In remembrance and celebration of legendary Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt, fans packed into the Cactus Café (a stage where Townes performed many, many times) to take part in the yearly all-star tribute to the man and his music.
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After a four-month hiatus to record a new record (Letters in the Deep out June 8) Cadillac Sky is taking their impressive live show back on the road starting at the Parish Room in Austin, Texas.
These guys (Bryan, Matt, Ross, Panda, and David) live somewhere in the musical neighborhood of the Boulder Acoustic Society or Yonder Mountain String Band and just down the street from Old Crow Medicine Show turning their traditional bluegrass instruments (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, upright bass) inside out and upside down.
When it comes to Texas music, Shelley King is something of an authority. In fact, she was named the Official Texas State Musician 2008, a title she passed to Willie Nelson. And her live show is a testament to the powerful combination of country, swing, gospel and a certain brand of Southern sass.
The Saxon Pub was packed for a Saturday night show with her band (the first band show she’s played since returning from a tour of Japan with Carolyn Wonderland in January).
Don’t let the matching outfits fool you — while twin songwriters Tegan and Sara Quin could easily turn their act into a cliché-filled disaster by finishing each others thoughts in perfectly planned spontaneity and exchanging carefully-crafted stories of childhood designed to elicit soft chuckles from the audience, they somehow rise above being ridiculously adorable to put on an enjoyable show for both the skinny-jean wearing hipsters and the harmony-loving folk rockers.
Returning to old stomping grounds, The Fabulous Thunderbirds took the stage at the legendary Antone’s club where they spent many years serving as the house band.
With support from openers The HiDefs and DaHeBeGeBees, the evening was filled with rocking and dancing to the Texas blues.
The musical community of Austin is always ready to lend a hand when one of their own needs a little help, usually by way of a benefit show with an incredible line-up like the Monday night show at Antone’s benefitting Will Sexton who had a mild stroke in December. While he can still play guitar (he even played at the show), remembering songs (including his own) is still difficult and he’s been instructed to take things “a little slower.”
There’s no question, Carolyn Wonderland can put on a fantastic show and her pre-Valentine’s day gig at Antone’s was a small demonstration of the talent that’s earned her dozens of awards including best female vocalist and best blues band in the 2009 Austin Music Awards.
With banjos, accordions, clarinets and even a gut-bucket bass in town, Canadian band Po’ Girl stopped by Momo’s Club Friday night as part of their “No Shame” tour.
Playing a sampling of new tunes from their upcoming record, “Follow Your Bliss” (due out in May) as well as some “oldies” the four-piece band with Allison Russell, Awna Teixeira, Benny Slidelinger (guitars) and Mikey “Lightning” August (drums) charmed the audience with their blend of folk, roots and originality.
