is out. Lilia and Bernardo, who own the best restaurant in town- Falcons, have a “George Womack installed” solar power system, and little solar panels dot yards all over town.
At night…
I went over to Boquillas along with fellow musicians Mike Davidson, George Womack, Laird Considine, Jeff Haislip, Charlotte Teer, to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the opening of the Boquillas crossing.
Marcos, Mike and Laird in la plaza.
For over a decade, after the paranoid psychopaths closed the border, Boquillas suffered economically. All businesses except one bar closed, families either left or sent their children to stay with relatives in other towns. The 30 minute trip to the park store for supplies turned into a 6-hour trek over bad roads.
I’ve written about this before- it was a cruel, stupid decision based on “lowest common denominator” politics and needs to be reversed…
Last night, Bonnie Whitmore played the Starlight Theatre. Later, Craig Carter and the Spur of the Moment Band played the Fireman’s ball at the Boathouse.
I’ve been watching and listening to Bonnie for… a decade? Her folks, Alex and Marti, started both of their girls out young- singing and playing and writing songs. It worked.
When you go to Bonnie’s website, you’ll note that she’s getting a LOT of radio airplay. Listening to her perform her songs, it’s easy to see why.
Last night’s show was a sort of homecoming. Bonnie played and talked about how her parents influenced and taught her. Then Alex and Marti joined her on stage.
