Saturday, May 17th
Saturday, June 14th
Saturday, July 19th
Saturday, August 23rd
$15.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$16.50 Total
New CD "Many Long Miles To Ride”
The
Gillette Brothers..."don't just play and sing skimming the surface
of their song.
They cut to its bone and gristle and deliver it with a visceral energy,
and integrity, a joy that are contagious. Hearing them do it makes the
hearer's life better."
- Bryan Woolley of the Dallas Morning News,
from the liner notes to Many Long Miles To Ride.
Winners
Academy
of Western Artists
Eighth Annual Will Rogers Award
The Gillette Brothers were recipients of the 2003 and 1998
Will Rogers Award for Outstanding Achievement
in the Advancement of Contemporary Cowboy Music-Best Duo/Group
by the Academy of Western Artists.
They have also received
the National Cowboy Symposium’s American Cowboy Culture Chuck
Wagon Award.
Saturday, July 5th
Saturday, August 2nd
Saturday, September 6th
Always $2.00
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. lessons; 7:00 - Open Mic.
Bring your acoustic instruments
and join in.
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Mark Rubin & his Ridgetop Syncopators
$15.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$16.50 Total
Both my parents were musicians,
they actually met while both were members of the University of Arizona
marching band, and my father's first good job was as national secretary of
the Kappa Kappa Psi Marching Band honorary fraternity. His office was on
the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater, and he soon became the
announcer of the Cowboy Marching band, hauling me along in tow on away
games. (At the game I got to march into the stadium and then sit in the
last row with the sousaphone players who I grew to idolize.) My dad always
had music on in the house, I remember Coupland's American suite,
Joplin's Red Back Book and his beloved German oom-pah music on the big
Magnavox hi-fi. (Mom was more of a Limelighters/Peter Paul and Mary fan
herself) We even had a rebuilt Wurlitzer 78 rpm Juke box, the kind with
the bubbles going up the sides like in "Happy Days," loaded with
an odd mix of Elvis, the Coasters and Danny Kaye. Some of my happiest
childhood memories are sitting on the floor, with my back pressed up
against these huge machines, my eyes closed tight, soaking up every nuance
of the sound rattling my whole body.
Much to my chagrin, the decent middle class American Jewish parents they
were, my folks decided I was going to be a violinist and signed me up for
one of the first ever Suzuki Method courses in Oklahoma when I was only 6.
I only remember a few things: that my private instructor was a former Miss
Oklahoma (and runner up in the Miss America Pagent, 1974.) And that at an
important teachers demonstration conference on the Suzuki Method I
was asked by the professor in front of the assembled string players why I
had chosen the violin. I replied confidently I had no intention of ever
playing the violin at all, I actually wanted to play trombone but my arms
were too short. Humiliated publicly, my parents dropped the violin
classes.
Richard Smith and Julie Adams
$15.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$16.50 Total
Richard Smith was born in Beckenham, Kent, England in 1971. One day, at the age of five, Richard was watching his father fingerpick “Down South Blues” (an Atkins-Travis recording) on his guitar. The boy begged his dad to show him how to play it, and finally he did. Despite the fact that Richard is left-handed and his dad’s right-handed guitar was not designed for tiny hands, by the end of that day, Richard learned and played both the chords and the melody. Within no time, the toddler outstripped his dad’s six-string prowess and it was clear to all who saw or heard him play that Richard was one of those rare phenomena -- a child prodigy.
Concentrating initially on the music his father loved – the country picking of Chet Atkins and Merle Travis – young Richard digested everything he heard, learning even the most complicated of these tunes with ease, and confounded everyone with his dexterity. It seemed that, not only did the boy possess amazing physical skill, but a photographic musical memory as well. Often, a single hearing was all it took to get a piece under his fingers.
Richard first met his hero, the “Godfather” of finger style guitar, Chet Atkins when he was only eleven and was invited by Chet to play with him on stage at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in front of an audience of about a thousand. He played Chet’s arrangement of “Whispering,” and Chet played along with him. Then the audience went mad and Chet asked him to play another one. Before Richard could decide what to play, someone shouted “Little Rock Getaway.” and Richard played Chet’s arrangement of it while Chet, not playing this time, watched him in amazement playing to a stunned and appreciative audience. By the time he reached his early twenties, both Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed began to refer to Richard Smith as their “Hero” – and still do.
There seems to be no limit to
Richard’s ability to quickly master whatever guitar style captures his
fancy. The complex styles of many guitar greats including Django
Reinhardt, Les Paul, and Lenny Breau have proved to be no impediment to
his voracious musical appetite. Apart from his guitar virtuosity, he is
also an accomplished banjo and violin player.
Richard has toured around the world, surprising audiences everywhere
with his genius, showcasing a repertoire spanning an incredible range of
musical styles from country, bluegrass, mainstream jazz, modern pop and
rock, to classical guitar. Richard also plays several of John Phillip
Souza’s marches and, incredibly, comes close to sounding like an
entire marching band – drums and all.
In 1999, Richard married the lovely and very accomplished American
cellist Julie Adams and settled in the Nashville, TN area. When they
play together, it'll melt your heart - and blow your socks off!
Now thirty, Richard Smith is nothing less than a phenomenon. But, words
alone are inadequate to describe his guitar wizardry. You may be a
doubting Thomas until you’ve witnessed him for yourself. But, once you
have, you’ll be a fan for life!
Clay McClinton Band
$20.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$22.00 Total
With Son of a Gun, the follow-up to his fine debut Out of the Blue, McClinton demonstrates his stellar honky-tonk credentials on songs like “One of Those Guys” and “Dig Deep”. A confident songwriter, he wrote or co-wrote all but one track. Besides Delbert, Clay has been influenced by greats such as Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Bob Dylan, J.J. Cale, Ray Charles, Hank Williams and Doc Watson.
Few artists have pursued their careers with the clarity and conscious exploration that mark Clay’s self-designed path. He grew up in Fort Worth, TX and began learning guitar and harmonica from both his father and older brother. As soon as he graduated from high school he high tailed it to Austin. That would be the first of a series of conscious steps towards his self-development as a musician and songwriter and, eventually, producer as well. While in Austin, he absorbed the creative atmosphere and began writing. From the beginning he wanted to develop his repertoire of originals before taking to the stage full time.
His next move was actually a skip across the pond for a trek around Europe. He and a couple of fellow musicians spent four months playing music in hostels.
When he returned to the states, Clay decided on a move to Flagstaff, AZ. He began playing in two distinctively different bands. The Blues Project drew on Texas stomp and southern blues for their sound, while Second Harvest was an acoustic blues/bluegrass/folk band. Clay immersed himself in playing live; performing five or six nights a week with experienced players. After a couple of years in Flagstaff The Clay McClinton Band was created in which Clay and his Telecaster took center stage.
Clay’s relocation to Nashville in 2003 was another conscious move. This time it was to hone his writing and production skills in a town known for the rich songwriting community and top of the line studios. It was a move his father had made more than 15 years before.
Most recently, Clay decided to come full circle and return to his Texas homeland. He recently relocated to Austin and is working on his 3rd CD.
Clay’s journey has clicked along a single track; one designed to expand and develop his musical career. Son of a Gun takes another step along his path, further developing Clay’s studio experience and providing more original material for his band to perform on the road.
“I love every aspect of this career,” Clay says. “I like writing and producing, but I also love getting on stage in front of fans all over the country. I’ve got a great, tight band, strong original material, and most of all, great fans. I’m just having a blast.”
Friday, July 18th
Patrice Pike Duo
$15.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$16.50 Total
Austin recording artist Patrice Pike, fresh from her multi-category win ( Musician of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rock Band, Best Female Vocalist and Induction in the Music Hall of Fame) at this year’s Austin Music Awards SXSW 2007; and a standout tour in New Zealand in support of her third full solo release, “Unraveling” tours Central and Mid-Western US immediately after SXSW. The album, released by her own new label TapeSlap Records and distributed by Redeye USA, showcases Pike’s well established substance as a songwriter and dynamic versatility as a performer. In 2006 Patrice Pike finished as a Top 7 finalist in the prime time television show Rock Star which introduced her to a worldwide television audience (10 million national viewers weekly). Pike has long enjoyed a loyal following extending back to her days as the front woman for the band Sister 7. Propelled by Pike’s soaring vocals and highly literate songwriting, Sister 7 spent the ’90s flirting with rock stardom. The quartet charted a couple of Billboard hits and toured with the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, John Fogerty, and the Lilith Fair (featuring Sarah McLachlan and Natalie Merchant). After the 1999 Arista shakeup that featured the unceremonious ousting of industry legend Clive Davis, the band found itself without a label and discouraged, and subsequently disbanded. Pike wasted no time plunging into a solo career, founding an indie label with Sister 7 band mate Wayne Sutton. She has toured internationally as a solo artist, including main stage appearances at festivals as prestigious and stylistically diverse as High Sierra, Kerrville, Strawberry, and Austin City Limits. She’s also picked up some hardware, claiming the overall grand prize in the 2004 USA Song-writing Competition. Patrice Pike is a socially aware, spiritually grounded artist on top of her game as both a songwriter and a performer. “Unraveling” features a strong and decidedly eclectic collection of songs ranging from the made-for-radio Beautiful Thing to the socially acute Ridiculous Mess to an absolutely superb trio of R&B tunes.
Lonesome Heroes / Brian Birdwell
Special Co-Bill
$15.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$16.50 Total
THE LONESOME HEROES
Bio:
It’s a big strange world out there full of beautiful overlooked
roadsides, mountains, and people, and The Lonesome Heroes want to find
every one. A band with a mission, they seek to spread psychedelic
country tones wherever they go, and with 395,000 miles on their trusted
rusted van Helga they sometimes seem to be running on sheer luck and
determination. Many people wince at the mention of Country Music, but
The Lonesome Heroes quickly unfurl brows through their subtle meshing of
Indie Rock, Folk, Country and Psychedelic tones.
The core of the band consists of the shared songwriting and vision of
Brooklyn raised songwriter Rich Russell and Texas raised
songwriter/artist Landry McMeans. The duo splits singing, guitar, and
steel guitar duties to create songs that bridge the gap between north
and south, and modern and traditional songwriting. Relying on a long
list of incredible musicians from around the country to fill out the
band, the Lonesome Heroes continually push the boundaries of Country,
Rock, and Folk Music.
Playing diverse venues ranging from Rock Clubs, Art Galleries, Summer
Camps, Honky Tonks, State Parks, Acoustic Rooms, Five Star Restaurants,
and beyond, The Lonesome Heroes are revolutionizing Country Music one
night and one venue at a time. With just 5 songs and 1000 copies
available on Floodwater Record’s first pressing of DON’T PLAY TO LOSE,
The Lonesome Heroes managed to garner outstanding national press and
national radio play without the aid of publicists, booking agents, or
radio promoters.
The Lonesome Heroes bring a DIY approach to country music. They solved
the problem of not being able to book enough shows with other country
acts in Austin, by becoming booking agents themselves. Six months later,
The Lonesome Heroes free weekly Alt Country Showcase (www.myspace.com/austinaltcountry)
has become a self-sustaining local staple at Austin’s Historic Hole in
The Wall. The list of established and upcoming acts that grace the
Showcase expands weekly, and the Showcase has evolved into a great
community of musicians that challenge the complacency of Contemporary
Commercial Country Music.
The summer of 2007 will be the greatest adventure yet for The Lonesome
Heroes, starting with a June residency at Banjo Jim’s in the
not-so-country-music stronghold of NYC. With almost more shows booked
than they have days in NYC, The Lonesome Heroes will continue to carve
out a name for themselves and country music as they have so successfully
done in Austin, by playing music and meeting beautiful people.
In July they will quickly swing back through Texas before another
Midwest/West coast tour with a list of venues so diverse that only a
psychedelic country band could possibly fit the bills. The ending
highlight to the tour will be another week long residency at Element
Skateboard Camp in The Sequoia Mountains, where The Lonesome Heroes will
trade Country songs with kids for skateboard tricks and nature skills.
Please keep your ears peeled for The Lonesome Heroes new limited press
100% acoustic release *SUNNY*EYED*HIGHWAY*SONGS*. Also watch for them in
a town near you and please check out the links page for some of the
incredible bands The Lonesome Heroes have been lucky enough to play with
across the country.
January 2008 finds the Lonesome Heroes hiding out @ Super Pop Studios in
Austin as they finally bring their ever expanding band to record a full
length Psychedelic Country Record. Due out in May, it will be totally
awesome.
Brian Birdwell was raised in the smallest town in Texas -- where the pine trees meet the cotton fields; the stomping grounds of great bluesmen like Lightnin' Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, and Blind Lemon.
His first job was selling watermelons from a trailer beside the road. Later, he drilled water wells, made documentary films, and traveled 'round the world.
Brian's first paid gig as a solo artist was on an island near Thailand, in a sushi bar owned by an Italian couple. He had to ride a boat taxi from the beach where he was living!
Eventually he made his way to Austin, Texas to kick back and learn about this ole music biz. He lives on kungfu and breakfast tacos. Keep your eyes open and you'll catch him swimming in the creek or riding his bike!
Sara Hickman
$15.00
Ticket prices reflect an
additional 10% tax and handling fee
$16.50 Total
she likes to sing, too. she will whip out her guitar at parties and around campfires to get everyone singing along. she likes lots of voices singing. as says, "it only takes one voice to start a choir."
she feels sad when she sees homeless people, and stops to see what can be done. she likes to go in hospitals and sing for kids and cancer patients, and she wishes she could breakdance really well to raise funds for the children of Uganda, but since she isn't much of a dancer, she joined a blogathon instead and wrote for 24 hours straight to raise money/awareness.
her high score in bowling is 197.
she rode in an elevator with Pete Townsend, sang a duet with George Burns, wrote flamenco guitar music for a play that starred Melissa Gilbert, and charmed johnny carson twice on his late night show.
she has recorded 14 albums to date, some for big people, some for small.
she doodles, and will leave a chalk mark on your sidewalk if you're not home.
she thinks Austin is weirdly wonderful and encourages it to stay that way.
