Eleven Hundred Springs @ Lee Harvey’s
March 24, 2007
Ever since I moved to Texas, I’ve always had a difficult relationship with country music. There’s country music that I just can’t seem to get enough of – like Johnny Cash or Robert Earl Keen or Gram Parsons or any number of genre defying “alt country” acts; but then, on the other hand, it can very easily cross that thin, abstract line that separates “good country” from country radio pop, or that special Texas-centric brand of dreary redneck country or anything that twangs without any sense of fun or adventure. 
But that being said; there’s also a particular kind of straight up, no apologies country music that’s all about having a great time.
Eleven Hundred Springs plays that kind of country.
If there’s one thing these guys always seem to bring, it’s a damn good time. They brought that and even more to the show at Lee Harvey’s Saturday night.
A Tale of Two Todd Snider Shows
Front Porch House Concerts, Boulder, March 6, 2007
Soiled Dove, Denver, March 7, 2007
Todd Snider played Colorado last week: March 6 at Front Porch House Concerts in Boulder and March 7 at the larger more commercial Soiled Dove down in Denver. I was lucky enough to go to both shows and here’s what happened.
Baby Gramps
We made the drive out to Ft Worth on Saturday night to see The Gourds play The Aardvark (and to have a great dinner with our friends). When we got to the club we found out the slated opening band wasn’t playing. Instead of Malt Country, the show would be opened by none other than Seattle’s freakiest bluesman, Baby Gramps, in his first ever Texas performance.
The Drams in Colorado, February 2007
We all have our favorites – those bands that are just special to us for one reason or another. It’s probably no secret to regular readers that we here at SlackerCountry.com are partial to The Drams and, of course, Slobberbone. And, although jitter has seen them live many times, this past weekend was my first experience when they played a set at Boulder, Colorado’s Trilogy Wine Bar on Friday and a longer head-lining set at Bender’s Tavern in Denver on Monday.
The Avett Brothers @ The Boulder Theater, October 14, 2006
Low volume was not a problem at the Avett Brothers show at the Boulder Theater Saturday night. Oh no, not at all. The Avett Brothers were making a ton of sound for three guys and 16 strings, give or take a couple dozen broken ones.
See, I won these tickets to go to the show. And I was going to give them away because the Avett Brothers are bluegrass and I’m not so into that. Plus, we have a couple of their CDs and, from my point of view, they’re just okay. Pleasant, for sure, but nothing I was really excited about. But I ended up going to see them anyway, and while I’m not sure what I heard Saturday night, it definitely wasn’t straight-up bluegrass.
Asylum Street Spankers @ The Allgood Cafe, Dallas, October 14, 2006
I’ve never seen Austin’s Asylum Street Spankers before last night’s show at the Allgood Café but I had heard plenty about them; an all acoustic ensemble that plays ragtime, blues, country, jazz, swing and seemingly anything else they can cram into their spirited, genre-defying, multi-instrumental performances.
The Gourds @ Central Market, Ft. Worth – September 28, 2006
OK, so I had no idea what to expect from a Gourds show at Central Market in Ft Worth.
For one thing, I’d never been to Central Market in Ft Worth. I’ve been to the one in Dallas and couldn’t quite envision a band playing there. But there it was – a Thursday night free Gourds show at a grocery store.
Mucklewain – August 19, 2006
Did you hear about Mucklewain? A brand new festival they held in Harriman, Tennessee, in August. Unbelievable SlackerCountry line-up (Steve Earle, Todd Snider, Scott Miller, Lucero, the Yayhoos, Jason Ringenberg, Kevin Kinney, Daddy – Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack, Cory Branan, Allison Moorer, Webb Wilder, Mic Harrison, and more). We didn’t get to go but Brother Dave and Mary Ann did and graciously sent in this review for us.
Mucklewain is a music festival that was held on August 19, 2006, in a big field in Harriman, Tennessee. Actually, it was a southern rock and Americana music festival. Better yet, it was a damn good time.
Dave Alvin – Live at the Sons of Hermann Hall, September 7, 2006
Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men played The Sons of Hermann Hall Thursday night with Chris Gaffney’s band, The Hacienda Brothers , opening- while the regular Thursday night campfire singalong was going on full steam in the downstairs bar. All kinds of old guitars, banjos, and mandolins (along with old guitar, banjo, and mandolin players) were everywhere; there was even a vintage looking lap steel guitar propped up against the wall in the hall just outside the bar. A big circle of players were singing and jamming away while others hung out to have a smoke or drink at the bar or in the hallway.
The Drams – June 8, 2006 @ The Barley House
When Slobberbone released their fourth album, "Slippage," in 2002, it was apparent they were trying for a new direction. The sound was leaner, tighter, and more produced. Where they once chiseled out a unique alt country sound with banjos, mandolins, and even the occasional fiddle backing up fiery electric guitars, on "Slippage" they stripped it down to the bare essentials and turned up Brent Best’s lead vocals.
The result was an unabashed rock and roll record that left many long time fans scratching their heads. While the record sounded different, the live shows still sounded like the old Slobberbone.