Sunday, 4-12-15, High Sierra Bar and Grill, Terlingua, Texas.
Funding for the third annual “Voices From Both Sides” Fiesta-Protesta was provided by the Terlingua community at last night’s benefit/auction.
It all started with music. As Jeff Haislip and Patrick Smith performed, a fabulous “wall-cloud” storm blew in from the West, dropping the temperature by at least 15 degrees, and blowing wind and rain at a high velocity.
Inside the High Sierra, musicians made music, kids played with various electronic devices and each other, and friends talked and hugged. Collie Ryan, Jalapeno Schwartz, Chris Baker, Charlotte Teer, and others performed.
After the music came the auction, and several hundred (thousand?) dollars were raised to help Jeff and Collie Ryan put on the show.
After the auction, the music resumed, the storm moved on, and the sun came out.
Terlingua musicians rock in many ways- musically, compositionally, harmonically, personally.
Yesterday, they rocked compassionately as Jeffro Greasewood handed Mike Drinkard a check for $1,200.
Jeffro hands Mike the check.
Jeffro runs the open mic at the Boathouse on Wednesdays. Anybody who runs an open mic knows this one: you might run 30 musicians across that stage- who gets the tips?
Jeffro’s solution was to pool the tips and donate them to the Big Bend Crisis Center’s Food Distribution program- the local food bank. The open-mic participants agreed that this was a grand idea. The food bank is a popular charity for local musicians- in our small community in some months 240 households get food assistance. The majority of the recipients are either children or the elderly.
That $1,200 check will completely fund the food distribution program for 2-4 months.
Congratulations and a big round of applause to Jeffro, Jeff Haislip, Charlotte Teer, Jim Keaveny, Anna Oakley, Alex and Marti Whitmore, Emy, Bryn Moore, Hank Woji, Mark Lewis, Chase Peeler, Shannon Carter, Laird Considine, Trevor Hickle, Trevor Reichman, Webster Delcambre, Jana Laven, and the rest of the open mic gang, and a deep bow of gratitude to the Don and the Boathouse for supporting local music and musicians.
Jeffro Greasewood (with Jeff Haislip)Mike Drinkard, director, Family Crisis Center
Talking to Keith Gattis last night was pretty mind blowing.
I know a lot of songwriters. I am one. Songwriter friends, try saying the following sentence out loud and see how it feels:
“It’s been kind of a slow year- so far, I’ve had four cuts by George Strait, one by Willie Nelson, and one by Randy Travis.”
Feels good, doesn’t it? For those of you who, like me, have kinda wished for a major artist to record one of your songs… or, like others, have actually tried for decades to make such an event occur… well, it’s mind-blowing.
Add in a new wife and a gorgeous baby daughter (he showed pics on his phone) and it’s no wonder Keith is smiling.
He’s also starred at the Grand Ol’ Opry, played guitar for Dwight Yoakum, had hit records of his own and written hits for many other country stars. He produces albums in his Nashville studio. He’s got a new CD coming out soon. Tours will follow.
For fun, Keith comes to Terlingua and plays guitar with the locals. He and Webster do a collection of classic country standard tunes. It’s very Terlingua. Inclusive. Alternate chords and non-traditional time adventures abound.
Last night, Laird Considine played bass, Charlotte played her (do NOT call it a fiddle) viola, I played keyboards, and Abbie (not pictured) played harmonica and mandolin. Webster played guitar and sang the country and cajun songs. Keith played blistering leads on his tele and sang.
High points, from my vantage point behind the piano, were a minor-key variation on “Dang Me” by Roger Miller, and “Bones” and “el Cerrito Place,” which Keith wrote.
The High Sierra bar and grill was packed. Word got around fast that something was happening. Most of the listeners had no idea who they were listening to, but knew they were seeing a hell of a show.
Here’s a YouTube clip of Keith doing “El Cerrito Place.” You might enjoy typing his name into YouTube and seeing what comes up… he’s fearless about what he puts out there, and you can find some incendiary honky-tonk performances if you look.
Here’s Keith and a group of locals – Charlotte Teer on Viola, Laird Considine on Bass, me on keyboards- doing a bluesy, minor-key version of “Dang Me.”
Niko Laven has been coming to Terlingua with his family/band since he was five years old. I didn’t know him then, but it’s unlikely that he could scorch the earth with a Telecaster or sing with such passion and authority back then.
Last night, the boathouse was packed as Niko celebrated the release of his first CD.
The Lavens- Andreas (dad), Jana (mom), Rachel (sister), and Niko, performed as if they’d been doing it for years. They have. The harmonies are rich and tight. Andreas and Moses held down the rhythm. Rachel and Niko split the lead vocals, except for a nice interlude where Andreas and Jana took us on a slightly more traditional country ride.
Hank Woji gathered an all-star band for a pair of goodbye concerts last weekend.
Friday night at the Boathouse, the core band of Hank, Ted Arbogast, Laird Considine, Chase Peeler, and Eric Clark- possibly the most musicians to ever gather at one time on the Boathouse stage- played. The interaction between the musicians in that intimate setting was fun to watch and hear. The bar was packed and stayed that way until closing time.
Saturday night, the band moved to the Starlight and added keyboards, Mark Lewis on fiddle, Jana Laven on vocals, and Ted added electric guitar to the mix.
Living in the desert, 80 miles from the nearest town, has its ups and downs.
The up part: Saturday night I didn’t get to see Bruce Salmon and Michelle Alany at the Starlight or Ted Arbogast and Chase Peeler playing jazz at the Boathouse because my band, the Fabulous Vortexans was playing an outdoor concert in Lajitas.
There is amazing live music everywhere, all the time here.
The downside: cell phone service and internet access is fairly primitive.
Another upside: all though it takes a long time to download files from the internet, there are several entertaining places to hang out while you’re doing it.
I set up my repaired iMac in the studio at the Terlingua Store, opened my recording software, and was greeted by a notice that said, “No internet connection. Logic must download massive files before you can use it.”
No problem. I boxed up the huge 27″ computer and headed down to La Posada Milagro, where there is internet access, great coffee, and a majestic view of the ghost town.
For 16(?) years, every Wednesday there was an open mic at La Kiva. It was the longest-running open mic in the galaxy, and they didn’t skip a Wednesday in all those years.
For several weeks after La Kiva closed, we gathered at La Kiva’s parking lot or the “Passing Wind” compound near the ghost town, and continued the tradition.
Time passed…
Two weeks ago, I was honored to host the first Wednesday night open mic at the Boathouse. Jeffro Greasewood is the host, but he was under the weather that night. Last Wednesday night, Jeffro was back at full strength and the Boathouse was packed with players, listeners, dancers, and an Archie action figure.
This is an ongoing, weekly open mic- and you never know who will show up. C’ya there.
Jeffro Greasewood hosts the open mic at the Boathouse in Terlingua- Bucky plays along on ukelele.
New Year’s Day, 2015, the 3rd annual Townes Van Zandt tribute was hosted at the Starlight Theatre by Butch Hancock, with assistance from Rory Hancock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Colin Gilmore.
Moses and Brandi started it off on the “little stage.”
Then Butch, who actually knew Townes for decades, did a few Townes songs and told some funny stories.
Then, the open mic started. Jalapeno Schwartz did a few obscure Townes songs, Laird Considine (with Butch and Rory) did Pancho and Lefty, Jim Keaveny did “No Deal,” which should be the official song for the Terlingua Drinking Team.
Several others played Townes songs, or songs that sounded like Townes songs, or songs Townes might have done at some point…
Then, Butch, Jimmie Dale, Rory and Colin took over- and I felt like I was witnessing Texas Music history. Timeless performance of timeless music: Butch and his son Rory, who is turning into a fine guitar player and Jimmie Dale and his son, Colin, who is building a solid career the old fashioned way.
Colin and his wife also played a couple of tunes.
The Starlight was packed. The dance floor was converted to concert seating, and packed.
During the Thanksgiving holidays the Terlingua Ghost Town was packed. Tourists from all over the world came to enjoy Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Terlingua. There was a two hour wait to get into the Starlight Theatre. A line at the bathrooms. Traffic on the roads and lots of new faces on the porch.
Then, the holidays ended and the tourists returned to their points of origin, leaving just Terlinguists in Terlingua.
We appreciate the visitors, and the economy wouldn’t work without them- but, it’s also nice when it’s just locals. Last night, Laird Considine played the Starlight Theatre with Chase Peeler on Sax and Taylor Luttrell on fiddle. Dancing ensued.
At the Boathouse, James and Don were serving up delicious burgers as the locals gathered outside to watch the sunset. In the back, there was a cut-throat competitive scrabble game going on.
I didn’t make it down to the High Sierra and La Kiva is still under construction, but as I drove the 30 miles home- passing two cars on the way – I reflected on the fact that we’ve built a pretty nice little world down here.
There is a surprising, unlikely, music recording studio in Terlingua.
You should probably make your next CD in Terlingua.
Studio Butte, the only professional recording studio in the Big Bend (Terlingua, Alpine, Study Butte, Lajitas) area, is an unexpected delight.
Hours from the nearest highway or airport, you drive right past the driveway to the studio when you’re heading to Big Bend National Park.
Created by local musician/band director Ted Arbogast in 1990, the studio has an alarmingly good selection of mics, pre-amps, and outboard effects. There’s enough room- and rooms- to record a full-size band with drums and horns. The Rolling Stones would’a loved this place.
