Who’s coming to Viva-Terlingua Festival?

Viva Terlingua Festival is starting to shape up into a fun, busy, slightly crazy event.

You can get your tickets/wristbands now at http://viva-terlingua.com

People from all over are entering the Film, Photo and Songwriting contests… We’ll know which walls will be used for photos once we know how many photos we’ve got to work with… we’re not going to run out of walls. We’ve got an entire resort to work with. We’ve also got a few high-profile films that will be showing – “The Road to Austin” by Gary Fortin

and Vanessa Cook is bringing “Breadwinner.“

The music line-up is starting to come together. I’m still talking with some potential headliners, but we’ve already got an amazing show lined up.

There’s so much local talent- I’m so looking forward to showing the world the quality of singer/songwriter we’ve got down here. Here are a few that we’ll be seeing. Remember that musicians live interesting lives and this is the first festival we’ve put on out here… this line-up will expand and change between now and the day of the show.

Jesse Brand is going to take a break from writing sessions for Garth Brooks’ latest CD to join us!

Jesse Brand

NEW!! The Bottom Dollar String Band just signed on to play the Fest!

One of my favorite people, who just happens to be a huge star in Mexico, will be playing the fest. Welcome Andres Cantisani!

Grammy Award and Will Rogers Award winning songwriter Gill Prather will be there.

Grammy Award Winning Songwriter Gil Prather - will perform and judge songs. — Grammy Award Winning Songwriter Gil Prather – will perform and judge songs.

Local Favorites, Los Pinche Gringos, will be rocking the stage.

Jalepeno Schwartz – Songwriter, DJ at Marfa Public Radio, and judge

Continue reading “Who’s coming to Viva-Terlingua Festival?”

June 12, 2014June 16, 2014

Want to play at the Viva Terlingua Festival?

Do you and/or your band want to play at the Viva Terlingua Festival?

Have you made a film that needs an audience?

We’ve got 3 stages and four days/nights to work with for music, and a fine movie theatre for screenings, so there’s lots of room.

There will be lots of local musicians – Collie Ryan, George Goss, Trevor Hickle are in and Butch Hancock has given us a firm “maybe.” I expect several more to join the party.

Get in early on this- right now, it’s a blank slate and we’re open to creative ideas. This is a great opportunity to get yourself, your songs and/or your band in front of a receptive crowd of true music lovers.

We’re talking to several sponsors- we’ll have a budget, but this ain’t Bonaroo, buckaroo. It’s a party in the most beautiful desert on the planet far from the constraints of civilization.

We’ve also got several very cool indie films scheduled to screen, but there’s room for more.

Contact Pat O’Bryan at koanwrangler@gmail.com or go sign up at http://viva-terlingua.com if you want to be involved.

thanks,

Pat

June 3, 2014June 3, 2014

Viva Terlingua Festival

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”

May 31, 2014May 31, 2014

“The Succulents” – Austin music in Terlingua

Last night, the all-female band, The Succulents, played at the Starlight Theatre in Terlingua.

Here’s their bio from their Reverb Nation page.

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.

Continue reading ““The Succulents” – Austin music in Terlingua”

May 26, 2014May 26, 2014

The Road to Austin – Doug Moreland – Terlingua.

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.

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.”

May 14, 2014May 14, 2014

GoatStock 2014 – party for the candidates.

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 - beer drinking mayor of lajitas — 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 - lajitas mayor election — 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.

Lajitas mayor race - George Goss — 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.”

May 12, 2014June 1, 2014

Voices From Both Sides 2014 – Fiesta Protesta!

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.

Al Jazeera America TV story HERE.

New York Times story HERE.

Our community, from both sides of the border, gathered to show our love for each other and express visibly the fact that it’s one community on both sides of the river. Continue reading “Voices From Both Sides 2014 – Fiesta Protesta!”

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014

Brewski Salmineo at the Starlight – 5/8/14

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.

It was obvious that Bruce, Michelle and Amanda enjoy playing together, and watching them crack jokes while playing licks that would leave a sane musician just shaking his head…
Continue reading “Brewski Salmineo at the Starlight – 5/8/14”

May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Music in Terlingua – just another Sunday.

It wasn’t a special day for music, but it was a day when the music in Terlingua was special.

REMINDER: next weekend is GoatStock and Voices From Both Sides – huge weekend celebration in the Big Bend. All the info you need: http://www.lajitasgolfresort.com/happenings/

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.

Later, Gil, Webster and I stopped by the El Dorado/High Sierra to watch Hank Woji and Mark Lewis. Chase Peeler was sitting in on sax. Continue reading “Music in Terlingua – just another Sunday.”

April 21, 2014April 21, 2014

Boquillas Overnight – dancing in the dark.

Let’s get this out of the way first:

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.

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.

boquillas 2 — 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…

And, now the crossing is open.

Continue reading “Boquillas Overnight – dancing in the dark.”