Is Houston Texas the next Hotbed for a new and unique music genre?
I
have developed music venues and promoted live music in Houston, Texas for almost twenty-five years. I rode the crest of the
Grunge wave at The Vatican, with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney. I opened the Orchid Lounge in the late 1990’s in the midst of the Swing Revival and brought bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Royal Crown Revue to Houston. I have seen many new and exciting styles of music develop and emerge from cities across America over my two and
a half decades in the business. If you look up the word “jaded” in the dictionary, you’ll see my picture
but I have to admit that I truly feel I am witnessing the birth of an exciting and viable new music genre developing in Houston.
Local artists are melding elements of Roots Rock, Americana and Alt. Country in a new and exciting way. A groundswell of fan
support for this new Urban Americana music is emerging and I predict a spill over into the mainstream of global acceptance.
Here are a few of the Houston artists that I feel are sculpting this new Urban Americana music and I assure you this is just
the tip of the iceberg:
Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys combine classic country, western swing, bluegrass and a touch of rock 'n' roll to ignite a loyal following of fans. Sean
Reefer has an uncanny sense of showmanship from the sound of the PA, reminiscent of the classic country sound of the late
1940’s, to his heart felt performance that stays true to the music. Sean also has an incredible band behind him.
Petesimple is an amazing act fronted by singer/songwriter Pete Lippincott. Great songwriting, incredible musicianship and an awesome
live show. Words fail me – you have to experience this for yourself.
Bo Carter is another prominent piece of the Urban Americana scene emerging in Houston. I recently saw Bo perform with Matt Harlan at
The Hideaway and I was blown away. The two had never played together before but no one in the audience would have known. It
was an amazing show.
Mike Stinson is a recent transplant to Houston. Mike relocated from Los Angeles and he seems to have made a good move. Mike wrote the
song “Late Great Golden State” which was recorded by Dwight Yoakum and Billy Bob Thornton. Mike has written a plethora of great tunes, including
two of my favorites, “Square With The World” and “I Will Live To Drink Another Day”.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and please click on all the links in
the article to explore the music and learn more about the Urban Americana scene in Houston, Texas. Remember, this is just
the tip of the iceberg. My list is not all-inclusive, there are many more great Urban Americana pioneers out there but Houston
is a big city. I will try to do updates as I discover more artists.
Chris Harkness on Al Staehely for Honky Tonk Happy Hour
Al Staehely is a fascinating character. He was a very successful singer/songwriter
in the ‘70’s. Writing songs and singing for several bands, including: Spirit, The Staehely Brothers and The Nick
Gravenites - John Cipollina Band. Staehely recorded on projects for Epic and Polydor Records and has had his songs recorded
by artists including Keith Moon and Bobby Gentry (yes - Bobby Gentry). Al Staehely is currently working with Texas Music
Hall of Famer Freddie Krc on a re-release of a 1982 project which was only released in Europe on Polydor Records. The record
was originally called Staehely’s Comet but will be re-titled for it’s USA release on SteadyBoy records in the
Fall of 2010.
Chuck Savage interviews Al Staehely – Part One
Al Staehely
lives a different life today than he did in his early career. Al is a successful music attorney in Houston with an impressive
client roster including: the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Topp, J.C.Crowley, Foghat, Andy Johns, Kings
X, Blue October and Tejano musical groups La Mafia, Fama and Mazz. Al Staehely was also a co-owner of Viceroy Music Inc.,
based in New York with offices in Houston and Germany. Viceroy’s artist roster included: Alvin Lee, Mick Taylor, Steve
Lukather, The Stranglers and Houston based blues rock band Sunset Heights and many others. Read more about Al Staehely’s
law practice at http://www.music-lawyer.com/bio.html
Chuck Savage interviews Al Staehely – Part Two
We were honored to have Al Staehely perform on a recent episode
of Honky Tonk Happy Hour. Al is as great live in 2010 as he was back in the 1970’s. He performed several songs for us
and I have included one of his original compositions in this article for all my readers to enjoy. The song is entitled feeling
the heat and it tells a very colorful story of a young Texas boy’s experience in New York City on the 4th of July.
Al Staehely performs "Feelin The Heat” on a recent episode
of Honky Tonk Happy Hour
by Chris Harkness for MM55productions July 11, 2010
Richard
Cagle and the Voodoo Choir on the Blues Music Chart in Denmark
I am often amazed by the number of Texas musicians that
attain notoriety in European countries before getting any attention here at home…
Case in point – Houston based Richard Cagle and the Voodoo Choir spent some time recently
in the top 100 on the Denmark Blues Music Chart with their song “ You Got The Shake” from the CD “Texas Voodoo Blues”. The concept and development
of the CD “Texas Voodoo Blues” is an amazing story that I would like to share…
I have known Richard Cagle for over twenty years. The following is how Richard described the concept and development
of his debut CD to me on a recent visit to his favorite Houston pub – where he can be found every Thursday evening without
fail.
“I knew I wanted to produce a Blues album, but instead of putting together a band, writing the songs, rehearsing
and then recording, I wanted to do it all at once. I wanted it to be a true Zen moment. I invited some of the best musicians
in Houston to join me in this adventure. The simple concept for each session was; four of us walk into my garage studio without
knowing what we were going to play. “Abandoning thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow and concentrating only on what happens
NOW – truly living in the moment”. In many of the sessions, the players had never met each other or ever
played together. We wrote the songs on the spot - then turned on the recorder to capture the results. Streaming our parts
is the best way to describe it. Each of the songs on this album took an average of two and a half hours to write and record.
After the initial songs were written and recorded, I brought in Rick Thompson to play keys on all of them, Gary Sapone played
Harmonica on two of the tunes, James Hoover replaced my bass on Uptown/Downtown, and Gideon Cheshire helped me fine tune the
lyrics. I’m proud of the outcome of this project and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed creating it. The
Blues is all about feeling, and on this project, we all poured our hearts into it.” - Richard Cagle.
I have enjoyed listening to my copy of Texas Voodoo Blues by Richard
Cagle and the Voodoo Choir and I hope more true music fans give it a spin… Chris Harkness for MM55productions
New Documentary Film about The legendary
Houston Venue - Anderson Fair
Anderson Fair
Retail Restaurant is a legendary Venue in Houston, Texas that has featured great Americana and Folk music for over forty
years. Some of the artists that got their start at this iconic venue include Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, and Lucinda Williams,
to name a few... The new documentary film called "For The Sake Of The Song" does a great job of telling The Anderson
Fair story. The film includes interview segments and song clips from many of the legendary singer/songwriters of the past
forty years as well as featuring an awesome new-comer to Anderson Fair, Matt Harlan... Matt Harlan discusses his appearance
with Chuck Savage on Honky Tonk Happy Hour. (read More)
Chuck Savage joins the Honky Tonk Happy
Hour Team
We
were frantically looking for someone to conduct interviews to be used on Honky Tonk Happy Hour. I can’t remember what
made me think of Chuck after so many years but I’m glad I did. Chuck Savage is a popular Musician, Stand-up Comic, Actor,
Writer and Producer, currently residing in Houston Texas. I worked with Chuck in the past and I thought he would be a good
choice. I mentioned Chuck Savage to my partner Wayne Granzin and after about a minute and a half of deliberation I had Chuck
on the phone. I scheduled a meeting with Chuck and a few days later we shot the first HThH interview segment with Matt Harlan.
The Matt Harlan interview went well despite the fact that when Matt and Chuck showed up - Wayne and I, in keeping with our
fly by the seat of our pants approach, had no idea where to shoot the interview. After a short brainstorming session we decided
on a small burger joint called The Burger Shack in Northwest Houston. I made the necessary arrangements with Burger
Shack management and away we went. Check out the Matt Harlan interview at: http://www.youtube.com/honkytonkhappyhour
A little bit about Chuck Savage: Chuck’s career has been an interesting affair. I first met
Chuck in 1985 when he fronted a great Houston based band called The Missiles. After that he proceeded to play bass with Jessie
Dayton, performing over 1,000 shows across North America and Europe. Chuck Savage is featured on Mitch Hedberg’s CD
“Strategic Grille Locations” released on Comedy Central Records. Chuck played Bass and MC’d roughly 50 shows
with Mitch Hedberg throughout America and Canada. Chuck played bass on two SUPERSUCKERS tours in 1997 and again in 2003, Chuck
also played on their CD “Must Have Been Live” released in 2002.
We are very happy that Chuck Savage has joined the Honky Tonk Happy Hour team and I personally look forward to working
with him again.
All of us at Honky Tonk Happy Hour are very proud to have a second Mike Stinson video featured on No Depression.
We would like to thank Kyla Fairchild and all the folks at No Depression for supporting our efforts to share telented singer/songwriters
like Mike Stinson with the entire world.
No Depression was
launched as a quarterly print magazine covering alternative- country music in 1995. The publication was co-founded
by Peter Blackstock and Grant Alden, who brought in Kyla Fairchild as a co-publisher shortly thereafter. Over the
course of thirteen years, No Depression gradually grew into one of the nation's most prominent and broad-ranging
bimonthly music publications until it ceased print operations in June 2008. Along the way, No Depression received
Utne Reader Independent Press Awards for Arts & Literature coverage, and was cited as one of the nation's Top
20 magazines of any kind in 2004 by the Chicago Tribune.
No Depression was launched as a quarterly print
magazine covering alternative- country music in 1995. The publication was co-founded by Peter Blackstock and Grant Alden,
who brought in Kyla Fairchild as a co-publisher shortly thereafter.
Chris Harkness of MM55productions
presents Honky Tonk Happy Hour
Mitch
Jacobs will host the program.
Honky Tonk Happy Hour will be video
taped live in Houston, Texas and available for viewing online. The program is hosted by the incomparable Mitch Jacobs. Mitch
has been on the Texas music scene for many years, playing most recently with the Romeo Dogs before launching his solo career.
Mitch has made many friends on the Texas music scene and there’s no telling who may show up for a guest appearance on
the "Honky Tonk Happy Hour".
Wayne Granzin of understandinc. works his magic coordinating the pre and post production of “Honky Tonk Happy
Hour”. Wayne and Chris Harkness have worked together longer than either cares to admit. This dynamic duo have
worked together developing and promoting some of Houston’s most popular live music venues including: Fitzgerald’s,
The Vatican, The Abyss, The Velvet Elvis and The Orchid Lounge. Chris and Wayne are happy to be working together again on
“Honky Tonk Happy Hour”.
Our thanks to Mitch Jacobs' manager Jimbo Callam for his patience and for bringing Mitch to Honky Tonk Happy Hour.
SXSW scene report:
on-stage with Smokey RobinsonBy Patrick Caldwell The stage wasn’t just for professional musicians during Smokey Robinson’s Friday night show at the Austin
Music Hall. Two lucky fans got to climb on stage with the Motown legend after Robinson split the audience into two halves
for a singing contest on closing song “Cruisin". (read more)
SXSW 2010 Day Three Twitter
Marathon: 24 Reports, From Liars to Local Nativesby Steve Appleford The big story on SXSW’s third day was the surprise Muse performance at Stubb’s, which was announced during the broadcast of the
Fox show Human Target earlier in the week (read more)
SXSW:
Motorhead Mania Cranks Up as Lemmy Blitzes Austin
by Lewis WallaceAUSTIN, Texas — Lemmy Kilmister, the Jack Daniel’s-swigging,
bass-playing, smoke-belching engine that powers proto-metal band Motorhead, got a hero’s welcome Monday night at the
world premiere of a movie documenting his amazing life. (read more)
5 Hot Topics at
#SXSWby Eugene Hernandez
It might be a stretch to say that South by Southwest
is having growing pains, but such a statement is actually not that far from the truth. When all is said and done, 2010 will
be remembered as a watershed for SXSW. In short, it’s the year that the film and interactive events dwarfed the annual
music festival for which South By is famous. (read more)
The good and bad of SXSWBy DARRYL
STERDAN AUSTIN,
TEXAS — There are two kinds of music, Duke Ellington once quipped: Good music ... and the other kind.Doubtless, there's
plenty of both to be found at the 24th annual South by Southwest music festival, on this week in Austin. (read more)
Mitch Jacobs is Hosting "Honky
Tonk Happy Hour"
Wednesdays
at The Hideaway on Dunvale - Houston Texas.
Mitch Jacobs will host "Honky Tonk Happy Hour" every Wednesday at The Hideaway on Dunvale. Mitch will be inviting a variety of great singer/songwriters
to join him on stage at The Hideaway every Wednesday. Mitch has been on theTexas music scene for many years, playing
most recently with the popular Houston based band The Romeo Dogs before leaving to launce his solo career. Mitch Jacobs signed
with SteadyBoy Records, founded by Texas Hall of Fame inductee, Freddy Krc. Mitch released his debut CD "Juke Box Music"
on SteadyBoy in 2008. Mitch Jacobs is a talented singer and songwriter. Mitch Jacobs live performance is always
fun and entertaining. Mitch has made many friends on the Texas music scene and there is no telling who may show up to
sit in with Mitch as he presents "Honky Tonk Happy Hour" at The Hideaway on Dunvale.
Cheap Beer and Live Music
- the perfect Mid-Week stress reliever to get you and your friends through the rest of the week.
The
Hideaway on Dunvale
3122
Dunvale Road
Houston,
Texas 77063
phone
713-977-3515
We
will be video taping this music and interview program to be streamed on various websites.
Mitch Jacobs will welcome a variety of talented musicians to discuss and
perform their music.
Dwight Yoakam, who cut Mike Stinson's "Late Great Golden State" on 2003's Population Me, isn't the only country singer to realize Stinson may be the best writer of stone-cold
honky-tonk songs on the planet today.
Known for her vocal ability to go from
0 to 180 degrees in the blink of eye, driving flute licks and her alt-country-pop melodies and songwriting. She is soccer
mom, a guerrilla gardener and confirmed chocoholic.
NYC Assistant Convicted In Ex-Ramones Manager
Killing
The
personal assistant of punk-rock pioneer and celebrity real estate broker Linda Stein has been convicted of bludgeoning her
boss to death with a piece of exercise equipment. Jurors spent less
than a day reaching a second-degree murder verdict in the Manhattan trial against Natavia Lowery, the personal assistant to
Linda Stein, who managed the Ramones before becoming a real estate agent with celebrity clients including Madonna and Sting.
Lowery showed no reaction when the verdict was read Feb. 23. Prosecutors said Lowery stole more than $30,000 from Stein, then clubbed her to
death to try and hide the theft.
by Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press |
February 24, 2010 5:53 EST (read more)
Mitch Jacobs
Welcomes New Band Members
by Jim Callam for MM55 01/14/2010
2010 is here bringing significant changes to the Mitch Jacobs Band.
The new Mitch Jacobs Band line up consists of Mitch Jacobs on guitar and lead vocals - new lead guitarist Eric
(Eddie Dale) Danheim - new Drummer Steve Wood and original band member Rex “Captain Happy” Wherry on Bass Guitar.
Rex Wherry has been on bass and harmony
vocals from the start. Rock solid bass lines and a quick wit keep Rex in the spotlight.
Eric Danheim was
a founding member of The Rounder’s and The Hollister’s. He also toured internationally with The Wagoneers in the
90's. Eric has also played guitar with Randy Weeks and Christy McWilson.
Steve Wood comes to The Mitch Jacobs Band by way
of The Rounder’s, Mary Cutrufello and The Romeo Dogs.
The "NEW" Mitch Jacobs Band played its first 2010 show 01/15/2010 at Goode Company BBQ located
at 20102 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77065
Charitable Americans eager to help Haiti recover from the massive earthquake being warned to be on the lookout for
online scammers
Two that
are trustworthy are:
Texting HAITI to 90999 The U.S. Dept of State's Web site suggests texting
to donate $10 to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. $10 will be charged to your cell phone bill. Or you can
go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps to contribute to the disaster relief efforts.
Texting YELE to 501501 On Twitter, musician Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti, notes, "Haiti needs your help and $5
will go toward earthquake relief." Yele Haiti is a grassroots movement Jean has set up to inspire change in Haiti
through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment.
Or
visit:
Red Cross www.redcross.org You can make a donation by calling 1-800-REDCROSS
D.R.I. (aka Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) were one of the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal, along with Suicidal Tendencies and Corrosion of Conformity. Starting off as a speedy, straight-ahead punk band, they gradually mixed more
elements of heavy metal into their sound; as they did so, their songs got longer and featured more sections and more variety
in tempo. D.R.I. managed the then-rare feat of crossing over to metal audiences while retaining their skatepunk and hardcore
fan bases -- they had something for all those audiences to love (or hate). Vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy
were the two constants throughout the band's frequent lineup shifts, and kept them going for well over a decade.
D.R.I. were formed in Houston, TX, in May 1982, evolving out of a defunct hardcore band called the Suburbanites. Singer
Kurt Brecht, drummer Eric Brecht (his brother), and bassist Dennis Johnson had all played in that outfit, and with new guitarist
Spike Cassidy in tow, they renamed themselves Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, after a frequent insult from the Brechts' father (who
objected vehemently to their rehearsals). The band was soon performing live around Houston, and before the end of the year,
they issued a 22-song debut, Dirty Rotten EP, on their own Rotten label. Pressed in limited quantities, it was reissued as
a 12" LP in 1983, appropriately retitled Dirty Rotten LP. The wider exposure for this version helped make the group's
name in the punk underground, and after a supporting tour that year, they relocated to San Francisco.
The going
was rough at first, and bassist Johnson quit to return home to Houston. He was replaced by Sebastian Amok for a tour with
the Dead Kennedys, after which Amok was in turn replaced by Josh Pappé for the 1984 EP Violent Pacification. Eric Brecht
also left the band later that year to get married; he would soon join Hirax. In the meantime, D.R.I. replaced him with Felix
Griffin. During the recording of the band's second album, 1985's Dealing With It, Pappé took a leave of absence to
deal with a drug problem. Mikey Offender, of the Offenders, filled in for him during the remainder of the sessions, and the
album was released on the Death label. With Hirax's help, D.R.I. scored a deal with Metal Blade, and a substantial buzz built
around the group, especially when Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo praised them in an interview.
D.R.I.'s Metal Blade debut arrived in 1987 in the
form of the boundary-blurring Crossover, whose title made their punk-metal fusion ambitions crystal clear. Their songs were
growing from short bursts of speed into full-fledged, multisectioned compositions, and their unification of the two genres
was the most seamless of their career. On the 1988 follow-up, 4 of a Kind, the metal influences began to predominate, even
if the band's hardcore roots were still audible. Buoyed by the video for "Suit and Tie Guy," 4 of a Kind became
the first D.R.I. album to make the national charts. The following year, Pappé accepted an offer to join Gang Green,
and was replaced in D.R.I. by John Menor, formerly of Mantas. Menor made his debut on 1989's Thrash Zone, the band's most
metallic offering yet, and one that was also widely acclaimed among their best. "Beneath the Wheel" and "Abduction"
landed some airplay on MTV, and the album became their second straight to chart.
Thrash Zone
proved to be the band's final effort for Metal Blade, however, and Felix Griffin departed in 1990, effectively bringing D.R.I.'s
most successful period to a close. After a couple of short-lived replacements, Griffin's slot was filled by Rob Rampy IV,
and Spike Cassidy revived the band's Rotten label to release 1992's Definition. By this time, the alternative explosion had
substantially reduced the audience for thrash, and Definition accordingly looked back on the band's punk roots; still, much
of their old audience had evaporated. After recording the late-1992 gig that was eventually released as the Live album, Menor
left the band and was replaced by Chumly Porter. Porter made his debut on the 1995 studio set Full Speed Ahead, and the band
spent the next few years touring, even if there was no new product to speak of. Porter left in 1999 and was replaced by Harald
Oimoen, who helped continue D.R.I.'s road-warrior existence. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Mitch Jacobs and his band scheduled to play the Crown Royal
Saloon in Reliant stadium for all 2009 Texans home games By CHRIS HARKNESS 07.02.09 9:58pm
Mitch
and the boys are very excited about being chosen to play The Crown Royal Saloon for all the 2009 Texans home games…
Mitch Jacobs, a long time veteran of the Houston music scene, is well known for his stint as front-man for the popular Houston
based band “Romeo Dogs”… After leaving the Dogs Mitch decided it was time to strike out on his own…
Mitch Jacobs teamed up with Texas Music Hall of Famer Freddie Krc to produce his debut CD “Juke Box Music” on
Krc’s label, SteadyBoy Records…After the release of his debut CD, Mitch Jacobs recruited some of the finest players in Houston to form his new band…Joining Mitch
on bass and harmony vocals is Rex Wherry, known to his friends as Captain Happy… Rex has been a staple on the Houston
music scene for more years than he cares to admit… Rock solid bass lines and a quick wit have kept Rex Wherry in the
spot light…John Grayum keeps the beat on his vintage
Ludwig drums while singing perfect harmony from his throne… John has played with the legendary Beans Barton and the
incomparable Sheetrockers, he also kept time with the Bowen Brothers…Bill Howard’s pedal steel completes the ensemble… Bill has played with many notable artists over the decades
from Isaac Payton Sweat to Miss Leslie and her Juke jointers… Bill is one of the finest players to ever slide the steel…
Mitch vows to sing at the wedding, bar mitzvah, quinceanera or back yard BBQ
of anyone that can squeeze a smile out of Bill “The Doctor” Howard…If you’re a lover of great live music, Mitch Jacobs
and his band should definitely be on your calendar… If you’re lucky enough to catch the band at a Texans game,
you may just think you’ve died and gone to Heaven…
