Tuesday, March 6, 2007

On the Road


On The road for Hill Country Happenings

March 2007

Kathleen Hudson, aka Belle Starr for March!

On the road in March takes me to South by Southwest in Austin. As a founding member of the Americana Music Association I’ll be at the Wednesday night party with Steve Earle. Hey, it’s worth joining up! www.americanamusic.org

Other highlights of this event include the cutting edge of new and emerging talent (“The Good, The Bad and The Queen’s, a UK all-star quartet touring the states with SxSW as a highly anticipated stop); Pete Townshend’s prescient musical vision as the keynote speech of the conference Wednesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m.; a robust Australian presence at this event; David Byrne and Gilberto Gil (Brazil’s new minister of culture); Emmylou Harris (need I say more?); and a roster of Canadian acts. That list does not even begin to cover the musical opportunities available from March 14-18. And there’s a Music and Film interactive festival starting March 9-18.

The trade show features a wide range of music business opportunities, including Midem, a worldwide music conference held each January, Barnes and Nobles, Club Kingsnake, IFC, non-profit organizations that promote all aspects of music, technology at all levels, Press opportunities, Magazines, Nevada Film Office, Sedona Film Office, Texas Filmmakers and much more. The guide for the event is a treasure of websites and connections, meeting all your music needs. Over 1,000 acts will perform on stages throughout Austin. Visit www.sxsw.com for schedules.

And, looking for fun? Ready to walk from venue to venue, stand in the press of flesh both inside and outside, attend some of the non-SxSW events, just treasure hunt and wander? I have my stories from many of those years! This year I opted for tickets to the Backyard on Saturday night for the Legends Tour with Willie, Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Price and more. Sounded good just to hit one venue and hear a full show. I will be out scouting the other nights!

March 7 is the THMF coffeehouse at Schreiner University featuring Melissa Weatherly of Sol Patch (one of our own beloved women!) and Carolyn Wonderland, a rocker from Austin. Yes, Women’s History Month is upon us. Expect some interesting tributes to women at the open mike. I’ll bet Belle Starr makes an appearance. I just returned from the Pop Culture Conference in New Mexico where Belle and her warrior friend, Brunhilde (Stephanie Gaines, English major at Schreiner University) gave a presentation on the Outlaw and The Warrior: Archetypes of Women in life and Literature. Yep, Belle just steps out when I’m talking about women now!

Wednesday, March 7, 7-9 p.m., Cailloux student center, is the place to be! Check out Carolyn at www.carolynwonderland.com I last told her, “I want to be you when I grow up.” Well, seems she is an important chapter in my book on Texas women (September 2007 publication date with UT Press), and my photo of her hand on a guitar is the first page of the book! She whips out a trumpet from time to time, wails like Janis, writes like she really means it (strong stuff!) and has plenty to say about the world we live in.

Melissa has captured the heart and soul of Kerrville, hosting a growing open mike with her lifepartner, Brian, as Sol Patch each Thursday night in Kerrville at the Back Porch Cantina on the Junction Highway. The tribute to The Rolling Stones in February brought down the house. Ahead is a night of Bob Dylan! After a successful evening of Beatle tunes……owner in costume! I have noticed that each time I talk with Melissa, I walk away feeling loved! She does that with everyone she meets. Pours on the love light.

KRVL, Kerrville, is showcasing the local scene as well as the rich Texas music scene. Revolution FM 94.3 brings us great music and great stories with stations spread out around Texas.

KFAN in Fredericksburg has been a staple in the Texas music world for a long time, going through several incarnations since the San Antonio days. www.rebelradio.com is streaming worldwide. And their annual show called Windows Over Texas has become a Hill Country tradition in the last five years.

I heard the lyricist for the Grateful Dead in New Mexico at the conference. After his talk, I became a new Deadhead. Possible at 61 several years after Jerry Garcia died? Well, he died singing a Jimmie Rodgers song for the Bob Dylan tribute album. And we create a tribute to Jimmie here each September. A living connection for me! John Perry Barlow gave a talk that resonated with how I see life! Some highlights for me: “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t want to know”; “I am not an intellectual, rather a front row attendee on the best entertainment there is…the human comedy and tragedy”; “It’s been a long strange trip”; his first lab was watching the Grateful Dead deal with how they created something beyond their intent; Deadheads could not find any dogma so they glommed on to the song order; Human beings fundamentally want to be loved; Don’t lose your sense of wonder and awe. Be in the front row of the mystery science theatre called life; Learn how to accept love. Yeah, I really like all that! His talk will be up on the pop culture site soon! John does not believe in the power of copyright; in fact, he has formed a Electronic Frontiers Foundation and accurately predicted some of the recent trends on the internet…..years ago! Fascinating talk from a fascinating human being…….lyricist with Bob Hunter for the Grateful Dead!

Party in San Miguel de Allende with Patricia Vonne, Gary P. Nunn, and Darin Murphy on Sunday, March 25 at 3:00 p.m. Yep, Texas music in this historic colonial town (where I teach creative writing each May for Schreiner University). Contact me for details.

Also March 30-April 1 is the second annual Bluebonnet Blues & Fines Arts Festival on Main Street in Marble Falls, Texas. Texas legends will entertain with blues, gospel, Tejano and Cajun. Two pianoramas round out the musical program. Great food, activities for kids, and games. Live Art! Yes, “plein air,” translated “in the open air,” is a style used to describe paintings created chiefly outdoors. Visit www.bluebonnetblues.com for details. I’ll be staying at the beautiful Marriott while enjoying this exciting event. One of many sponsors, the Marriott offers beauty and comfort with specials for the blues audience. I attended last year, loving being at the “first” annual. Wonder what Marble Falls will look like after 20 years of this festival!

A THMF announcement: celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, we are raising the money to fund a new position: Development and executive director. This can be part-time or full-time. Candidate needs to have experience in running a business, raising money, marketing and public relations. We have good part-time help from the students at Schreiner. My second book comes out in September. Time for someone else to run the business! Yes, we want all the local musicians involved in our Living History Day, September 28. Call me to confirm your participation! Yes, we need volunteers to manage membership, events, and volunteers. See www.texasheritagemusic.org for a report on our current status! Ils sont partis. KH aka Belle.

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Schreiner University