Redneck Mother: The Backstory

A few years ago when YouTube was in its infancy and songwriting had already been a thing for a long time, I looked up one of my favorite songwriters and this was the first Ray Wylie video I ever saw on YouTube. This isn't what made me a fan, but it sure didn't hurt!

Jeff Strahan - Amen To The Blues - Live at the Bugle Boy

I LOVE this Jeff Strahan video from May 2013 in LaGrange, TX. I sure wish there was a video feed from the jam going on up in heaven right now, I'd love to see Jeff playin' with Muddy Waters and Freddy King right about now! Rest in Peace Jeff, wish I knew you better!

Week of 1/27/2014

Monday
• Billy's Ice: TBA
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Bret Graham
• Tavern in the Gruene: Court Nance Accident
• The PourHaus: JJ Villareal (JJ Garrett Band)
• Riley's Tavern: Songwriter showcase w/John Whipple
• Cheatham Street Warehouse:
--- SoldierSongs and Voices Workshop w/Dustin Welch at 5
--- Grant Ewing w/Jackie Venson
• Triple Crown: Ripe Honey at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: Woody Pines
• Barriba Cantina: Brian Duarte Trio

Tuesday
• Billy's Ice: Austin Gilliam
• River Road Ice House: Belly-up acoustic open jam w/Scott Morgan
• Gruene Hall: Tony Taylor, Jordan Minor and Slim Bawb
• Tavern in the Gruene: Zack Walther and Matthew Briggs
• The PourHaus: Open mic w/Jon Magill
• Watering Hole Saloon: Empty-Handed Vagabonds
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 6
• Jack's Roadhouse: open mic w/JJ Garrett Band
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Tessy Lou & Shotgun Stars + Brett Hauser Band
• Triple Crown: Aaron Stephens at 6
• Bat Bar: StoneFace Cowboys
• Barriba Cantina: Mark Monaco

Wednesday
• Billy's Ice: Aaron Stephens
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers
• The Phoenix Saloon: Brian Pounds
• The PourHaus: Cody Coggins
• Watering Hole Saloon: Howard Yeargan & Slim Bawb
• Buffalo Wings & Rings: Steven Roloff and friends
• Riley's Tavern: Mike Ethan Messick
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Kent Finlay's songwriter circle
• Triple Crown: Eric Hisaw
• Sam's Burger Joint: Jimmy Spacek w/Ruben V and Butch Morgan
• Barriba Cantina: Adam Johnson Band

Thursday
• Billy's Ice: The Kinfolk
• River Road Ice House: Scott Morgan
• Gruene Hall: The Georges
• Tavern in the Gruene: Buggaboo
• The Phoenix Saloon: Happy hour w/Adam Johnson
• The PourHaus: Brian Pounds
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Jam night
• Sertinos Cafe: Open mic w/Buddy Boy
• Adobe Verde: Garrett Heinrichs
• New Braunfels Coffee: Open mic w/Richard Sanders
• Riley's Tavern: Cody Riley
• Jack's Roadhouse: Uncle Daddy
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: James Pardo & Kyle Reed
• Triple Crown: Molly J Hayes
• Sam's Burger Joint: The Steepwater Band w/Poor J. Brown
• Barriba Cantina: Will Owen Gage

Friday
• Billy's Ice: The Rusty Brothers
• River Road Ice House: The Hillbilly Jug Band
• Gruene Hall: The Whiskey Sisters
• Tavern in the Gruene:
--- Happy hour w/Tony Taylor
--- Monty 'Guitar' Tyler
• The Phoenix Saloon: Happy hour w/Junior Nash
• Black Whale Pub: Slim Bawb
• The PourHaus: Kyle Jackson Trio
• Herbert's Taco Hut: JJ Garrett Band
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Empty-Handed Vagabonds
• Adobe Verde: The Groovehounds
• Vino en Verde: Haley Cole
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 7
• Sportsman's Bar (Converse): Alibi
• Riley's Tavern: Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Dirty River Boys w/Blue Water Highway
• Triple Crown: Peppers Blues at 6
• The Moontower Saloon: Poor J. Brown
• Shotguns on 6th: Jeremy Steding Band
• Sam's Burger Joint: Los #3 Dinners
• Floore's Country Store: The Bellamy Brothers w/Noel McKay & Brennen Leigh
• Pat O'Briens: StoneFace Cowboys
• Barriba Cantina: Michael Waid

Saturday
• NB Farmer's Market: Steve Tschoepe
• Billy's Ice: The Washers
• River Road Ice House: Chris King
• Gruene Hall:
--- Clay McClinton (cd release) at 1
--- Wade Bowen w/Folk Family Revival (sold out)
• Tavern in the Gruene: Jumbofunk
• The Phoenix Saloon: Blue Water Highway
• The PourHaus: Whiskey Rodeo
• Black Whale Pub: Empty-Handed Vagabonds
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten:
--- Jamie Krueger Band at 1
--- The Texas Saints at 6
• Adobe Verde: JJ Garrett Band
• Vino en Verde: Travis Smith
• Cypress Creek Cafe: Celebration of the life and music of Jeff Strahan (8:30)
• Max's Roadhouse: Broken Duckfeet
• Riley's Tavern: Billy Dee
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Buster Jiggs
• Hayes County BBQ: JJ Garrett Band at 3:30
• Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon: Jeremy Steding Band
• The Nook Amphitheater: StoneFace Cowboys
• The Roost: Brian Pounds w/Jonny Gray
• Sam's Burger Joint: Rob Baird
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Sweet Shine and Honey at 5
--- Lavens at 9
• Floore's Country Store: Bart Crow w/Sam Riggs and The Night People

Sunday
• Billy's Ice: Super Bowl on the "biggest screen in town"
• River Road Ice House: Super Bowl
• Gruene Hall: Greg Harris & The World Famous Bandini Brothers at noon
• The PourHaus: The Groovehounds
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Slim Bawb at 2
• Adobe Verde: Fallon Franklin
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Jacinto y Ray y Joaquin at 3
--- Step Aside Blues Band at 7

Wurstfest 2013 Rewind: Alex Meixner, I Like Beer

Did you miss this? Alex Meixner's song he brilliantly added to his setlist this year. I hope it stays there for years to come!



"I Like Beer" written, recorded and popularized by Tom T. Hall in the mid 1970s.

One day, two new records

Jason Eady and Brian Keane both have new records available, and they will BOTH be something you'll want in your collection!

Jason's new record "Daylight & Dark" is his 4th release to date, and certain to become a favorite of lovers of country music everywhere. It was quite a few years ago that Brian Keane broke away from the Band of Heathens to make a run at a solo career, and he certainly seems to be making quite a name for himself with a very successful run of brilliant songwriting, 2 from "Coming Home" are already on my list of favorites, I'm certain there will be many more!

Daylight & Dark by Jason Eady
Coming Home by Brian Keane

Week of 1/20/2014

Monday
• Billy's Ice: TBA
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall:
--- Chubby Knuckle Choir at 1
--- Bret Graham at 6
• Tavern in the Gruene: Court Nance Accident
• The PourHaus: Bryan Boyce and Paul Rogers
• Prickly Pear Bar: Josh Holden
• Herbert's Taco Hut: Buddy Boy
• Riley's Tavern: Songwriter showcase w/John Whipple
• Lone Star Music: Brian Keane at 6:30
• Cheatham Street Warehouse:
--- SoldierSongs and Voices Workshop w/Dustin Welch at 5
--- Unhappy Hour w/Charlie Stout, Jordan Minor and friends
• Triple Crown: David Harris at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: Robert Ortega Quartet
• Barriba Cantina: Brian Duarte Trio
• Bat Bar on 6th: Stoneface Cowboys

Tuesday
• Billy's Ice: Austin Gilliam and Haley Cole
• River Road Ice House: Belly-up acoustic open jam w/Scott Morgan
• Gruene Hall: Jordan Minor, Owen Temple and Kent Finlay
• Tavern in the Gruene:
--- 7 - KNBT Roots and Branches of Americana w/Ray Wylie Hubbard and guests Jason Eady, Courtney Patton and Brian Keane
--- Tony Taylor and Matthew Briggs
• The PourHaus: Open mic w/Jon Magill
• Watering Hole Saloon: Buddy Boy
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 6
• Jack's Roadhouse: open mic w/JJ Garrett Band
• Lone Star Music: Jason Eady at 5
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Will Arrington + Dry River Religion
• Triple Crown: Bloody Ol' Mule at 6
• Barriba Cantina: Elijah Jane and the Experience
• Bungalow on Rainey: Stoneface Cowboys at 6

Wednesday
• Billy's Ice: Aaron Stephens Band
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers
• Tavern in the Gruene: TBA
• The Phoenix Saloon: Brian Pounds
• The PourHaus: Tony Taylor
• Watering Hole Saloon: Josh Holden
• Buffalo Wings & Rings: Steven Roloff and friends
• Lone Star Music: Hill Country Gentlemen at 7
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Kent Finlay's songwriter circle
• Triple Crown: Nate Guthrie at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: The Blasters w/Whiskey Shivers
• Barriba Cantina: Adam Johnson Band

Thursday
• Billy's Ice: Jacob Powell
• River Road Ice House: Jackson Taylor & The Sinners w/Matt Begley & Bitter Whiskey
• Gruene Hall: Aaron Einhouse
• Tavern in the Gruene: Tony Taylor Band
• The Phoenix Saloon: Happy hour w/Junior Nash
• The PourHaus: Brent Woods
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Jam night
• Sertinos Cafe: Open mic w/Buddy Boy
• Adobe Verde: Garrett Heinrichs
• New Braunfels Coffee: Open mic w/Richard Sanders
• Moose's Food Court: Jam night
• Riley's Tavern: Tiffany Alana Dodgen
• Jack's Roadhouse: Uncle Daddy
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Kyle Park w/Pawn Shop Gold + Brett Hauser
• Triple Crown: Emily Herring at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: Lincoln Durham w/Shane Walker
• Barriba Cantina: Will Owen Gage

Friday
• Billy's Ice: Court Nance Accident
• River Road Ice House: Midnight River Choir w/Aaron Stephens
• Gruene Hall: Warren Hood Band
• Tavern in the Gruene: Happy hour w/Tony Taylor
• The Phoenix Saloon:
--- Happy hour w/Broseph
--- The Kinfolk w/Ali Holder (DTP's birthday bash)
• The PourHaus: The Groove Hounds
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: The Bigsbys
• Adobe Verde: Dry River Religion
• Ironhorse Grill: Buddy Boy
• Vino en Verde: KennCentric w/LeAnn
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 7
• Riley's Tavern: The Derailers
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Damn Quails w/Charlie Stout
• Triple Crown: Rabb Rodriguez at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: Bleu Edmondson Band w/Jackson Parten
• Floore's Country Store: James McMurtry w/Javi Garcia
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Mullberry's at 5
--- Coolcat Charlie at 9

Saturday
• NB Farmer's Market:
• Billy's Ice: Midnight River Choir w/Aaron Stephens (Nick's Birthday!)
• River Road Ice House: Whey Jennings & The Unwanted + Ghosts of Dixie
• Gruene Hall:
--- Flat Top Jones at 1
--- Jason Eady
• Tavern in the Gruene: Manzy Lowry Band
• The Phoenix Saloon: John Evans Band
• The PourHaus: Kurt Grein Band
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten:
• Adobe Verde: Casey Hubble & Jon Napier
• Vino en Verde: Megan Ford & Anthony Castelleja
• Riley's Tavern: Roy Heinrich and the Pickups
• The Flaming Bird: Adam Johnson & Ruben Colon
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Brian Keane Band (cd release)
• Cibolo Self Serve: Smoke Wagon
• Sam's Burger Joint: Age of Reason
• Pearl Brewery: Alli Mattice
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Bill Lewis & Jake Martin at 5
--- G-Man at 9
• Floore's Country Store: Doug Moreland Band
• BierGarten San Antonio: Korey and Dana Acoustic Duo

Sunday
• Billy's Ice: Fire In The Kitchen
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall:
--- Slimb Bawb at noon
--- South Austin Moonlighters at 4
• Tavern in the Gruene: Whiskey Rodeo
• The Phoenix Saloon:
--- Sunday Afternoon Live w/Lowry, Lopez & Nipper
--- True Audio Outland Presents: Michael Martin
• The PourHaus: Megan Ford & Anthony Castelleja
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten:
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: TBA
• Sam's Burger Joint: Greg Trooper w/Tom Gillam
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Jacinto y Ray y Joaquin at 3
--- Step Aside Blues Band at 7

Blowin' Off Steamboat 2: Aftermathier

The rule of sequels is just a suggestion, we shattered it on the floor at Freiheit Country Store and luckily the pieces vaporized so nobody had to clean up the mess. I was so grateful that we were able to turn this great day of music and fun into a benefit for the New Braunfels Puppy Playland. Just for the sake of the music this would have been rewarding enough, but the fact that we were able to use this day to help give something back to the community makes it one for the books. This is the second time we've turned an otherwise mundane third Saturday in January into something way cooler, and I'm still grateful and in shock to be a part of it. This year much like last year, we ran a mix of acoustic song swaps and full band shows all day from noon to midnight, but we shifted it into a higher gear for the last few hours of the night. Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers and the Aaron Stephens band closed us out for the night with ultra high energy, rockin' sets.

Every part of yesterday was great, we had almost non-stop music between our indoor and outdoor stages. Wes Nickson, Haley Cole, Austin Gilliam and Anthony Mustaca kicked it off outside with an unplugged acoustic set at the picnic tables while we put the finishing touches on the 2 stages. Slim Bawb came in unmasked, but soon fixed that as he laid down his cool, signature swampy groove, and was followed by a set from a young band of sisters TBA (Tristan, Brittney and Aubrey), then we had a song swap outside with Chris King, Mike Ethan Messick and Jeremy Steding. There was then 2 full-band sets in a row with a high-energy rock-inspired country set from the very unique group The Hillbilly Jug Band, followed by Alli Mattice and her beautiful who were back this year to carry us through set changes. Meanwhile, The Captain Legendary Band took the stage and brought the afternoon to an energetic apex with their unique blend of roots rock and all things southern.

Megan Ford sang us a few beautiful songs while the next song swap with Scott Morgan, Jordan Minor, James Pardo and B.J. Thibodeaux set up. Alli Mattice came back while Carol Cochran and 2-Way Street set up for a set of classic country w/a mix of classic rock from a flawless, highly skilled band that has been playing together for well over 30 years. Alli Mattice returned and entertained the crowd as The Groove Hounds loaded in for a set that shows just how much this band has grown throughout 2013. It's hard to believe that 3 of the 4 members of this band aren't over 17 years old, but they've been well mentored by seasoned veteran Steve Heffelfinger who usually plays acoustic rhythm guitar in the band, but was bringing the funk on the electric bass at Blowin' Off Steamboat. Local songwriter and regular open-mic host at the PourHaus Jon Magill then joined the ALWAYS entertaining Al Barlow and Paul McLaughlin for an hour of singin', pickin' and story tellin'. Al is a songwriting marvel and has written some amazingly humorous tunes over the years, and has played with some of the greats such as Robert Earl Keen and Terri Hendrix. Paul McLaughlin is a multi-instrumentalist that can pick a guitar like nobody's business. He has honed his craft for years with various bands, one in particular that stood out to me was Paul's time as a member of Jerry Reed's band.

This brought us to 9pm, when Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers cranked it up to 11 and held it there with a great mix of Tom's wonderful original tunes and a few classic rock favorites. Between Tom's astounding vocals, and Tom and David Spencer's dual-lead guitars shredding their amazing set into tasty morsels of musical delight for everyone's ears, this is clearly what Tom Gillam was put on this earth to do. Tom and the Kosmic Messengers are currently playing Wednesday nights at Gruene Hall, and Tom is the host of the morning show w/Misty Malone on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, as well as host of his Sunday night Kosmic Power Hour show that can both be heard on 92.1fm KNBT Radio New Braunfels. Alli Mattice came back for her final set of the evening while Aaron Stephens band prepared to wrap us up for the evening. I can't say enough about Aaron Stephens, but I'm going to try to keep this as brief as possible. WOW. Aaron typically has shared lead guitar duties with Rio Tripiano, but with Rio off at a prior engagement, Aaron took "soul" responsibility for leads, and this really highlighted just how talented a guitarist he truly is. Aaron and the band ended up playing for about 2 and a half hours by the time the after party ended, and he NEVER lost a beat. B.J. Thibodeaux ran sound for us on both stages all day, but he still had the energy to belt out a soul stirring rendition of Bill Whithers' "Use Me" with Aaron and band backing him at around 12:45. Aaron is in his early 20's and attending his final year at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX., and he and his band are currently playing a Wednesday night residency at Billy's Ice.

Thank you to Hippy Gypsy, Rambling Gypsy Productions and M&S Engineering for your generous sponsorships. Thank you to the TX Citizen for a great partnership that has made this possible. Thank you to my friends B.J. Thibodeaux and Steve and all those that helped by donating time and/or equipment to help make all the moving parts work smoothly. Thank you to Freiheit Country Store for hosting our shenanigans, and a special thank you to those of you that made it out and joined us, we hope to see even more of you for our 3rd annual show in 2015!

links:
2nd Annual Blowin' Off Steamboat

Verrückt!

Some things that aren't related to music catch my interest enough that they have to make it on here. I'll tag them so you can single them out and all the haters can hate. :)

This is the Verrückt, it's the world's tallest and fastest waterslide and it's at the new Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City that is supposed to be opening this May. I don't know if Verrückt was an expletive before, but it is now!


links:
Schlitterbahn.com
Schlitterbahn (Facebook)
Schlitterbahn (Twitter)

FREE STUFF: Austin Gilliam's EP "Sunshine"

I have a copy of Austin Gilliam's billiant EP "Sunshine" in my hand ready to give away to some lucky person. Email "Austin Gilliam" to musicofnb@gmail.com if you'd like a chance to win a copy! By the way, you can see Austin performing live this Saturday at the 2nd Annual Blowin' Off Steamboat Music Festival!

links:
Austin on Reverbnation
Austin on Twitter
Austin on Facebook

Week of 1/13/2014

Monday
• Billy's Ice: TBA
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Bret Graham
• Tavern in the Gruene: Court Nance Accident
• The PourHaus: Bryan Boyce and Paul Rogers
• Riley's Tavern: Songwriter showcase w/John Whipple
• Cheatham Street Warehouse:
--- SoldierSongs and Voices Workshop w/Dustin Welch at 5
--- Brett Hauser CD release
• Triple Crown: Beth Lee at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: Matt the Cat Trio
• Barriba Cantina: Brian Duarte Trio

Tuesday
• Billy's Ice: TBA
• River Road Ice House: Belly-up acoustic open jam w/Scott Morgan
• Gruene Hall: Jordan Minor, Tony Taylor and Slim Bawb
• Tavern in the Gruene:
--- 7 - KNBT Roots and Branches of Americana w/Ray Wylie Hubbard and guests Chuck Cannon & Kelly McQueeney
--- 9:30 - The Blooms
• The PourHaus: Open mic w/Jon Magill
• Watering Hole Saloon: Chris Vetter
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 6
• Jack's Roadhouse: open mic w/JJ Garrett Band
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Blue Water Hwy Band + Kyle Reed Band
• Triple Crown: Joe Beth Henderson at 6
• Thirsty Nickel: Stoneface Cowboys at 4
• Barriba Cantina: Mark Monaco

Wednesday
• Billy's Ice: Aaron Stephens
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers
• The Phoenix Saloon: Brian Pounds
• The PourHaus: Cody Coggins
• Watering Hole Saloon: Jon Magill
• Buffalo Wings & Rings: Steven Roloff and friends
• Riley's Tavern: Michael Fletcher
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Kent Finlay's songwriter circle
• Triple Crown: Manzy Lowry at 6
• Barriba Cantina: Adam Johnson Band

Thursday
• Billy's Ice: 3 Man Front
• River Road Ice House: Foxmoor Express
• Gruene Hall: Ben Balmer
• Tavern in the Gruene: Jeff Jacobs Band
• The Phoenix Saloon: Happy hour w/Adam Johnson
• The PourHaus: Myles Smith
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Jam night
• Sertinos Cafe: Open mic w/Buddy Boy
• Adobe Verde: Garrett Heinrichs
• New Braunfels Coffee: Open mic w/Richard Sanders
• Moose's Food Court: Jam night
• Riley's Tavern: Big Red Drum Artist Spotlight
• Jack's Roadhouse: Uncle Daddy
• Lone Star Music: Hill Country Gentlemen at 7
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Sons of Fathers
• Triple Crown: Nigel Egg at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: John Boyd Birthday Concert
• Jack's Bar (SA): Kyle Reed/James Pardo Band
• Barriba Cantina: Will Owen Gage

Friday
• Billy's Ice: Hillbilly Jug Band
• River Road Ice House: Ryan Ready then Scott Morgan Band
• Gruene Hall: Van Wilks
• Tavern in the Gruene: Dry River Religion
• The Phoenix Saloon:
--- Happy hour w/Lucas Taylor
--- Brother Nothing
• The PourHaus: Bill Ayers
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Jumbofunk
• Adobe Verde: Jonathan Garcia
• Vino en Verde: Empty-Handed Vagabonds
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 7
• Riley's Tavern: Big John Mills
• Jack's Roadhouse: JJ Garrett Band
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Thieving Birds w/Charlie Stout
• Triple Crown: Callous Taoboys at 6 then Ghosts of Dixie and more
• China Grove Trading Post: James Pardo and Steven Roloff
• Sam's Burger Joint: Carolyn Wonderland w/Adam Johnson
• Floore Country Store: Nick Lawrence
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Christine Roberts at 5
--- Infidels at 9

Saturday
• Freiheit Country Store: BLOWIN' OFF STEAMBOAT MUSIC FESTIVAL noon to midnight
• NB Farmer's Market: Pete and Sean
• Billy's Ice: Cyrus James
• River Road Ice House: Texas KGB
• Gruene Hall:
--- Greg Harris and the World Famous Bandini Brothers at 1
--- Max Stalling
• Tavern in the Gruene: Buster Jiggs
• The Phoenix Saloon: Hill Country Gentlemen
• The PourHaus: Adam Johnson Band
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten:
--- Kevin and the Krawlers at 1
--- Pepper's Blues at 6
• Adobe Verde: Bru Erdman
• Vino en Verde: Beau Daniels Band
• Anhalt Dancehall: Tony Booth
• Dirty's Bar N Q: Broken Duckfeet
• Riley's Tavern: Joel Hofmann Band
• Jack's Roadhouse: Perfect Strangers
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Doug Moreland w/Jason James
• Cedar Hall: Rance Norton and the Cadillac Cowboys
• Triple Crown: Scott H. Biram
• Shotguns on 6th: Kyle Reed/James Pardo Band
• Sam's Burger Joint: Beatles and Eagles tribute shows
• Barriba Cantina: Lavens

Sunday
• Billy's Ice: Austin Meade
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall:
--- Ruby Jane Smith at noon
--- Marshall Hood Band at 4
• Tavern in the Gruene: Whiskey Rodeo
• The Phoenix Saloon:
--- Sunday Afternoon Live w/Jordan Minor at 2
--- True Audio Outland Presents: TBA
• The PourHaus: Empty-Handed Vagabonds
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Kim Meeks and Her Bad Habits at 2
• Barriba Cantina:
--- Roberta Morales at 3
--- Step Aside Blues Band at 7
• Floore's Country Store: Drugstore Cowboys

January in New Braunfels - Blowin' Off Steamboat

2013 wrapped up with its usual bang in New Braunfels with a big list of great New Year's Eve shows from Monty "Guitar" Tyler, Kevin Fowler and The Rankin Twins, Stewart Mann & The Statesboro Revue, Javi Garcia and Dustin Welch, Whiskey Rodeo, Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers and MORE! New Braunfels doesn't give you a "morning after" let down, New Year's Day has plenty to offer as well. Aaron Stephens, Guy Forsyth, Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros, Shinyribs, Tony Taylor and Slim Bawb and many more helped people recover not only physically, but also spiritually. Music definitely soothes the soul, and there was plenty of soul icing to help frost the 2013 cake you've been baking all year.

A new year brings New Braunfels an annual void of some of our talent that has planted their roots here, as the Dickson Productions' "The Music Fest" in Steamboat Springs, Colorado typically happens during the second week of January. Last year, TX Citizen and myself (Music of New Braunfels) built a local music festival from the dust of those left behind during "Steamboat", and we decided to take the concept of both building up a little jealousy of the folks that were able to go to "Steamboat", and a welcome home for the folks that were able to venture to Colorado for a week, so we called it the "Blowin' Off Steamboat Music Festival". This grew from a short evening conversation on Facebook into a fully planned and booked music festival in a period of less than 48 hours. Despite my inexperience and short tenure as a music blogger, we actually put together a really fun event, and managed to pull it off without too many issues. This year on January 18th at Freiheit Country Store we'll bring you full band shows by Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers, Aaron Stephens, The Groove Hounds, The Hillbilly Jug Band, The Captain Legendary Band, Slim Bawb and 2-Way Street. There will also be many great song swap sets by some of our finest singer/songwriters, as well as some amazing sets from locals such as Alli Mattice, TBA (yes, TBA) and many more! There is a full line-up on musicofnb.com as well as more information about the event, such as the fact that all proceeds are going to the New Braunfels Puppy Playland and that we have some very generous sponsors such as The Hippy Gypsy Boutique, Rambling Gypsy Productions, and M&S Engineering that have helped us start out with a nice donation to the NBPP folks before we even start.

January will also bring the sort of music we've come to expect in our fair community, such as shows from Kyle Park, Matt The Cat Trio, The Georges, Max Stalling, Chubby Knuckle Choir, Warren Hood, Jason Eady, South Austin Moonlighters, The Whiskey Sisters, Whiskey Rodeo, The Hillbilly Jug Band, Aaron Stephens and weekly appearances by a newly assembled (and amazing) acoustic group Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers. We will also see the return of the weekly radio broadcast Roots and Branches of Americana from KNBT. If you aren't familiar with this show, this is a brilliant piece of broadcast history where Mattson Rainer has talked Ray Wylie Hubbard into coming around weekly and interviewing amazing guests and swapping song with them for 2 hours. This has got to be the single coolest radio broadcast now or ever, and it's been happening for the last 12 years! March will be the 12th anniversary, expect something amazing!

New Braunfels truly is a unique community of writers and makers of song, and I am truly honored to be in their presence!

links:
2nd Annual Blowin' Off Steamboat Music Festival
Dickson Productions
Ray Wylie
KNBT

Week of 1/6/2014

Monday
• Billy's Ice: TBA
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Bret Graham
• Tavern in the Gruene: Court Nance Accident
• The PourHaus: JJ Garrett
• Riley's Tavern: Songwriter showcase w/John Whipple
• Triple Crown: Gerry's Kids at 6
• Barriba Cantina: Brian Duarte

Tuesday
• Billy's Ice: Kyle Reed Band
• River Road Ice House: Belly-up acoustic open jam w/Scott Morgan
• Gruene Hall: Tuesday night song swap w/Mark Jungers, Michael O'Connor and Ben Balmer
• Tavern in the Gruene: Zack and Matt
• The PourHaus: Open mic night
• Watering Hole Saloon: KennCentric Power Trio
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 6
• Prickly Pear Bar: Josh Holden tonight!
• Jack's Roadhouse: open mic w/JJ Garrett Band
• Triple Crown:
--- Grant Ewing at 6
--- Tony Taylor, Little Brave, Molly J Hayes and more!
• Schertz VFW: Korey & Dana acoustic

Wednesday
• Billy's Ice: Whiskey Rodeo
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall: Tom Gillam's Kozmic Messengers
• Tavern in the Gruene: Jordan Minor, Forest Allen and Birdie Schneider
• The Phoenix Saloon: Brian Pounds
• The PourHaus: Michael Kelton
• Watering Hole Saloon: Korey & Dana acoustic
• Buffalo Wings & Rings: Steven Roloff and friends
• Riley's Tavern: Mark Sebby
• Lone Star Music: Hill Country Gentlemen at 7
• Triple Crown:
--- Daniel Thomas Phipps at 6
--- Foxmoor Express at 10

Thursday
• Billy's Ice: Whiskey Rodeo
• River Road Ice House: Scott Morgan
• Tavern in the Gruene: Adam Johnson
• The Phoenix Saloon: Happy hour w/Jesse Stratton
• The PourHaus: Russell Bisbey
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: Jam night
• Sertinos Cafe: Open mic w/Buddy Boy
• Adobe Verde: Garrett Heinrichs
• New Braunfels Coffee: Open mic w/Richard Sanders
• Moose's Food Court: Jam night
• Dirty's Bar N Que: Gerald Burns and Forest Allen
• La Cabana: Korey & Dana acoustic
• Jack's Roadhouse: Uncle Daddy
• Triple Crown: Bob Appel at 6

Friday
• Billy's Ice: B.J. Thibodeaux, Tony Taylor and Jordan Minor
• River Road Ice House: Aaron Stephens
• Gruene Hall: Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun
• Tavern in the Gruene:
--- Happy hour w/Tony Taylor
--- Armadillo Road
• The Phoenix Saloon:
--- Happy hour w/Daniel Thomas Phipps
--- Lucas Taylor & Old Soul
• The PourHaus: Jackson Parten Trio

• Ironhorse Saloon: Broken DuckFeet
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: MC & The Mystyx
• Adobe Verde: Jade Patek
• Vino en Verde: KennCentric w/David Russell
• Los Cucos: Alli Mattice Band at 7
• Riley's Tavern: Bracken Hale
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: Chris Salinas Band
• Triple Crown: Jumbofunk at 6
• Sam's Burger Joint: Mingo Fishtrap w/Roxy Roca

Saturday
• NB Farmer's Market: Chris and Judy
• Billy's Ice: Texas Renegade
• River Road Ice House: Aaron Stephens
• Gruene Hall:
--- Sol Patch at 1
--- Kyle Park
• Tavern in the Gruene: Wes Nickson Welcome Back Party
• The Phoenix Saloon: The Georges
• The PourHaus: Whiskey Rodeo
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten:
--- Lesti Huff Band at 1
--- The Texas Saints at 6
• Adobe Verde: Dry River Religion
• Vino en Verde: April Hall
• Riley's Tavern: Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs

• Max's Roadhouse: Broken DuckFeet
• Cheatham Street Warehouse: William Clark Green Band w/Cody Bryan
• Leon Springs Dancehall: Rance Norton & The Cadillac Cowboys
• Sam's Burger Joint: Junior Brown

Sunday
• Billy's Ice: Mark McKinney
• River Road Ice House: TBA
• Gruene Hall:
--- Matt The Cat Trio at noon
--- Mike Zito at 4
• Tavern in the Gruene: Whiskey Rodeo
• The Phoenix Saloon:
--- Sunday Afternoon Live w/B.J. Thibodeaux
--- True Audio Outland Presents: TBA
• The PourHaus: Jordan York
• Oma Gruene's Secret Garten: The Blues Buzzards at 2:30