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Contents FEATURES Steamboat Springs, CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Still a Western Town 28th Annual MusicFest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 The Affordable Festival a True Music Fan Can’t Afford To Miss! Boost Your Immunity for Late Nights. . . . . . . 18 Turnpike Troubadours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 & Other Groundbreaking Groups Pave the Way for a Music Revolution Townes Van Zandt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 MusicFest Artists’ Tribute to a Legend In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Rich Caldwell and Mark ‘Gus’ McCoy

“Good people, great music, best of times…” John Dickson Photo: Carl Dunn

ood music is alive and kickin’!

DEPARTMENTS Welcome to MusicFest by John Townes Van Zandt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 It's All Good: The Crossroads Music Archive. 12 It's All Good: Texas Music Roadtrip . . . . . . . . . . . .19 MY Other Gig by Matt Medearis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 of the Roger Creager Band MY Rig by Travis Stearns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 of the Dirty River Boys Making of the Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 MY Top 10 Vinyl by Turnpike Troubadours 35 MusicFest Artists’ Bios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Americana, Texas & Lone Star Music Charts . . . . . 58 MusicFest Magazine is distributed throughout the Southwest USA and directly mailed to all 50 states, several countries and read by hundreds d of o thousands. DON’T MISS AN ISSUE! Go to dicksonproductions.com or www.themusicfest.com for your FREE subscription. Have a comment or questions? Advertise to over 200,000 (hard copy) and over 300,000 (online) dedicated readers. Email us at info@themusicfest.com.

On The Cover: Missy Whitfield captures the Turnpike Troubadours with an old “Western feel”.

The MusicFest Magazine is: Publisher/Editor in Chief:. . . John Dickson Managing Editor:. . . Liz Foster Assistant Editor:. . . Twister Marquiss, Eleanor Sawyer Copy Editor:. . . Amy Bendy, Robin Dickson Art Director/Design:. . . Ron Crose, Lisa Herbert Production Manager:. . . Eleanor Sawyer Photography Editors:. . . Judy Dickerson, Vince Messina, Liz Foster, John Dickson Research: . . . Judy Dickerson, Vince Messina Advertising: . . . John Dickson, Liz Foster Contributing Writers:. . . John T Davis, Jessie Scott, Dr. Gary Hartman, Andy Wilkinson, Wendy Jo Peterson, Travis Staerns, Matt Medearis, Adam Odor, Vince Messina, Liz Foster Photography: . . . Todd Purifoy, Carl Dunn, Missy Whitfield, Beth Bradford, Susan Roads, John Lomax III, Lomax Photo Archives, Jerry Click, Kelly Pollard at La La Photograpghy, Marshall Foster, Gary Stevens, Stevens Stills of Tulsa Oklahoma TheMusicFest.com:. . . Eleanor Sawyer, Bri Tucker

VIEW THIS ISSUE ONLINE! BigSkiTrip.com, theMusicFest.com m and DicksonProductions.com SUBSCRIBE! For subscription inquiries, write to info@themusicfest.com As you endeavor on your musical odyssey, do not just stop at reading this publication. We urge you to go online and research your favorite artists and venues. Educate yourselves by reading these other respected and informative publications: Texas Music Magazine, Best in Texas, Lone Star Music Magazine, and Country Line Magazine. No matter who you are, or where you are, as a reader of this publication and a devoted follower of the music it supports, we all have something in common: an unfailing enthusiasm in our hearts for the crafting of well-made music, and a quest for adventure that this authentic music scene has shaped and produced.

The MusicFest Magazine is published bi-annually by Dickson Productions, Inc. 6425 S. IH 35, Suite 150 PMB#293, Austin Texas 78744. Copyright 2012 by Dickson Productions. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA. This magazine or its trademarks may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented without written permission from the Publisher. For subscription inquiries write to info@themusicfest.com. Website www.themusicfest.com. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for views expressed herein by contributors or claims made by advertisers. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for care and return of unsolicited materials.

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MusicFestmagazine • 2013

Texas music is alive and kickin’ more than ever before. Familiar bands and artists are gaining more attention and airplay nationwide, and their shows continue to set attendance records across America, particularly in the Southwest region. All the while, concert ticket prices have not fluctuated much in the last 20 or so years as the Texas Music scene has experienced a great resurgence. This is a strong testament to the bands’ commitment to their loyal fan bases—a commitment that is greatly appreciated, I might add. What am I calling “Texas Music”? It’s not always made by Texas natives (“Texas wants you anyway!”), and at MusicFest, it’s a harmonious blend of non-pretentious, genuine-country, rock, folk, blues, and Americana styles. It’s independent and not easy to describe. It’s just good music. There has been an impressive arrival of new, high-quality bands, artists, and songwriters (many are one and the same), with new sounds that are notably grounded, true, honest, and original. In fact, there is so much great new music being made that it has presented some tough choices in building this year’s MusicFest lineup! Many thanks to the “seasoned-veteran” bands that have opened the doors and supported these young artists, and thanks also to the dedicated fans for lending an open ear and support to bands that are just starting. It’s a privilege having John Townes Van Zandt join the pages of this magazine to honor his father’s unequaled contribution to Texas music and to music worldwide. His welcoming words are just a prelude to something very special coming this January at The MusicFest at Steamboat. Keep on keeping on (thanks, Jack!) and supporting your music, old and new. It’s refreshing to witness that this music is not only healthy but also excelling in ways we never thought imaginable—and all without the corporate-machine masquerade. Hear, Here! John Dickson

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* Details and Restrictions: Fares valid into Steamboat (HDN). Roundtrip purchase is required. Fares valid for travel into HDN 1/5/13 and return 1/10/13. Fares must be purchased by 10/24/12. Fare amounts are roundtrip, per person and include taxes. Fares are subject to availability and may change at any time. Payment is due at time of booking. Tickets are non-refundable/non-changable. Seats are limited. Additional fees for checked bags will apply.

Our special airfares should be music to your ears. Our world famous Champagne Powder® snow is for everyone. So get the new year off to a great start up here in Steamboat and enjoy our special group airline rates into the Steamboat/ Hayden Airport, nonstop from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston. Welcome to Ski Town, U.S.A.®

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The MusicFest Contributing Writers, Extended Family Get Real For The MusicFest Magazine John T. Davis John T. Davis has lived in Austin for over three decades, writing about the music, personalities and culture of Texas and the Southwest for a variety of regional, state and national publications. His byline has appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Chronicle, Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, San Antonio magazine, Billboard and Newsday and more. He is also a frequent contributor to Austin Monthly. He has been interviewed by VH-1, CMT and NPR and has appeared in the documentary film, Lubbock Lights. He is the author of the book Austin City Limits: 25 Years of American Music and in 2010 he co-wrote a documentary film on Jerry Jeff Walker. As of 2010, his work is featured in the permanent archives of the Southwestern Writers Collection at Texas State University.

Jessie Scott Scott is a partner at Music Fog, a video blog venture promoting the Americana music scene, and a founding member of the Americana Music Association. Scott was one of the first female air personalities on a major market Top 40 station, the first female jock on the AM dial in New York and she also hosted a nationally syndicated show. The first female Program Director hired at XM Radio, Scott’s channel became the most listened to Americana music station in the world.

Andy Wilkinson A poet, song writer, singer, and playwright whose particular interest is the history and peoples of the Great Plains, Andy Wilkinson has recorded ten albums of original music and has written seven plays. His work has received several awards, including the Texas Historical Foundation’s John Ben Shepperd Jr. Craftsmanship Award, and five National Western Heritage “Wrangler” Awards. In addition to his writing and performing, he is Artist in Residence at the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University, where he is also visiting assistant professor in the School of Music.

Dr. Gary Hartman Dr. Gary Hartman is Director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University. The Center is involved in numerous programs, including the Journal of Texas Music History, the John and Robin Dickson Book Series in Texas Music, the NPR series, This Week in Texas Music History, and a variety of educational activities at museums and public schools. Hartman’s publications include The History of Texas Music, “From Yellow Roses to Dixie Chicks: Women and Gender in Texas Music History,” and many others. Hartman also is a musician who has performed for years throughout Europe and North America.

Adam Odor A producer, engineer, and bassist, Adam has won many awards and accolades from his work with the Dixie Chicks, Shawn Colvin, the Court Yard Hounds, Ben Harper and countless others. His production skills have found him with bands such as Cody Canda & the Departed, Bart Crow, 11 Bones, Dub Miller, Matt Skinner, Mike Ethan Messick, The Washers, Ben Schane, Mike Kelly, Mark Allan Atwood, and 13 years in the studio have found him engineering and mixing albums with bands like Reckless Kelly, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Roger Creager, Cory Morrow, The Trishas, Terri Hendrix, The Orbans, just to name a few. Sometimes you’ll find Adam on the road sitting in on bass with Reckless Kelly, Jonny Burke, Rob Baird, Terri Hendrix, Mike Kelly, and with his side-projects 11 Bones and the StoneCringe Family Singers. Creativity is his life’s journey.

Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RD Wendy Jo is a dietitian/nutritionist who specializes in sports nutrition with a particular interest in fueling the athlete in every musician. You can find her tweeting about “good-eats” and healthy living or catch her on the road working with musicians to modify their 12oz nutrition plans!

Do you love Texas Music? Do you love to write? Maybe you should write for MusicFest Magazine! We're always looking for those who enjoy doing what they love. Send an email to Liz at Liz@dicksonproductions.com if you're interested in contributing as a writer. Articles in this magazine are the opinions and experiences of other people. The MusicFest Magazine cannot be held responsible for the reliability of events, press releases or news printed or the actions and occurrences during any events, press releases, or news printed. We do not confirm submissions from promoters, public relations representatives, or outside news sources, but simply provide postings as a community service to our readers. All collaboration or verification of such postings is the responsibility of the reader prior to relying on such information for any action that may be taken on their behalf or on the behalf of others. We suggest you confirm the locations and lineups of promotions before attending any event listed.

MORE MUSIC C

MUSICFEST 2013 @M

usicFest is one of today’s most anticipated grassroots live-music events, earning the acknowledgement and respect of some of today’s finest musical players and tastemakers. What you are going to experience is a collaboration of many incredible individuals, a community celebration to uphold authentic music in one facet or another. Always evolving and ready to add new things, this coming year The MusicFest 2013 is adding MORE MUSIC everywhere! Whether it’s the Steamboat Grand Ballroom Matinee Acoustic Shows and Evening Shows, the Thunderhead Gondola Star Gazer Series, the Outdoor Mountain Sized Concerts, the Bear River Bar and Grill “Afternooners” and “Theatre Shows”, the Big MusicFest Tent Shows, or the Dung Beetle Saloon Concerts; the live music will last longer, making your festival experience even better! With over 450 artists/bands in attendance get ready for some inspiring, moving and sensational shows at MusicFest 2013!

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MusicFestmagazine • 2013

The Big MusicFest Tent Photo by Carl Dunn

“If all higher education programs were as lively and illuminating as this album, university enrollment would mushroom.” ~ LA Times “They’re taking Keen’s work and giving it the respect its due.” ~ Masslive.com “Another feature about this tribute record is that some of the ﬁnest singers to step out of Texas are featured.” ~ About.com

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Welcome Welcome

A MUSICFEST WELCOME F r om J o hn Tow n e s Van Z a nd t

hat a meaningful pleasure it was for my family when John Dickson contacted me to announce that the MusicFest 2013 Artists’ Tribute would be in honor of my father, Townes Van Zandt. For years now, MusicFest has done an amazing job in promoting and preserving great original American music by bringing the best songwriters and musicians that this country has to offer to one of the most beautiful places in our great land, Steamboat Springs, Colorado. My dad lived in Boulder as a child and eventually returned to attend CU, where he met my Mom. The mountains of Colorado, with their valleys, rivers, and streams, have been the inspiration for many Townes Van Zandt songs, most likely because no place on earth offers the sanctuary one finds in the endless nooks and crannies of the vast public park land within the state. I also lived in Colorado for a while in the mid-1990s, guiding flyfishing trips in the southwest corner of the state. No fonder memories exist than the

John Townes Van Zandt

days of finding out who I was while hiking and exploring the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains. It was there that I realized for the first time how special my father’s songs were and how powerful songwriting could be in terms of affecting the souls of others. I had always loved seeing my father play as a child and accompanying him on the road, but I was never quite aware then of how the message of his music would find me at a time when I was becoming the man I was to be within the solitude and sanctity of the mountains. While Townes was living, he was not a recognizable figure. He was not a celebrity and we were never stopped in public places to be harassed or blocked from pulling away in our car—except, on occasion, by the cops. My dad was a modest man with a very kind and gentle heart who never met a stranger and who had a deep sense of understanding for the natural world around him. I think this, more that anything, gave him the

ability to write with simplicity yet create such profound works of literature. Townes never became a really big star, and I am pretty sure that he really didn’t want to. He preferred to travel the country in his pickup, sleeping in the back and playing small gigs from town to town while trying to skin a few yanks along the way. He would always tell me that his career would take off after he was gone, and he was absolutely right. His songs have made him an obscure legend worldwide and one of the most respected songwriters of all time. I am

Townes Van Zandt

very proud of how unaffected Townes was by the lure of fame and how he never compromised in his writing in order to fit in or be more commercial. I can’t wait to get up to Steamboat this coming January, which will be the 15th anniversary of my father’s death, to celebrate his songs with everyone and to enjoy all of the artists playing at MusicFest 2013. I offer heartfelt thanks to John and Robin Dickson for inviting me and to the beautiful town of Steamboat, Colorado, for hosting the event. Together they are helping to keep genuine American music alive. I’ll see you all there!

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It's All Good

The Crossroads Music

Archive at Texas Tech University Saving the living histories and cultural roadmaps of Texas Music. by Andy Wilkinson

s readers of this magazine and as friends and fans of MusicFest, you and I don’t need to be told that music is important. It’s part of our very being. We sing and play and listen because we can, because we enjoy the singing and the playing and the listening. We also mark our lives with it, from hearing our first lullaby to singing our ABCs to the rebellious music of our teens that ages with us into the nostalgia of our golden years.

Texas. Buddy Holly wasn’t an aberration, nor were Ligntnin’ Hopkins or Bob Wills or Doug Sahm or Waylon Jennings. They were simply doing what we Texans do best: taking old things from different genres and recombining them into something new and fresh. Waylon Jennings, early 1980s, Yet these living histories and cultural roadmaps, though their effects are powerful and easily seen, are themselves ephemeral. When a singer passes on, something of the song dies with him or her,

Music is also a sort of cultural roadmap. It is a language with a universal vocabulary and a grammar that is hard-wired into us, making it the most liquid of cultural currencies. Music is important to scholars for a whole other set of reasons. For one thing, it’s a living history. In the same way it marks us, it marks our times, too, rounding out our understanding of them and of ourselves. Read all the history books you want, but to fully know the Civil War, you have to listen to “Dixie” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Yet music isn’t just a snapshot of the happenings of an era, because it’s one of the forces that helps create events, not merely records them. Music is also a sort of cultural roadmap. It is a language with a universal vocabulary and a grammar that is hard-wired into us, making it the most liquid of cultural currencies. When musicians hear something new, they quickly adopt what they like and then adapt it to what they’re already doing. That’s why Country & Western—with its Celtic melodies and instruments played over polka dance rhythms—reminds us of our ancestors in Eastern Europe and the British Isles. We can hear Scots and Irish pipe melodies in American cowboy songs. And we can hear both blues and gospel in rock and roll.

even though a version of it may be handed down in someone else’s voice or as part of another melody. Years later, we can still infer something about it, but much is lost. Wouldn’t we prefer to hear the song itself in its original incarnation, and not just its barely audible ghost? Here at Texas Tech University, we agree, so we’ve established d the Crossroads Music Archive to do as much h as we can to save the living histories and cul-tural roadmaps of our place, which, as I’ve alreadyy pointed out, is known worldwide for the breadth h and depth of its music.

(Wayne “Hatch” Hatchel Collection)

First, we do what special collection libraries like ours do best: we provide a secure and orderly place for storing papers and books and other musical miscellany. Then, when we can, we invite the musicians to tell their own stories in interviews and oral histories. Finally, we make all that material readily accessible for scholarly research. We’re concentrating on preserving various recordings on older media through digital transfers. We’re also working to make the majority of these materials available on the Internet so that scholars and researchers around the globe can use them in their research. Check us out at www.crossroadsofmusic.ttu.edu or come see our collection in person next time you’re in Lubbock.

Indeed, the more that people from different cultures come together, the richer the music. Nowhere is that more apparent than here in Drop us a note or a phone call! 1-806-742-3749 crossroads.swco@ttu.edu | crossroadsofmusic.ttu.edu Curtis Peoples, Archivist; Elissa Stroman, Library Associate; Andy Wilkinson, Artist in Residence

MusicFestmagazine • 2013

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Two posters from the early 1970s (Michael Martin Murphey Collection)

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demo and rental equipment available only in The Pro Shop. Rossignol. Völkl. K2. Nordica. Salomon. Head. Burton Snowboards. GoPros. A veritable mountain of equipment and accesories tailored just for you and that day’s conditions. All the ﬁnest gear. So if you’re looking for the state of the art in ski and snowboard equipment, look no further than The Pro Shop, located in Gondola Square. CALL 888-754-8447 OR VISIT WWW.THEMUSICFEST.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

Ski Town, U.S.A.

Celebrating

Years of

Ski Town, U.S.A. Photos by Larry Pierce Story by Mike Lane

"Steamboat remains a small Western town... Its residents are worldly because so many of them traveled as competitive skiers and our guests come from all parts of the globe. Which is no surprise to me, since I think the best skiing in the world is right here.â&#x20AC;?

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MusicFestmagazine â&#x20AC;˘ 2013

he image is unforgettable: Cowboys on horseback with skis across their pommels cut a trail through deep powder snow. Behind them stands a weathered barn, and behind the barn looms the snowcovered slopes of the Steamboat Ski Area. The combination—Old West and winter sports— defines better than anything else the unique culture of Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A. Beyond the catchy marketing phrases is a much deeper, more intimate connection to the sport. This town is famous for its Olympians, great snowfalls, family traditions, Western heritage, genuine hospitality, and celebrating the mountain lifestyle. As Tom Bie writes, “Steamboat and its people represent the best of what we all love about mountain towns in America. Here you have the encouragement of a town willing to embrace a sport so strongly that its native sons and daughters will dedicate a lifetime to perfecting it.” It’s a town rich in skiing lore. One of the first ski jumps in the U.S. was built on nearby Howelsen Hill in 1915. Skiing has always been a way of life, and it was the driving reason for Jim Temple’s vision of the Steamboat Ski Resort five decades ago. Steamboat has spent the past 50 years making 165 of the most exhilarating trails in Colorado. Yet today people still insist on making their own.

This town is famous for its Olympians, great snowfalls, family traditions, Western heritage, genuine hospitality, and celebrating the mountain lifestyle. “Steamboat remains a small Western town,” says Billy Kidd, Steamboat’s director of skiing, Olympic silver medalist. and World Champion. “Its residents are worldly because so many of them traveled as competitive skiers and our guests come from all parts of the globe. Which is no surprise to me, since I think the best skiing in the world is right here.” But there’s a lot more to Steamboat than its past, as colorful at that is. The resort’s tree skiing is as good as it gets anywhere in the world, its progressive terrain parks have evolved into some of the best, and the term Champagne Powder® snow was coined right here. The snow that falls on Mt. Werner is abundant, among the driest in the nation, and Steamboat is the only place you’ll experience it. Today, competition remains alive and well, and Steamboat is home to more winter Olympians than any other town in America. And with more than 100 bars and restaurants, it’s easy to find the kind of nighttime adventure you’re looking for.

For a place that feels a million miles away, it sure is easy to reach with nonstop flights from eight major cities, including Dallas and Houston and connecting service from 200-plus more right into Steamboat/Hayden (HDN). The pull of the Rockies is as strong today as it was 50 years ago. The heart and soul of the Yampa Valley draws deeply from the people that call Ski Town, U.S.A., home, whether here for a few days or a lifetime. So come experience Steamboat during our Golden Anniversary, and we’ll welcome you just as the early ski pioneers did. With so much history, you often forget that the best ski days may be yet to come, and your best Steamboat ski day ever may begin this January. Don’t miss the 28th Annual MusicFest! Enjoy a boatload of music while soaking in all that has made Steamboat what it is today. Welcome to the time of your life in SteamboatSki Town, U.S.A.

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The MusicFest

The 28th Annual MusicFest:

The Affordable Festival a True Music Fan Can’t Afford To Miss!

usicFest 2013 will mark the 28th year of this outstanding festival—quite an accomplishment for an event that began simply as a group ski trip hosted by Dickson Productions, a wholesale travel provider that was able and continues to offer condos and ski packages with activities and entertainment at extremelyy affordable g group p rates.

mountain base, from affordable hotels to high-end ski-in/ski-out condos, penthouses, and more. Festivalgoers receive discounts on lift tickets and ski/board rentals, all included in packages that sell out in record-breaking time each year. But that is just the beginning of an almost indescribable music adventure. MusicFest encompasses all of Americana’s various genres and forms on an international vva ar scale, sca sc a drawing thousands of its most dedicated artists and fans to enjoy a six-day, nonstop ar rtit music mu m u marathon in the mountains. With more than tth ha 50 top bands and singer-songwriters on the th he bill, it’s an incredible gathering of talent, and in attendance (including the artists!) is eeveryone ev ve on o n vacation .

The MusicFest is a gathering of like-minded people who seek out real music and, upon finding it, spread the word as far as they can. These artists are constantly passing the bar set before them and then raising it higher. Part of the beauty of MusicFest is capturing these moments in musical history— witnessing these artists grow right before our eyes. In the spirit of artistic independence, the live performances at MusicFest are rooted in artistic freedom, as the artists invite fellow performers and friends onstage to jam, revealing versions of songs that have never been heard before. Artists and fans alike return year after year to indulge in the magnetic camaraderie found only at

The music embraced here isn’t about fads or trends fed to us by radio or TV; it’s about what the fans have chosen as “their music.”

Outdoor Mountain-Sized Concerts.... Good times! Photo by Carl Dunn

Little Li Litt ttle le did did John Joh ohn Dickson Dick Di ckso ck sso on know k ow kn ow that the ski trip would eventuallyy grow to rank as the largestt group ski trip in the country. yy.. The Rankin Twins perform Even more impressive, it would d at The MusicFest Cabin ultimately reign as one of thee Photo by Carl Dunn most prominent and distinctivee Americana music events in thee nation. The ski trip would come to be called From Guy Clark to Randy Rogers, Ray Wylie MusicFest, and its entertainment lineup Hubbard to Dirty River Boys, Robert Earl Keen and celebration of live music are now as to Turnpike Troubadours, Rodney Crowell to immense as the majestic mountains of Uncle Lucius, or Joe Ely to Reckless Kelly, the Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the laid- MusicFest at Steamboat is one of the best back ranching community with a luxurious, opportunities to tune in to the incredible world-class resort and slopes that host Americana music being created today, a MusicFest each January. chance to see genuine legends perform alongside prodigious legends of the future. At MusicFest, Dickson Productions offers The music embraced here isn’t about fads or a range of resort accommodations mostly trends fed to us by radio or TV; it’s about what located within a mile of Steamboat’s the fans have chosen as “their music.”

MusicFest. The dedication of the M Mu ffans fa n and participants at MusicFest i just as authentic as the music is produced on its stages. Real p pr o music, created by real musicians, m results in a powerful bond with rre e followers and fans. MusicFest is fo o made by grounded people, for m grounded people. The variety g gr and an number of performances on an the th lineup is staggering and the th schedule is astounding. sc You won’t see the same ol’ Y lineup every year; the MusicFest lil continues to evolve according to c the artists and audience demand, so there are always new artists and new things happening. There are no dull moments at MusicFest! This festival has heart, which makes it such a unique find among festivals. The MusicFest is history in the making, but it also becomes a significant personal experience for each person in attendance. New friendships and unparalleled music make this a one-of-akind event. If you are a fan of true music, real people, and some of the best times of your life, you really can’t afford to miss it.

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Homemade

Vitamin Waters

eed a refreshing drink to take on the road or cool down with after a show? Before you stop at your favorite gas station to pick up pre-packaged waters, try one of these recipes for homemade vitamin water. Fresh herbs are packed with antioxidants and potent flavors that are best balanced out with fresh fruits or vegetables. If you’re looking for a little bubbly, choose a bottle of sparkling mineral water. And if you’re craving something with a little kick, add in a splash of Deep Eddy Vodka.

Very Green 2 slices cucumber 1 sprig mint 1 wedge of lime, optional 8 to 16 oz. water

Watermelon Fresca 2 thin slices watermelon 4 basil leaves 8 to 16 oz. water

Lemon Rose 1 sprig rosemary 2 slices lemon 8 to 16 oz. water

Thyme for Sweets 2 sprigs thyme 2 slices apple 8 to 16 oz. water

Boost Your Immunity for Late Nights

t’s Friday night, and instead of enjoying your favorite Texas Music under the stars or at a beloved dancehall, you are stuck in bed— sneezing, coughing, and getting acquainted with Purell. It’s time to curtail the common cold or onset of the flu with food! “Let food be thy medicine,” literally. Ditching foods is not the solution; instead, add these top picks to boost your immunity, ward off illness, and keep yourself healthy for a long night of live music:

1. More bugs, please: Fermented foods such as kefir (a yogurt-like drink), yogurt, Goodbelly fruit drinks, miso (yep, as in the soup), sauerkraut, and kimchi (if you can stomach the smell) boost immunity by adding healthy bacteria to your gut. Studies have shown that taking in a cup and a half of probiotic foods per day can boost your immunity and lessen your chances of getting sick.

2. Channel your inner Italian: Daily doses of garlic not only keep coyotes at bay but also the common cold. Just be sure your date is enjoying a daily dose, too!

3. Where’s the beef: Boosting your intake of zinc has been shown to ward off infections, and one of the best sources of this mineral happens to be beef. Just three ounces of zinc provides 30 percent of your daily needs, which can take you from deficient to sufficient.

4. Granddaddy of all greens: Pack in most of your vitamin and mineral needs with a cup of kale. This super green takes the cake in nutrition density to keep your immunity in top shape.

Gingerade 2-inch slice ginger 2 slices lemon 1 tsp honey or stevia to taste 8 to 16 oz. sparkling water

Ginger-Pina 2 wedges pineapple 2-inch slice ginger 8 to 16 oz. water Homemade vitamin waters are perfect for the river, at work, or for kicking back at your favorite concert!

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5. A little “D” is good for all: The sun seems to always shine in Texas; however, we still find folks are falling short in their daily intake of Vitamin D. Monterey Mushrooms are exposed to sunlight and thus pack 100 percent of our daily needs in one serving.

6. Spice it up: Ginger and turmeric are two top picks for boosting your immunity and warding off inflammation. So when you find yourself stumbling in from a long night, pick up some curry on the way home!

7. A little chai to wash it down: All teas have benefits, even our beloved iced tea. Fresh-brewed, loose teas have the greatest potential for antioxidant protection. Diuretic? Not so fast. The water content of brewed teas counteracts the diuretic effect, so fear not and drink up.

8. Kick it off with fiber: Steel-cut oats and barley are packed with fiber and the goodness of beta-glucans, which are antimicrobial and boost antioxidants. Pack in at least one cup per day. (P.S.: The barley in beer doesn’t count. Sorry!) Although it may be feel like a daunting task to pull all of these ingredients together, it’s not! Here’s one of my favorite musician-tested recipes that incorporates quite a few of these ingredients:

Kinky Kale Salad

Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 4 cups kale, stems removed & chopped 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 to 1/2 cup almonds (whole or chopped) Miso Vinaigrette: 1 Tbsp miso paste (prefer yellow, mild miso) 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 tsp Bragg amino acids or light soy sauce 2 tsp canola oil 1 tsp sesame oil (optional) Directions: 1. Place kale into a serving bowl and drizzle with apple cider vinegar. Massage (yes, I said that) the kale and watch as the color brightens! 2. Mix together the miso vinaigrette, top on the salad, and serve with almonds. Top the meal off with grilled steak seasoned with garlic and sautéed mushrooms, a tall glass of brewed iced tea, and finish off with frozen Greek yogurt. Just ask the boys from The Departed what they think of the kinkiness of kale! Now your immune system is getting the jumpstart it needs to keep you healthy throughout the holidays and for MusicFest 2013!

It's All Good Take a Musical Roadtrip p Across the Lone Star State! e! b y D r. G a r y H a r t m a n

hen someone says “Texas music,” many people think of Willie Nelson, George Strait, or the Dixie Chicks. But there’s much more to Texas music than just country. In fact, for many years, the Lone Star State has been home to one of the most dynamic and diverse musical environments on the planet.

area. For example, the exhibit highlights such East Texas artists as blues legend Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, psychedelic-rock icon Janis Joplin, world-famous bluesboogie trio ZZ Top, and Eagles co-founder Don Henley.

The exceptionally wide range of ethnic groups that came to this state brought with them their own unique musical cultures, which they blended together in ways unlike anywhere else. The result is an incredibly complex and varied musical landscape that has existed in Texas over the past 300 years. So, you’re not just bragging when you say Texas music is not like any other kind of music. It’s true.

You’ll learn a lot you probably didn’t dn’t know about the musical history of othe other er parts of the state, too. For example, mple, the exhibit includes rare photos, otos, recordings, stage costumes, and other items illustrating the unique “crosspollination” of musical cultures in South Texas. Among the most popular exhibit items are the accordion that Grammy-

So, you’re not just bragging when you say Texas music is not like any other kind of music. It’s true... The Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University in San Marcos and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin are celebrating the state’s unique musical history with the largest exhibit ever organized on Texas music. The Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University in San Marcos and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin are celebrating the state’s unique musical history with the largest exhibit ever organized on Texas music. The Texas Music Roadtrip exhibit, which runs through October 14, 2012, takes museum visitors on a colorful—and sometimes surprising—voyage through musical back roads and byways to learn what makes Texas music so special. The Texas Music Roadtrip exhibit divides the state into five major regions−East Texas, South Texas, West Texas, North Texas, and Central Texas. Within each region, museum visitors learn about musicians, musical genres, venues, and other points of interest related to that particular

winning accordionist Flaco Jiménez learned to play on as a child. There’s also the steel guitar that Doug Sahm (cofounder of the Texas Tornados)) played when he was only 11. From an original Bob Wills fiddle le to Buddy Holly’s glasses to Natalie lie Maines’s first guitar, thee Texas Music Mu usic Roadtrip includes an eye-popping variety of artifacts, recordings,, images, and otherr items that tell thee story of Texas music. c c. You’ll see Townes Van an n Zandt’s personal guitar taar

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From the top: Big Mama Thornton at the Vulcan Gas Company 1969; Ace in the Hole Band with George Strait Debut at Cheatham Street Warehouse, 10-13-75. Courtesy of Terry Hale; Little Doug Sahm performing on steel guitar, early 1950s (Courtesy of the Sahm Family Archive); Flaco Jimenez's Childhood Accordion courtesy of Marcelo F. Tafoya; Stevie Ray Vaughn's Guitar.

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Kyle Nix of Turnpike Troubadours

Turnpike Troubadours

Dirty River Boys

Six Market Blvd.

by Jessie Scott

t was at MusicFest 2011 in Steamboat Springs that the Turnpike Troubadours stepped onto the stage as newcomers to the scene. It is always a daunting task to walk into where the “cool kids” are and hope to be accepted as part of the community—and further, to find that it is everything you imagined it would be. They played the Big Tent for an early show, so the audience was not yet full-up, not like the packed crowds in the latter part of the evenings of MusicFest. Those of us in attendance were excited by what we saw and heard. We hung out afterwards in the area behind the stage, talking about how wonderful they were. There was no way to know at the time that this was the start of a meteoric rise for the band from Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Sons of Fathers, Six Market Blvd, American Aquarium, Ponderosa, Truth & Salvage Company, The Wheeler Brothers, The Washers. The list is impressive for its volume. It is also interesting to see what varied musical traditions these bands have been tapping for inspiration.

It's been a whirlwind couple of years for the Turnpike Troubadours, but there are also numerous other emerging acts making music—as the song from the Loving Spoonful, “Nashville’s Cats,” notes—“as clean as country water, as wild as mountain dew.” The Damn Quails, The Dirty River Boys, Thieving Birds, Uncle Lucius,

music—on the web, in music mags, on TV shows that profess to be breaking the “next big thing,” even some of the stuff heard these days on mainstream country radio—this new wave serves as a counterpoint.

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If there is a common thread, it is homage to some of the rock traditions of the 1960s and ’70s. Whether it comes from the Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street, Gram Parsons marrying country and rock, the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, or Lynyrd Skynyrd for multiple interpretations of Southern Rock, you can observe the freewheeling spirit inherent in much of the music today, no matter the style in which it is delivered. With the seeming ubiquity of pop

It was 12 years ago that O Brother, Where Art Thou?

debuted in theaters with a soundtrack capturing the national attention, rekindling the fire that burns for our original American musical traditions. The “Big Bang” of American music started expanding and morphing as early as we immigrated here, with the cross-pollination

Dirty River Boys at the MusicFest Cabin.

Georgia,” while it adds a modern story with a Celtic twist for a dose of sheer infectious intensity. You will find in this crop of newcomers that the well is very deep, and all the flavors are represented in the mix.

Kevin Galloway of Uncle Lucius at the MusicFest

Folk Family Revival

The Thieving Birds

of Native American, African American, and European cadences, syncopations, rhythms, and vocals. This gave life to blues, country, rock and roll, and jazz, and the vibrancy of it inspires to this day. Trends come and go with each new decade, and the flavors seem to get pulled apart and combined differently each time they come back together. In the latest incarnation, rock-and-

roll song structure and energy can be delivered as easily with acoustic instrumentation as it can with electric. It can infuse other, more straight-laced forms. Time was that bluegrass and folk were parochial schools of endeavor; you had to do them with the appropriate structure to be acceptable. Now you can rock out anything, and that just frees up everything. The Turnpike Troubadours are masters at bringing that energy and walking with a swagger. On one of my recent road trips, their Texas Radio hit song “Gin, Smoke, Lies” came on in my car, and I found myself singing along at the top of my lungs. What a hook, what a sound. I think that back in the old days, this would have been a giant hit on mainstream country radio. But for today, is it just too gritty and too real? Does mainstream radio even play cheatin’ songs at all anymore? Digging deeper into the Goodbye Normal Street album, there are other titles that quicken the pulse, especially “Before The Devil Knows We’re Dead.” It brings the intensity of the quintessential Charlie Daniels fiddle tune “The Devil Went Down To

Uncle Lucius is about to deliver a new album, and they bring in horns, funk, and some serious testifying. Uncle Lucius resides in a sweet jamming Southern Rock space, in direct lineage from the ’60s and ’70s. Sons of Fathers harken back to some tasty Beatles harmonics as they deliver drama and hooks galore amidst the engaging harmonies of David Beck and Paul Cauthen; their second album is slated for summer release. Ponderosa, from Atlanta, Georgia, has haunting Everly Brothers vocals woven into a rich, sonic tapestry for their forthcoming album. The Dirty River Boys strip it down to elemental, acoustic sounds while delivering an impossible-to-ignore joy, and enough energy to ignite any listener; they, too, have a new album coming soon. The Damn Quails, on Mike McClure’s Boo Hatch Record label, hypnotize with

Turnpike Troubadours Photo by Beth Bradford

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MusicFest Artists’ Tribute to a Legend:

Townes Van Zandt b y J o h n T. D a v i s

he late, great Townes Van Zandt exerted an influence on fellow songwriters that far outstripped his relatively brief life. Though born to an affluent Texas dynasty, Van Zandt spent the lion’s share of his 53 years living the hardscrabble life of an itinerant troubadour. “I don’t envision a very long life for myself,” he told a documentary filmmaker. “I think my life will run out before my work does. I’ve designed it that way.”

been covered by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, Norah Jones, the Cowboy Junkies, Toby Keith, Emmylou Harris, and a host of others. In the process, he became the standard-bearer for at least two generations of Texas singer-songwriters. It is in that spirit that the 2013 MusicFest will be honoring Van Zandt and his musical legacy at its annual “Tribute To A Legend” show during the January festi-

“But I feel that 50 years from now he will be as widely known everywhere as he is here (in Austin), as being in the league of Dylan and Hank and Woody Guthrie.” And so it did. Van Zandt died of a heart attack on New Year’s Day in 1997. But in his time, Van Zandt created a catalog of indelible songs, including “Pancho and Lefty,”“To Live’s To Fly,”“If I Needed You,” “For the Sake of the Song,” and many more. Though he never had a hit himself, his songs have

val, which is now in its 28th year. This coming year’s event will be held January 5-10, 2013, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. “Townes set such a high bar, as a writer and poet, that it influenced me,” said MusicFest founder and producer John Dickson. “I appreciate a well-written song, and Townes’ music was amazing. He’s influenced people worldwide. He had so much respect from songwriters from all over.” Cody Canada, Corb Lund, Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen and others (including Townes’s son, J.T. Van Zandt) will be performing the TVZ songs that have touched and influenced them. The show will be recorded and turned into a live album, to be released later in the year. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to J.T. Van Zandt’s selected charity, The Friends of the Ark (www.friendsoftheark.org), an animal rescue and education program based in Port Aransas, Texas.

Townes Solo. Photo by Gary Stevens, Stevens Stills of Tulsa Oklahoma

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Past “Tribute To A Legend” events have honored Rodney Crowell,

Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Billy Joe Shaver, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, among others. Van Zandt is the first posthumous honoree. But he’ll be there in spirit. Although he was Texan by birth, from an esteemed Lone Star family—Van Zandt County, east of Dallas, was named for them— Townes Van Zandt spent several formative years living and touring in Colorado (and writing songs about the place, too: “Snowin’ On Raton,” “Colorado Girl,” and “Columbine”). “It’s neat that this event is happening in Colorado,” said J.T., who will be making his first MusicFest appearance. “My dad lived in Boulder as a child, and then he moved back to go to college and met my mom at C.U. At different times, he went up and worked as a wrangler in Gunnison and Crested Butte. Although we have a deep Texas heritage, Colorado is probably our favorite state. To have the event take place in Colorado just adds a new layer of satisfaction.” And, J.T. added, his dad would have been tickled by the attention. “Townes was a very modest and humble guy, so any time that anyone, including the general public, but also established music organizations, would honor him, he was always deeply touched by that sort of recognition." “I’ve seen him being approached by fans after his shows and I know that he was very honored whenever people wanted to celebrate his music. He would be extremely proud and honored by this event.”

kinson continued, “But I feel that 50 years from now he will be as widely known everywhere as he is here (in Austin), as being in the league of Dylan and Hank and Woody Guthrie.”

Photo by John Lomax III

Part of the pleasure of listening to Van Zandt is savoring the unalloyed affection he had for words and images. Guy Clark—no slouch as a songwriter himself— recalled that when he first encountered Van Zandt and lines like “The clouds didn’t look like cotton/They didn’t even look like clouds,” he was floored. And not a little bit intimidated. Even a brief survey of Van Zandt’s body of work reveals small, gemlike artifacts that haunt long after first hearing: “There ain’t no dark til something shines”…“Days up and down they come/Like rain on a conga drum”… “The dust that Pancho bit down south/Ended up in Lefty’s mouth”…“It won’t be long before I’ll be tying on my flying shoes.”

Ask any performer at MusicFest for a favorite TVZ song or story, and every one of them could probably pull one out of his or her pocket. Van Zandt’s influence went that deep and wide.

Townes Van Zandt, Margaret "Mimi" Lomax (John Lomax's mom), Toni & Lightnin' Hopkins in Lomax's backyard on Vanderbilt St.

Journalist Brian T. Atkinson, who last year compiled the oral history I’ll Be Here In the Morning: The Songwriting Legacy of Townes Van Zandt, said: “Music never sounded the same to me since I discovered him. Since then, it’s been everybody else and Townes. Even people like Guy Clark and Paul Simon and other personal favorites who are the pinnacle of songwriting to me—Townes is way above. He’s something else. “I don’t want to make any great Steve Earle-like pronouncements (Earle famously ranked Van Zandt above Bob Dylan),” At-

Townes & Caddo Parish Studdard III at Liberty Hall, 1971.

Photo by John Lomax III

Guy Clark & Townes Van Zandt, La Zona Rosa, Austin, Texas, 1993. Photo by John T. Davis

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Continued from page 25

(Ful disclosure here: His lovely waltz, “No Place To Fall,” with a lovely cou(Full plet of its own, “If I had no place to fall/And I needed to/Could I count on you/To you lay me down,” was the first dance at my wedding.) “No Place To Fall,” and other gently evocative love songs like “If I Needed You” and “Still Lookin’ For You” were one side of Van Zandt’s musical ca coin. The flip side could be as bleak and pitiless as mortal sin: the despoiled, young prostitute of “Tecumseh Valley”; the dead homeless de woman and her dead child of “Marie”; the slo-mo, first-person suicide w of “Waiting ’Round To Die.” Those, too, were part of his worldview. o Although their subject matters might be violently oppositional, A Van Zandt’s best songs (and there are hardly any duds) all have one V thing in common, explained J.T.: “I think he left behind a group of songs that are very essential in human emotions. He was someone who really sacrificed a lot to get at the basis of what we’re doing here and what it means.”

Townes Van Zandt. Sake of the Song.

He added: “Townes’ writing touched on a lot of emotions that might mean different things to different people. If you become a Townes Van Zandt fan, it’s something that’s very personal to you.”

Photo by Jerry Click

C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 21

their magnificent vocal harmonies and solid songwriting and playing. Six Market Blvd jams the guitar at the same time Clayton Landau delivers melancholy vocals. L.A.’s Truth & Salvage Company takes you directly back to the kind of Southern boogie that rocks your soul and makes you dance. American Aquarium, from Raleigh, North Carolina, lays down fat instrumentation as the band follows a similar sensibility to the Drive-By Truckers. Austin’s own Wheeler Brothers meld modern folkie chops with indie rock for an engaging sound. The Washers come from the Texas Gulf Coast, with a mix of folk, country, rock, and four lead singers, plus complex backup vocals.

Photo by Beth Bradford

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Once upon a time in Austin, Texas, Willie Nelson made peace between the rednecks and the hippies, healing their cultural rift with music. The distant echoes of that moment can be found in the newly minted wave today. Whether you call it country, rock, bluegrass, folk, Americana, Red Dirt, or Texas music, at the end of the day, does a name really matter? Maybe it should be left for future music historians to name the era that is being born today. It is coming from everywhere at once, and is a many-splendored thing, indeed. Long may it wave.

What They're Saying 'Bout

MusicFest

"People that you would never think to see together, you see all in one place." Jason Eady - MusicFog.com "MusicFest is such a magical experience and we truly appreciate everything this festival does for us and our music. Can’t wait for many more great years and memories." Wade Bowen

"…As we get settled here at home and back to real life, I’ve had a chance to think about all the great things and people that we met along the way and the word that comes to mind is “genuine.” Genuine music and genuine people. Lacking were commercial overtones and money making mindset that so often comes with these types of events. Thank you for staying true… It’s apparent that Dickson Productions is a Class Act!" Todd D. "We all really did “have a ball!” Gary P. Nunn Our group would like to pass on our appreciation to all Dickson Productions staff for another successful ski trip. It was well organized, affordable, and most of all super fun! Vanessa C. "It’s amazing to get up on stage and see people that are so stoked, and have come so far, just to hang out and see good music." Sean McConnell - MusicFog.com "Prior to the trip I had not heard of many of the groups, but now I can say I am a fan. The small intimate settings were perfect. It was like having a concert in the backyard with some good friends. We never imagined having such great fun and plenty of memories." Katie & Mickey M.

Photo: Todd Purifoy

The MusicFest

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MY Other GiG By Matt Medearis of the Roger Creager Band

mpty, crimson-stained wine bottles litter the concrete countertops in my Tomball, Texas, home. As steam billows from the stainless stock pot, I score my first bottle and dip it into the boiling water. One-1000, two-1000, three-1000, four-1000, five1000. I remove the bottle and slowly lower it into a red Chenel vase, half-filled with an ice water bath. As the score in the bottle meets the arctic water, I hear the sound of creativity and a new beginning. I have never aspired to be a writer, and this is my first creative action on paper that has not involved charcoal or oil pastels. Writing this article has proved difficult for me as I try to keep an organized thought while being a husband, daddy, musician, PADI scuba instructor, glass artist, movie producer/director, and a chef.

Matt Medearis'

Other Gig

The assumption that musician s do ‘nothing but music’ could not be furthe truth. There are amazing acc r from the artists achieve and remarkab omplishments le talents that go unnoticed. In this faction of mu sicians there are quarterbacks, yodelers, che erleaders, chefs, charity leaders, bull rid ers and mountain climbers. Here’s to artists wh o continue to break barriers and set standard s. to make pendant lights to match, but I didn’t know how to cut or how to inscribe my initials on the bottles. I began researching and then started practicing. I shattered, cracked, and destroyed a plethora of bottles. I had plastic bins full of broken glass, but after a few months I could cut a clean bottle 99% of the time. I found that diamond bits and a Dremel tool etch glass nicely, and soon I was making wind chimes, patio lanterns, tiki torches, pendant lights, and chandeliers. You can see some of my work on my website: www.rareetchings.com.

Music has always been embedded in my soul like the feeling you get when you hold your first-born. It has presented experiences that are incomprehensible to people with “normal” jobs.

Music has always been embedded in my soul like the feeling you get when you hold your first-born. It has presented experiences that are incomprehensible to people with “normal” jobs. I’ve met some of my best friends, lived life unconditionally through the high times and the lows, like the first diaper you change, and it’s been a great ride. Music has led my scattered brain to an abundance of hobbies that usually develop into more than just hobbies.

I started teaching scuba in 1997. Marine biology has been an intriguing subject to me since I was young. Leaping off a boat into the crystalblue waters of Cozumel is a feeling that cannot be imagined unless you experience it yourself. I started teaching to help people understand the importance of our oceans and to give them a gift they would never forget. It all began when I was in high school. A new dive shop in town was having a grand opening. A local radio station was doing a live-remote, and they announced a contest to the listeners: The first person to walk in wearing a maroon swimsuit would receive a free scuba certification class. I was 16 years old and happened to be driving by a Walmart. I grew up in College Station, and you could find anything and everything in maroon anywhere. I grabbed some swim trunks and drove over to the shop and won the contest. After my certification class, I became friends with the instructors and started taking more classes. I worked up to Instructor and started teaching at age 19. It was a great job for a young man in college—but then I met Roger Creager and moved on to what most of you already know about me.

Cutting and etching glass is my most recent adventure. It began by building the bar that connects to my outdoor kitchen. I mortared wine bottles into the front of the bar and illuminated it from the back. I wanted

Most musicians have met my parents, Teresa and Larry Medearis (Mammy and Pops), and probably ate some of their incredible food. I’ve been homeschooled in culinary arts since I was a little boy, and when we moved to

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MY Other GiG Tomball, Texas, in 2007, I enrolled in the culinary program at the Art Institute. I had been hired to cater small luncheons for doctors’ offices around the Brazos Valley by a good friend, and decided I wanted to go to the next level. The next level required more knowledge and diversity. I could throw-down on home-cooked country food, but I lacked the skills to develop menus for any other genre of food. School was exciting, new, and brought together great chefs from every corner of the world. I learned a lot and started a larger operation catering to more than 400 per night. It was a great experience and a ton of work, but it was too much to continue while playing music full-time. I gave up the big gigs, but continue to do smaller functions, such as wine pairings and special occasions. I could write a small article on each of my other gigs, or simply, my passion to learn new ways to express creativity. I enjoy figuring out how something was made or how to make something that would be better than the commercial product offered. I put out a movie in 2003 about the growing Texas music scene called In The Band. It was not anything I had any experience in doing, but I researched and learned about how to do it. Learning the skills needed to express creativity is more than half of the battle, and I am always learning.

I shattered, cracked, and destroyed a plethora of bottles... soon I was making wind chimes, patio lanterns, tiki torches, pendant lights, and chandeliers.

Travis Stearns' Tools of the Trade

By Travis Stearns of the Dirty River Boys

i, my name is Travis Stearns and I play the wood box with the Dirty River Boys from El Paso, Texas. The instrument is actually called a cajon, which means “box” in Spanish, although I call it a wood box. I had never heard of the wood box until three years ago; before that, I played drums for various artists and was also a road pirate. My DRB brother, Nino Cooper, is actually the guy who first introduced me to the cajon. When we first started playing together in El Paso, we had lots of gigs in hotel restaurants. These venues usually set us up in a corner, where there just wasn’t enough room to for a drum kit. A local El Paso drummer often played the cajon for the same types of shows, and he loaned me his box for a gig so I could try it out. Well, I broke the damn thing the first time I tried playing it. But after that first show, I realized that I didn’t need a drum set, although it was about a year before I totally ditched it in favor of the cajon.

The wood box definitely isn’t designed to be played for 90 straight minutes, five nights a week, but it is still the main part of my setup. As the months went on, the cajon began taking a toll on my hands and back, so I brought out a Ludwig Maple snare drum to avoid being hunched over the cajon for hours at a time. In the last year, I’ve gotten my hands on mandolin and banjo during our shows. Playing those string instruments gives me an opportunity during the set to stand up and stretch my back. The wood box definitely isn’t designed to be played for 90 straight minutes, five nights a week, but it is still the main part of my setup. I had never spoken or sung into a microphone until we first started touring as the Dirty River Boys. I’m not sure why I do it either—probably the whiskey, which is another key to my endurance on stage. I play a MEINL Headliner Series cajon, but modify mine to handle the intense stress I put on it each night. I buy sheets of quarter-inch birch from Home Depot and fashion my own front plates. These plates, which are a little thicker than the plates that ship with a cajon, usually last about half a year and can take a beating from my hands, wire brushes (barbecue basters), and even the fat side of a drumstick. Inside the cajon, I place a Shure SM-57 instrument microphone to pick up the higher tones and an Audix D112 kick mic on the back hole for the rumbling bass. Other instrumentation includes tambourine, harmonicas, and cigarettes. That’s the story of my setup and how I get my sound.

Photos by Marshall Foster

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In the Studio

Cody Canada

& The Departed: Advent¯us by Jessie Scott

playing what you want with whom you want, carving out a road family fueled by mutual appreciation for one another’s talents and camaraderie.

The guys came back into master control to listen to the track with co-producer Adam Odor. They all looked down at their respective electronic devices while the music was on. It reminded me of the old days of doing

Each of us experiences a series of eras. The urge for betterment spurs us all. This is especially true for those creative folks among us. Adam Odor framed the process: “The band had the last year and a half to lock in, to find out who they are and what they are together. That’s the way they did it in the old days, when a band would get signed to a label. The A&R guy (Artist and Repertoire) would let them tour for a year or so before he took them in the studio to record. That is what is happening with The Departed. These guys are all so good, the musicianship and the songs, and that is a rare thing when you have them both.”

n a steamy day in Austin, Texas, I slipped into the quiet lounge at Yellow Dog Studios. There was a reverent hush, one that puts you in mind of a sacred service. When the studio door opened, a song tumbled out: “Better get right, before the Lord gets ready.” It was a gospel-drenched refrain—deliberate, soulful stuff. Through the glass, The Departed was playing live, facing one another in a circle, with Steve Littleton on Hammond B3 in a separate room, and Seth James singing with a world-weary voice in the booth.

Cody Canada took it further: “For this Co album, we were ready to roll. When we al started practicing, there was the feeling st

ends e Departed and fri Cody Canada & Th ios in Austin, Tx at Yellow Dog Stud

Dual leads WOW The MusicFest. Photo b Ph by TTodd dd P Purifoy if

Talk about bounty: The as-yet-unnamed album is likely to be 18 tracks deep. The band members—Cody Canada, Seth James, Jeremy Plato, Steve Littleton, and new drummer Chris Doege—have never before started the recording process with so many songs. They have worked collaboratively, bringing thoughts, phrases, verses, and riffs together. This project, this band, is a testament to

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that we are honored to be doing this together. Doing other people’s songs for the first album, This Is Indian Land, gave us time to let the new stuff percolate. There are some really intricate songs, and so far, we have only played a couple of them out in public.” Expect a fall release for the new album. The music rocks, shimmies, simmers, in the Texas sun. There is a new day coming from Cody Canada & The Departed.

“The band had the last year and a half to lock in, to find out who they are and what they are together. That’s the way they did it in the old days, when a band would get signed to a label."

Photo by Matt Naftis

homework with the radio on on. The older generation could never get their heads wrapped around the idea that you can do visual stuff while you are listening. Adam whispered in my ear that Cody Canada & The Departed are making a straight-up rock record this time around, tapping into the eternal emotions and sonics that have informed the great American musical styles from the start.

Cody Canada, MusicFest 2012

Making of the Record

Dirty River Boys: The Science of Flight

he Dirty River Boys are paving their own road as they travel it. Above all is their belief in their music. There is a magic to being in the right place with the right stuff at the right time, too. One Wednesday night after a Cory Morrow show at the State Line in El Paso, Cory and the band, plus manager Patrick Dean, made their way over to Aceitunas, where the Dirty River Boys were playing. Dean got their info. He

by Jessie Scott

years ago, when Marco Gutierrez quit his job and school to join the band. “We had to go against full bands in El Paso, us with three people with acoustic instruments. It shows if you are consistent and serious about your music, you can really make it. We put our hearts out there every night. People see that.” They added an upright bass player about a year and a half ago. Colton James joined for a 90-minute

“We had heard about it, but we didn’t know the immensity, with the audience and the bands. The second time, it was like a family. And people come up to us no matter where we play now and say they saw us in Steamboat.”

Dirty River Boys tracking their new record in the studio. Photos by Marshall Foster

called a couple of weeks later and got them to send some material. Then he booked some shows for them. Their very first Austin gig was a happy hour set at Lustre Pearl. The music was energetic and infectious, stripped-down acoustic. The joy was unmistakable. The band migrated to Austin shortly thereafter, where they thrive in the strong sense of community. “There aren’t battles between bands here,” they say. “If you are in a band in El Paso, everybody is fighting over the same few gigs. Also, being in Austin, with so many great bands, it makes you up your game.” Travis Stearns and Nino Cooper met through the music scene in El Paso. They started gigging every once in a while as they waited patiently for the opportunity to dedicate themselves to music 24/7. The Dirty River Boys trio formed three

It shows if you are consistent and serious about your music, you can really make it. We put our hearts out there every night. set at the River Road Icehouse. It was a trial by fire, and a foursome was born. When I visited Yellow Dog Studio to see Marco, Nino, Travis, and C.J. in action, they were 75% through tracking their new album, laying down 15 tracks in five days. They played everything on the album themselves, only bringing in Kim Deschamps for pedal steel. Expect surprises: Wurlitzer, marching drum sounds, train whistles. They recorded

with the idea of being able to recreate it on stage. There was even a rattlesnake brought in for sound effects, but don’t expect them to travel with that. Their travels have added 100,000 miles on the van. When they played MusicFest at Steamboat Springs the first time, they were stoked: “We had heard about it, but we didn’t know the immensity, with the audience and the bands. The second time, it was like a family. And people come up to us no matter where we play now and say they saw us in Steamboat.” The new album will be out in September. The Dirty River Boys describe it as Western, Fat, and Rock and Roll. “This time, we made a record. We built it, recording the parts ourselves. This is a band record. We are really excited about it.”

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inyl V Featured Artist Top 10 Vinyls: Turnpike Troubadours Music

R.C. Edwards

Kyle Nix

Gabe Pearson

Ryan Engleman

Evan Felker

11. Red Headed Stranger

21. Remain in Light

31. Okie from Muskogee

41. Ridin’ High

Habits Old and New Hank Williams, Jr.

The Last Waltz The Band

...And Out Come the Wolves Rancid

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams

Sticky Fingers The Rolling Stones

Live at the Old Quarter Townes Van Zandt

Hit by a Train Old 97's

Shotgun Willie Willie Nelson

Soul Journey Gillian Welch

10. Add it Up (1981-1993) Violent Femmes

Check out these new releases online

Willie Nelson

12. 24 of Hank Williams’ Greatest Hits Hank Williams, Sr.

Talking Heads

22. The Royal Scam Steely Dan

23. Joshua Judges Ruth Lyle Lovett

13. Sweetheart of the Rodeo The Byrds

14. Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

Rage Against The Machine

17. Abbey Road The Beatles

18. Revival Gillian Welch

19. Greatest Hits

Little Feat

George Strait

Buck Owens

Doug Kershaw

33. Elvis Presley

43. Train a Comin’ Steve Earle

Bob Wills

Captain Beefheart

The Rolling Stones

The Explorers Club

Merle Haggard

Gillian Welch

46. Viva Terlingua

Dwight Yoakam

Jerry Jeff Walker

37. Seasons In the Abyss

Steely Dan

Slayer

28. GP Gram Parsons

29. Northern Lights, Southern Cross The Band

47. Mark Twang John Hartford

38. Queens of the Stone Age

48. Townes Van Zandt Townes Van Zandt

Queens Of The Stone Age

39. Me & Chet

30. The Leprechaun

Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins

Chick Corea

40. Phases and Stages

Wade Bowen – The Given Corb Lund – Cabin Fever The Trishas – High, Wide & Handsome Dirty River Boys – Science of Flight – 9/11 Ryan Bingham – Tomorrowland – 9/18

45. Soul Journey

36. Dwight Live

27. Pretzel Logic

Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band

44. Sticky Fingers

35. Motorcycle Cowboy

26. Grand Hotel

20. The Mountain

42. Alive and Pickin’

34. For the Last Time

25. Clear Spot

Levon Helm

16. Rage Against The Machine

Jerry Jeff Walker

32. Together Again Elvis Presley

24. Sailin’ Shoes

Marty Robbins

15. Dirt Farmer

Merle Haggard

49. Hit By a Train Old 97’s

50. Searchin’ for a Rainbow Marshall Tucker Band

Willie Nelson

Chris Knight – Little Victories – 9/11 Uncle Lucius – And You Are Me – 8/28 Kasey Chambers – Storybook – 7/31 The Departed – Adventūs – Fall 2012 Randy Rogers Band – TROUBLE – 2/2013

C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 19

Texas Music Roadtrip a and handwritten lyrics to his classic tune, “For the Sake of o the Song,” and an item that stops almost all visitors in their tracks: Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Old Number One” guitar, t which he played on most of his recordings and at most of his w performances. This is the first time Vaughan’s guitar has been pe seen see by the public since his 1990 death in a helicopter crash.

For more information on the exhibit and the concert series, please see: www.thestoryoftexas.com/the_museum/texas-music-roadtrip.html

For more information about the Center for Texas Music History and all of its programs, visit: www.txstate.edu/ ctmh or contact:

As “The LLive Music Capitol of the World,” Austin takes center stage. For example, tthe exhibit demonstrates how 1970s “progressive country” blended together country, blues, rock and roll, and other styles in local clubs, such as the Armadillo World Headquarters, Antone’s, and Soap Creek Saloon. In addition to vintage photos and musical instruments, the exhibit includes a book of songs handwritten by Willie Nelson when he was only 10 years old! The Texas Music Roadtrip exhibit showcases nearly 200 rare historical artifacts from hundreds of musicians, dance halls, recording studios, and other places associated with Texas music. The exhibit covers blues, jazz, ragtime, R&B, country, Tejano, classical, rock and roll, rap, and virtually every type of music found in Texas. The exhibit also includes a free live music series featuring some of the state’s most talented performers.

Dr. Gary Hartman, Director Center for Texas Music History Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 gh08@txstate.edu (512) 245-3749

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

2013 MusicFest Tribute Artist

Townes o es Van a Zandt March 7, 1944 - January 1, 1997 Releases: In the Beginning (2003), Together at the Bluebird Café with Guy Clark and Steve Earle (2001), Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings (2001), In Pain (1999), A Far Cry From Dead (1999), Last Rights (1997), The Highway Kind (1997), Abnormal (1996), No Deeper Blue (1994), Rear View Mirror (1993), The Nashville Session (1993), Roadsongs (1993), Rain on a Conga Drum: Live in Berlin (1991), Live and Obscure (1989), At My Window (1987), Flyin’ Shoes (1978), Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas (1977), High, Low and in Between (1972), Delta Momma Blues (1971), Townes Van Zandt (1969), Our Mother the Mountain (1969), For the Sake of the Song (1968).

or any music enthusiast, the name is well revered and instantly recognizable: Townes Van Zandt has become a class all his own. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1944, Van Zandt was attracted to music very early by listening to Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. By the mid-1960s, he had moved to various cities throughout the Southwest, eventually residing in Houston. Van Zandt began playing regularly at spots throughout the Houston music scene, where he met other like-minded musicians such as Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rodney Crowell, Doc Watson, and one of his primary influences: Lightnin’ Hopkins. With the help and guidance of all these musicians, Van Zandt continued to develop his own unique songwriting, and by the 1970s, he had become a major figure in the country and Americana music scenes. He released numerous albums throughout his lifetime, but his most influential would be Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas, as it captured Townes Van Zandt with just his guitar in a very intimate atmosphere. His songs have inspired countless generations of musicians and will continue to do so—his quality of songwriting has proved timeless alongside the works of his influences, all of which make him the cultural icon he is today.

Photo by Susan Roads susanroads.com www.susanroads.com

Photo by Gary Stevens

Photo by Susan Roads www.susanroads.com

John Townes Van Zandt Years at MusicFest: 2013 Debut MusicFest Artist.

John Townes “J.T.” Van Zandt grew up learning ﬁrsthand knowledge about the highs and lows of the music business from his legendary father. While J.T. works hard to maintain and honor his family name, he has also managed to develop his own identity in the music scene by writing and performing his own music alongside that of his dad. J.T. and his wife, Brittney, are also the proud parents of a brand new baby boy, John Townes Van Zandt III. Come January, J.T. will be performing at a special MusicFest Tribute to honor his father’s name and legacy.

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2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Bri Bagwell

Releases: Beautiful Day (2009), Good Times (2004), Charlie Robison Live (2003), Step Right Up (2001), Life of the Party (1998), Bandera (1996). Years at MusicFest: 5

Releases: Banned From Santa Fe (2011). Years at MusicFest: 2

Sporting high-heeled boots and a contagious smile, Bri Bagwell performs her music with the kind of enthusiasm that immediately enchants an audience. Bagwell was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to a musical family that has always encouraged her to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter. As a teenager, she performed alongside her identical-twin brothers in diﬀerent bands at venues throughout the Southwest. Bagwell then relocated to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where she learned to play guitar after playing piano/keyboards for years. She has since become a regular participant and performer in the Texas music scene, opening for many of her inﬂuences and contemporaries, such as Miranda Lambert, Randy Rogers Band, Sean McConnell, Stoney LaRue, Josh Grider, and more. Since graduating from the University of Texas in 2009, Bagwell has continued to devote her time to writing and performing her catchy, original tunes. She was recently added to the William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) booking roster, signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and has a new album in the making.

Charlie Robison Throughout his career, Charlie Robison has forged his own path within the country music world, as well as within the scenes of Lone Star music and popular music at large. He grew up in the small scenic town of Bandera in the Texas Hill Country, where his family has ranched the land for eight generations. Music wasn’t just a staple around the Robison household; even before he could walk, he would spend Saturday nights with his parents at The Cabaret, a local dancehall in downtown Bandera. But the fare playing in the family home ran the gamut from rock ’n’ roll to singer-songwriters and much more. Robison’s debut album, aptly titled Bandera and released on the tiny Austin Vireo Records label, was a potent opening salvo that included such Robison favorites as the rowdy nightlife celebration “Barlight” and “Red Letter Day.” Since his debut album, Robison has continued to tour and release new material. His latest effort, Beautiful Day (2009), exemplifies his fine songwriting abilities as he evokes emotional and passionate content while combining the sounds of country music and rock ’n’ roll into a product simply described as American music.

Casey Donahew Band Band Members: Casey Donahew, J.J. Soto, TAZ, Steve Stone, Josh Moore, A.C. Copeland. Releases: Double-Wide Dream (2011), Moving On (2009), Live-Raw-Real in the Ville (2009), Casey Donahew Band (2006), Lost Days (2006). Years at MusicFest: 3

This Burleson, Texas, native has been making a name for himself in the Texas-Red Dirt music scene for the past decade, and with the monumental success of his latest recording, Double-Wide Dream, the name is no longer a secret. Casey Donahew has been writing songs since high school and began performing in college at small parties and bars. Donahew and his band performed night after night with the same intensity, intimacy, and passion that they do today, a trademark of their live shows. Donahew’s new album covers a broad range of material and emotions, displaying a sense of maturity in his songwriting that can only be acquired through the experiences of living, loving, and losing—he has no doubt done his fair share of all three in his life and career. Donahew and his band now are performing before thousands at festivals and arenas throughout Texas and the Midwest. Donahew says, “I think we deﬁnitely make music for our fans, and we don’t worry about much else except making the fans happy and making ourselves happy, and we’ve been real fortunate in doing that.” www.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

Cody Johnson Band

Cody Canada and The Departed Band Members: Cody Canada, Seth James, Steve Littleton, Jeremy Plato, Chris Doege. Releases: Adventūs (Fall, 2012) This Is Indian Land (2011). Years at MusicFest: 3 (Canada and Plato: 11)

A unique alliance of quality, accomplished musicians that have basically grown up and matured with one another, Cody Canada and The Departed have been creating quite a buzz since the first appearance together at MusicFest three years ago. The group consists of Cody Canada along with former Cross Canadian Ragweed bandmate Jeremy Plato, as well as guitarist Seth James, B-3 organ player Steve Littleton, and drummer Chris Doege. The group’s debut album, This Is Indian Land, allowed the band to pay tribute to the Oklahoma songwriters who have been their lifelong inspirations, such as Kevin Welch, Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, and others. Each song on the album has a reason for being included, but the band really savors the flavor that they are allowed to record the songs in the manner that they wanted to, which makes the album an artistic expression that does not confine the band to one particular genre or style of music. Cody Canada and the Departed just finished recording a new album of their own material, which will be released in the fall of 2012.

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Band Members: Cody Johnson, Nathan Reedy, Jeﬀ Smith, Joey Pruski, Jody Bartula. Releases: A Diﬀerent Day (2011), Six Strings, One Dream (2009). Years at MusicFest: 2

Voted by Texas Regional Music Awards as “New Male Vocalist of the Year–2011,” Cody Johnson and the Rockin’ CJB have begun their campaign of taking music to the masses. Touring in support of his latest eﬀort, A Diﬀerent Day, Cody Johnson has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the Nashville music scene as well the Texas-Red Dirt scene, captivating audiences along the way. With popular songs such as “Pray for Rain,” “Texas Kind of Way,” and “Nobody to Blame,” Cody’s songwriting is honest, infectious, and catchy, leaving audience members singing and shouting-out along with Johnson as he performs. Whether it’s an acoustic show or full-on electric performance, Johnson holds nothing back because he knows the crowd came to be entertained; he is grateful for the opportunity to perform and shows his appreciation by giving it his all. Cody Johnson and the Rockin’ CJB have become a hot commodity during the week of MusicFest, so make sure not to miss out on his entertaining performance.

2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Dirty River Boys Band Members: Nino Cooper, Travis Stearns, Marco Gutierrez, Colton James. Releases: Train Station (EP, 2011), Long Cold Fall (EP, 2010). Years at MusicFest: 3

The Dirty River Boys make music with the type of sound and texture soaked in the realities of the hardscrabble city they call home in the far West Texas desert. Members Nino Cooper, Travis Stearns, Marco Gutierrez, and newest member Colton James have quickly become renowned for their rousing live performances, which display the band’s unique four-part harmonies, aggressive virtuosity, and potent acoustic instrumentation. By utilizing traditional folk instruments with rock and bluegrass arrangements, they are blazing a trail marked with their own, unique style of music. The Dirty River Boys’ style blows away any preconceived notions of what acoustic music can be. Fans enthusiastically embraced the band’s ﬁrst two EPs; now with the powerful live shows becoming the group’s signature trademark, there is a growing anticipation for their full-length LP, due sometime in the fall of 2012.

FOLK FAMILY REVIVAL

Cory Morrow Releases: Brand New Me (2010), Rambling’ Man (EP, 2010), Vagrants & Kings (2008), Ten Years (2007), Live From Austin, TX: Cory Morrow (CD/DVD, 2007), Nothing Left To Hide (2005), Full Exposure (2003), Cory Morrow Band (2003), Outside the Lines (2002), Man That I’ve Been (2001), Double Exposure (2000). Years at MusicFest: 13

With a catalog of 10 full-length albums, 200,000 records sold independently, and countless appearances on Texas and country music charts over the past decade, the name Cory Morrow is instantly recognized. Growing up in Houston, Morrow began playing guitar at an early age and continued to develop into a premier singer-songwriter by the time he had graduated from Texas Tech University. Since then, he has been one of the leading figures in the Texas-Red Dirt scene, which he helped create back in the late 1990s. Morrow’s latest record, Brand New Me, finds him in complete control and most comfortable. His lyrics have taken on another level of imagery, while the music has become some of the best of Morrow’s storied career. Cory Morrow has shown no sign of giving up his throne as one of the best Texas has to offer.

Band Members: Mason Lankford, Barrett Lankford, Lincoln Lankford, Caleb Pace. Releases: Unfolding (2011). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Mason, Barrett, and Lincoln Lankford became fast friends with Caleb Pace when, as pre-teens, they stood up for him in a squabble at church. If you ask them now, the band is made up of four brothers. A special bond that surpasses musical barriers formed early in the lives of the brothers, long before they’d ever step foot in a recording studio. Their now inimitable sound has been described as Americana-folk-country music, and yet it is still developing and evolving. Mason Lankford spearheads the songwriting, but the relationship and inspiration of every member of the band is evident in the results. Their current musical inﬂuences includes the Black Keys, Hayes Carll, Willie Nelson, and the Dylans (both Bob and Jakob). The band has played live on Houston’s Fox26 and KPFT 90.1, as well as opening for artists such as Charlie Robison, Cody Canada and The Departed, The Marshall Tucker Band, and The Trishas.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

Gary P. Nunn & The Bunkhouse Band Band Members: Gary P. Nunn, Lars Albrecht, Evan Christian, Gary Delz. Releases: Taking Texas to the Country (2010), Something For The Trail (2004), Gary P. Nunn: Greatest Hits, Volume II (2001), It’s a Texas Thing (2000), Nobody But Me (1999), What I Like About Texas: Greatest Hits (1997), Under My Hat (1996), Roadtrip (1994), Totally Guacamole (1992), Border States (1986), Home With the Armadillo (1984). Years at MusicFest: 3 Gary P. Nunn has been Taking Texas to the Country (latest album release) and Texas country to the world for some 40 years now, establishing himself as an icon of Lone Star music. Nunn is a founding father of the progressive-country movement that emerged from Austin in the 1970s and changed the face of popular music. He is also an independent music pioneer who continues to oversee his own record label and song-publishing companies, manage his own career (with the help of his wife Ruth), and play most every weekend at top music venues throughout Texas and beyond. His composition “London Homesick Blues”—with its internationally known chorus, “I wanna go home with the Armadillo”— is a signature Texas country song that was the theme for the PBS concert TV show Austin City Limits for nearly three decades. It’s no wonder that All Music Guide hails him as “a Texas music institution.” In 2004, Nunn was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame, and he was honored in 2007 by Governor Rick Perry, who proclaimed Nunn “The Music Ambassador of Texas.”

George DeVore

Releases: Simple Things (EP, 2010), Four Under Par (2007), Wonderland (2000). Years at MusicFest: 8

Before moving to Austin, George DeVore spent five years touring the Midwest club circuit as lead singer and guitarist for the band Fat Bertha. Soon after arriving in Austin in 1996, DeVore took the “Best Tape” award in the Austin Music Awards. Since then, he’s been recognized in its top five categories, including rock, pop, and male vocalist. The power of his positive rock has garnered a growing following with much-anticipated local shows at the Saxon Pub, Stubb’s, and Antone’s. He’s also toured Europe five times in the past couple of years, performing on Swiss, German, Dutch, British, Belgian, and numerous American radio stations. DeVore has earned specific praise from reviewers here and abroad for his recorded efforts, many of which focus on putting a positive spin on the bad things in life. His high-energy performances captivate audiences and pull listeners onto dance floors and hold them there.

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HalleyAnna and the Tennessee Volunteers Band Members: HalleyAnna, Sterling Finlay, Bryan Mammel, Regan Schmidt, Dees Stribling. Releases: The Country (2011), Love Is War (2011). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Influenced by June Carter and Emmylou Harris, HalleyAnna has been performing since she was a young girl alongside her older brother and sister. By the age of 12, she was opening for notable acts such as Todd Snider, Slaid Cleaves, and Hayes Carll at various bars and coffeehouses throughout Central Texas. HalleyAnna has been playing guitar and writing her own music for more than a decade, while also singing in churches, dancehalls, and honky-tonks, all of which have helped her hone her own distinctive voice and performance style. She also has acquired a list of accolades that includes being winner of the 2009 Texas State Student Songwriter Competition held by the Kerrville Folk Festival. HalleyAnna’s first full-length record, The Country, is loaded with honesty and passion that is as energizing as it is distinct. The Country allows HalleyAnna to explore the diverse styles of Americana and Texas music that helped develop and influence her own unique songwriting skills.

2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Hayes Carll Releases: KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) (2011), Trouble In Mind (2008), Little Rock (2005), Flowers and Liquor (2003). Years at MusicFest: 6

Hayes Carll delivers songs born of baptism-by-ﬁre experience, world-weary observations, and sharp wit. After releasing two albums independently, Carll found a home at Lost Highway Records and released his 2008 label debut, Trouble In Mind. The album resulted in his nomination for Artist of the Year and became the #1 R&R Americana Album of the Year. Carll has toured nonstop since, while also managing to generate another creative venture, KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories). The album captured Carll as he experimented with elements of ﬁery rock, twangy country, pensive folk, and even a touch of gospel that eventually landed his name on several best-of lists, including those for Rolling Stone, Spin, and the New York Times Critic’s Choice. In 2011, Carll was awarded the Americana’s Music Association’s #1 Album of the Year for KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories). Catch him as he tours through honky-tonks and rock clubs across the U.S. and beyond.

Jack Ingram Band Members: Jack Ingram, Kevin “Frenchie” Sciou, Pete Coatney. Releases: Big Dreams and High Hopes (2009), This is It (2007), Wherever You Are (2006), Live Wherever You Are (2006), Acoustic Motel (2005), Live at Gruene Hall (2004), Live at Billy Bob’s (2003), Electric (2002), Hey You (1999), Livin’ or Dyin’ (1997), Live at Adair’s (1995), Jack Ingram (1995), Lonesome Question (1995). Years at MusicFest: 10

Rocking roadhouses, theaters, and stadiums since 1997, Jack Ingram has developed into an icon in the country music scene, and he now has the credentials to be placed within country music’s elite. Ingram’s songs have appeared frequently on the Billboard charts and on radio playlists, while his music videos are in continuous rotation on CMT. Ingram has also toured with some of the biggest names in country music today, such as Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Dierks Bentley, Martina McBride, and Brooks & Dunn. Paying his dues since the beginning, Ingram has earned the respect of his peers, his fans, and his influences. One of Ingram’s idols, Billy Joe Shaver, has credited Ingram with being “one of the best performers around.” Ingram’s rise has been slow and steady, fueled by dreams and hopes for sure, but more substantially by high standards and the ambition for a career measured in decades and influence rather than chart position. He’s in the best place he’s ever been, and it’s clear from a few listens to Ingram’s latest, Big Dreams & High Hopes, that confidence is bolstering his artistry.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

Jason Boland and the Stragglers

When listening to Rancho Alto, one can only conclude that this is Jason Boland’s ﬁnest moment. The album is about embracing the truths that country music used to tell but seemingly can no longer stomach telling. “Country music is what I play,” Boland says, adding: “I’m not ready to give up on the idea that country music can be relevant.” Boland was born and raised in Harrah, Oklahoma, and went to college at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he met some like-minded musicians who shared the same passion for music. Since then the band has released six studio albums and two live discs. The band has gained critical acclaim from all over the U.S. and is averaging over 200 shows a year, which conﬁrms the group’s steady ascension into country music relevance.

Jason Eady Releases: AM Country Heaven (2012), When The Money’s All Gone (2009), Wild Eyed Serenade (2007), From Underneath the Old (2005). Years at MusicFest: 5

Jason Eady is a singer-songwriter whose music is a distillation of country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, folk, and Southern rock—but in essence it is roots music all the way, with organic arrangements, genuine lyrics, and strong lead and harmony vocals, no matter what style of song he writes. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Eady started playing guitar at age 13; he played in various cover bands around the state and reveled in exposure to Mississippi’s varied musical genres. After serving a stint in U.S. Air Force as a translator, he relocated to Fort Worth, Texas, where he began writing his own songs. After three albums displaying Eady’s diversity of influences, his latest, AM Country Heaven, is a throwback to the heydays of Merle, Waylon, Willie, and other great country legends. The album has a barroom vibe from the start, with Eady’s vocals crystal clear and the band’s sound straight out of the greatest honky-tonk imaginable, highlighted by the presence of Patty Loveless, Lloyd Maines, and Cary Ann Hearst. Eady continues to stay true to his roots music and touches audiences with honesty and inspiration—the thing he’s always wanted to do.

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Band Members: Jason Boland, Roger Ray, Brad Rice, Grant Tracy, Noah Jeﬀries, Nick Worley. Releases: Rancho Alto (2011), High in the Rockies (2010), Comal County Blue (2008), The Bourbon Legend (2006), Somewhere in the Middle (2004), Live and Lit at Billy Bob’s (2002), Truckstop Diaries (2001), Pearl Snaps (1999). Years at MusicFest: 12

2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Adam Hood

Releases: The Shape of Things (2011), Diﬀerent Groove (2009), 6th Street (2004), 21 to Enter (2002). Years at MusicFest: 4

Hailing from the East-Central Alabama town of Opelika, Adam Hood first picked up a guitar at the age of 10, and by 16 he was gigging throughout the town’s local music scene. Hood managed to become a popular name in the college town of Auburn, Alabama, where he began writing his own arsenal of soulful, original music inspired by the works of John Hiatt, Steve Earle, and Ian Moore. Hood’s latest fulllength album, The Shape of Things, is a fine collection of songs that celebrates the beauty of life’s everyday struggles. The album is spearheaded with Hood’s powerful, stirring vocals and sharp wit, with the music crisscrossing all stylistic boundaries. Hood has shared the stage with some of the most prominent names in music, most notably Willie Nelson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and fellow Alabaman Jamey Johnson. The Shape of Things also earned Hood his first Lone Star Music Award, for Singer-Songwriter/Folk Album of the Year, in April, 2012.

Johnny Lee Releases: Country Candy Store (2006), The 13th of July (2003), Live at Billy Bob’s (2002), Live at Gilley’s (1999), Ramblin’ Rose (1996), Country Party (1995), New Directions (1989), Keep Me Hangin’ On (1985), ’Til the Bars Burn Down (1984), Hey Bartender (1983), Sounds Like Love (1982), Bet Your Heart On Me (1981), Lookin’ For Love (1980), For Lovers Only (1977). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Most recognize the name and his hit song, “Lookin’ for Love,” from the popular movie Urban Cowboy and its soundtrack, which uncovered the potent country music scene in Texas during the late 1970s. Johnny Lee grew up in Alta Loma, Texas, where as a teenager he formed his first rock ’n’ roll group. Shortly thereafter, Lee served a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy. After receiving his discharge, he continued developing his passion for music and teamed up with prominent singer-songwriter Mickey Gilley. Lee composed and performed with Gilley for over a decade and eventually landed a spot on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack. Lee followed-up his soundtrack appearance with other notable hits: “Pickin’ Up Strangers,” “Hey Bartender,” and “Sounds Like Love.” Over the years, Lee has continued to tour and produce new material, but even today the song “Lookin’ for Love” has the significance to recall when and where one first heard the popular chorus. Lee will be re-creating these kinds of inspiring moments at MusicFest 2013.

K Phillips and the Concho Pearls Releases: American Girls (2011). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Citing his inﬂuences as Leon Russell, Billy Preston, and Gregg Allman, K Phillips prefers the bygone rock sounds while leading his band on a resonator, mouth harp, banjo, guitar, Hammond B-3, and piano. Until 2006, Phillips served primarily as a sideman to other musical acts, but he continued to compose and craft his own songs with their own unique elements. Phillips was then approached to record his own album, allowing him to recruit a dream team of Texas studio musicians. The debut album was cut live in the studio in just four days, and its tracks range from down-home Southern soul to good-time-rockin’ R&B with traces of classic roots-rock sprinkled throughout. K Phillips is now garnering attention from various media outlets as well as audience members who have witnessed him perform with his Texas-inspired soulful delivery. K Phillips’s catchy and groovy performance is surely not one to miss.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

Kevin Fowler Releases: Chippin’ Away (2011), Bring It On (2007), Loose, Loud, and Crazy (2004), High on the Hog (2002), Live at Billy Bob’s (2002), One For the Road (2000), Beer, Bait, and Ammo (2000). Years at MusicFest: 7

The name now evokes a rowdy, largely entertaining live show that combines elements of country music and rock ’n’ roll into one unique product, leaving audiences chanting for more. Kevin Fowler was born in Amarillo, Texas, and his mother taught him piano very early on, while his father shared the music of country legends Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and Johnny Horton. However, it was the rebellious, infectious appeal of rock ’n’ roll that lured Fowler away from Amarillo to Los Angeles. While in L.A., Fowler learned the ropes of the music industry and the eﬀort it takes to succeed in the business. Fast-forward to the present: Fowler is now at the top of his game while supporting his latest album, Chippin’ Away, the sixth of his career. With the album’s positive reception, Fowler has successfully combined country and rock ’n’ roll into what he describes as “country music with a bad attitude.”

Kimberly Kelly

Kristen Kelly Releases: Placekeeper (2010), The Highway Is My Home (2009). Years at MusicFest: 4 Releases: Sweet Time Dreamin’ (2010), Kimberly Kelly (2007). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Like many country music performers, Kimberly Kelly is rooted in a musical family. She was raised listening to her grandfather’s band, Sterling Kelly and the Hearts, and spent her early childhood singing duets into the handle of a vacuum cleaner with her sister, Kristen Kelly. Her influences are diverse and constantly expanding, as she cites among them Lee Ann Womack, Jewel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, and recent Americana acts such as Hayes Carll and Kim Richey. Since her first performance in 2005, Kelly has averaged 100 show dates a year, and in 2007 she released her self-titled debut album, which included one of her best-known songs, “The Best of Texas.” Her recent album, Sweet Time Dreamin’, includes duets with Stoney LaRue and Aaron Watson, as well as her first single to appear on Texas Music Chart, “Every Bad Habit.” Kimberly Kelly may be looking forward to all the places she’ll pass on the road to success, but this singer-songwriter knows how to look back, too.

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A mixture of country, blues, and classic rock can be identified in Kristen Kelly’s songs, and her performance style echoes the same blend. Born in Waco, Texas, to a musical family, Kelly has always aimed to create classic American music. Her musical style embraces influences ranging from Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and Bob Seger to singer-songwriter Patty Griffin to the blues and soul of Ray Charles, while her country roots were shaped in part by the sounds of the ’80s and ’90s. Her career was initially ignited by co-writing “Down in Flames” with Brandon Jenkins and Stoney LaRue. Realizing the opportunity to become more than a co-writer, she quickly started writing her own music. Kristen Kelly recently signed a recording contract with Sony RCA Nashville and a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville. Backed by a rocking, cohesive band, Kelly’s music is a product of passionate, playful, often sexy, and always heartfelt reflection on real life as she knows it.

2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Max Stalling Kyle Park Releases: Make or Break Me (2011), Kyle Park (EP, Fall 2010), Kyle Park (EP, Spring 2010), Anywhere in Texas (2008), Big Time (2005). Years at MusicFest: 4

Band Members: Max Stalling, Jeﬀ Howe, Jason Steinsultz, Hank Early. Releases: Home to You (2010), Live From The Granada (CD/DVD, 2009), Topaz City (2008), Sell-Out (2006), One of the Ways (2002), Wide Afternoon (2000), Comfort In the Curves (1997). Years at MusicFest: 4

Born just north of Austin, Kyle Park began learning guitar at the age of 14, and shortly after, started writing his own songs. However, it was not until Park relocated to San Marcos, Texas, where he met other like-minded musicians in the active and encouraging community of singer-songwriters, that his songwriting began to mature and take shape. In 2005, Park released his ﬁrst record and has been touring constantly ever since. He has released other recorded eﬀorts (2008’s Anywhere in Texas and two EPs released in 2010), but his two EPs laid the foundation for Park’s 2011 release, Make or Break Me. The hit single “Leavin’ Stephenville” has earned constant rotation on radio airwaves and the album made Billboard’s Regional Heatseekers #1 Album. Kyle Park is one of those Texas guys whose soulful and personal songs are appealing to audiences far and wide. He will be touring in support of his latest album while opening for some of the biggest names in country music, such as Asleep at the Wheel, Jack Ingram, Randy Rogers Band, and Clint Black.

Max Stalling was born and raised in the Lone Star State. After graduating with his master’s degree in Food Science from Texas A&M, Stalling’s interest in music began to develop. Stalling started writing and performing his own music after being inﬂuenced by some of the state’s great singer-songwriters, such as Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, and Townes Van Zandt. His latest release, Home to You, has introduced new audiences to Stalling’s unique approach of combining elements of traditional and modern Americana into one enjoyable listen. The album has produced hits such as “Long Way to Get,” “I Ain’t Drinking Alone,” and “6x9 Speakers - Revisted.” Stalling’s delivery makes one feel at home, with a smooth vocal delivery and down-to-earth lyrical content that allows one to envision Stalling’s description. Stalling will continue to thrive as he combines elements of the past and present into one special experience for all audiences.

Latest release: Campﬁre on the Road (2012). Releases: Murphey has made over 35 albums over the course of his career. Please visit his website for a full discography: www.michaelmartinmurphey.com Years at MusicFest: 2

Michael Martin Murphey’s immensely successful music career has spanned four decades and has included such musical genres as folk, country, rock, Western, and cowboy music. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he has contributed some of the most beloved songs of his generation and beyond. His songs have been recorded by Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Lyle Lovett, Roger Miller, and many other prominent musicians and performers. Murphey is a native Texan who is now in the Western Music Hall of Fame and has also been recognized and awarded by notable organizations such as the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Academy of Country Music, The Grammy Awards, the Country Music Association, and the Texas Music Awards. Confirmed by BMI, his song “Wildfire” has been named one of the most played songs in radio history in all formats. He has made more than 35 albums over the span of his career, while also achieving success as a movie actor, script writer, and performer in films such as Lonesome Dove and Hard Country. Music enthusiasts from all over recognize Murphey’s name and certainly agree that his works have become timeless masterpieces in the world of music.

Michael Martin Murphey www.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

Micky and The Motorcars

Band Members: Micky Braun, Gary Braun, Shane Vannerson, Dustin Schafer, Joe Fladger. Releases: Raise My Glass (2011), Live at Billy Bob’s (2009), Naive (2008), Careless (2006), Ain’t In It For the Money (2004), Which Way From Here (2002). Years at MusicFest: 9

Founded in Challis, Idaho, Micky and The Motorcars have made their own impact in the Texas scene with their Americana rock. Brothers Gary and Micky Braun ﬁrst began learning music from their dad, Muzzie Braun, alongside brothers Willy and Cody of Reckless Kelly fame. Now traveling nationwide to play more than 200 dates a year, with their latest record, Raise My Glass, the most rewarding thing for Micky and the Motorcars is watching crowds grow bigger as they perform with the same raw emotion that has been a trademark characteristic since the group’s inception. Micky and The Motorcars have certainly racked up their share of miles on the road, and they have no intentions of slowing down. Their music is proof that they’ll be around for years to come, and their energy and ambition will keep the fans coming to them.

Midnight River Choir Band Members: Eric Middleton, Justin Nelson, Mitchell Pyeatt, Bob Driver. Releases: Welcome to Delirium? (2011), Freedom Wine (2009). Years at MusicFest: 4

The four guys who form Midnight River Choir have a close-knit chemistry that cannot be duplicated, and it is obvious in their music and live shows. They have a wide range of inﬂuences that carry over into their own songs, resulting in a special sound that attracts new fans after each performance. Formed in New Braunfels, Texas, the band has spent the past couple of years performing alongside some of the top names in the music scene today, such as Randy Rogers Band, Cody Canada and The Departed, Micky and The Motorcars, and Reckless Kelly. Backed by a solid rhythm section consisting of drummer Mitchell Pyeatt and bassist Bob Driver, the groove is complimented by the graceful and smooth leadguitar play of Justin Nelson, and the group’s unique sound is rounded-out by the harmonious yet emotional vocals of Eric Middleton. The band’s latest, Welcome to Delirium?, is a potent and powerful statement of what is to come—these guys that have nothing but open roads ahead of them as they continue to the next level in their careers.

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2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Named “Top 10 Must-See Artists” in Rolling Stone magazine, the Randy Rogers Band has accumulated quite a list of accolades, including appearances on Letterman, Leno, and Conan, and three nominations for Top Vocal Group by the Academy of Country Music. RRB’s latest album, Burning the Day, debuted as the most-downloaded country album on iTunes. But what keeps Randy Rogers and his bandmates grounded is their audiences, which continue to grow after every powerful performance. The Randy Rogers Band is committed to putting on the best show possible for their fans. As if playing 250-plus dates a year doesn’t keep the band busy enough, they just wrapped up a new studio album, due to be released in the fall of 2012. At the time of this publication, the Randy Rogers Band has announced they will be performing alongside George Strait at a very special Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo concert in March 2013.

Randy Rogers Band Band Members: Randy Rogers, Jon Richardson, Les Lawless, Geoffrey Hill, Brady Black. Releases: TROUBLE (February 2013) Burning the Day (2010), Randy Rogers Band (2008), Just A Matter of Time (2006), Live at Billy Bob’s Texas (CD/DVD, 2006), Live at Billy Bob’s Texas (2004), Rollercoaster (2004), Like It Used To Be (2002). Years at MusicFest: 10

Reckless Kelly Band Members: Willy Braun, Cody Braun, Jay Nazz, David Abeyta Releases: Good Luck & True Love (2011), Somewhere in Time (2010), Bulletproof (2008), Reckless Kelly Was Here (2007), Wicked Twisted Road (2005), Under The Table and Above The Sun (2003), The Day (2000), Live at Stubb’s (1999), Millican (1997) Years at MusicFest: 10

The sounds of Reckless Kelly’s latest record, Good Luck & True Love, conﬁrm to the listener that the group is in their most comfortable setting. Recorded in an old farmhouse-turned-studio in Austin, Texas, the album combines the band’s signature qualities: rawness, honesty, rockin’, and soulfulness, all in one ﬁne product. The record captures the essence of a road-worn and battle-scarred band of brothers who are not afraid to take risks and tell it like it is. The Grammy-nominated album is the ninth of their career and the third they have produced themselves. Throughout their 15-year career as a band, they have stuck to their guns and maintained their main objective: to make each record better than the last. The band in a way resembles an aged whiskey—just getting better as the years pass. That’s old school. That’s Reckless Kelly.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians

Rodney Hayden Releases: Atascosa Sand (2012), Tavern of Poets (2012), Rodney Hayden (2011), Live from The Phoenix Saloon (2011), 12 Ounce World (2008), Down the Road (2007) Living the Good Life (2003), The Real Thing (2002). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Earning praises from some of the nation’s top-selling publications, such as USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and People Magazine, Rodney Hayden has embodied traditional country music in its most desirable form. Hayden has collected all the necessary tools for the long haul—lyrics, conﬁdence, ability, and desire. Over time, Hayden has attracted a large following of fans as he performs across Texas, and he is gaining more popularity as he reaches new audiences while opening for acts such as Robert Earl Keen, Hank Williams III, Charlie Robison, and Junior Brown. Hayden has recently agreed to work with Platinum Marketing International and will be releasing his latest record, Atascosa Sand, this fall. The album will feature a duet with Kelly Willis, as well as three songs written by Hayden and Bubba Strait. Hayden’s new hit single, “Buckaroo Man,” from the new record, debuted in April as the warm-up song for Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz at Fenway Park.

Roger Creager

Band Members: Roger Creager, Stormy Cooper, Rick Redford, Matt Medearis, Allen Huﬀ, Aleph Yonker. Releases: Surrender (2012), Here It Is (2008), Live Across Texas (2004), Long Way to Mexico (2003), I Got the Guns (2000), Having Fun All Wrong (1999). Years at MusicFest: 15

Six Market Blvd. Band Members: Clayton Landau, Josh Serrato, Ben Hussey, Dallas Neal. Releases: Shake It Down (2012), Running on Seven (2010). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Hailing from Stephenville, Texas, Six Market Blvd. was formed in 2008 by four friends who all carried the same interest and passion for performing music. Playing bars and clubs for their first two years, the group started to write their own music and was eventually recorded for their independent debut release, Running on Seven. The album earned the group two top-25 singles on the Texas Music Chart with “Man Alive” and “Misery and Me,” while also gaining recognition from Texas Regional Radio Awards as Best New Band. This past May saw the release of their sophomore effort, Shake It Down. The album’s 13 tracks were a collaborative effort by each member of the band, making the record a finely crafted piece of work as well an enjoyable listen. Since 2010, the group has been performing on bigger stages and festivals while also sharing the stage with some of the music scene’s elite, such as Stoney LaRue, Wade Bowen, and Jason Boland and the Stragglers.

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This Corpus Christi native was raised under the influences of Jerry Jeff Walker, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, and others—and after witnessing Creager’s commanding presence and full-bodied voice live, one will immediately appreciate his vast musical influences and development. Touring in support of his latest release, Surrender, Creager’s fifth studio effort in a prolific career, he has continued to impress and entertain audiences far and wide. Many of the his hit songs have successfully ascended the Texas Music Charts over the past decade, with the success of Surrender spawning even more hits. After five albums, hundreds of thousands of road miles, and ever-expanding fan base, Creager is still going strong. When you hear his signature voice, you can’t turn it down—you “turn it up.”

2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Releases: Sorrow and Smoke: Live at the Horseshoe Lounge (2011), Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away (2009), Unsung (2006), Wishbones (2004), Holiday Sampler (EP, 2001), Promise: Looks Good from the Road (2000), Life’s Other Side (2000), Broke Down (2000), No Angel Knows (1997). Years at MusicFest: 2

Slaid Cleaves Slaid Cleaves was born in Washington, D.C., but raised in the state of Maine. However, once he was old enough, he departed the Northeast in pursuit of his musical aspirations and found the city of Austin his perfect environment. Cleaves quickly immersed himself in the community of singer-songwriters and won his first appearance at the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition in 1992. That eventually led Cleaves to release his debut album, No Angel Knows, in 1997. The album earned critical praise and acclaim from musicians and critics alike. Since his debut, Cleaves has continued to make records filled with vivid descriptions and colorful characters. His latest effort, Sorrow and Smoke: Live at the Horseshoe Lounge, conveys the spirit of an intimate yet jovial crowd that sings, laughs, and cheers with Cleaves as he performs to an adoring and devoted audience. His music is marked with the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and the steely resilience of his Northeastern upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas living.

Stoney LaRue Band Members: Stoney LaRue, Jeremy Bryant, Casey Twist, Alan Orebaugh, Jeremy Watkins. Releases: Velvet (2011), Live Acoustic Album (2009) Live at Billy Bob’s (2006), The Red Dirt Album (2005), Downtown (2002). Years at MusicFest: 11

The Rankin Twins

Releases: Silver Lining (EP, 2011), Headaches and Heartaches (2010), I Would (2008). Years at MusicFest: 2

Growing up in the small Gulf coast town of Portland, Texas, twin sisters Amy and April Rankin have been entertaining spectators since they could walk. The Rankin Twins have a unique charisma that could melt the hardest of hearts while delivering an awe-inspiring and captivating array of music that sets them apart. The Rankin Twins are quickly rising in the local club scenes throughout Texas and are expanding their audience across the state and beyond. Their latest effort, Silver Lining, confirms The Rankin Twins are real Texas-country talent with an undeniable quality that makes one fall for them at first sight and sound. And they’re not going away anytime soon—it is apparent that The Rankin Twins’ best days are still ahead of them.

Riding the wave of success oﬀ his latest album, Velvet, Stoney LaRue has been touring nonstop while sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the music industry, such as Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, and Lee Ann Womack. As the son of a struggling bass player and a nurse, LaRue instantly recognized how important music can be. He had begun writing and recording songs by the time he turned 12. As he grew older, LaRue continued to absorb and study vast styles of music, ranging from Bob Dylan to Johnny Cash to Jim Croce. LaRue eventually settled in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and quickly distinguished himself as one of the music scene’s elite. Still touring in support of Velvet, Stoney is performing close to 300 dates a year at top festivals and venues around the globe.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians Band Members: Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee, Savannah Welch, Jamie Wilson. Releases: High, Wide, and Handsome (2012), They Call Us the Trishas (EP, 2010). Years at MusicFest: 4 (as a group)

The Trishas

Initially formed as a brief grouping to perform at 2010 MusicFest Tribute to a Legend: Kevin Welch, these ladies learned after that fateful performance that there was something magical in their combination, and The Trishas were born. Jamie Wilson, Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee, and Savannah Welch have all participated and performed in various music scenes throughout Texas, as well as the Nashville scene, all bringing their own unique influences ranging from country to rock to rhythm and blues. After releasing a “mini-album” in 2010, the group has just released in August their long-awaited and highly anticipated full-length album, titled High, Wide, and Handsome. The Trishas wrote and collaborated with many of their contemporaries and influences— Owen Temple, Jason Eady, and Bruce Robison are among many other notable artists who helped contribute to the album’s tracks. The album is a fine example of the diverse musicianship and vocal capability that each Trisha brings to the group. Needless to say, when witnessing these ladies perform live, there is something magical happening.

The Washers

The Thieving Birds Band Members: Ace Crayton, Beau Brauer, Rody Molder, John Seidler Releases: Thieving Birds (2011). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Thieving Birds was formed in Fort Worth, Texas, by a group of friends who aimed to mix elements of rock, country, roots, and blues into one special musical offering for all music lovers. The lyrics are inspiring and positive, centered on the vocal delivery of singer Ace Crayton, which is simply described as powerful and sultry. The group’s solid and well-muscled rhythm section is manned by drummer Beau Brauer, alongside the grooving bass lines of bassist Rody Molder. Rounding out the group is lead guitarist John Seidler, who both performs and creates a variation of notes and emotions that easily flow with the group’s overall dynamic. The group’s self-titled, debut album is a fine example of its musical diversity. Lead singer Ace Crayton explains that “all we want to do is play music together, to have that moment on stage when we’re all feeling the song, and to have the crowd share that moment with us. You can’t get that feeling anywhere else. That’s live music, that’s why we do it.”

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Band Members: Matt Kopycinski, Justin Wade Wilcox, Todd Kinfolk Janik, Rio Tripiano, Mikey Faltysek. Releases: Tired Eyes (2012), Devil’s Name (2010). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

The Texas Gulf Coast town of East Bernard rarely draws attention, but that is certainly about to change with the emergence of The Washers. A hard-working East Bernard band that produces driving rhythms, footstomping grooves, and talented musicianship, The Washers showcase their most distinct quality: the guys’ vocal flexibilities—four of the five band members share vocal duties equally. The constant shifting of singing allows these guys to create beautiful yet complex vocal harmonies and melodies that escalate their songs into a new realm of artistic creativity. The Washers have successfully combined their influences of folk, rock ’n’ roll, and country into one quality product that will leave listeners addicted to the unique blending of Americana music. Witness this special group of talented musicians live at MusicFest 2013.

2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Turnpike Troubadours Bands Members: Evan Felker, Ryan Engleman, Kyle Nix, R.C. Edwards, Gabe Pearson. Releases: Goodbye Normal Street (2012), Diamonds and Gasoline (2010), Bossier City (2007). Years at MusicFest: 3

The Turnpike Troubadours’ name derives from the bumpy Oklahoma toll roads and the hard-lived, folksinging heroes that influenced the group’s sound. Breaking down traditional barriers between the audience and the stage is something in which the Turnpike Troubadours excel as their live shows have developed into a communal celebration of music. Fast, gritty, and often drenched in beer, the Troubadours perform to both their fans and new audience members with a genuine sincerity. After touring relentlessly in support of their second album, Diamonds and Gasoline, the Troubadours are geared up for another round on the road as they have just unveiled their third album, Goodbye Normal Street. The new album epitomizes the Troubadours’ finest qualities: fine musicianship, catchy lyrics, and excellent visualizations. With an endless highway ahead, the Troubadours are prepared to take their fans and audiences with them to the next level.

Uncle Lucius Band Members: Kevin Galloway, Mike Carpenter, Hal Vorpahl, Josh Greco, Jon Grossman. Releases: Pick Your Head Up (2009), Something They Ain’t (2006). Years at MusicFest: 3

Packing a punch with soulful grooves, Southern-fried guitar licks, and deep heartfelt lyrics, Uncle Lucius has become a prime attraction during the week of MusicFest for all music aficionados. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the band takes pride in its live show and believes that performing live is still the truest form of communication with their fans. The band’s forthcoming effort, And You Are Me, is a push forward for the guys as they continue to incorporate various essential elements of rock ’n’ roll, R&B, blues, and country into their own tour de force. Harkening back to the deep, impassioned, headphone music of the ’60s and ’70s, this new record is expected to catapult Uncle Lucius to the forefront of the Southern Boogie scene, where the band has been so lovingly embraced throughout Texas and beyond. The group’s latest effort will be due out in late August 2012.

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A Look At This Year’s Musicians Band Members: Wade Bowen, Gary Wooten, Matt Miller, Brooks Robison, Caleb Jones, Ross Smith. Releases: The Given (2012), Live at Billy Bob’s (2010), If We Ever Make It Home (2008), Lost Hotel (2006), Blue Light Live (2003), Try Not to Listen (2002), Just For Fun (2001). Years at MusicFest: 11

Wade Bowen

Wade Bowen was born and raised in Waco, Texas, and later attended and graduated from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. While in Lubbock, Bowen learned to write songs and eventually honed his songwriting craft to the point he became a permanent staple in the TexasRed Dirt music scene. In 2001, Bowen released his ﬁrst album, Just For Fun, and began touring extensively. Eleven years later, Bowen has just unveiled his seventh album, The Given, earning enthusiastic reviews from both listeners and media critics alike. With the release of The Given, he has further solidiﬁed his strong, remarkable presence within the music community. The mention of Bowen’s name generally evokes the trademark traits of Bowen’s songs: emotional, passionate, and intense. Wade Bowen’s path continues to be marked with mass-media acclaim, continuous radio airplay, and a constantly expanding fan base that attracts a ceaseless tour schedule amounting to over 200 shows a year.

Larry Gatlin

Releases: Pilgrimage (2009), Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Sings Their Favorite Gospel Favorites (2004), In My Life (1998), Cool Water (1994), Moments to Remember (1993), Adios (1992), Cookin’ Up A Storm (1990), Pure N Simple (1989), Alive and Well (1988), Partners (1986), Smile (1985), Houston to Denver (1984), Sure Feels Like Love (1982), Not Guilty (1981), Help Yourself (1980), Straight Ahead (1979), Oh Brother (1978), Love is Just A Game (1977), Larry Gatlin With Family and Friends (1976), High Time (1975), Rain/ Rainbow (1974), The Pilgrim (1973). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

In Seminole, Texas, Larry Gatlin grew up listening to country and gospel music, and by the time he was a teenager, he was performing in local churches, on radio stations, and occasionally on regional television with his brothers, Steve and Rudy. After a brief stint playing football at the University of Houston, Gatlin devoted his time to performing music and eventually moved to Nashville. His breakout came with the song “Broken Lady” from the album With Family and Friends, which won a Grammy in 1977. He later reunited with his siblings to form The Gatlin Brothers and sustained a long run of popular country hits. Gatlin continued to perform solo and was largely responsible for paving the way for artists such as Dwight Yoakum and Randy Travis, who have infused elements of gospel, country, and Western swing into their styles. In addition, Gatlin has frequently paid tribute to troops stationed overseas, visiting and performing for them.

Walt Wilkins Releases: Plenty (2012), Agave (2010), Vigil (2009), Diamonds in the Sun (2007), Hopewell (2006), Mustang Island (2004), Rivertown (2002), Fire, Honey, and Angels (2000). Years at MusicFest: 6

When listening to Walt Wilkins, one cannot help but think of legendary singer-songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Robert Earl Keen. Wilkins continues the long, culturally rich tradition of prolific songwriting by releasing his latest effort, Plenty. Wilkins writes songs that appeal to everyday human emotions: meaning, pain, happiness, faith, and lack thereof. Walt Wilkins has continued to run the roads, leaving audiences awed by his artistic flexibility and refusing to play the same show twice. Wilkins has also helped produce records and cultivate artists such as Jason Eady, Brandon Rhyder, Jamie Richards, and Josh Grider, just to name a few. He has been called a genius more than once and has been called “a writer the caliber of John Steinbeck.” His voice is as comfortable as a pair of old blue jeans, and he is, and has, “all of that.”

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2013 MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Whiskey Myers Band Members: Cody Cannon, Cody Tate, John Jeﬀers, Gary Brown, Jeﬀ Hogg. Releases: Firewater (2011), Road of Life (2008). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Whiskey Myers is loud, raucous, proud, and not really certain what comes next. The truth is that Whiskey Myers is sort of inexplicable with a blue-collared approach. With its superb twin-lead guitars, Cody Cannon’s roughcut lead vocals, and a solid, uncluttered rhythm section, the band typically straddles the line of a Lynyrd Skynyrd and a Led Zeppelin-like foundation. It’s a Southern-rock band with jam-band tendencies that also incorporates elements of rockabilly, blues, and grunge. This quintet released its debut album, Road of Life, in 2008 and quickly gained a large and enthusiastic following. In 2011, the group released its much-anticipated follow-up, Firewater, which garnered rave reviews and constant radio airplay. The band has been taking a grassroots approach to promoting its name by touring nonstop in support of Firewater and letting word-of-mouth do the talking for them. That is blue-collar at its ﬁnest.

Will Hoge Releases: Number Seven (2011), The Living Room Sessions (2009), The Wreckage (2009), On the Road with Will Hoge (2007), Draw the Curtains (2007), Again Somewhere Tomorrow (2007), The Man Who Killed Love (2006), During the Before And After (2005), The America EP (EP, 2004), Blackbird on a Lonely Wire (2003), Carousel (2001), All Night Long: Live at the Exit/In (1999). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Will Hoge was introduced to music through his father’s record collection and by watching his father and uncles perform music locally. Hoge later attended Western Kentucky University, where he recognized the power music has on people. He soon devoted himself to becoming a full-time musician, and in early 2002, after years of touring and performing relentlessly throughout the American South, he caught the attention of Atlantic Records. Since then, Hoge has introduced new music to the public on several albums. His latest record, Number Seven, showcases his abundant talent, as he produced all aspects of the record on his own. The record’s ﬁrst single and music video, “When I Get My Wings,” has been in continuous rotation on VH1 and CMT since its release. Over the years, Hoge has toured and shared the stage with many artists, including ZZ Top, Vince Gill, Sugarland, and Shinedown, while also appearing on national-media programs like CBS Early Show and GAC, and he has often performed at the historic Grand Ole Opry.

Brison Bursey Releases: Expectations and Parking Lots (2010), Bigger Sky (2009). Years at MusicFest: 2013 MusicFest Debut Artist.

Three years ago, Brison Bursey released his debut album, Bigger Sky, which is a jaunty mix of Texas country, Southern rock, heartbreak ballads, and three-part harmonies. Bursey took to the road to promote his name and music and has not stopped since. Realizing his unique sound and its reception in the music scene, Bursey applied his creative style to his second album, Expectations and Parking Lots, where one can clearly hear his inﬂuences: Steve Earle, Todd Snider, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Cross Canadian Ragweed. The record was produced by Justin Tocket, bass player for Radney Foster, and contains a number of infectious grooves, heartfelt lyrics, and quality musicianship. The album has spawned hits such as “Hearts to Break,” “Solid Ground,” and “California Can.” Bursey proclaims, “We enjoy making music and want to be able to continue to do so, and want to play it for whoever will listen wherever and whenever.”

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bigskitrip. c o m

In Memoriam Rich Caldwell

n early 2004, Roger Creager called about making a live album “across Texas.” We wanted to hit multiple cities and take the best songs from each show and make the best album we could. The band was ready, the songs were there, and the fan base was outstanding. I told him we just needed a stellar sound guy, and things will go flawlessly. In Roger’s ever-confident tone, he said: “I already have your man.” Rich Caldwell and I had already met through Backstage Sound and Lighting, and I had admired his hard work and fantastic ears. The man was amazing at mixing a show and knew the ins and outs of any piece of gear. With Rich behind the board, there was no way this could have gone wrong. We put the perfect rig together, matched the gear we wanted to use, and made it portable to fit in the trailer.

Any venue would be a nobrainer; we could set up and go in a heartbeat. Then came the Mucky Duck in Houston. Our rig could go almost anywhere. But it did take up some floor space. Not a lot, just a little more than the Duck could afford. Rich and I looked at each other and laughed. I said, “Buddy, what do you want to do?” “Duh, Adam, I’ll mix from the back room.” That’s Rich. He could have complained, threw a fit, or just said it couldn’t happen. Instead we ran cables, set everything up, Rich ran back and forth until we got everything sounding great, and then mixed both shows in headphones. And it sounded amazing. After that night, he was my

go-to guy. For the next eight years we would randomly call each other and talk gear for hours and hours. If I heard he was on the crew, I knew we’d be in safe hands. And if my world was a little on edge, I knew he would talk me down every time. The dictionary entry for “friend” should just show a picture of Rich. In early 2004, I became Rich Caldwell’s biggest fan and a humble friend. Watching him grow into one of the greatest engineers, husbands, and fathers, I just felt honored to be in his presence. Rich, I love you brother. Thanks for teaching me. – Adam Odor

Mark "Gus" McCoy

he great Salmon River winds and rolls through 420 miles of Central Idaho. It is one of few rivers contained within the borders of a single state and is one of even fewer rivers that flows north. This is where Mark "Gus" McCoy grew up. Gus was an Idahoan through and through. He loved Idaho and especially Stanley. An avid outdoorsman, Mark enjoyed skiing, mountain biking, and playing baseball. Mark was also a geography whiz as well as an airplane aficionado. He was always thirsty for knowledge and adventure. When his childhood friends Micky and Gary Braun started a band and moved to Phoenix,

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Arizona, Gus joined them and learned to play the bass guitar. The band stayed in Phoenix for a while and eventually moved back to Stanley before the group tried their luck in Austin, Texas. After 10 years and several albums, Micky and The Motorcars had become one of the most popular bands in the thriving Texas music scene. Despite the group's success, Mark was still drawn to his home in Stanley and made the difficult decision to leave The Motorcars and head back to Idaho. Gus spent his last months in Stanley reconnecting with old friends and family, snowmobiling, and of course,

fishing. But in April, when he and a friend's boat capsized, he was unable to make it to shore. In the weeks following his memorial service, friends honored Gus by sporting his trademark look - a buttondown shirt and tie. Mark will be missed by many and forever remembered by his warm heart, infectious smile, and the music he left behind. – Willy Braun

The Charts

Brought to you by MusicFest at Steamboat and Fest Out West For the week of August 6, 2012

TEXAS MUSIC CHART 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Carry Me Back Rodney Crowell - Kin: Songs By Mary Karr & Rodney Crowell Willie Nelson - Heroes Shovels And Rope - O' Be Joyful Paul Thorn - What The Hell Is Goin On? Jd Mcpherson - Signs And Signifiers Little Feat - Rooster Rag Brandi Carlile - Bear Creek Sara Watkins - Sun Midnight Sun Jerry Douglas - Traveler Shawn Colvin - All Fall Down Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives - Nashville, Volume 1: Tear The Woodpile Down Keller Williams With Travelin' Mccourys - Pick Sci Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Grifter's Hymnal Rhett Miller - The Dreamer Todd Snider - Time As We Know It Seth Walker - Time Can Changet John Fullbright - From The Ground Up Chris Smither - Hundred Dollar Valentine Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana Reprise Leftover Salmon - Aquatic Hitchhiker Bodeans - American Made Mary Chapin Carpenter- Ashes And Roses Lumineers - The Lumineers Honeycutters - When Bitter Met Sweet Walt Wilkins - Plenty Chelle Rose - Ghost Of Browder Holler Trampled By Turtles - Stars And Satellites Bonnie Raitt - Slipstream Cory Chisel And The Wandering Sons - Old Believers Mastersons - Birds Fly South Alejandro Escovedo - Big Station Don Williams - And So It Goes Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers - Old Gold Elizabeth Cook - Gospel Plow Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls Hank Williams Iii - Long Gone Daddy Steep Canyon Rangers - Nobody Knows You Heritage Blues Orchestra - And Still I Rise

The Americana Airplay chart represents the reported play of terrestrial radio stations, nationally syndicated radio shows, satellite radio and internet stations who have agreed to submit weekly spin counts.

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

Cody Johnson - Guilty As Can Be Aaron Watson - Raise Your Bottle Wade Bowen - To Live Is To Fly Whiskey Myers - Anna Marie Bo Phillips Band - Red Dirt Girl Reckless Kelly - Give It a Try Kevin Fowler - Here’s To Me and You Green River Ordinance - Dancing Shoes Six Market Blvd. - Say It The Damn Quails - So So Long John David Kent - Runaway Kristen Kelly - Ex-Old Man The Rankin Twins - Rain Jon Wolfe - It All Happened In a Honky Tonk Bart Crow - Little Bit of Luck Jerrod Medulla - Stay the Night Casey Donahew Band - One Star Flag Brandon Rhyder - Shine John Slaughter - Don’t Drink My Whiskey Brian Keane - Living Is Killing Me Brandon Jenkins - Heaven Sent Eli Young Band - Even if It Breaks Your Heart Jason Boland & the Stragglers - Pushing Luck Rob Baird - More Than Willing Cody Canada & The Departed - True Love Never Dies Ryan Beaver - Nobody Wants to Be Alone JB and the Moonshine Band - No Better Than This Steve Helms Band - Wanted Woman Adam Hood - Hard Times in the Land of Plenty Bri Bagwell - Whiskey Bleu Edmondson - Black and White William Clark Green - Catch Me When I Fall Stoney LaRue - Look At Me Fly Pat Green - Austin Rich O’Toole - Drunk Girl Hudson Moore - Fireworks Granger Smith - That’s What I Do With It Hayes Carll - Hard Out Here Josh Abbott - Band Touch Drew Womack - Sunshine to Rain Each weekly chart lists the Top 50 in order of spin count. The chart is based on the total airplay or spins at each reporting station.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.

Wade Bowen - The Given Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street Walt Wilkins - Plenty The Trishas - High, Wide & Handsome Billy Joe Shaver - Live At Billy Bob's Josh Abbott Band - Small Town Family Dream Pat Green - Songs We Wish We'd Written II Jason Eady - AM Country Heaven Six Market Blvd. - Shake It Down Rob Baird - I Swear It's The Truth Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Grifter's Hymnal Damn Quails - Down The Hatch Reckless Kelly - Good Luck & True Love Sons Of Fathers - Sons Of Fathers Old Crow Medicine Show - Carry Me Back Stoney LaRue - Velvet Willie Nelson - Heroes Josh Abbott Band - She's Like Texas Whiskey Myers - Firewater Corby Schaub - Handmade Jason Boland & The Stragglers - Rancho Alto Todd Snider - Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables The Departed - This Is Indian Land Robert Earl Keen - Ready For Confetti Cody Johnson Band - A Different Day Turnpike Troubadours - Diamonds & Gasoline Kevin Fowler - Chippin' Away Shovels & Rope - O' Be Joyful Roger Creager - Surrender Casey Donahew Band - Double Wide Dream Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls Various Artists- Undone: Music Fest Tribute to REK Adam Hood - The Shape Of Things Lincoln Durham - The Shovel vs The Howling Bones Wheeler Brothers - Portraits Various Artists - This One's For Him: A Tribute To Guy Clark Mike McClure Band - 50 Billion Dirty River Boys - Train Station EP Folk Family Revival - Unfolding Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO (& other American stories) Kyle Park - Make or Break Me

Lone Star Top 40 is for all albums sold online & in-store from July 1- August 6th