*INDIE MUSICIANS WORKING ONLINE

*HIPPIES.TV TONIGHT

*WEEKEND MUSIC CALENDAR

 

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HIPPIES.TV TONIGHT

10pm - WARNER CABLE CHANNEL 17

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A Spring Day at Gruene Hall

          Starring Vince Bell, Fred Eaglesmith,

          Slaid Cleaves, John Dee Graham,

         Guy Forsyth, Susan Gibson, Walt Wilkins,

         Warren Hood, Brandon Rhyder

 

Also available online (with additional episodes) for broadband at http://www.guyschwartz.com/HippiesTV0514GRUENE700.wmv

 

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REPORT FROM THE INFIELD:

The New Land of Milk & Honey (Bread & Water)

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I’m writing about the online experience of an independent musician. It’s been that kind of month. If it weren’t for a 4 date tour playing bass for Vince Bell, I wouldn’t have played ANY live music. The past few weeks have been about setting up our live events for the winter, and about getting our product to market for the holidays (http://shop.guyschwartz.com).

 

By now, most of us are aware of an abundance of email newsletters originating from our favorite artists, and having mailing lists has certainly helped communicate with our friends and fans. I know all about Sonny Boy Terry’s ‘Blues for Food’ benefit at Shakespeare’s next week, and the fact that Ant Boogie is beginning an internet radio show on Dee Berry’s LocalSounds.net (and I haven’t actually seen any of those guys in a month). Communication is good!

 

But there is a lot more!

 

Three hundred people from around the world watched and heard The New Jack Hippies play live in concert last night. Two of them bought CDs. Thirty of them stuck around to watch some of my friends play, like Little Joe Washington, Carolyn Wonderland, Gloria Edwards, The Hightailers, Trudy Lynn, Rusted Shut and Mr. Scarface.

 

All this happened on the web (www.hippies.tv), as I sat home in my underwear, guitar in hand, writing a song while burning and printing DVDs on the new whiz-band machine which MArlo brought home the other day.

 

BUT – 50-300 people get to see and hear our band play every day (more than I’d attract at bars here at home).

 

Updating websites and finishing short films about my friends for the past few months, there has been a severe lack of live music in my life lately, so to write about live music would be dishonest. I’ll do that next month, after we get back out and play (The New Jack Hippies are scheduled to play at The Last Concert Café with Fahl & Folk on the 13th, at Dan Electro’s with The Thieves on the 20th, and again as the house band at Billy Block’s Western Beat Houston on December 2nd).

 

Therefore, boys and girls, today’s subject is about digital opportunities for the independent musician and the lovers of their music.

 

If you are a fan, pay attention to these new ways of getting close to the music and musicians. If you are an independent musician, and not taking advantage of these opportunities, thanks for staying out of the way!

 

But the facts are, more people are getting their music from digital services like iTunes, Rhapsody and MusicNet, while less people are buying traditional CDs. More new artists are being exposed to their fans through free websites at myspace.com (which offer much for free) than are being exposed by the record companies traditional ads and radio play.

 

A million people downloaded “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People” by local rappers/producers Micah Nickerson and Damien Randle of local hip-hop duo the Legendary K.O. (formerly K-Otix). It wasn’t even for sale, but after those guys just put it up on their site for their friends to hear, they made a whole lot of new friends.

 

When those New Jack Hippies concert watchers wanted the CD, they went right to my shop website (shop.guyschwartz.com) for our CDs or DVDs, or to CDbaby.com for their  CD purchase, where they could also purchase over 4000 Texas artists, including Houston artists like The Tony Vega Band, The Fondue Monks, Pilot Radio, Mean Gene Kelton, Blendt, Dubtex, and hundreds more.

 

And, Houston has local online music stores, too, with MY TEXAS MUSIC (www.mytexasmusic.com) and OUTBOUND MUSIC (www.outboundmusic.com) carrying a slew of local albums. There are even more! Do a google search! It’s holiday time, and the best present for a local music fan is local music! Have you heard the new Madisons’ CD, or the latest from Kingpin Radio? Doesn’t someone you know just need the Season One collection of Hippies.TV programs, featuring 18 programs on 6 DVDs with over 100 local artists?

 

It’s never been easier to find local music for sale. And, it’s never been easier for us to communicate with our audience.

 

Podcasting technology allows anyone to have their own syndicated program, whether audio or video. Any amateur or indie can create programs and put them on the web in a form which allows fans to subscribe. When you put up a new program (whether it is a full length video show like our Hippies.TV, or a simple one-song .mp3), all of your subscribers will find that new show on their iPod the next time they download new programming. Whether you want to expose your music, or just rant about someone elses, podcasting sets the playing field even for us all.

 

News groups like the TEXAS TRIBE (www.yahoogroups.com/group/texas-tribe) or TEXAS TROUBADOURS (www.yahoogroups.com/group/texastroubadours) give fans a place to cultivate and enjoy their communities, partially based upon their love of similar musical artists. They plan ways to increase the party at gigs for their favorite bands, while sharing tips on new artists and actually taking care of each other.

 

Likewise, musicians have their own group sites, too. Mark Landrum’s HoustonBands.net, which promotes the music community, is a comprehensive site, but its’ sister-site, a news group forum called HOUSTON BANDS FORUM (www.yahoogroups.com/group/houstonbandsforum) actually serves the musicians, as they ask each other for gigs, replacement musicians and advice.

 

When the storms hit Louisiana, I already new a lot of  LA musicians online, after fans from the BAYOU CITY BLUES list turned me on to the list from Baton Rouge. The Black Hat (a.k.a. Ron Chivira – www.blackhatdesign.com) began a list for Katrina action (www.bluesforkatrina.com) which brought musicians from all over the world together in their efforts to help musicians displaced by the storm.

 

T.C. Smythe has just taken over the organization of  the Houston Musicians Meetup Group (www.musicians.meetup.com/1/), after watching former organizer Rick Jackson’s great work drive it’s membership to over 450 members, many using it’s resources to arrange home jams, the buying and selling of gear, and trading notes about gigs, gear, musicians and guitar repairmen. As I write, that group is splintering into several smaller groups, meeting  online by area (NW, Sugarland, etc.) and other interests. Drummer Martin Guzman just started a yahoo group for that community, thus avoiding the monthly fee at the meetup site. We learn, grow and expand…

 

 It’s all evolving, so ask your friends, and google your interests. Connect with somebody over the music. I know that many online sites have been overlooked, so feel free to remind me of them, and I'll see you where the live music is.

 

 

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WEEKEND MUSIC CALENDAR

Courtesy of The BluesHound & Colleen

Check out Colleen’s a Birthday party (50) on Saturday Nov.19th @ The Big Easy.

 ----------                 Music by Texas Johnny Boy, Hash Brown & Christian Dozzler

 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4th

Acadia Sports Bar – Bogart

Anderson Fair – Gordy Quist

Armadillo Palace – Moot Davis featuring Pete Anderson

Baker Street Pub (Rice Village) – The Digglers

Baker Street Pub (Sugar Land) – Shinolah

Baker Street Pub (Willowbrook) – Bad Boyfriend Experience

Balinese Room (Galveston) – Ezra Charles & the Works

Big Easy (The) – Dave Nevling & the Blues Kats

Blanco’s – Jon Wolfe

Blimp Base (Hitchcock) – 3 Peace (Lone Star Rally event)

Bojangle’s (Seabrook) – Mambo Jazz Kings                

Bossa – Mark Towns Salsa All-Stars (ongoing)

Boudreaux’s on the Bayou (Galveston) - Bare Necessities (6-10 pm)

(Lone Star Rally event)

Brian O’Neill’s – The Trey Clark Band

Brodie’s (Galveston) - LizDexic (2-3:30 pm); Melovine (4:30-6 pm); Victim

(7-8:30 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Buck’s West – The Eric Tessmer Band (9 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Bugle Boy (LaGrange) – Austin Songwriters Night

Captain Jack’s Beach Bar (Holiday Inn Sunspree, Galveston) - Dave Oates &

Double Ought (12-3:30 pm); Skip Devlin Band (4-8 pm); Texas Power

Trio (8:30-10 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Continental Club (The) – Molly & the Ringwalds (7 pm); Charlie Sexton (10 pm)

Corner Pub (The) (Conroe) – Mark Zeus

Cosmos – Ruben V

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion – Gretchen Wilson/Big & Rich/Cowboy Troy &

            The Muzik Mafia

Einstein’s Pub – The Reds

Engine Room (The) – The Dwarve/Mondo Generator

Fitzgerald’s – Alan Haynes/Bobby “Blue” Bland

Forgetta’Bout It – Dirt (CD release party)/Abasia

Harborside Bud Light Stage (Galveston) - Texas Power Trio (2-3:30 pm);

Nervewreck (4-6 pm); Max Attack (7-9 pm); J.T. Coldfire (9:30-11 pm)

(Lone Star Rally event)

Hickory Hollow (Heights) – Bluegrass Solution (7 pm)

Jack’s For Cocktails – Airwaves

Java Jazz Coffee House Oceans Swallow Satellites/Artist at the Scene/

West Evangeline/Caught Off Guard/Dissonant Angel/In the Midst of Battle/

Yesterday’s Portraits/The Kill Artist

JP Hops House – Mark Halata & Texavia

Katie’s Bar & Grill (Bacliff) – David Brake & That Damn Band

KE 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)

Main Street Crossing (Tomball) – Cutaia & Company (8 pm)

McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Tarbox Ramblers (8 pm)

Meridian (The) – Trapt/Blindside/Aphasia (7 pm)

Mezzanine Lounge (The) – Snit’s Dog & Pony Show

Mo’s Place (Katy) – Bad Landz

Moody Gardens Hotel (Galveston) – Face Value (3-7 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Next Door Coffee House – open mic (7 pm)

Old Quarter Acoustic Café (Galveston) – Broken Spoke

Papa’s On The Lake – Matt Leddy & the Meatcutters (8 pm)

Red Cat Jazz Café – Dean James

Roadhouse (The) – Misbehavin’

Rowdy Buck’s Saloon – Patrick Murphy

Rowdy’s – Steve Garcia

Rudyard’s – Clouseaux/West Alabama Dandy Store/Serenaders/

Two Star Symphony

Sandbar (The) (Clear Lake Shores) – Tony Vega Band

Scott Gertner’s Sky Bar – The Scott Gertner Band

Scout Bar (Clear Lake) – Strippers Lie

Shakespeare’s Pub – King Bee & the Honey Makers

Shelly’s Steak & Seafood (17515 FM 3005) – Dave Oates & Double Ought

            (8 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Sherlock’s Pub (Clear Lake) – Dipstick

Sherlock’s Pub (Humble) – Citizen X

Sherlock’s Pub (West Gray) – Nervous Rex

Sherlock’s Pub (Westheimer) – Infinity’s Twin

Sidecar Pub – Josh Grinder/Dave Elles/Brandon Rhyder

Stag’s Head Pub – Buffalo Speedway

Super Happy Fun Land – Single Frame/The Dimes/Tambersauro/

            From Postcards to Letters/The Mathletes

Texas Tavern (Cypress) – The Stringbenders

Texas Wild – The Professor Blues Band

21 (Galveston) – Pee Wee Bowen Band

Verizon Wireless Theater – Bobby Lyle & Friends (7 pm)

Walter’s On Washington – Adult/Numbers/Genders

Whisky’s All American Pub (Galveston) – The Skip Devlin Band

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5th 

Acadia Sports Bar – Unknown Locals/Engine 69/Truck

Anderson Fair – Kimberly M’Carver

Armadillo Palace – Mickey & the Motorcars

B. Jiggers (Holiday Inn, Galveston) – Red Hot & Cool (9:30 pm)

            (Lone Star Rally event)

Baker Street Pub (Rice Village) - Shinolah

Baker Street Pub (Sugar Land) – The Digglers

Balinese Room (The (Galveston) – Tracy Conover/Gene Kelton & the Die Hards

Bareback Bar – The Geoff Spahr Band

Big Easy (The) – John “Juke” Logan featuring Mike Keller

Bojangle’s (Seabrook) – Michael Stevens & Toonz (2-6 pm); CC Rider (9 pm)

Borski’s (Willis) – blues & rock jam w/Marie English & Ricky Jackson (3-6 pm);

Patrick Murphy

Boudreaux’s on the Bayou (Galveston) Bare Necessities (9 pm) (Lone Star Rally

event)

Brian O’Neill’s – Opie Hendrix & the Texas Tall Boys

Brodie’s (Galveston) - Jailbreak (1-2:30 pm); Zero2Fear (3-4:30 pm); Modoc

(5-6:30 pm); H-88 (7-8:30 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Buck’s West – The Eric Tessmer Band (9 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Bugle Boy (LaGrange) – Danny Santos

Captain Jack’s Beach Bar (Holiday Inn Sunspree, Galveston) - Skip Devlin Band

(12-3:30 pm); Dave Oates & Double Ought (4-8 pm); Texas Power Trio

(8:30-10 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Cocktails (Galveston) – Switch (9 pm)

Coffee Oasis (Seabrook) – Ken Gaines

Continental Club (The) – Rich Hopkins (9:30 pm); Honky (11 pm)

Corner Pub (The) (Conroe) – The Josh Ward Band

Cosmos – Chad Thomas & the Crazy Kings

Crockett Inn (The) (Crockett, TX) – Rockin’ the Pines Music Festival

            W/The J.B. Bullion Band/Modoc/That 80’s Rock Band (4 pm)

Cruiser’s Ice House (Santa Fe) – Benny Brasket Band

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion -        Journey

Einstein’s Pub – Fab 5

Engine Room (The) – Against Me/Epoxies/Smoke Or Fire/The Soviettes

Fenders (LaMarque) – Scott McGill & Old Dog Mac

Firehouse Saloon – Honeybrowne (CD release party)

Fitzgerald’s (down) – Nothing/Erase the Virus/Fellspire/Severe the Silence/

            Necrojesus

Fitzgerald’s (up) – Neopocracy/Lycophile/Deep Above Surface

Forgetta’Bout It – Cremator/Magistral/Six Minute Century/Undermind

Harborside Bud Light Stage (Galveston) - Silver Wings Band (12-2 pm);

Sum of Us (3-5 pm); Badlandz (6-8 pm); Johnny Rodes Outlaw (9-11 pm)

            (Lone Star Rally event)

Hickory Hollow (Heights) – Rosalee & Ben (12-3 pm); Pat Gavin & the Buckaroo

            Band (6:30 pm)

Holiday Inn (Galveston) - Natural Groove w/Annette Metoyer (3-7 pm) (Lone Star

Rally event)

Jack’s For Cocktails – Airwaves

Java Jazz Coffee House – Truck/CounterCurrent/Dionisis/O’Doyle Rules/

Mina Mauldin/Door Number 2/Almost There/Juneau

Jewish Community Center – Avishai Cohen (8 pm)

Katie’s Bar & Grill (Bacliff) – Fat Daddy’s

Kemah Boardwalk – Symphonies By The Sea

Lazy Oaks (Galveston) – Janet Z (3-4:30 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Toni Price (7:30 pm); Ruthie Foster (10 pm)

Meridian (The) – Modest Mouse

Millbend Coffee House – Still on the Hill (special benefit)

Mo’s Place (Katy) – Rhythm of the Road

Moody Gardens Hotel (Galveston) – Face Value (8 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Muddie Waters Coffeehouse – David Davis

Neon Moon Saloon (LaPorte) – Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys

Old Heidelberg – Chameleon

Old Quarter Acoustic Café (Galveston) – P.C. Cowboys

Ole’ Moulton Bank (Moulton, TX) – Gordy Quist Band

Papa’s on the Lake – Earlywine (8 pm)

R & R Sports Bar (Friendswood) – Shadowplay

Red Cat Jazz Café – Dean James

Roadhouse (The) – Cheap Whiskey

Rookie’s – Bad Boyfriend (acoustic)

Rowdy Buck’s Saloon (Crosby) – Gene Kelton & the Die Hards

Rudyard’s – Archer Avenue/King Coal/Just Guns

Sandbar (The) (Clear Lake Shores) – Joe Valentino

Scott Gertner’s Sky Bar – The Scott Gertner Band

Scout Bar (Clear Lake) – The Slags

Shakespeare’s Pub – The Zydeco Players

Shelly’s Steak & Seafood (17515 FM 3005) – Dave Oates & Double Ought

            (8 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Sherlock’s Pub (Clear Lake) – Madigan

Sherlock’s Pub (Westheimer) – Nervous Rex

Stag’s Head Pub – Rockin’ Robin night

Super Happy Fun Land – Unwed Sailor/Economy/Nautical Mile/

            Over Seal, Under Stone

21 (Galveston) – Pee Wee Bowen Band

Whisky’s All American Pub (Galveston) – 3 Peace

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6th

Big Easy (The) – Jabo & the Southside Playboys

Bojangle’s (Seabrook) – Gene Kelton & the Die Hards (2-6 pm)

Borski’s (Willis) – blues jam w/Donny Simmons (4 pm)

Boudreaux’s on the Bayou (Galveston) -           The Clones (2-6 pm) (Lone Star Rally

event)

Brodie’s (Galveston) - Driver (2-3:30 pm); The Trust (4-5:30 pm) (Lone Star

Rally event)

Captain Jack’s Beach Bar (Holiday Inn Sunspree, Galveston)    - Dave Oates &

Double Ought (12-4 pm); Skip Devlin Band  (4:30-8:30 pm) (Lone Star

Rally event)

Cock-Eyed Seagull (Clear Lake) – Bourbon Street (3-7 pm; ongoing)

Continental Club (The) - Houston Blues Society 22nd Annual International Blues

Challenge (Finals; 3 pm)

Cosmos – The Dreambreakers

Cruiser’s Ice House (Santa Fe) – blues jam w/Adam Burchfield (4-8 pm)

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Megaton 2: The Birthday Bash w/Aventura/

            Tego Calderon/Angel y Khris/Wisin y Yandel/Julio Voltio/Nicky Jam/

Big Boy/Noztra/El Chombo/Climaxx/Jon Eric/Cabas (1:01 pm)

Dean’s Credit Clothing – Sunday Session (8-11 pm)

Diallo’s of Houston – Trudy Lynn/Faye Robinson (4-8 pm)

Engine Room (The) - Clutch

Etta’s - Grady Gaines & the Texas Upsetters

Harborside Bud Light Stage (Galveston) - Soul Junkies (1:30-3 pm); Sacred

Ground (3:30-5 pm) (Lone Star Rally event)

Hickory Hollow (Magnolia) – Cumberland Gap (12-2:30 pm)

JP Hops House – NSAI open mic hosted by TC Smythe (6 pm); H.A.A.M.

            (CD release party)

Katie’s Bar & Grill (Bacliff) – jam w/The Amigos (6-10 pm)

Kemah Boardwalk – Symphonies By The Sea

Ken’s Club – open mic w/Blue Flash

Last Concert Café – Fahl & Folk w/Hank Woji (6 pm)

McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Kelly Lancaster & Vladimir Kotsiouruba (7 pm)

Meridian (The) – The Bob Marley Reggae Sun Fest w/Damien Marley

Miller Outdoor Theater (Hermann Park) – KPFT Fall Concert Series – Latino Day

Mr. Gino’s – I.J. Gosey (4-7 pm)

Mulligan’s & More – jam

Nautical’s – open mic w/The Groove Puppies

Neon Moon Saloon (LaPorte) – jam w/Chris Elliot & the James Brothers (4-8 pm)

Ole’ Moulton Bank (Moulton) – acoustic electric open mic (3 pm)

Ponderosa – O’Bear & the Las Vegas Band (8 pm; ongoing)

Poor Michael’s On The Strand (Galveston) – jam w/Gary Lee (8 pm)

Prego’s (Rice Village) – Mickey Mosley (6-9 pm; ongoing)

Ronnie’s Ice House (Dickinson) – jam w/Buddy Manchac & friends (5-9 pm)

Rowdy’s – open mic

Sam & Dave’s (LaPorte) – open mic hosted by Budaka (3-7 pm)

Sambuca Restaurant – Blue Monks

Scout Bar (Seabrook) – Pitbull Daycare

Seabrook Beach Club – David Schwope

Shakespeare’s Pub – blues jam w/Spare Time Murray

Shamrock Inn – open mic w/Patrick & Chad (7-10 pm)

Sherlock’s Pub (Humble) – 11th Hour

Sherlock’s Pub (West Gray) – showcase

Splash (Seabrook) – Magazine (unplugged) w/Shea (3:30-7:30 pm)

Super Happy Fun Land – Some Say Leland/Annabella/Kristi Rai/

            Glenna Bell (6-11 pm)

Tavern (The) (West Gray) – Trey Clark (acoustic; 7-11 pm; ongoing)

10 Downing Street – The David Craig Band (8:30 pm)

 

That’s it for now! See you where the live music is!