On the Road

On The Road

April 2007

by Kathleen Hudson

Bonnie Bishop is featured at the Hill Top House Concert Series on April 21 at 7:00 p.m. in Kerrville. Thanks to Paula and Marty Reynolds, we have yet another fine venue for the music we all love. Bonnie brings strong writing, a great voice, and a compelling performance to any stage. I first heard her at the White Elephant Saloon in Ft. Worth. She also played the Monday night series at the Inn Pub in Kerrville. Speaking of that Pub, Monday, April 2, Drew Kennedy hosted the Acoustic Revolution. Greg Forest hosted in March. I love a venue that gives us a chance to hear acoustic music! Check out the Monday night schedule at the Inn Pub.

Attending the 23^rd SxSW Music Conference in March was the highlight of the month for me. Aside from the overwhelming sensation of choice that I faced each hour, I had one meaningful experience after another. I had to “be here now” so that I wasn’t doing one thing while thinking about all the other exciting events I was missing! Wednesday night I attended the Austin Music Awards. Not a disappointing moment for me during the entire evening. Patrice Pike, a rocker I have not interviewed yet, took home a stack of awards, as did Asleep at the Wheel. And Patrice plays the Kerrville Folk Festival this year! New schedules are out; what a stunning lineup with lots of great women…..Terri Hendrix, Sara Hickman, Ruthie Foster, Patrice Pike and more. Check out the website at www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com

Highlights of the music awards include James McMurtry being honored as BMI songwriter of the year. I first interviewed him when he had written about 5 songs and watched him chosen as a winner of the Kerrville New Folk Songwriters Competition that same year. What a long and winding road for James McMurtry and his band, The Heartless Bastards.

Barbara Kooyman has started a company called TexAmericana which allows artists to commission music, and she gives $5 off the sale of each CD to a public radio station. Her set for the evening began with a call to global activism by Thom “The World” Poet. She not only moved us at the awards show with her stunning performance (accompanied by stellar musicians, including Paul Pearcy on percussion), but she also showcased two more strong and talented women, Michelle Shocked (of Kerrville campfire tapes fame) and Carrie Rodriquez. I immediately imagined the THMF showcasing this group of women on a tour around the world! Barbara was a guest in my creative writing class last year. What a passionate story she tells!

Standing in line for registration on Wednesday, I met the owner of a venue in Denmark. He shared the following: “We want to showcase more Texas music at our venue. WE love the blues and the songwriters. And we can send the touring artists to about four other venues right in Denmark.” Yes, I do love attending a convention and networking for the THMF! I love the idea of showcasing the music I love to a new audience. Lights me up!

All went smoothly at this event that is growing exponentially. Louis Black, one of three founders, wrote a piece in the Austin Chronicle, beautifully expressing why he does what he does. As I read it, I saw that I could use his words to describe my own pathway, one that led to 20 years of history for the THMF. Passion. “Do what you love,” he admonished. “Follow your bliss,” added Joseph Campbell, leading mythologist of this century.

Many of the artists I love are, indeed, true to their own spirit. Michelle Shocked also played at the Thursday afternoon social hour for Texamericana at Threadgills. At the awards show she rocked; at Threadgills, she told her stories and played as a duo with friend, Nick. “I’m from East Texas,” she reminded us, as she played a trilogy of song stories about growing up east of Dallas.

Other highlights of the music awards include a guest appearance of Pete Townshend as Ian Mclagan gave us a real dose of British rock. Paying tribute to Ronnie Lane and the original group, Faces, the stage filled up with award winners, each band member taking home some award.

Bobby Whitlock and Co Co Carmel (sax and vocals) started off the evening showcasing some of Bobby’s work with the songs of Eric Clapton. Their version of “Laila,” with a saxophone lead by the stunning Co Co, was one of those special moments.

Doug Sahm’s son, Shawn, rocked the stage with his band, the Tex/Mex Experience, then joining in on a reunion of the Texas Tornados featuring Flaco Jimenez, Augie Meyers, Ernie Durwawa and Speedy Sparks.

Jimmie Vaughan, joined by James Cotton on harmonica, joined up with Gary Wright to pay homage to Clifford Antone to end the awards show. I was really, really wanting to dance. I did enter the world of music through the door of the blues!

Thursday morning I attended the long conference interview with Emmylou Harris. What stories we heard, and the music was both nostalgic and timely. She told of her bands, her desires, her take on life (all here for a purpose), her joys and her sorrows. I do wish I had heard her hit with a song by Townes Van Zandt, “If I Needed You.” She sang a Louvin Brothers hit, “If I Could Only Win Your Love,” accompanied by Buddy Miller on guitar and harmony. And she announced that she turns 60 on April 4. How open can a woman be?

I came home with a new CD by Gurf Morlix, a Stony Plains compilation of music and video for their 30 year history, and Joe Ely’s new book with UT Press, BONFIRE OF ROADMAPS. The memorabilia from this book and the many road trips is now on display in the Harry Ransom History Center on the UT campus.

Each venue at South by Southwest had a lineup and a flavor. Easier for me to pick a location and park myself than to wander around trying to find a different band each hour. The secret is to conduct some pre-investigation in order to fill your dance card early, always leaving room for surprises.

This conference has become an event easy to cover, easy to enjoy. Everyone seems to do his or her job, and the thousands of volunteer man-hours must be staggering. As a woman who produces a much smaller event in Kerrville each month (/September 28, 2007), I could see the amount of hard and intelligent work that created this seamless experience for me.

I came home eager to create, to learn drums, to sing my songs, to gather a strong team around me and to forge ahead! After 20 years with the THMF, I am ready for the next step, whatever that may look like.

The March coffeehouse held at Schreiner University began when Melissa Weatherly sang “Amazing Grace” acapello. That set the tone for the rest of the evening, ending with Guitar goddess, Carolyn Wonderland playing dobro and delivering her call to action. Women’s History Month was duly celebrated. The last coffeehouse in the spring series, April 4, features Thom “The World” Poet and an evening of spoken word, including a slam poetry contest. Rules? Each poem must be three minutes or less, and a group of judges picked from the audience rate the poem. This system reveals an immediate response to the performance of the poem, bringing the poetic experience out of the textbooks and into the streets (or coffeehouse). As always, we’ll begin with an open mike.

Also April 19-22 is the Old Settler’s Reunion, boasting a lineup of many of my favorites: Ruthie Foster, Peter Rowan, Slim Ritchie, Iris Dement, Mary Gauthier and many more. Held near Austin, this event is an important part of the family of festivals that not only entertain but educate us on the many traditions of Texas music. I once heard Michelle Shocked thre in her full folk/rock mode, calling out to us all to listen. Yes, I’ve been a Michelle Shocked fan since I first heard the Campfire Tapes created at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

April 5-7, Brunhilde and Belle, the warrior and the outlaw, will once again ride the road to Boston and give a presentation on archetypes of women in life and literature at the National Pop Culture Conference. Oh, I love the way my academic life weaves a pattern with my life as a global citizen! I think we’re all part of that pattern; some of see it clearly.

Ahead for the THMF and a celebration of 20 years: “Waiting For a Train,” stage play on the life of Jimmie Rodgers, coming to Kerrville Sept. 22; program to send musicians and songwriters into the schools; new executive director of the organization (talented at running a non-profit and interested? Could begin as part-time. Contact me at 792-1945); organization of volunteer group for September 28 Living History Day; fundraising poster of hands on guitars; new brochure and poster designed by graphic design class at Schriener University; Wayne Kennemer Scholarship award given out in May to a high school student who wants to study music (contact kat@maverickbbs.com for application details. Janice Kennemer scholarship chairman for THMF); membership party and more. JOIN US now as we celebrate 20 years in the Texas Hill Country! Your membership supports all our projects. Member musicians given the paying gigs first!

FLASH: The Dust Devil’s Barbara Malteze wins big at the 2007 Texas Music Awards: “Female Vocalist of the Year” for the second year in a row! The awards were presented by MyTExasMusic.com and hosted at the Music City Texas Theater in Linden, Texas. Wade Bowen (Sustain Records in Kerrville) won Record of The Year. Visit www.TexasMusicAwards.org for more information. Ils sont partis. KH

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Schreiner University