Texas Americana/Rock band Buster Jiggs Rocked Lajitas with a FREE outdoor show!
The Pavilion at the Lajitas Golf Resort may be my favorite music venue in the Big Bend.
Last night, Buster Jiggs, a rockin’ Texas band from Hondo, Texas, played there. It was a free show, the brisket tacos were cheap and good, and there was plenty of beer…
It was refreshing to see and hear a rock and roll show out here – we’ve got plenty of talented singer/songwriters, but occasionally I do like to hear a loud guitar, meaty drums, and passionate vocals.
Buster Jiggs’ songs are melodic. They would work with just an acoustic guitar. However, with a tight band rockin’ them, it made for an interesting experience.
This was the first of this season’s free concerts at Lajitas – Alejandro Escovedo is coming soon.
The first “Second Sunday” Jam at the High Sierra exceeded my expectations.
New location. New time. And the Terlingua Moon (the only “newspaper” out here) didn’t include our info, so the PR campaign consisted of flyers. It could have been lonely…
It was a blast. Somehow, word got out.
The room was full of locals, tourists and musicians. George Goss started at 2:00 and Moe and Brandi closed the show around midnight. In between, some truly amazing music happened. Unexpected combinations of musicians played together, some new musicians showed up, and everybody played like they meant it.
It was a good show.
For the musicians, it was also a chance for good friends to hang out, play together, and share gratitude for being part of such a vibrant musical community. For the audience, it was a free concert showcasing the region’s finest talent.
The High Sierra is a great location for the concert. They’ve got a large selection of cold beer, great food (Tacos Alhambra (sp?) for me), cheerful staff, and the best air conditioner in the county.
The experiment was a success. We’ll be doing a “Second Sunday” concert on a regular basis from now on.
We didn’t have a designated charity for this one, so the money raised will go to the Terlingua Music General Do-Gooder fund.
After the concert, a few dedicated partiers gathered at the outside bar for conversation under the stars. The moon was setting- a dark gold sliver over the ghost town. The Milky Way was a spray of diamonds across the sky. Music played from a pickup truck. And, somebody just happened to have a cooler of beverages.
Talking to the local track coach, I learned that he’s got a new batch of kids that he thinks can take State this year- if only they could afford shoes.
I think we’ve found our charity for the next “Second Sunday” jam.
Last night (2/15/13) Bruce Salmon brought a crew of top hands from Austin to the Starlight for a night of eclectic music.
On Bass: Brad Houser, who plays with Patrice Pike, the Dead Kenny Gs, and was in the New Bohemians.
On Drums: Dony Wynn, whose “other” gig is playing in Robert Plant’s band. He’s played with Brooks and Dunn, Robert Palmer, and Knuckle Yummy – and a LOT of other bands you’ve loved.
On Violin – the Berklee trained Michelle Alany. I’m not familiar with her background, but when she started rocking her violin in F#, I knew she was a talent to be reckoned with.
Slightly off topic – this didn’t happen in Terlingua. In fact, I don’t think Billy’s ever been to Terlingua. But it is, by gawd, Texas cool.
I got to participate in a photo/video shoot with Billy in Houston. My buddy and photography mentor, Rodney Bursiel, was doing the shoot for “Cowboys and Indians” magazine. I was there to drive, help schlepp gear, and make the “behind the scenes” video and photos.
Me and the “Master of Sparks,” Billy Gibbons.
We hung out with Billy all day. Went to his recording studio where ZZ Top has cut their last five CDs. Checked out his gear and got some recording tips – Billy’s surprisingly tech savvy. Got to hear stories of Jimi Hendrix, Joey Long, and some obscure Texas musicians that influenced Billy as well as the stories behind a lot of ZZ Top’s songs. Like a good Terlingua songwriter, Billy is just telling you about his life in his songs. He’s had an interesting life.
We ended the day with a Mexican Food feast and shots of Pura Vida tequila.
I’ll be posting some photos. I’ll print out some of the good ones and bring ’em to the legion for the next Jam. The video will probably end up online at some point- that’s Rodney’s call.
I’ll be back in the ‘bend next week and we’ll start planning the Legendary Legion Jam #3.
On a stunning full-moon night, in the desert about 25 miles North of the Mexican border, a group of musicians – from Dallas, Austin, Fort Davis, Terlingua – got together to play music and hang out.
Word got around, and some of the locals showed up to join the party.
It’s a good thing it was a warm night. There’s no way that everybody who showed up would have fit into the American Legion hall.
I took video – 2 cameras – which means there’s a total of 12 hours of video that somebody gets to wade through to find the good parts. In the mean time, there were a LOT of photographers there. Looking through my shots, I think I got some good ones. I don’t have time to whup ’em into shape, so I’m just posting snapshots here to give you an idea of what the evening was like.
Thanks to all the pickers and singers who played for free. You’ll be gratified to know that we raised almost $200 for the Crisis Breadbasket Center. That will feed some people.
We’ll be doing Legiondary Jam #3 in February. Check back here for dates and details.
The next “Legendary Legion Jam” is gonna be Sunday, Jan. 27, at the American Legion Post 653. Once again, the musicians will be playing for free. No cover charge. We will be aggressively raising funds for the local food bank – bring food or money if you can.
Scroll down a little to see pics and stuff from the first jam. It was indeed legendary.
I’m still firming up the line-up, but it looks like:
