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CD REVIEWS LEROY THOMAS WE LOVE YOU LEROY (MAISON DE SOUL) By BOB GOTTLIEB Leroy Thomas was born into the Zydeco music world; his father, Leo Thomas, was a drummer in his own band and led the band while playing drums! Leroy started by emulating his father on the drums, however he always wanted to play accordion and eventually in his early teens he traded for one and taught himself to play. He is always one who stuffs his discs with songs; this disc has 16 of them, 7 he wrote and the rest are by a variety of writers. He has a knack for choosing songs that fit his strengths. He does a great version of Rock Me Baby, an older R&B song by Melvin Jackson, on which Leo Thomas his dad does the lead
VIVKIE VAUGHN BAND (SELF RELEASED) By ROB DICKENS This is the Vicki Vaughn Band’s eponymous, debut album. It’s high-energy bluegrass, country and Americana. Vickie Vaughn Band is an independent release and was produced by the great Ronnie McCoury (son of Del and mandolin player extraordinaire). Members of the band are Vickie Vaughn (vocals/ bass), Justin Hiltner (banjo/vocals), Zach White (guitar/vocals), Casey Campbell (mandolin/ vocals) and Maggie Estes (fiddle). Vaughn has been singing most of her life and she has a big voice. Moving from western Kentucky to Nashville, she started playing bass and immersed herself in musical study along the way. The Vickie Vaughn Band was formed and has consolidated its standing with a solid slate of touring and an IBMA Momentum award for Band of the Year. Vickie Vaughn Band, the album, is short but sweet. Six tracks run at just over 21 minutes combined, four of which are band member originals; there’s also a song from Cahalen Morrison and a rendition of A.P. Carter’s “Workin’ On A Building”. “This Dance” is a traditional bluegrass, engaging opener with delightful harmonies. “Northbound 205” is a lovely ballad with charming fiddle and
vocals. There is also a version of a song made popular Old Crow Medicine Show that was originally sketched by Bob Dylan, it was later modified by Ketch Secor of O.C.M.S., again done very successfully as a Zydeco romp. It seems that his magic at covering songs extends to whomever including Ray Charles. His range in Zydeco is great and particularly at adapting the songs to his styles and band. The most common tight instrumental interplay. The rendition of “Workin’ On A Building” is wonderful with Vaughn’s voice stretching out and given great vocal support, an extended tribute to Carter, the head of the First Family of Country Music. Perhaps the best track is “Congaree” which is a fast and exciting instrumental where you really appreciate the quality of the playing from this quintet. Turn it up and enjoy! “Buy All The Roads” is also a highlight – another slower number, this one written by Vaughn about her heartfelt sadness about leaving the land (in western Kentucky) and coping with city life. “Won’t Be Long” follows in a similar vein, this tale about family and beliefs. Animated, cohesive and traditional. Vickie Vaughn Band is a joy. VIVKIEVAUGHNBAND.COM www.ROBDICKENS101.com
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complaint about Zydeco is that it all sounds the same, however when you listen to him and to Terrance Simien two of the best and most creative artists in the genre, you realize what a pile of horsefeathers that is. These two in particular have great voices and wide and far seeing vision that can see beyond the original intent of the song and re-envision it, make it their own. His band is hot and provide solid backing for him and they get you out on the dance floor, which is the purpose of Zydeco. Hard work during the day and a lively dance floor and good food and friends during the night time party. There is a good hard working joy to this music, and Leroy Thomas and The Zydeco Roadrunners know how to infuse the atmosphere so that you can’t help but have a solid, rockin’ good time. Sit back and relax when it starts because soon enough you will be up and moving to the music with a great big grin on your face and happiness in your heart. WWW.ZYDECOROADRUNNERS.COM BOB GOTTLIEB is a freelance music writer based in Arizona. www.RASCALSFAIR.com
OCEAN CAROLINA MAUDLIN DAYS (OLD HAND RECORD COMPANY) By ROB DICKENS Michael Simone is the songwriter, guitarist and singer of indie-rock band Ocean Carolina. Now based in Brooklyn New York, Simone is originally from North Carolina – Raleigh and Chapel Hill. The latest release Maudlin Days (Old Hand Record Company) is a follow-up to the well-received first album All the Way Home (2012). The band seems to form and re-form but Simone and his life-long friend bass player Alex Cox are the common threads. Joining the pair on Maudlin Days are accomplished New York musicians Jon Graboff (guitar and pedal steel), Dave Wanamaker (guitar) and drummer Tony Leone. The new album has got a 70’s rock feel about it – The Byrds and Tom Petty come to my mind – but it clearly sits in the now. The production is impeccable and, while the whole album was recorded in only eleven days (Graboff was the producer), it has a polish and precision to it that impresses. Driving rhythm guitar lays the alluring foundation, upon which Simone’s world-weary voice, the subtle lead guitar and gilt-edged harmonies add delightful embellishment. Immensely likable, with depth and a lyrical honesty, Maudlin Days is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. Have a listen and crank it up. FACEBOOK.COM/OCEANCAROLINA WWW.ROBDICKENS101.COM
Ok, imagine you’re back in third grade and all the kids are bragging about their parents and how cool they are and pus Christi; it was put on by the Jaywhat they do… My dad’s a drum- cees, I believe. I was around 5 years mer in a rock band… My mom’s a old and at that time it was amazing racecar driver… My parents own a to me that I wasn't scared by it as pet store, so I have all kinds of much as I wanted to be in it or bepets… Now imagine Brandon Gon- hind the scenes! zalez saying – my parents have Fright Night Haunted House and I What possessed you in to opening get to scare you! Yeah, I’d say Fright Night? Brandon, and now his kids, get the Fright Night Haunted House was coolest parents award for the started by my parents in 1985. We whole time they’re in school; may- were in several different locations around Corpus and South Texas and be even longer! we would do it for a lot of nonI got Brandon to take a few profits and charities. I wasn't too minutes away from building this involved in the creative process back year’s huge and scariest ever then as I was into acting and actually attractions to tell me what drives scaring people. him to scare people. So What THEY’RE YOUR Fright Night’s question drove me is… how scared are you? I K I D S . I F Y O U W A N T was seeing devil-dog dare you to go! T H E M S C A R E D , ; W E what actu-
W I L L D O I T F O R Y O U ! ally scared
Tell me about the first haunted house you remember going to. Were you hooked on the adrenalin instantly or scared out of your mind? First haunted house I ever went to was here in Cor-
—B R ANDON G ONZALE Z people;
that I could do the same thing over and over, but there would be that one person who wasn't scared. That's the person
that drove me to get better and to find ways to scare that person, so when I resurrected Fright Night 13 years ago that was my main focus: scare the un-scared. Find a way to do that and you will be successful; and here we are. How do you create/develop your characters? All of our characters are developed at the same time we design the haunts; we make everything in our design studio here in Corpus Christi, called scareprops.com Are you a horror movie fan or do you have demented dreams or is there a scare catalog you can go through? I am a horror fan but not a fan of new
horror. All my designs come from my dreams. I know kind of weird, but true. I always keep a pencil and pad by my bed for drawing or writing ideas, so when I wake from a dream I can write it all down. How long did it take you to put this year’s attractions together? We started building these new attractions in March and we’ve done a complete remodel, so expect it to be unbelievable this year! What’s new or different than in the past years? Everything is new this year! I won't go into
When is Fright Night Haunted House open? Go to our website for all the information… www.imnotgoinginthere.com.
detail; don't want to give anything away, but it will be huge! We have combines both haunts into one! On average, how long does it Fright Night? They don't come through the entrance. And how long for an experienced thrill seeker? Most make it through with their eyes closed and non-stop screaming. The big guys hide behind their girlfriends, so we target them but mainly we want people to enjoy themselves and look at the time we have put into building the scenes and characters. What are your suggestions for first time attendees? Come on a weekday that we are open for the best experience and use the restroom first! Do you have age or height limits? Like the rides at amuse-
Where do we get the tickets and do you have group discounts? Presale tickets can be purchased at Mesquite St Pizza & Pasta Company (617 Mesquite St) or at our website. We do have group discounts; you can email us at ment parks. Sales@scareprops.com No age limit; they’re your kids. If you want to scare them for life; we will Besides building all of your own do it for you! props, I understand that Fright Night builds props for movie sets and other haunted houses around the country – how did you get in to that side of the business? We build props for Six Flags and Universal Studios as well as Ripley’s Haunted Adventures and tons of other haunts around the world. There was a demand for it so I taught
MY M A IN FOCUS IS TO SCARE THE U N
SCARED
—B R ANDON G ONZALE Z
myself to do it. We start making props for Halloween in March, so it stays busy from then till November for us. Being involved on the building and creating side of the horror genre are you still able to enjoy scary movies, haunted houses, and other things along those lines? Or has the creative side taken over and chilled your fear? I don't get scared, if that's what you’re asking! But I love a good haunted house. I enjoy watching what other people have created, haunted houses come and go in Corpus Christi but Fright Night Haunted House was born here and will be here every year and just keep getting bigger and better. 2016 has a lot in store like a new south side location in Corpus Christi as well as other locations around Texas!
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San Antonio/New Braunfels/San Marcos/Austin
Troubadour Insights
With Dale Martin
Joe Ely will be the featured artist in January at the Steamboat Music Fest, which in my opinion is a way overdue honor. Ely has been an inspiration to hundreds of Texas musicians and hails from Lubbock, home of Buddy Holly, an icon in the music world. After hitchhiking out of west Texas as a young boy, Ely was a jack of all trades before finally settling on the life of a working musician. He was part of the now famous Flatlanders, one of the first super groups ever formed within the boundaries of the Lone Star State. Joe’s been releasing albums for several decades and I’m happy to report that a brand new CD is now on the shelves. “Panhandle Rambler” is long overdue for us fans who wait patiently each year for another collection of songs from our favorite troubadour. In addition to many fine originals, Ely picked Guy Clark’s classic ‘Magdalene’ to cover. In a recent press release, Ely explained to CMT how the album came about. “Like most records, you feel your way around. I wove in and out of different songs. I’d get something recorded and then I’d see a different way that the record would go and I’d change a few songs. I look at each record like it has a story that makes sense to me. I’m not sure if it makes sense to anyone else, but it has a beginning and an end and also I like for a record to feel like it has a place physically. This record ended up in my old stomping ground in the panhandle of Texas and the big old Western desert out there. I’ve gone through many different phases of songwriting back to when I started playing in a band in Lubbock as a teenager. This part of my life, I like to tell stories but not make them have a beginning and an ending. Over the last 10 or 20 years, Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and I have done lots of shows together and I’ve never recorded one of Guy’s songs, so I thought it was time. “Magdalene” fit perfectly on this album.” Joe will be touring all over the country to promote the new CD, with plenty of stops in his home state. See his website at Ely.com to get a complete tour schedule.
The Americana Awards show was held recently in Nashville, and as always, Texas was well represented. Shakey Graves, the Austin-based artist whose given name is Alejandro Rose-Garcia, took home the emerging artist award. "This is a continuous, massive, semi-religious experience for me," he said of getting the award at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale, the roots music show featured performances by The Eagles drummer and songwriter Don
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Henley, Keb' Mo', OCT 2015 Lee Ann Womack and Ricky Skaggs. Henley, who performed a song from his new solo album coming out later this month called "Cass County," received a lifetime achievement award and described himself as an artist who "curates and cultivates traditions." Naturally, everyone knows Henley is a Texas native, and ‘Cass County’ is where he grew up in the Lone Star State. Once the new CD is released, Don will tour heavily to support it. See his website at donhenley.com for a complete list of tour dates.
Stoney LaRue is set to release “Us Time” on October 16th on eOne Music. This collection is a shout out to his loyal fans, The LaRue Crue, and their unwavering and continuous support throughout his career. The 11track collection offers his fans studio recordings of some of his top requested live show songs that range from Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” “Seven Spanish Angels” and Gary Stewart’s “Empty Glass.” It will also include some of his never recorded originals, like the title track and “Easy She Comes” plus concert favorites like “Oklahoma Breakdown" and "Feet Don't Touch The Ground.” After a brief hiatus to deal with some personal issues, Stoney is ready to get back onstage, in front of his loyal fans and do what he does best, play live music. See stoneylarue.com for a complete tour schedule.
Another Texas boy, Bart Crow, born in Maypearl, has released a new CD, titled ‘The Parade.’ It contains the current hit single ‘Life Comes At You Fast’ plus the upcoming single, ‘Dear Music.’ Crow, an Army veteran, just made his prestigious debut on the Grand Ole Opry last month. The road-toughened troubadour has released five albums independently with money from his own pockets. He has built an admirable track record selling over 40,000 albums and placing six No. 1 singles onto the Texas Music Chart without major record label assistance. One of those songs, ‘Wear My Ring,’ sold over 165,000 copies. His last album, Dandelion, recorded with producer (and Pat Green drummer/co-producer/co-writer) Justin Pollard, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Crow has been covered in the pages of Country Weekly, on CMT TV, AOL, Music Connection and in other national media outlets. His YouTube videos and concert footage have drawn more than 2.5 million views. That my friends, is nothing to take lightly. He’s now signed to the Thirty Tigers label, where artists like Pat Green, Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, The Avett Brothers, Ryan Bingham, Flogging Molly, Aaron Watson and Jason Isbell have all come to release their new albums. Crow will also release a four part documentary that chronicles the making of the new album. It can be viewed on the music website elmoremagazine.com.
www.martinsmusic.com
3rd Coa s t Foodie By Tamma Hicks
KODY’S
RESTAURANT AND BAR 2034 STATE HWY 361 PORT ARANSAS TX 361.749.8226
OPEN DAILY
11 AM TO 2 AM KITCHEN SERVING ‘TIL 1 AM
ONLINE WWW.KODYSRESTAURANT.COM FACEBOOK.COM/KODYSRESTAURANT
FAMILY FUN MINI-GOLF VIDEO GAMES SPORTS ON THE TVS
CHEF DAVID HIX HAND CARVING RIB EYE STEAKS
For this issue we combined two of my favorite things in our 3rd Coast Foodie: history and, of course, food – seafood to be exact! Why do these two topics go so well with each other? I believe it’s because history makes the location more interesting and the more interesting the place is the better the food! So briefly, and it’s only brief because I didn’t find too much information, Kody’s Restaurant and Bar in Port Aransas is in the original Kody’s Kabana Motel and Lounge building that sat on the Port Aransas beach in the 60s and 70s. Apparently it was considered too
close to the water and moved to its current location where it sat for years; however, local rumor is that the move itself almost landed the building in the water anyway! Fortunately for us Amy and Edwin Myers with the help of Chef David Hix came to the rescue and refurbished the building, kept part of the original name, and opened Kody’s Restaurant and Bar… and Mini Golf!
Kody’s
is probably one of the worst kept secrets in Port Aransas and I mean that in the best possible way! Ask any local where to eat and they’ll list off a number of places but those lists always start with Kody’s because it’s that good! Not only is Kody’s kid friendly – I mean really they have an 18-hole miniature golf and video
games – their kitchen is open until 1AM. Yep an outstanding place to get a late night/early morning dinner on the way home after seeing your favorite local band down the street!
Since Chef Hix has been at the Myers side since the start (2009) he has developed a smoothly run kitchen that features some wonderful dishes. Now here’s a secret that you may already know, Kody’s has great fried seafood baskets with super tasty French fries! In fact any time we’re urging for fish and chips like we used to get in the Pacific Northwest, we go to Kody’s for the Seafood Platter with fried fish, shrimp, and oysters!
It’s always great to see the
owners of a restaurant talking with their patrons and hearing them talk about what dishes they enjoy. Just as our order began rolling out Amy Myer joined us for
the fun. For this visit we ordered the Seared Tuna with aioli sauce and the Grilled Shrimp Tacos to start with; in fact we like them so well, we ate them before the camera case was opened! Hix uses a corn-flour tortilla that has the corn taste with flour tortilla smoothness. Fortunately, we were faster with the camera before we downed the Fried Asparagus. The batter was excellent and the Julio sauce provided a nice little zap of spice, but the best part was the snap of the spear when you bite into it. I can’t remember having this before and I think it’ll be the only way I eat asparagus from now on. If that wasn’t enough to get us started I had to have the Crab-Stuffed-FriedAvocado with Julio sauce drizzled over it. OK, I shared it with everyone else, but it was really hard to do because it was so good!
Kody’s also makes great
FRIED ASPARAGUS WITH JULIO SAUCE
CRAB-STUFFED-FRIED AVOCADO
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THE GARLIC FISH
sandwiches and burgers, but you have to try the Garlic Fish! This is Chef Hix’s signature ITALIAN MUSSELS recipe and other restaurants try to copy it, but nothing is as good as the original! The light crispy crust, the flaky fillet, and the special lemon garlic sauce literally melt in your mouth! As I said Kody’s has some wonderful dishes that accompanied by a garden salad, grilled to perfection zucchini (so good that even our picky daughter liked it), and another delicious Hix creation Retro Rice. Now if you haven’t guessed I really love seafood and the Mussels Diablo is excellent! A large bowl of mussels simmered in a flavorful spicy sauce and served with a loaf of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. This is seriously the perfect meal for me and I really should have stopped there, but no… That’s when the Sautéed Scallops arrived at our table. The plate was sat in front of our daughter and, in our amazement while we were sneaking a bite for each of us; she quickly claimed it as her dinner! The succulent flavor and perfectly cooked fresh sea scallops understandably makes this one of the house favorites. At this point we were so full and, like in days gone by, the remedy is was exercise! Unfortunately as we headed outside for a rousing game of miniature golf the clouds lit up and boomed! So we settled on watching the Texas A&M football game!
MUSSLES DIABLO
SAUTÉED SCALLOPS