Todd Snider's #OccupyCheathamStreet

Photo from Todd Snider
"We are here and we're not going anywhere all week long. I don't care what anyone says.  We are going to stay here, and we are going to protest against the negativity and the craziness in the world.   We want people to just 'Be cool'. We want our world leaders to just 'Be cool'.  We are going to occupy Cheatham Street Warehouse."

That was the message from Todd Snider on the first night of what could be a very interesting week in San Marcos,  Texas. Not only is Todd Snider paying tribute to Cheatham Street Warehouse owner Kent Finlay, who passed way earlier this year, he is also filming a documentary and encouraging his followers to join him in sharing his message by creating signs and living amongst the bar in a tent mini city.

Day one drew a couple of hundred people including songwriters Hayes Carll, Owen Temple, and Adam Carroll, among a host of other notables. The festivities continued through  the night,  making good on Todd's promise to protest throughout the week. Day two promises another host of luminaries of music and more encouragement for everyone to 'Be cool'.

#becool
#OccupyCheathamStreet

Special guests:
• Monday: Hayes Carll, Adam Carroll, Chris Caroll, Jonny Burke, Dustin Welch, Greg Brown and more?
• Tuesday: I'll try to list all of them this time...
Jack Ingram, Kevin Welch, Dustin Welch, Owen Temple, Rorey Carroll, Rock Bottom String Band, Victor Holk, Kathleen O'Keefe, Marshall Anderson, Josh Dodds, Eric Middleton, Lew Card, Matt Mathis, Jason Bednorz, JR Castro, Joey Lee Finlay, Sterling Finlay,
• Wednesday: Even longer songwriter circle list!
Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines, Adam Carroll, AL Barlow, Bill Whitbeck, Halleyanna, Missoula Slim, Grant Worley, Ryan Seiler, Victor Holk, Chris Edwards, Brady Beal, Ben Worley, Laurie Jasinski, Devin Deville, Pake Rossi, Justin Conway, Tepper Saffren, Julianna Reed, Taylor Robbins, Skyler Sanders, Joey Lee Finley, Sterling Finley

Thursday through Saturday's performances are being filmed as part of the making of a documentary about Cheatham Street Warehouse's late owner Kent Finlay! They're going to close the street between the warehouse and the woodshed (it'll make sense when you get there) on Friday and Saturday unless the man puts his foot on their neck and makes them open it back up, but I think they're doing it legitimately, so maybe it'll stay that way!

links:
Todd Snider on Facebook
Todd's #OccupyCheathamStreet Facebook post on Monday
Todd's #OccupyCheathamStreet Facebook post on Tuesday
Cheatham Street Warehouse on Facebook

Bowen Classic 2015: Line Up Announcement

[press]

Nashville, TN – (April 23, 2015) – Award winning singer/songwriter Wade Bowen will host his 17th Annual Bowen Classic celebrity golf tournament and concert benefiting the Bowen Family Foundation on May 31st & June 1st, in Bowen’s hometown of Waco, TX.

The 2-day event kicks off with an all-star concert on Sunday May 31st at Indian Spring Park (100 University Parks Drive between Franklin and Washington Ave) with concert gates opening at 2:00 PM featuring Bowen and friends including the originators of the Red Dirt sound the Great Divide, Cory Morrow, Charlie Worsham, Stoney LaRue, Dirty River Boys, Sean McConnell, Sam Riggs, Mike Ryan & Haley Cole.  Ted Nugent will also be making a special appearance performing the Star Spangled Banner.  This year the headlining duo will be an exciting surprise to all in attendance. The duo has been together for over 30 years and has had numerous hits on both the country and pop charts. Additional artists announcements will be made mid May.  We are so honored to have Jeff Kyle as our guest this year representing the Chris Kyle Foundation. The event resumes the next morning at 11:00AM with a SOLD OUT two-man golf scramble at the beautiful Cottonwood Creek Golf Course (5201 Bagby, Waco, TX).

“I am so excited about the lineup we have this year. So many of my friends, some we can announce, some are going to be huge surprises, lending their talents to make this event possible. I really wish we could share the news of our surprise headlining duo. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss them! Every song they sing is a song you will be able to sing along to. It's going to be another absolute blast for an amazing cause!” says Bowen.

Fans interested in the concert, can purchase tickets for $20 in advance or $25 day of show, children 12 and under get in free.  This year a limited number of VIP concert packages are also available. A few sponsorship packages are still available, which include the only golf spots still existing. To purchase tickets, find sponsorship information or to learn more about the event, visit wadebowen.com/classic

Bowen has raised over a million dollars for various local organizations in need in the past 5 years.  Proceeds benefit the Bowen Family Foundation and this years event beneficiaries are Avance and the Boys and Girls Club of Waco.

ABOUT THE CHARITY:
We believe that Music Heals. And for the Bowen Family Foundation, our focus is on healing children and families. We seek out and support the most impactful and effective ways to connect children and families with love, support, resources and opportunities to help get them on a path to a better life.

see also: Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen Debut Duo Album

Walt Wilkins' guitar is finally home


Photo: Austin PD
In short, Walt Wilkins owned a really cool, custom Gibson Americana that was given to him in 2006. The guitar was stolen in 2009, then 5 and a half years later it made it back to Walt's very grateful hands. Walt was gracious enough to answer a few questions about the guitar and its journey.

Me:What's the story on this guitar, and how did it end up in your hands?
Walt:It is a Gibson Americana model, which never went into full production by Gibson. Gibson made 3 of them for a benefit in conjunction with the public radio station in Marfa, TX. Willie played one at the show; there's pictures of him with one of the guitars. Its cool. The other guitar was given to Dan Rather, I don't know why. I do know that one of my life-long friends found a way to contact Mr. Rather with a request to buy his for me after mine was stolen. His email in response was brief & definitive; not interested. The band began calling the guitar 'Merica, because during a soundcheck somewhere I hit a big G chord through the house PA & my amp, and it sounded huge. I told the drummer Ray Rodriguez "that's a big AMerican G chord, man." He started calling the guitar 'Merica. It was that goofy & simple.
note: The guitar was made from wood from an old Army Base in Marfa where Willie performed to raise money for the station (from Gibson.com)
Me:Tell me about when the guitar was taken.
Walt:The guitar was taken from just outside the stage door at The Saxon Pub on Dec 23, 2009. I left it alone for just a few minutes, which was usually OK during load-out, except this time.
Me:Were there any leads or major developments in the search for the guitar during those 5 plus years?
Walt:When it was stolen, I searched through dumpsters for hours around south Austin. Then I went home and made a basic appeal on Facebook. I went to bed around 5, got up at 7 and was shocked at the response of fans & friends throughout Texas. There were immediately lots of folks checking pawn shop, like me, and websites where someone might try to sell it. But nothing ever came up. Then I didn't think about it too much, even though folks would ask me about it all over the place, even in the The Netherlands, where we tour once a year.
Me:Where did you get the beautifully painted Gibson Americana you regularly play?
Walt:Dallas Wayne, the great songwriter-singer & XM Radio host called to tell me that he had bought a guitar like mine because he liked mine, and he would sell his to me. I bought it; and a year or so later had it painted by Dan Taylor, one of my favorite artists. I love that guitar too.
Me:How was this guitar finally tracked down after all these years?
Walt:This last Friday afternoon, I received an email from an acquaintance that had seen the guitar on Craig's list right then. He recognized the guitar. I contacted a friend of mine in Dallas, a law enforcement official, who contacted a friend in Austin PD who immediately contacted the seller, undercover, as a prospective buyer. At the same time, a Sgt of Austin PD saw the Craig's List ad & contacted the seller himself. A friend of mine called the seller independently Saturday morning & told me his voice mail was full, so the guitar was getting a lot of action quickly. The seller was out of town until Monday, when the APD Metro TAC team met with the seller, told him it was stolen & recovered it. They called me Monday night, and I went to get it yesterday morning, and enjoyed the visit with the guys who brought it back. Great guys.
Me:What kind of shape is the guitar in?
Walt:It's in perfect shape; in fact it looks like it was never taken out of the case.

Photo: Mike Galloway


Side note: In January 2013 when Music of New Braunfels was just a few months in the making, Walt agreed to play at our innagural Blowin' Off Steamboat Music Festival. Here's some video! Walt is at 12:56, but the whole video is good!

Also featured on Galleywinter!

Cornmeal announces new album release date

[press]

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 (Austin, TX) - Chicago-based progressive Bluegrass artist Cornmeal will perform on Wednesday, April 29, 2015, at The Parish in advance of their long awaited studio album Slow Street; slated for national release on May 29, 2015. Tickets for next week’s performance are available through The Parish at: theparishaustin.com/cornmeal.

2014 was a year of change for jamgrass & progressive Americana favorites Cornmeal. With a strong lineup of new additions including Scott Tipping (guitar, Backyard Tire Fire), Phil Roach (fiddle, Giving Tree Band), and Drew Littel (drums), along with 15-year veteran founding members Chris Gangi (bass) and “Wavy Dave’ Burlingame (banjo), Cornmeal is ready to again take their place at the helm of progressive Americana music.

2015 marks 15 years of Corneal and the release of their long-anticipated studio album, Slow Street, featuring 10 original tracks and a host of guest musicians. After many false starts, the album will be released publicly on Friday, May 29, 2015 and will be available online and in stores. Recorded at Fullerton Recording Studios (Chicago), Slow Street balances the energy and feel of Cornmeal’s one-of-a-kind live shows with the articulation and precision of studio production -- featuring over 60 minutes of acoustic/electric landscapes and improvised jams.

Video: "All Things Must Change"


links:
cornmealinthekitchen.com
Facebook
Twitter

Mickey Gilley in New Braunfels

Country music legend Mickey Gilley will be at Freiheit Country Store in New Braunfels, TX on Friday August 14th! Mickey Gilley returned to touring in 2010 after a year of recovery from a fall in 2009, and he is keeping a busy touring schedule all summer, including a stop in our music-centric town in mid August. Mickey will be joined by Breelan Angel who will be opening for Mickey and his full band. This is a return to Freiheit for Breelan, she traveled through on tour with Doug Stone back in 2012. Freiheit may not have as much live music as we would prefer, but when they do they REALLY do it right! Visit Freiheit's Facebook page for ticket info, and these WILL sell fast!



Mickey Gilley's famous "Gilley's" night club was the honky tonk at the center of the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy", and a regular stop for many of country music's greatest artist throughout the 70's and 80's before eventually closing in 1990. Gilley's re-opened in Dallas, TX in 2003 in a 91,000 square foot building that includes touches of old and new, and has more of a "honky tonk chic" feel to it.

Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen Debut Duo Album

[press]

NASHVILLE, TN -- Separately, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen are two of country music's busiest frontmen, armed with acclaimed solo careers and audiences that stretch from Texas -- where both songwriters kicked off their careers -- to the furthest corners of the U.S.

Together, they're a duo with nearly a decade's worth of tour dates under their belts, not to mention a new album -- 'Hold My Beer: Vol. 1' -- that hits stores on April 20th. To help promote the release, the two are hitting the highway this spring, playing shows in more than 20 cities across the country.

Filled with "roadhouse-ready party anthems, aching love stories and a lot of fiddle and steel" (Rolling Stone Country), 'Hold My Beer' is Rogers and Bowen's first album together. For years, the two mostly performed together onstage, swapping songs and trading harmonies during the eight-year "Hold My Beer and Watch This" tour. Those shared dates began as a side-project -- an opportunity for Rogers and Bowen to team up and tour the country whenever their respective bands needed a break from the road -- and quickily grew into a full-fledged band, with the two musicians writing new songs together. It was only a matter of time before they made a record, too.

Produced by Lloyd Maines (Dixie Chicks, Robert Earl Keen), 'Hold My Beer' pays tribute to classic duets albums like Waylon & Willie over the course of eight original songs and two covers. It's also a continuation of a friendship that started 15 years ago, back when Rogers and Bowen first crossed paths as fans of each other's music.

The newest leg of the ongoing "Hold My Beer and Watch This" tour demonstrates the national reach of this duo, with shows in key markets like Seattle, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas and Austin. Full tour dates will be announced soon.

VIDEO: Standards

links:
randyandwade.com
Facebook
Twitter

Video: Brandy Zdan - More of a Man

BRAND SPANKIN' NEW Brandy Zdan music video! I have to say I wasn't excited when I found out Brandy was going to be spending more time in Nashville and less time in the Austin area, but I have to say she's done some pretty cool things lately, and I'm VERY happy for her and I know she'll just continue to blow people away wherever she is! Check out this new video for her single "More of a Man" that was just released last month, then check out a bonus video that is a preview of her upcoming full-length album!

More of a Man:


Album preview:


links:
brandyzdan.com
Facebook/brandyzdanmusic
Twitter/brandyzdan
Brandy on YouTube

Whitewater Amphitheater: Summer 2015

Whitewater Amphitheater kicked off 2015 strong with a sold out, 3 night show with Merle Haggard AND Willie Nelson. Check out the rest of their summer schedule (so far) below and see how often you'll be out there on the river under the stars!

Visit WhiteWaterRocks.com for tickets!

5/22 : Billy Currington w/Sam Hunt
5/23 : Neon River, Ludacris, Girl Talk
5/30 : Spazmatics w/Jerrod Medulla
6/6 : Randy Rogers Band w/Cody Johnson Band
6/20 : JMBLYA
6/25 : Hank Williams Jr.
6/26 : The Avett Brothers w/Old Crow Medicine Show
6/27 : The Avett Brothers w/Old Crow Medicine Show
7/4 : Amos Lee + David Gray
7/18 : Turnpike Troubadours & The Old 97's
7/25 : Pat Green w/Kevin Fowler
8/1 : Aaron Watson, Rick Trevino & Zane Williams
8/5 : R5 w/Jacob Whitesides and Ryland
8/8 : Josh Abbott's Toobapalooza
8/14 : Girl Talk + Ludacris
8/15 : Ryan Bingham w/Wild Feathers
8/22 : Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads & The Expendables
9/5 : Big Sean feat Tory Lanez & Carlton Zeus
9/6 : Randy Rogers Band w/Roger Creager
9/25 : Gary Allan w/Wade Bowen

Waylon Malone 3

At the age of 3, Waylon Malone was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma. There have been victories and struggles, tears and laughter and as it should be lots of friends and family have come together to help the Malone family. On Saturday, April 18th at River Road Ice House they are having the 3rd Annual "Waylon Gruene Malone's Throwdown Musical Benefit and Fundraiser". The event starts at 2pm and there will be food, live and silent auctions, a bounce house (for the kids) and live music all day long until midnight! Please pray for Waylon and family and attend/donate if you can!

Live Music (subject to change):
2:00 : Will Owen Gage
3:00 : K Phillips and the Concho Pearls
4:00 : Bryan Boyce, Luke Huggins & Skylar Hamilton
5:00 : Sylvia Kirk
6:00 : Bryan Catalani, Andrew Mahan & TBA
7:00 : The Groove Hounds
8:00 : Bexar Creek Boys
9:00 : Aaron Stephens Band
10:30 : Pardo and Reed Band



links:
Facebook
GoFundMe
River Road Ice House

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