We love Texas Music Scene and we LOVE Whitewater Amphitheater! Texas Music Scene just put out a GREAT video profile of the coolest riverside outdoor venue that we are lucky enough to have right here in our backyard!
Whitewater's 2016 concert schedule!
Shining a light on the live music culture in New Braunfels and beyond.
Showing posts with label TEXAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TEXAS. Show all posts
Fredericksburg outdoor live music in jeapordy!
Here's the letter from City Manager Kent Myers to the Mayor and City Council about the subject:
Kent Finlay memory from Texas Music TV
Shiner Beer Artist of the Day - Kent Finlay
Kent Finlay opened the doors of Cheatham Street Warehouse in June of 1974 as a music hall, to develop, perpetuate and promote Texas music in its most natural state - the honky-tonk. During the last three decades, Kent has earned quite a track record for developing new writers and artists, and we are proud of the wealth of talent that has walked through the door and up onto the stage of this rustic old building. Those were the days -- "Ladies Free" and nickle beer. George Strait and Ace in the Hole Band played their first 50 or 60 gigs on this very stage. "Little" Charlie Sexton and his younger brother, Will opened every Tuesday night for a very young Stevie Vaughan - even before he started billing his name with the "Ray". In the middle... Lucky Cheatham Street veterans remember lots of Texas summer nights - filled with magic and music - Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson, Flaco Jiménez and Marcia Ball, Doug Sahm and Augie Meyer, Gatemouth Brown and Eric Johnson... the list goes on forever. We're proud to consider Alvin Crow and Joe Bob's Bar and Grill, Omar and the Howlers and Asleep at the Wheel, B. W. Stevenson, Lou Ann Barton and Guy Clark and Billy Joe Shaver and The Skunks, and the Killer Bees and Greezy Wheels all a part of the Cheatham Street Family. Kent continues to develop, promote and publish promising new writers and musical talents. He takes pride in opening the doors to give talent like Adam Carroll, Randy Rogers Band, Shelley King and a host of other new artists a place to grow and be nurtured before appreciative audiences. All the while, Kent carefully maintains the intimate setting that keeps veteran road warriors like Rusty Wier and Ray Wylie Hubbard, Monte Montgomery and Ray Benson’s Asleep At The Wheel coming back for more... and the list goes on and on and on.
From Kent Finlay
That beautiful building with all the soul and the great sound now belongs to THE CHEATHAM STREET MUSIC FOUNDATION 501(3)(c) -- and it is the primary job of the "foundation" is to carry on the music tradition into forever. In addition to developing bands, musicians and songwriters, we are archiving music and collection music items of interest. If you should have old photos or posters stuck somewhere in a drawer, we would appreciate it greatly if you would send them to us so that they can last forever. And of course, we always need money as we continue to refurbish the "Warehouse." If you should be willing to help out from time to time with a tax-free donation, you can send it to: The CHEATHAM STREET MUSIC FOUNDATION 501(3)(c) -- Attn: Sage Allen -- 119 CHEATHAM STREET -- SAN MARCOS, TX -- 78666 -- (All donations greatly appreciated. We are currently trying to raise enough money for a much needed new roof.)
And since some of you have been remembering some of those great JOE ELY shows from the past, I must say that JOE ELY will be back on December 12 for another incredible concert! You probably might want to get your tickets in advance. www.cheathamstreet.com
Here's the original post on Facebook...
Shiner Beer Artist of the Day - Kent FinlayKent Finlay opened the doors of Cheatham Street Warehouse in June of 1974...
Posted by Texas Music TV on Tuesday, November 25, 2014
George Strait at Cheatham Street?
Did George Strait make a surprise appearance at Cheatham Street Warehouse?
by Cody Oxley
For the past couple of years, Randy Rogers has held acoustic performances at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, TX every month or two. Each time, he invites a special guest or two to join him. The shows always sell-out. The guest is almost always a secret until showtime, and the list includes Hayes Carll, Kyle Park, Sunny Sweeney, and an exhaustive list of artists you likely love.
On October 13, 2015, Randy took the stage again. Cheatham is special for Randy. It's where the Randy Rogers Band had its first gigs. Cheatham is also special to other noteworthy artists. Stevie Ray Vaughan once held down a Tuesday night residency, and some say he still makes a random spiritual appearance at the hallowed old warehouse. George Strait and the Ace in the Hole Band started at Cheatham as Southwest Texas students, and band members current and former are often in the audience.
Cheatham Street Warehouse lost its founder, Kent Finlay, to cancer earlier this year. He was not just a music venue owner. He was a songwriter and a mentor to many up and coming songwriters, Rogers included. It must be a bittersweet return each time Rogers takes the stage knowing that though Kent no longer watches from his stool at the end of the bar, Mr. Finlay definitely watches from somewhere over the stage.
Continue reading...
Tornados Invade Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival
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| Photo courtesy Cheryl Sahm Photography |
Among the many craft brewers on hand, Pedernales Brewing Company was there with their Robert Earl Keen Honey Pilsner, Lobo Negro Dark Lager, Select Hefeweizen Wheat on tap and Lobo Lito Lager bottles in the tasting area.
I was unable to attend, but I was able to get a few photos from friends.
Cheryl Sahm sent me this photo of The Texas Tornados:
Ron Haluzan of Pedernales Brewing sent me this picture of Shawn Sahm and Flaco Jimenez:
This came from Rita Free (Kori Free & The Groove Hounds):
Two Tons of Steel (from Facebook):
Caroline Breedlove provided this photo of Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers:
Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers (from Facebook):
links:
Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival
Kori Free & The Groove Hounds
Tom Gillam's Kosmic Messengers
Two Tons of Steel
The Texas Tornados
Kent Finlay: Celebrated and remembered
| Monday: | Blue Healer, Haley Cole and Court Nance performed plus the whole place broke into "I'll Fly Away" |
| Tuesday: | Tessy Lou & The Shotgun Stars, Lucas Eason, Sean Makra & Scott Feigh performed plus Jamie Wilson recorded "They Call It The Hill Country" in the Woodshed studio |
| Wednesday: | Many groups recorded as a choir to use in the last couple of choruses on "They Call It The Hill Country" the Jamie recorded on Tuesday. The Wednesday night Kent Finlay's Songwriters Circle turned into a night of tribute to Kent as many songwriters sang one song each in rememberance. |
| Thursday: | Jamie Wilson & Courtney Patton, HalleyAnna Finlay & Kathleen O'Keefe and Ashley Monical performed |
| Friday: | Foscoe Jones + Daniel Driver and friends are performing, and rumor has it some folks that graduated from the Kent Finlay school of life with honors may be there as well. |
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| An impromptu gathering of musicians who frequent Cheatham Street Warehouse perform “I’ll Fly Away” in memory of Kent Finlay. Monday, March 2, 2015 |
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| Musicians gather on stage to perform “They Call It The Hill Country” in memory of Kent Finlay. Monday, March 2, 2015 |
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| A large gathering of songwriters assemble at Cheatham Street Warehouse on Wednesday night to each play one original song in memory of Kent Finlay. Wed, March 4, 2015 |
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| Engineer Russell Tanner prepares to record one of many groups of friends, family, and fellow songwriters in the chorus of Kent Finlay’s most recognized work, “They Call It The Hill Country” Wed, March 4, 2015 |
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| Kent Finlay’s son Sterling Finlay listens as in-house studio engineer Russell Tanner sings an original song for Kent Finlay, his employer of nearly a decade. Wednesday, March 4, 2015 |
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| With his father’s bandana at his feet young Sterling Finlay takes the helm of his father Kent Finlay’s renowned Wednesday night songwriter gathering, leading three generations of Texas songwriters in an emotional chorus of “They Call It The Hill Country.” Wed March 4, 2015 |
Charlie Stout's videos of Kent Finlay
So not only is Charlie Stout a very talented songwriter and photographer who has an eye for beauty and the ability to turn a phrase; Charlie also had the foresight to immortalize Kent Finlay on his YouTube channel. Charlie has several video that he captured last year of Kent Finlay on his own stage at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, TX delivering songs, poetry or just talking about his personal history. I absolutely LOVE these videos and can't thank Charlie enough for doing this...
"Meet Kent Finlay"
"The Songwriter" (spoken poem)
"They Call It The Hill Country"
"Ride Em Cowboy"
"I'll Sing You a Story"
"Hanging My Hat"
"Comfort"
"Don't Judge My Songs By How They Sell"
Thank you Kent...
Thank you Charlie...
"Meet Kent Finlay"
"The Songwriter" (spoken poem)
"They Call It The Hill Country"
"Ride Em Cowboy"
"I'll Sing You a Story"
"Hanging My Hat"
"Comfort"
"Don't Judge My Songs By How They Sell"
Thank you Kent...
Thank you Charlie...
Kent Finlay: "The Songwriter"
Thanks Charlie Stout for posting this! Here's some epic poetry from an epic Texas songwriter. (I'll stop saying "epic" now)...
We miss you Kent, I'm sorry I never took the time to come meet you in person...
We miss you Kent, I'm sorry I never took the time to come meet you in person...
Kent Finlay: The Man, The Music and The Van
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| Photo by Jamie Maldonado, San Marcos Mercury |
On Monday, February 9, 2015, I stepped inside Cheatham Street Warehouse for the first time in over 4 years to see my friend Dennis Jay play an acoustic set at Cheatham Street owner Kent Finlay's annual 29th birthday. One note about the night, Kent was not on hand because of ongoing medical issues related to a long battle with cancer, but he was watching a video feed. The place hadn't changed much, from what I hear it never really has. I truly love Cheatham Street, Kent Finlay and everything that this place stands for, but sadly I don't have a ton of free time to venture over to San Marcos to catch shows, visit Kent's Wednesday songwriter circle or watch Dustin Welch work with veterans on Monday evenings teaching them to play guitar and write songs, or any of the other incredibly cool things they have going on over there. It's sad but true, when I have the time to catch a live show, I typically stay in New Braunfels since we have so many choices within our city limits on any day of the week or weekend. Cheatham Street Warehouse has one thing however, that New Braunfels does not, it has Kent Finlay. Kent has been supporting and helping songwriters of all skill levels at his warehouse on the tracks since 1974. There were times when Kent wasn't around because of other responsibilities including his own band "High Cotton Express", but for the largest part of the last 40 years Kent Finlay has been nurturing young talent and helping launch careers.
One of the earliest and possibly most impressive careers that started at Cheatham Street, was when a young George Strait auditioned to fill an open lead singer position in a band called "Stoney Ridge" that was playing weekly at Cheatham Street back in 1975. Needless to say he got the job, and they debuted as "Ace In The Hole Band" on October 13, 1975 where they continued to play regular Wednesday nights at Cheatham Street Warehouse for nearly two years until the crowds that came to see them would no longer fit in the building. In 1977 Kent and George loaded up in the yellow Dodge van pictured above (click photo to see more) and headed to Nashville to record a demo, and the rest they say is history.
Other notable artists that cut (or sharpened) their teeth at Cheatham Street Warehouse with guidance from Kent Finlay include Stevie Ray Vaughan, James McMurtry, Hal Ketchum, Al Barlow, Will Sexton, Charlie Sexton, Justin Trevino, John Arthur Martinez, Todd Snider, Terri Hendrix, Randy Rogers and many, many more!
I am linking to some sites below. One is a Q&A with Kent around the time of his birthday in 2013 by Brad Rollins of the San Marcos Mercury; it's a GREAT resource for lots of trivia about the history of the songwriting in the Texas Hill Country which of course has spread like wildfire into New Braunfels and left behind a wonderful community that embraces live music and supports and nurtures a growing songwriter population, and it hasn't stopped growing. The other is the "history" page on Cheatham Street Warehouse's website. They both have lots of great history on Kent, Cheatham Street and many of the careers he launched.
I leave you with this... Support live music, support the songwriters and go see them and quietly listen to them play their songs. You never know who might be the next Dean Dillon or even the next George Strait.
links:
- Q&A: Kent Finlay on the birth of San Marcos Music by Brad Rollins, San Marcos Mercury.
- Cheatham Street Warehouse: History
- "Kent Finlay, Dreamer" - autobiography by Jenni Finlay & Brian T. Atkinson
- A little about Kent's medical struggles, which are still ongoing to this day
- Photos of the yellow Dodge van
picker-uppers of the van photos:
- CMT.com
- TheBOOT.com
- CountryMusicNation.com
- Houston Chronicle (chron.com)
#PRAYFORKENT
Don't Mess With Texas
Jack Ingram:
Sunny Sauceda:
Kevin Fowler (w/The Rankin Twins):
Bob Schneider:
Grupo Fantasma:
George Strait:
Sunny Sauceda:
Kevin Fowler (w/The Rankin Twins):
Bob Schneider:
Grupo Fantasma:
George Strait:
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