*SUPRISE - I'M WRITING! (It's Keith York's fault!)

*BLOWTORCH REPAIR

*BRAD ABSHER BAND CD

*MICHAEL HEYMAN CD

*HAMILTON LOOMIS

*REPORT FROM THE FIELD:GOIN' OUT & SITTIN' IN

*WEEKEND MUSIC CALENDAR

 

 

I wasn't going to write, but KEITH YORK called to ask if I'd include BLOWTORCH REPAIR's appearance on TV this weekend. So, here's the TV schedule -

 

Hippies.TV

FRIDAY NIGHT 10pm - Warner Cable Channel 17

----------

Bluesguy's Rock & Roll House Party Part 2 - The Night Time...

Starring

Chango Jackson

Guy Schwartz

New Jack Hippies (joined by Opie Hendrix & Jimmy Deen)

Norm Buster Pennington

 

and then, the next day...

 

BLOWTORCH REPAIR

Live at The I-Fest 2005

Saturday at 2pm - Warner Cable Channel 17

----------

 

The opening notes of the new CD by BRAD ABSHER BAND hit me where I live. I grew up on this kinda stuff. Titled 'Gulf Coast Soul', Brad & Co. deliver just that on this first cut (titled 'Gonna Last'). The second cut begins with Jimmy Rose's drums, but Jeremiah Hamilton quickly provides a funky bass that points to his soundman years with Tower Of Power.

 

So - guess what I'm listening to while writing this week?

 

"When I'm kissin' my love,

There's a thumpin'  in my head..."

 

Which head are you singing about, Brad?

 

This CD is great! The third cut has me literally dancing in my chair.

 

The gig was great out at JP HOPS HOUSE on Hwy 6. Jim & Pam Fowler know how to make the sound work so well onstage, and the New Jack Hippies responded by playing so tight that it was a near-religious experience for several of bandmates. Now they want to tour again! Cool!

 

As I reach my production quota for our HIPPIES.TV program's second season, I've been getting out a bit more this week (and looking forward to gearing up the live band for fall/winter playing and touring). Brad gave me a copy of his new CD at The Big Easy Wednesday night blues jam, just after he and Sam Massey turned in a killer set. I love Sam Massey's music. Roger had never seen him perform, but was totally entertained by Sam's style as an entertainer and guitarist. I arrived late, but I could tell it had been a cool night.

 

After throwing a Hippies.TV episode onto tape at Roger's, I arrived late the next night at Dan Electro's Thursday night blues jam, but still got to hear a great GOODTRAIN SESSIONS set by James Reese, Jeremy Horton and Westside Johnny with a keyboards I don't know, but suspect it is Bill Willis, who is credited with keys on Brad Absher's CD, and appears in a photo on the inside.

 

There have been a lot of cool nights like that in the past week. Marlo threw me out for the evening on Friday so she could get dusty, so I decided to hit the end of Mikey's early set at Dan Electro's, stick around for Hamilton Loomis, and then head out for the DUBTEX CD release party at RHYTHM ROOM.

 

Didn't work out that way. Hardly ever does...

 

When I arrived at Dan Electro's, I was still saying 'Hi!' to Karl at the door when I heard both David Fahl and Mikey say "Hey Guy, did you bring your guitar?"

 

It turned out that FAHL & FOLK's weekly early Friday set had turned into opening for Hamilton Loomis, but regular guitar stand-in Jimmy Deen had another night-time gig on the North side (he works a lot!). So, I got to play some cool songs and practice my slide guitar playing for the next hour! Life couldn't be better, I thought.

 

Trading hellos with HAMILTON LOOMIS and VINCE POLUMBO was fun. I'd met Ham a half dozen times and enjoyed this man's personality and guitar talk. Vince and I used to hang at some of the same jams when he was young, and I was was looking forward to see which way his music had turned in the years in between.

 

REALITY CHECK - I've got to go get some coffee and kind. Hope I stay on these guys when I get back... they were really good!

 

OK - I'm back. I had put Michael Heyman's new CD on the machine before going inside, and now Michael's guitar is everywhere! So is Roger Tausz' big bottom ended bass. The CD is titled HEART FULL OF BLUES. I'm impressed with this ensemble work by great Houston musicians (who don't regularly perform together as an ensemble), showing off so many of the musical styles born in or close to our city.

 

OH, yeah! HAMILTON LOOMIS! I had never actually heard him play with his band. They were great! So much sound from four pieces! Each musician had superb tone on their instruments, and Don Mack was able to deliver a perfect mix. A funky soul band disguised as a blues band, Ham Loomis smiled and entertained while he and the band ram through one amazingly great arrangement after another!

 

This band had GREAT arrangements! Every note meant something, and corresponded with something at least one other musician was playing. EVERY SINGLE NOTE! Ham didn't throw the guitar in the audiences face, like so many do! He held back on every song, playing rhythm and letting the band and the arrangement get the audience grooving. When the time was right, the guitar came in short blasts, supported by the band as he played the note/s, with big, delicious spaces in between! I meant it - every note had a reason for being there.

 

Vince Polumbo played sax through a machine designed for vocalists, which creates synthesized  harmony singers. He sounded like a whole tight killer horn section. The guy's in the rhythm section, Ian Bailey and Ron Ramos, cooked with a minimalistic approach, only laying on lots of notes when the arrangement specifically called for it, which was often enough to stun the audience over and over again with musical joy, only to lay back and set them up for the next stunning.

 

I was thrilled by the music, and never came close to making it to the Rhythm Room.

 

----------

WEEKEND MUSIC CALENDAR

Courtesy Of The Blues Hound & Colleen

----------

FRIDAY, JUNE 24th

Acadia Sports Bar (The) – The Chromatics
Anderson Fair – Dana Cooper
Armadillo Palace – Mark Zeus & the Thunderboltz
Baker Street Pub (Rice Village) – Bad Boyfriend
Baker Street Pub (Sugar Land) – E=MC3
Baker Street Pub (Willowbrook) – The Ruse
Balinese Room (The) (Galveston) – Gene Kelton & the Die Hards
Big Easy (The) – Texas Johnny Brown & the Quality Blues Band
Blanco’s – James Hand
Bojangle’s (Seabrook) – CC Rider
Bossa – Mark Towns Salsa All-Stars (ongoing)
Brian O’Neill’s – Trey Clark Band
Bugle Boy (The) (LaGrange) – Donnie Blanz
Caps Piano Bar – Faye Robinson (9 pm)
Clementine’s Restaurant – Louie Carrington (weekly through 6/24)
Cock-Eyed Seagull (Clear Lake) – Dave Nevling & the Blues Kats
Cocktails (Galveston) - Becca Ryan (5-7 pm); Drew Bello (9 pm)
Continental Club (The) – Molly & the Ringwalds (7 pm); Two Hoots & A Holler
 w/Jesse Dayton (10 pm); Guy Forsyth (11:30 pm)
Cosmos – Eric Tessmer Band
Crawdaddy’s Bayou Grill (Kemah) – Grateful Geezers
Cypress Lounge – High Tech
Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar – Happy Hour w/David Fahl & Friends (7 pm);
 Spoonfed Tribe
Double T’s – David Brake & That Damn Band
Einstein’s Pub – Liquid Sand
Emily’s – Eric Tatum
Engine Room (The) – The Working Title/Paris Green/History of Our Presence/
 A Canvas Waiting/The Pilots
Fat Cats – The Varukers/Clit 45/Scared For Light/All or Nothin’
Fenders (LaMarque) – 2 Way Street
Firehouse Saloon – Two Tons of Steel/Mike Blakely
First Tee – 2nd Wind
Fitzgerald’s – Michael Heyman/Kenny Cordray/Danny Gardner
Forgetta ‘Bout It – Mindcrime/Drifter/After Earth
Froggie’s Saloon – Bitter Creek
Grisby Grill (The) – Scott Sileo (6-10 pm)
Handlebar (The) (Conroe) – Shotgun & the Bayou Dawgs
Harp (The) – Brian Kalinec/Lisa Novak/Melinda Mones
Hickory Hollow (Heights) – Bluegrass Solution
Hideaway (The) – Matt Leddy & the Meatcutters
Hotel Grand (LaMarque) – Down to Earth
Howling Coyote (The) – Uncle Mojo
Jacks For Cocktails – The Convertibles
Java Jazz Coffee House – Impathy/Underminded/Lorene Drive
JP Hops House – The Jack Saunders Band
Katie’s Bar & Grill (Bacliff) – Tommy Dardar
Kitchen Emporium & Wine Bar (The) (4300 Town Center Place, Kingwood) –
 open mic w/Andy Rodriguez (7 pm)
Landry’s Seafood (The Woodlands) – Wilfred Chevis & the Southwest Louisiana
 Band (6-10 pm; ongoing)
Last Concert Café – Carrie Ann & the Apocalyptics
Little Mo’s – Dilana Smith
Lonestar Saloon (Richmond) – Bad Habit
Lying Larry’s (Crosby) – Straight Arrow
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Jimmy LaFave (8 pm)
Mercury Room (The) – J. Michael Dahl
Meridian (The) – Marc Broussard
Mike’s Place – Trick Dog
Mike’s Ultimate – Modoc
Miller Outdoor Theater (Herman Park) – Houston Symphony (8:30 pm)
Mo’s Place – Rhythm of the Road
Montana’s II – The Save Yer Blues Band featuring Rev. Brock & Karmyl
Next Door Coffee House – open mic (7 pm)
Noah’s Ark – Kings Highway
Nutty Bar (The) – Cruise Control
Old Heidelberg (The) - Chameleon
Ole’ Moulton Bank (Moulton) – Claude Morgan/Hix
Oz Bar – Legacy
Papa’s On The Lake – Mark May Band
Pennison’s (Copperfield) – Infinity’s Twin
Pennison’s (Sugar Land) – Citizen X
Playmakers Sports Bar – Pirate Radio
Poor Michael’s On The Strand (Galveston) – Al Casey & the BB’s
Port City Java (The Woodlands) – open mic w/Gary Joe Cameron 
Pub (The) – N10City
R & R Sports Bar (Friendswood) – Southern Accent
Red Cat Jazz Café – Dean James
Rhythm Room (The) – The Machos
Rowdy’s – Steve Garcia
Rudyard’s – Middlefinger/3 Fantastic/The Pursuit
Sam Houston Race Park – Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers/Jerry Jeff Walker
Sam’s Concert Pub – Satisfaction
Sambuca Restaurant – Shape Shifters
Sandbar (The) (Clear Lake Shores) – Airwaves
Scott Gertner’s Sky Bar – The Scott Gertner Band
Scout Bar (Clear Lake) – Adrian Circle
Shakespeare’s Pub – Don Kesee & the Blues Masters
Sherlock’s Pub (Clear Lake) – A-Rival
Sherlock’s Pub (Humble) – The Reds
Sherlock’s Pub (West Gray) – Inflatable Love Boys
Sherlock’s Pub (Westheimer) – Nervous Rex
Sidecar Pub (The) – Cody Gill Band/Joey Green/Sidehill Gougers
Speakeasy (The) – The Put Down Squishes   
Sports & More – The Clones
St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin – 9 Station Drive
Stag’s Head (The) – Big Lanky
Struts – Nervewreck/Aether
T-Bone Tom’s (Kemah) – Bert Wills Band
Texan Sports Bar – Luther & the Healers
Tommy’s Steakhouse & Seafood bar (11660 Westheimer) – Morgan Bouldin
 (8-11:30 pm)
Topwater Grill (San Leon) – Shadowplay (6-10 pm)
21 (Galveston) – Julia Edmonds/Motown Review
Uncle Albert’s – Fondue Monks
Velvet Melvin (The) – Catfish (acoustic)
Verizon Wireless Theater (The) – Gerald Albright/Jeff Larber/Kirk Whalum
Vintage Bar (The) – Marc Twyman’s Electric Blues Experience
Wunsche Bros. Café & Saloon – Harry Burks
Yaga’s (Galveston) – The Line Up

 

SATURDAY, JUNE 25th 

Acadia Sports Bar – Wattzit2ya
Anderson Fair – Albert & Gage
Armadillo Palace – Seth James
Baker Street Pub (Rice Village) – E=MC3
Baker Street Pub (Sugar Land) – BC & the Crisis
Baker Street Pub (Willowbrook) – The Ruse
Balinese Room (The) (Galveston) – Bert Wills
Bar One Café (4709 Dowling) – jam w/Tha’ Lady D (ongoing)
Bareback Bar – Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers
Big Dogs (Channelview) – Bourbon Street
Big Easy (The) – Alan Haynes
Big John’s Sports Bar – jam
Bojangles’ (Seabrook) – Alfred’s Chorus
Borski’s – country jam (1-6 pm); Jon Wolfe
Breakers – Papa Joe’s Ultimate Blues Machine
Brian O’Neill’s – The Slags
Bugle Boy (The) (LaGrange) – Sharon Bousquet
Caps Piano Bar – Faye Robinson
Clementine’s Restaurant – Louie Carrington (weekly through 6/25)
Cocktails (Galveston) – Becca Ryan (9 pm)
Coffee Oasis (El Lago) – Professor Blues (solo acoustic)
Continental Club (The) – Los Super Vatos (9:30 pm); Los Skarnales (11:30 pm)
Cosmos – Norma Zenteno
Crawdaddy’s Bayou Grill (Kemah) – Shadowplay
Crighton Theatre (Conroe) - The Sounds of Texas Music Series w/Todd Snider &
the Nervous Wrecks/Fred Eaglesmith
Cruiser’s Ice House (Santa Fe) – 3 Peace
Cypress Lounge – Level One
D’s Pit Stop – Marc Twyman’s Electric Blues Experience
Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar – Tracy Conover
Double T’s – David Brake & That Damn Band
Einstein’s Pub – Livin’ Proof
Emily’s (Seabrook) – Larry Taylor
Engine Room (The) – Erase the Virus
Fat Cats – Zombiefest
Fenders (LaMarque) – Scott McGill & Old Dog Mac
Firehouse Saloon – Stoney LaRue/Geoff Spahr Band
Fitzgerald’s -  Wayne “The Train” Hancock/Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys/
 Scott Biram/The Romeo Dogs
Forgetta ‘Bout It – Set In Stone/Trigger Fish
Forgetta ‘Bout It Too – Damascus/Wide Open Throttle/Four Men Walking
Froggie’s Saloon – Hit N Run
Habitat House Concert Series – Victor Murillo (optional potluck dinner 6:30 pm;
concert 7:30 pm; for reservations call 281-772-7100)
Handlebar (The) (Conroe) – Shotgun & the Bayou Dawgs
Hickory Hollow (Heights) – Cypress Bluegrass Band
Hideaway (The) – Snit’s Dog & Pony Show
Howling Coyote (The) – Sugar House
Jacks For Cocktails – The Convertibles
JP Hops House – Michael Marcoulier & Anthony Klonaris
Kirby’s Steak House (Woodlands) – Kyle Turner (7-11 pm)
Lance’s Turtle Club (Seabrook) – Luther & the Healers
Last Concert Café – Supra Green/Liquid Cheese
Lonestar Saloon (Richmond) – The Hanshaws
Lying Larry’s (Crosby) – Matt Minor
Martinis & More – Down to Earth
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Hayes Carll (2 shows, 7:30 & 10 pm)
Mercury Room (The) – Radio London
Mike’s Ultimate – Freddie Everett
Miller Outdoor Theatre (Herman Park) – Houston Symphony (8:30 pm)
Mixed Nuts (League City) – Houx
Mo’s Place – Texas Unlimited Band
Noah’s Ark (Bacliff) – Dave Nevling & the Blues Kats
Nut House (The) – The Save Yer Blues Band featuring Rev. Brock & Karmyl
Old Heidelberg (The) - Chameleon
Ole’ Mouton Bank (Moulton) – Lisa Novak
Oz Bar – Trick Dog
Papa’s on the Lake – Leonard “Low Down” Brown
Pennison’s (Copperfield) – Throttle Up
Playmakers Sports Bar – Search Party
Poor Michael’s On The Strand (Galveston) – Skip Devlin Band
R & R Sports Bar (Friendswood) – Evolution
Red Cat Jazz Café – Dean James
Rhythm Room (The) – Soul Rebels Brass Band
Rookie’s – Bad Boyfriend (acoustic)
Rudyard’s – Small Sounds
Sam’s Boat (Fountains) – Cross Check
Sam’s Concert Pub – Abbey Road
Sambuca Restaurant – Shape Shifters
Sandbar (The) (Clear Lake Shores) – Matt Leddy & the Meatcutters
Scott Gertner’s Sky Bar – The Scott Gertner Band
Scout Bar (Clear Lake) – Adrian Circle
Second Wind Saloon – The Bleu Edmondson Band
Shakespeare’s Pub – The Texas Destroyers
Shanahan’s Bar – Dilana Smith
Sherlock’s Pub (Clear Lake) – The Reds
Sherlock’s Pub (Humble) – Nervous Rex
Sherlock’s Pub (West Gray) – Inflatable Love Boys
Sherlock’s Pub (Westheimer) – A-Rival
Sidecar Pub (The) – Texas High Life
Speakeasy (The) – Full Release
Sports N’ More – Bionic Appendage
St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin – Kosmic Latte
Stag’s Head (The) – The Deadbeats
Struts (formerly Cardi’s) – Mindflow
Super Happy Fun Land – Sameless Noun Collection/Rusted Shut/Subset/
Mr. Oblivious
T-Bone Tom’s (Kemah) – Rhythm Kings (6-10 pm)
Tailgate Bar & Grill (Bagby) – Fondue Monks
Time Out Sports Bar #1 (Fuqua) – Full Moon
Time Out Sports Bar #3 (Pasadena) – Pirate Radio
Tommy’s Steakhouse & Seafood bar (11660 Westheimer) – Morgan Bouldin
 (8-11:30 pm)
Traders Village – Zebra 3 (noon)
21 (Galveston) – Julia Edmonds/Motown Review
Uncle Albert’s – Fab 5
University of Houston Moores School of Music (120 School of Music Bldg) –
Texas Music Festival Orchestra Series (7:30 pm)
Vintage Bar (The) – Cow Jazz
Walter’s On Washington – Zombiefest
Wreckers Bar & Grill (San Leon) – Gary Lee and Sneak Preview (3-7 pm)
Wunsche Bros. Café & Saloon – Harry Burks
Yaga’s (Galveston) – Honeybrowne
Zebo’s Coffee House – open mic w/Gary Joe Cameron (7:30 pm)

SUNDAY, JUNE 26th

Balinese Room (The) (Galveston) – singer/songwriter open mic w/Catfish
Beverly Pub (The) – jazz brunch jam w/Michael Grebowicz
Big Easy (The) – The National Zydeco Foundation Monthly Jam
Borski’s – round table jam w/Donny Simmons (4 pm)
Cock-Eyed Seagull (Clear Lake) – Bourbon Street (3-7 pm)
Continental Club (The) – Big E’s Rockabilly
Cosmos – Johnny Dyson’s Big Band
Crawdaddy’s Bayou Grill (Kemah) – Wilfred Chevis & the Southwest
 Louisiana Band (4-8 pm)
Cruiser’s Ice House (Santa Fe) – blues jam w/Benny Brasket (4-8 pm)
Dean’s Credit Clothing – Sunday Session w/Rick Allen (8-11 pm)
Etta’s - Grady Gaines & the Texas Upsetters
Fat Cats – Me Without You/Make Believe/Beda
Haak Vineyards & Winery (Santa Fe) – Prime Time (5:30-8 pm)
Hobby Center (The) (Zilkha Hall) - Buckwheat Zydeco/Jo-el Sonnier
Howling Coyote (The) - Gene Kelton & the Die Hards (reunion show)/
Brother2Brother/2nd Wind (3-7 pm)
Henry’s Hideout – Sonny Boy Terry (3-7 pm)
JP Hops House – NSAI open mic w/T.C. Smythe (6 pm)
Juju’s Hangout (Galveston) – Viva Los Chuyz (3 pm)
Katie’s Bar & Grill (Bacliff) – jam (8 pm)
Ken’s Club – open mic w/Blue Flash
Lance’s Turtle Club (Seabrook) – Luther & the Healers
Last Concert Café (The) – Fahl & Folk/Jorge Palmerez (6 pm)
Magnolia Bar & Grill – The Michael Heyman Band (6-10 pm)
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Audrey Auld Mezera
Mi Luna Restaurant & Bar – jam w/Martinez & Associates (4-8 pm; ongoing)
Mr. Gino’s – I.J. Gosey (4-7 pm)
Nautical’s (Spring) – open mic jam w/The Groove Puppies
Neon Moon Saloon (LaPorte) – jam (4-8 pm)
19th Hole (The) – Brad Absher
Northshore Park (The Woodlands) – Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers
Ole’ Moulton Band (Moulton) – Sunday Bank Jam (3 pm)
Papa’s on The Lake – Fuzzy Side Up
Pasadena Fairgrounds (Campbell Hall) - J.O. & Co Swap Meet w/Dave Nevling &
the Blues Kats (1 pm)
Poor Michael’s On the Strand (Galveston) – jam w/The Skip Devlin Band (8 pm)
Reno’s (Webster) – Drew Womack
Rhythm Room (The) – Battle of the Bands
Ronnie’s Ice House (Dickinson) – jam w/Buddy Manchac & friends (5-9 pm)
Rowdy’s – open mic
Saltgrass Steakhouse (Kemah) - Brian Kalinec/Jeff Chambers (5-9 pm)
Sam’s Boat (59 S @ Kirkwood) – Trey Clark
Sambuca Restaurant – Blue Monks
Scout Bar (Clear Lake) – Faktion/Burning Vegas/Prognosis
Shakespeare’s Pub – blues jam w/Spare Time Murray
Space Place – Steel String Theory
SPJST Lodge #88 (1435 Beall St.) - The Wild River Band (3-7 pm)
Steak & Ale (I-10 @ Wilcrest) – The Lonestar Bluegrass Band
Super Happy Fun Land – The Defenstration Unit
T-Bone Tom’s (Kemah) – Ezra Charles & the Works (3-7 pm)
10 Downing Street – The David Craig Band (8:30 pm)
Time Out Sports Bar #3 (Pasadena) – acoustic jam w/Shane & Nathan (7 pm)
Trader’s Village – Mambo Jazz Kings (noon)
Uncle Albert’s – Acoustic Villians
University of Houston Moores School of Music (120 School of Music Bldg) –
 Texas Music Festival Institute Concert (High School Piano Institute; 1 pm)
Westfield By The Railroad – open mic w/Andy Rodriguez (6-10 pm)
What’s Cookin’ (Kemah) – jazz brunch (11 am-3 pm)
Wreckers Bar & Grill (San Leon) – Mack Hayes and Brian Barnes (3-7 pm)