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November 2019 VOL.8 ISS.8 #92
4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 MAGNUS: GOING SOLO 9 THE HEAD AND THE HEART 10 ARTIST BARRETT RANKIN: MAKING NEW LOOK OLD 13 REVIEWS : MATT ANDERSEN; NATIVE SONS GUITAR STRAPS 14 B O PORT ER: PLAYI N G EUROPE’S HONKY-TONKS 16 C HRI ST OPHER C O DY MEACHAM: OLD TIME TROUBADOUR 19 NEW MOVIE S & M USIC PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE, ROB DICKENS, RICK J BOWEN, TONY NICKLIN DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR TERRY MITCHELL
ON THE COVER...
SNUGGLE BUDDIES BY ARTIST BARRETT RANKIN
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THE WORRY GROUP
NO REGRETS J. Michael Dolan In spite of all the risk, struggle, insecurity, doubt and uncertainty, I’ve never known a musician who regretted being one. I’ve never met an entrepreneur who dreamed of having a 9-5 job. I never knew an actor who didn’t figure out a way to accept rejection. I’ve never met a writer who was satisfied with the first draft. And I’ve never met a business owner who when he finally closed his doors regretted opening them in the first place. That said, in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.
J. Michael Dolan “It takes a worried man to sing a worried song, I’m worried now, but I won’t be worried long.” -Woody Guthrie The one thing we artists & treps have in common is that we worry too much! Mostly about the future. Why? Because we’re charged with inventing it from nothing— then we stake our entire livelihood on it! And if our insides are “shake’n like a leaf on a tree” that’s one of the many side effects of living an independent, entrepreneurial, creative life. Important because we are not alone in our plight. There’s a huge group of us creative worriers. And behind every great jawdropping success there are artists & entrepreneurs who faced difficult internal worries and personal struggles. However, they chose not to pause or flinch or wait around to be rescued. Instead they chose to somehow, someway, at some point in the midst of their worries, figure out a way to stand up on their own two feet and take the necessary steps to rescue themselves.
Important because whatever barriers rise to stop our progress or block our way, the mere process of creating, conceiving, experimenting, designing, inventing, or simply attempting, will never let us down.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR SHIP COMES IN J. Michael Dolan It doesn’t matter if you’ve hit the career lottery or, suddenly your hard work is paying off and finally moving forward with velocity. Here’s what to do when things start to happen: 1. Beware of self sabotage: It will do you in every time. It causes great opportunities to crash, sends dreams & goals back to the “waitlist” and can bring to a screeching halt the actual progress you’re celebrating right now. Be vigilant of your own dark side creeping in to wreak havoc. 2. Check your ego: fight the urge to get cocky & arrogant and embrace the impulse to be grateful & humble. Never forget, out of all the rides in the amusement park, you chose the exciting rollercoaster that always goes up…and then it always goes back down, ad infinitum. 3. Play Much Bigger: Now is not the time to take your foot off the pedal. Now is the time to floor it! Start to up the ante on your dreams and goals and begin to ratchet up your career commitments. Now is also a great time to hire a personal coach or jump into an online class or webinar to sharpen and enhance those unique skills that got you here in the first place. 4. Rethink the people you work with: staff, mgmt., agents, sales team, coaches, consultants, techs, bandmates, etc.. Don’t flinch or choke on this one. If personnel changes need to be made, now is the time to make them, while you’re in power mode. Important because while you’re sitting at the top of the mountain with newfound confidence and wisdom, now is also the time to: share something that will motivate us, teach us something that will help us, show us something that will inspire us and give us a ray of hope with your acquired wisdom, seasoned experience and unique talents STEAMMAGAZINE.NET NOVEMBER 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE
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Elton John didn’t quite rule the airwaves in 1971 the way he soon would, but MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER goes a long way in charting that course. The fact is, the former Reginald Dwight was already known for his melodic vocals, first rate musicianship and outrageously energetic live performances when this, his fourth studio album came out with ten FM radio friendly tracks on an album that still holds its own almost 50 years later. Elton’s skilled piano melodies have always been the perfect juxtaposition to Bernie Taupin’s heartfelt, poetic lyrics. “Tiny Dancer” that kicks it all off, followed by “Levon” (allegedly named for The Band’s drummer/vocalist, Levon Helm) set the bar high for what follows. The title track had a dark and moody feel to it that Taupin insists is not homage to Richard Nixon. “Indian Sunset” starts side two with Taupin’s picturesque story painted with Elton’s a capella introduction that gives way to the Native American saga unfolding with the accompaniment from just Elton’s piano and on to full orchestration. “Holiday Inn” is the band-on-the-road experience set to a country waltz, with short detours
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towards high production. The pessimistic “Rotten Peaches” follows with a rocking beat and a story of a man ready to give up fits in well, as does the deceptively rebellious “All The Nasties,” complete with background choir. Although this album didn’t initially hit the high sales marks the Rocket Man’s later releases would gather, it still contains the sound that would help define his illustrious career. Elton and Bernie remain songwriting partners and dear friends. A good track to revisit from this collection is “Tiny Dancer.” There’s a reason this song has withstood the test of time, and only seems to get better as it ages. .
In the days when MTV and music videos made stars out of groups with big hair, flashy instruments and pretty faces, it wasn’t always talent that won out. But it’s always refreshing when it does. With a multi-platinum hit record that packed a strong view on society and a solid melody, “The Way It Is” would pave the way for Bruce Hornsby and The Range to receive a Grammy award for best new artist of 1987. He combined lyrics set to catchy, well crafted melodies with piano work that evolved from multiple sources and genres. He studied the masters; Bill Evans, Jerry Lee Lewis, Leon Russell. SCENES
FROM THE SOUTHSIDE was the second studio album Bruce released with his brilliant backup band, The Range. This album is a subtle step forward for the band, picking up where their debut, named after their hit record, left off. “Look Out Any Window” was the first release and showcases Hornsby’s multiple talents as singer, songwriter and musician. The smooth, syncopated rhythm and sometimes jazzy feel is very enticing. Six if the nine tracks were co-written with Bruce’s brother, John Hornsby. Huey Lewis makes an appearance on harmonica on the lost hope of “Defenders Of The Flag.” The next song is the Hornsby borthers’ “Jacob’s Ladder” which Huey Lewis and the News aptly covered and took up the pop charts. Hornsby would release one more album with the Range before forging a successful career that included a stint as keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, a collaboration with Ricky Skaggs, among others, and a solo career that is alive and doing very well as he approaches his 65th birthday. A very cool track has always been “The Valley Road,” but this album really deserves to be heard from start to finish.
CHUCK HAWTHORNE FIRE OUT OF STONE (3 NOTCHES MUSIC) BY ROB DICKENS With a voice sometimes reminiscent of greats Gordon Lightfoot and T Bone Burnett, the comparisons for Chuck Hawthorne on his new release Fire Out Of Stone do not end there. As well as wonderfully worn and rustic vocals, the songwriting and arrangements are perfectly presented. There are so many illustrative examples. The ebullient jubilation of “Such Is Life (C’est La Vie)” and the tender, evocative, pining “Amarillo Wind” is a gritty triumph (see clip below). “Arrowhead & Porcupine Claw” picks up on poignant dusty and lonesome Native American trails (this is suggestive to these ears of the vibe on the wonderful Way Out West by Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives). Then there’s the slow, lilting and purposeful “Sara’s All The Way” which builds with imposing defiance, while “New Lost Generation” contains winsome arrangements accentuating the difficulties of following a hero. Ray Bonneville‘s harmonica and Geoff Queen‘s steel guitar steal the scene in “Worthy Of The Sea”. “Broken Wire” has a simplicity and honesty of delivery which segues into “Broken Good”. The shuffling “Standing Alone” (dedicated to Felipe ‘Chappa’ Montoya) with just Hawthorne and Queen feels just right – “Feel Like a Road Sign, Shot Full Of Holes, People Look Right Through You, When You’re Standing All Alone”. Libby Koch adds some tasteful vocals to the earthy closing cover of Richard J. Dobson‘s “I Will Fight No More Forever” (the song is dedicated to Dobson). Fire Out Of Stone is a collection that is a dazzling example of American songwriting and tapping into the real truth of that land. The album (the follow-up to Hawthorne’s 2015 debut Silver Line and was released July 26) was produced by hit songwriter Walt Wilkins and Jumping Dog Studio owner/engineer Ron Flynt. It features accompaniment by some of the finest musicians in Austin, who also happen to be Wilkins’ band – The Mystiqueros. CHUCKHAWTHORNE.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM
BRETT BENTON YOU GOT TO PRAY (KNICK KNACK) BY RICK J BOWEN The first studio album from Brett Benton, You Got To Pray, is a compelling and engaging statement of 21st century Delta and North Mississippi Hill Country Blues. The 10 original tunes, and an inspired cover of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Kokomo,” are presented in a blues duo format of guitar and drums that scored Benton placement in the semi-finals at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The album was recorded in Water Valley, Mississippi at Dial Back Sound with Bronson Tew engineering. Blues Music Award winner Cedric Burnside sat in on drums for the burning stomp “I Got A .45” and the infectious swamp blues “Alligator.” Arthur Ortega Marcos handles the backbeat that spars with Benton as he shifts from finger picking rhythms to greasy slide guitar while delivering hypnotic southern howling vocals. Florida guitarist Ed Adams drops in a few lead passages on the album to add spice to the mix. Benton digs deep into his solo reading of “Murder Creek,” and shows off his range on the lonesome Blues “Hard Love” and the spacious instrumental “Evergreen.” Benton effectively channels Son House on the authentic Delta fueled title track. You Got To Pray is a fine first studio release from a hardworking young bluesman with a bright future. BRETTBENTONMUSIC.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG
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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Photos: Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine
ell me a little about playing music and performing. I started out playing the sousaphone in 5th grade and from there into junior high and high school the tuba too. I performed in high school and sporadically after graduation with make shift bands in California. A local festival here and there and I was in the theater in Cali as well. It was a short stint but I enjoyed the hell out of it. Most recently, in October of 2015 I tossed my hardhat after wearing it since October of 1990 and decided to hang the rest of my life on a do or die situation. It's then when I started music as a career. A rash decision? Likely. So far? I'm staying afloat. I play only guitar. I'm the singer, songwriter, troubadour type. can’t recall ever seeing you with a full band. Do you play with one? I play solo. I see myself as kind of a... Well, a prick when it comes to music. If I don't like what's going on in a band's rehearsal, I'll bottle up and explode at the wrong time. Better to play solo for the time being. ho are your biggest influences? My influences have been Led Zep, U2, The Beatles, The Eagles. o, you’re a classic rocker. Tell me about your songs and your style. I have tried to write songs that an audience is able to grasp in music and in word. We are so much more alike than we may want to admit. It's fun to have a hint of mysteriousness about us; doesn't seem right to show all our cards at once, but… We have so much in common. How we react and feel. What we've been through. Sadly, most of us are predictable. Just ask your insurance company. They make their billions off of our predictability. They won't answer that. My style of playing is whatever I can make feel right and try to get that feeling to your ears. So my shows are trying to connect with my audiences with audio and not too much visual. When I write I like the standard verse, chorus, and a bridge in there. Sometimes I'll just have verses and skip the chorus but have a repeating hook so the audience might say, " Hey, he played that before, I recognize that." Stirring up emotions in someone is the most grand of compliments. here do you find inspiration? Most of my songs are sad. Heartache. An excellent topic. I 8 STEAM MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
have songs of lost love, lost friendships. Most of us have gone through that stuff. I can see in the audience folks nodding as if to say, "Yeah, I get that". I have a few that are satirical and I have not yet found the right way to bring them into a show. At times I'll just chaotically toss them out there to see what happens. I'm not yet real impressed with their results. They were funny once. Some of my latest though are the lift after the fall. Those get good responses I am happy to say. As time moves on, I'm not sure what the horizon will bring as far as inspiration goes. Love, given or taken away, seems to be the common thread. I have a song about our beagles. They give a guilt trip as I leave, then when I get home they bay and scream like they're being gutted. On walks we have people opening their doors to see what the
HELL IS ALL THAT RACKET.... WHO'S DYING???? hat was the first song you learned to play and do you still play it? There are three as my memory recalls. The first, in earnest, is a song a very dear friend of mine wrote about her children titled The Summer of My Life and I still perform it at almost every show. The 2nd comes from a children’s book I have published in the UK. The very first read in it is a poem called The Peddlerman and I put that poem to music inspired by Carol King; this was in the mid-70s. "It's been sooo long." That little phrase of notes spurred the beginning of that song's verses. I love arranging and CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
By Derek Signore, Sound Magazine Courtesy Photos
The Head and the Heart released their fourth full-length album, Living Mirage, this past spring featuring The Single Missed Connection which has been ruling the alternative song charts reaching #1 on Billboard's alternative song charts. Initially self-released in 2011, The Head And The Heart’s self-titled breakout debut produced instant classics including Rivers And Roads, Down In The Valley, and Lost In My Mind and is now a Certified Gold. Their last two albums, 2013’s Let's Be Still and 2016’s Signs Of Light, settled into Billboard's Top 10 albums chart with Signs Of Light securing the #1 position on Rock Album Charts. It also produced the song All We Ever Knew which reached #1 at Alternative, after holding the #1 spot at AAA for 9 straight weeks earlier that same year. They have appeared in Cameron Crowe's Roadies, with music featured in countless other commercials, films, and shows, among them Corona and Silver Linings Playbook. Having played sold-out Red Rocks shows and prime-time main stage slots at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits on the last campaign, The Head And The Heart have a headlining tour planned. The band has performed many times on na-
tional television including appearances on Ellen, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Austin City Limits, and more. To have the kind of transition that you were faced with, losing two major members going into a writing and studio session, would collapse most bands. Looking back at those creative sessions were other band members stepping into the spotlight more of a call to arms or because they always wanted to play other roles and now the opportunity was afforded to them? I think it was actually pretty freeing. Over the years everyone fits into a mold and that kind of forced change broke what their idea of what that mold could or should be. It was a fresh start which was nice because after a few records we kind of all wondered what we were going to do next, this forced that change on us. Right before some members split off the band decided to sign to a major label. In 2019 it's rare for such a popular band to leave the indie world for a more corporate setting but we have to imagine it worked out for the best here as the label had access to artists and studio talent who could help fill the gaps during the transitions within the band. Was that the case? I think every situation provides its own positives. We enjoyed being on sub pop for
those early development years with almost no involvement with the music; which is cool when you are developing who you are, but when you are honing that and looking for a critical opinion that wouldn't have been found with an independent label. With us it was more for a guiding hand, that level of expertise is really only available on a major label. This is the addition this is in addition to more resources at your fingertips than with an independent. For us, at that moment, it was what we needed. Some fans have been vocal about the new arrangement of band members. Do you feel the need to address this with fans or does the band typically ignore the dialogue? This is not a Behind the Music documentary. We continue to grow and trust the members of the band, whatever happens externally is their own business and we won't address their actions or fans' comments. I understand why fans can miss an individual, but it doesn't affect us as musicians. We play to the fans and try to give them the best experience possible and if that's something they are not interested in then that's on them. The overwhelming majority of fans have been supportive of the regroup and the new album, how are you seeing the fans take to the new material out on tour? Honeybee seems to have found its audience, which is really nice. As soon as the piano intro starts we can see people really
getting into it. It's definitely a departure for some people but when you look at the streaming sites it seems the majority of fans are taking to it. Is it more heart than head at this point? Passion for the project exceeds the seriousness that plagues a lot of other acts and while you are serious about the music you seem to have more fun with the source material than other touring acts. I think we are really comfortable with who we are as people. At this phase, we are very confident with what we do which allows us to be more playful and less serious with what we do. I think that comes with being four albums in, a lot of confidence which allows us to mess with people's expectations of what a band can be. The band purposely stayed away from festival performances this past year, what was the thought process behind that decision? Festivals are way more based on how the energy stays constant throughout, you have to deliver all bangers so you can't dig down into your deeper tract as some times you only have an hour at most to perform if you're not the headliner, so song selection is really key; those with real universal appeal. I think with headline shows it's much easier to kind of become ourselves and show the many sides of the band through the setlist choice. We took the time off to hone the headline show and it's really been paying off. What we found during this transition is that it's not that difficult to put together a setlist, which consists of material founded on someone else's contributions who is no longer performing with us.
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hundreds of cats looking at me?
Continued from Page 11 come out in your paintings? It describes a style of art like Impressionism does. Invisionism is when the randomness of patterns, nature, and clouds come together to form whatever your brain thinks it looks like. So, look at those clouds. What do you see in the shapes? I see a bear biting at a tree stump. That is Invisionism. In what I do, a lot of my techniques are for faux art, and sometimes a mistake on one thing turns out to be a new technique for your next project where you want that look. When I paint on canvas, I'm not stuck with oil base or water base; I use mixed medium and I try all sorts of things on one painting. Is that your technique or style only with paintings? I’ve just always done it that way and just use whatever I need going through all my art phases. When I did a lot of clay sculptures I used old fabric to make their outfits. At one point I was making gnomes and using lightbulbs for their body shapes. I also did barn art for a long time. It’s where you take a flat piece of old wood for the base and take little pieces of whatever to reconstruct miniature barns or houses. All my stages seem to get elaborate and it is always fun and something other people want. What is the best thing about being an artist? Being able to create things that other people enjoy. For you, what is the hardest part of being an artist? The worst thing is to have a blank canvas and staring at it trying to make money. You're asking yourself what you can paint that you know somebody will buy. That is the worst feeling and it ruins all creativity as far as I'm concerned. I just have to smear paint on the canvas, not wanting anything and the canvas tells me what it's going to be, and that's Invisionism. It's just a rambling thing called application that makes the magic. People can say what they want it to be and I'll just keep looking at it until I see it. Sometimes it’ll pop out instantly, sometimes it takes a while. Look at Cats; how weird is it that all I could see in pieces was
I suppose if I were a cat person it wouldn’t be weird. Tell me about Faux Art. Faux Art is something that I was doing before I knew what it was. It's basically making something look like something it's not. At first I was helping my friends with their houses and if they had some weird paint on the wall, I would come up with ideas to make it look good. I was also doing the Retablos which got me into a lot of stores. That led to people asking me if I would faux, because if I could recreate Retablos that looked old I could recreate anything. Like with PVC pipe? Yes, I can take anything and make it look like granite, marble, wood, or patina and make it look very old. It's like having magic powers, I just use paint instead of a wand. So you do most of your work here in San Antonio? Yes, but I'll go wherever they need me. I flew to Delaware years ago to do some murals in a restaurant. You do murals too? Yes and kid’s theme rooms; they’re fun to do. I remember one little boy who wanted sharks and a megalodon. I made the whole room look like you were in the aquarium water and there was a diver on the top holding a lamp with shells on it. On the doors I painted corals and fish. For another client had a little girl who wanted a pink castle. One of the corners was curved and that's where I did the mural of an old tree with flower blossoms. Then the walls had the pink bricks so it was like she was in the castle and could look out to see the tree. How do you feel about people watching while you’re creating? I'm really particular about people watching me create. Faux is what I specialize in and keep the secrets of; kind of like a magician where the audience doesn’t get to look behind the curtains. I like it when clients come back and are wowed. When people are watching me I end up pretending to faux.
FACEBOOK.COM/ ARTIST BARRETT RANKIN
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BEFORE
AFTER
SHOW REVIEW… MATT ANDERSEN Poor David’s Pub, Dallas October 24 2019 By Susan Lawson
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
STEAM’S Review: Comments: Comfortable, Stylish, Durable!
Guitar straps have been around as long as guitars. In the beginning it was a cord, rope, belt, whatever you had to keep your guitar up and not flinging around while you played. Since the 1960’s guitar straps have become personal statements for performers. While we were at the Summer NAMM show last July we met the makers of Native Sons, Brandi and Chris Stewart, and I have to tell you these Guitar Straps are very impressive! Last spring Native Sons (NS) added a line of line of hemp backed 2” and 3" guitar straps. Don’t fret, they still carry the standard black nylon backing and are built just well. All NS straps feature beautiful weaves, all metal hardware and a selection of colors for the English Bridle leather ends and are designed style, comfort, and durability. The line of 2" wide guitar straps are constructed of ultra-strong hemp backing that provides comfort and durability. The hemp backings are textured enough to keep from slipping off while still being flexible and movable enough for the most aggressive, rowdy players. Their adjustability and style make them ideal for any guitarist or bassist looking to make a statement. What makes Native Sons Guitar Straps stand above the rest? Each strap is handmade with quality and care in
the USA and made from Organically Grown Hemp. Unique Leather End Design! Straps are finished by using two layers of leather and encasing the materials, which also creates superior strength and eliminates bulkiness at the connection. NS uses industrial strength stitches and rivets to ensure a solid failproof connection are available online and ship worldwide. Did I mention they also make camera and bag straps, because they are just as sturdy and beautiful!
I will admit that somewhat reluctantly I went out to see Matt Andersen recently. It was rainy and chilly and the venue was in an area of downtown Dallas that I remembered as a place I wouldn't want to be at night. My first surprise was that Poor David's Pub is now surrounded by new high rise condos, has a brightly lit city parking lot across the street and there is a new police station within sight. I really liked the venue too. It reminded me of the Kessler Theater in that the crowd seems more respectful to the music with more of a focus on listening, instead of musicians having to struggle to be heard over the crowd noise. The next surprise was Matt Andersen. My husband described him as a blues guy and sorry, musicians but to myself, I think....hmmm maybe a boring evening ahead. Wow though! I loved the guy. I liked the simplicity of his show, just Matt and his guitar on stage, drawing you in with his storytelling songs. His voice was so amazingly good and I enjoyed every song whether it was a touching or humorous one. The evening went by too fast and I wasn't ready for it to end so I bought copies of his CD's to continue to hear him. I had seen that Matt was playing in Austin the next night so I encouraged Woodie to tell all our friends in Austin right away. I seriously thought of driving there ourselves for a second show but we were pet sitting and couldn't leave. I will definitely go and see Matt Andersen again whenever he is around.
wwwStubbyFingers.ca
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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Photos Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine
With over 40 years of musical
history, talent, and experience Bo Porter has had the honor of playing with some of the best names in the industry. He worked for years at Dollywood as a singer and entertainer. He has traveled and resided in many states throughout his life, but is proud to call Texas home. Mark Chestnut, Diamond Rio, Gary P. Nunn, Junior Brown, Tim Mcgraw, Rosie Flores, Asleep at the Wheel, Dale Watson, Freddy Powers, Wanda Jackson, Shelly King, Susan Gibson, Hal Ketchum, Johnny Bush, Redd Volkaert, Earl Poole Ball, and Loretta Lynn are just some of the talents he's worked with and opened for. As a traveling troubadour Bo has had the pleasure of touring the US, as well as Europe for the past several years. A proud headliner for Billy Bob’s Country Western Saloon at Disneyland-Paris France, Country Nights Grindlewald Festival in Grindlewald Switzerland, and a featured guest at many other wonderful festivals and events in Germany and Norway. Bo prides himself and his band on professionalism, performing one of a kind originals, obscure beloved classics, and keeping the crowd swingin'.
It
seems like you are in Europe working all the time. How did this come about? Do you have family over there that helped you get started? No, I decided one day that I wanted to do the Europe thing, so I posted on Facebook that I was going to Europe and I have a buddy of mine over there who asked me where I was going to be at and I told him "On the street corner near you!", so he told me he would find me some gigs. He hooked me up with these wealthy fellows and scheduled a private party which I posted on Facebook. That’s when Gary Beasley from Billy Bob’s called and asked if I would like to play there and I said that I would because it was enough money to get over there with. Then a lady called me from Switzerland and told me that she wasn't a booking agent but a DJ and had a gig for me. There's a musicians with a regular Texas band. little more money, so I told her that I would do it. I called her for about two Who are the guys that you go with you? weeks begging her for more gigs; she That has changed recently. On the past got me more gigs and still does, but tours, I had Chris Reeves, Donnie price, JC only in Switzerland. Clark, and Art Johnson. Now that I've She's had a radio show for about 20 been going so long, there's a guy over there years and she also runs a restaurant that I can do some duos with her brother where I play in Merle says, "What makes a with; his name is Aaron Till and he's out of Switzerland. I've grown man dress like a Nashville. He's a great been going there for scarecrow and sing songs?” fiddle player, plays the guitar and mandolin and around 10 years And I said, "Child support." he sings like a freakin’ now. She's like bird. my sister and we’re so close that her family is mine. She introduced me to the group Wild Wings, which is a car and motorcycle club, and they're all just like my family.
Do you have a band over there that you play with? They are funny about that over there. They don't want you using European
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Speaking
of fiddle players, who plays fiddle on your New Moon album? That's Jason Roberts. Originally that's a Ray Price tune and I don’t remember there being a fiddle on the original song, but that’s Jason playing the fiddle. You know him from playing with Asleep At The Wheel for several years, then he played Bob Wills on Broadway, and now it's Bob Wills And The Texas
Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.
Well, his playing on that song is a stand
out! I know there’s a very small circle of musicians Jason’s caliber, but with not being from Texas it must have been somewhat hard to get in with those guys. There's a person that's very instrumental in my success here in Texas and my acceptance with the other musicians, Stu (Stuart) Schulman. Stu was a steel player with BW Stevenson and if you look back at the Austin City Limits tapes you'll see BW and Stu. After BW passed away, he went on to work with Jerry Jeff Walker, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Bonnie Raitt, and all those guys. Stu's a phenomenal musician, so when I told him I was in Texas, he said "Here's the list of people you need to know. Ray Henning, Ray Benson, Jerry Jeff Walker,” and etc. I had already met Jerry Jeff in Alaska. I took Stu to a Jerry Jeff concert and Jerry said "Yeah, we have a fellow Gonzo member in the audience," and I'm looking around wondering
who it is and I see that Stu’s standing up next to me. I said to Stu "I never knew you were a Gonzo" and he said "You never asked." Stu was in my band for about 4 years and he was the first producer I ever hired and he’s still a dear old friend of mine.
tive behind it. I got to use Chip Dolan; I think Chip’s been on every CD I've had. I got to work for the first time with Colin Forsyth from Asleep At The Wheel and I fell in love with his playing, so I had all my positive people around me and I made an album that I wanted to listen to.
That's a great story! So where are
With
you from and how long have you been in Texas? I lived in Alaska for a long time. When I was up there, I owned a company called Expresso MD that sold and repaired espresso machines. I've been in Texas now 12 or 13 years maybe longer. When I first got my first gig in Austin, I went to see Ray Henning who used to have a store and everybody from Merle and George Jones would buy guitars there. It was kind of crazy to walk in the store and there was Jerry Jeff standing at the counter. I told Ray that I needed to rent a PA and he was kind of busy with Jerry Jeff, so he told me to just go on back and get what I need and put it in a pile; he’d come back and look at it. So I did and Ray got done with Jerry Jeff and came back to look at it and he said "Is that what you need?" And I said "yes, how much is it going to cost me?" And he said "Oh, you’re friends with ol’ Stu and he's got a gold card with me and if you're playing with him, you got one too. How about just load it up in your car and try not to skin it up too bad.” I said, "But what do I owe you?" And he said "Just get it in your car son, this will get you started". He didn't charge me a dime. That's the kind of people I’ve met in Texas and why I will never leave Texas. I go to Switzerland and I travel, but Texas is my home and my heart.
this sounds of this album meaning so much to you do you have a favorite song on it? Well, I have two. The very last song on that album is Rumor Mill and I love that because that is the only recording on the album that is done in a different studio. That was done at Blue Cat studio in San Antonio, and all my Hispanic friends kept telling me when they heard that song that I had to do it at Blue Cat because they couldn't do that song right in Austin; the feel of the song is San Antonio. So I called Augie Myers and told him that I needed him to get me into Blue Cat. So he called Joe and Joe called me and said he got me in and he got me an all-star cast. And everybody was right, that's who I needed.
We
know Blue Cat and I’m sure that if Joe said it was an all-star cast, it was. We were just about done with the recording session when I asked Henry Braun where my Timbales were in the mix and he asked me if I think I needed Timbales and I said “I don’t think I need Timbales, I KNOW I need them,” because that’s what I heard in my head when I wrote the song. So we worked things out and that was the last instrument recorded. Rick Ramirez is on bass for that song and I got to introduce a new talent to that studio, Chris Reeves. They didn't know him, but they do now. The other song on that album that I like is If You Want To Break My Heart Baby Come Back Home.
Have you heard of the Music Modernization Act?
I
will agree with that. The nicest people I think we've met have been here. They just open their arms and except everyone. So tell me about this album New Moon. New Moon is my favorite album of all time to be honest with you. I love them all, but this one was right after my divorce and I had control of everything, with nobody to tell me what I was doing wrong and I got to do it exactly the way I wanted to. I asked my dear friend Chris Reeves coproduce it with me. Chris and I had been on the road together for 13 years and he's an absolute wonderful talent and an awesome guitar player! He's a phenomenon! I asked him because I wanted somebody to bounce ideas off and that I trusted and I respect his opinion. Since it was my first venture doing my own thing, I wanted everything posi-
I
like your positivity and that you don't want to bring in the bad vibes. There's enough bad vibes in the world that we don't need any more. In this business, we all know that there's some jealousy and some in egomaniacal idiots and whatnot, so you try to pick the next guy up when you see talent and a good person, pass it on to them. I try to do that it Greune Hall with some writers and people that nobody knows and that the world should know.
When are you a Greune Hall?
It's whenever Tracy calls me and tells me. She leaves it up to me to hire the songwriter, duo or group and sometimes she says she needs my band.
That's how I got me and Augie and Joe King together. I had another one that I was doing for a while with Al Barlow. If you go in the ladies bathroom at Greune Hall and look on the wall, he wrote a song called I love Al Barlow on the bathroom wall. Al, me, and Jimmy Lee Jones did a show there called Bullshit & Ballads. Of course, I would do all the ballads.
I really like your music. We were listening to the album and really enjoyed it. There's a song on there that I wrote called Trust Me With Your Heart and if you listen very closely to the end of that song, it sounds like a flute. That's not a flute. It's the fiddle player with a very very light touch of the bow.
We’ll see and I'll tell you the thought process for that. After I made my Try It You'll Like It album I sold enough CDs within two months to pay off the project. Now with New Moon, people aren't buying CDs anymore. You can’t hardly buy a new car with the CD player in it or a laptop with the CD drive anymore. They want you to stream everything or use a USB stick, but there's a generation that doesn't understand USB sticks; so you're stuck producing an album in many different forms. Have you heard of the Music Modernization Act?
No, please tell me about it.
This new law streamlines the music-licensing process for rights holders, like songwriters, musicians, talent, so that they are paid more I’m going to have to go back and listen and an easier time collecting money they are for that. You said that New Moon is a owed when their music is streamed online. It Ray Price song. Do you have any other was signed into law in October 2018, but covers on your alstreaming networks, like bum? Spotify, are standing in Yes ma'am, there’s a the way of it taking efSince it was my first few. The very first fect. I pulled New Moon venture doing my own song on the album, I already, but they still Don't Want To Lose You thing, I wanted everything play a couple of my Anna. Mark Sherrill older songs. positive behind it. wrote that song and he When Spotify plays one also wrote the old of my songs they pay Blake Shelton song Old Red. The second one me .01682 cents per play because of the old is an old Merle Haggard song called If You law. And YouTube is even worse! There was Want To Be My Woman from his first album a study done with a famous song and it and it stayed on the radio for two weeks and showed how many times a song has to be then they pulled it because they thought it played to make $1,000... 1,351,352 times! was too risqué. The next song is New Moon I think that one of the best things about by Ray Price and Rapid Roy is a Jim Croche music is that it touches the heart. I know song that I always sing in Switzerland for my you are a huge Merle Haggard fan and buddies in the car club. Troubling Mind is an that you have a story that proves that old Bob wills tune and then Psycho, which point and how positive of a person you we’re going to make a video on, is a Leon are. Payne song. Then Shoeshine Man was written As you said, I am the biggest Merle Haggard by Tom T Hall. One of my songs, Married fan in the world and I’d met him three times Man On The Loose, I co-wrote with Cam King before and he signed my guitar. who wrote a couple of hits for Lone Star and I got to be friends with Freddy Powers, who a song on Garth Brooks’ Christmas album.
I know New Moon just came out, but do you plan to go back into the studio soon?
Continued on page 18
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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Photos Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine
Christopher
Cody Meacham is a Texas Troubadour. His passion for rock climbing and life, mingled with meeting people and music has led him across the US and back. He currently hangs his hat in San Marcos.
Christopher Cody has just released his first full-length album, Ol’ Time Waddies Blues, blending his folksy old time styles with colorful storytelling songs. We met up with Christopher Cody at a house party in Houston to talk about his travels and the album.
Listening to Ol’ Time Waddies Blues, I got the feeling that you are a real troubadour. Thank you. I knew I was going to travel after I graduated high school. I’d gotten the travel bug as a kid going to visit grandparents in Kentucky and out in El Paso. I just feel more at home when I'm traveling around. I did a couple years of community college and I went to Hawaii for a while to hang out with my best friend then I came back to the states thinking that I was going to move to Hawaii, but that was that wanderlust and the ability to get in the car and drive for a day. You just can’t do that on an island.
Well, you can, but you’d drive yourself
crazy going in circles. Exactly. So I knew from that moment that my curiosity was ready to explore the American West. I've been rock climbing since I was 17. It was something I took to pretty naturally so I got really deep into that and it became a really good excuse just to go to these really cool places out into the wilderness all across the US; to places that I might not have gone to had it not been for climbing. I learned how to weld in high school and realized while I was on the road that I had to have a viable trade, so I actually landed a job in Colorado doing steel fabrication then a started building climbing gyms for universities and fitness centers and for people that had a lot of money and wanted one, so I was traveling all over the US with a group of people became some of my lifelong best friends.
So where have you spent your time? I spent a lot of time in Western Oregon then I would go. I was rock climbing a lot, so I would go over to Washington and up to British Columbia. I also lived in Colorado at a high elevation for a decade, but I was born and raised down here on the Gulf Coast But in the northwest, I got into the groove but I never did like it; winter was kind of depressing.
Yeah, we don’t like that kind of winter either, that’s why we live in Corpus Christi where we can panic because it’s below 55. It's really interesting that when you traveling and meet people,
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you find out that it's such a small world. It doesn't matter if it is through music or rock climbing; you end up meeting the right people to take you on the right road. There are communities everywhere. It's just like anything passion based that people are into, like making jewelry or music or any kind of art, and counter culture sports like climbing, surfing, snowboarding, fly-fishing, backcountry hunting and guiding, I have a lot of buddies that do that. People are always traveling. I wasn't really reinventing myself, I was just interested in all of it because I think at the core I recognized that they are all the same kind of people; they were just exercising their passion through a different outlet and in a different community. Like all the rodeo guys I grew up around; my grandfather and his brother just rodeoed for a living and that was always a part of my life.
When
did music really make an appearance in your life? The earliest music I remember growing up on was storytelling-type music like Jack Elliott, Marty Robbins, Woody Guthrie, Mississippi John Hurt, and of course Doc Watson. A lot of what they sing about is about the common man and these people that are salt to the earth and I recognized those very people from those songs; they were the people I was meeting when I was traveling. It's just these weird connections that I would always find myself thinking of and I guess in the big picture you bring that all back around to music right here
and right now, is that I always knew music was one of my first loves. I always loved music. I didn't really learn how to play until later. I had a guitar that my dad gave me when I was 12 and I would watch him play some cowboy chords and try to mimic that and just being a kid and inpatient, I just put it in a closet for a while. When I moved out to the Rocky Mountains, I needed something to keep me occupied, so I picked up the guitar. That's really where I learned to play and I learned the Dobro. All this was over a course of a few years and I just wrote all the time.
How did you learn to write storytelling songs? I think just listening to other songwriters, like Thomas Van Zandt and Guy Clark and all those Texas guys, I learned my own way to create some kind of imagery of my experiences and people I met. In the early 2000's was when I really started writing. I would write about something that someone said or funny instances that took place and I had met some incredible characters during my travels, just so rich with experience and story. I've been sitting on some of these songs on the record for a decade.
Are you a writer who has a set time for writing? I find that the less I really try to sit down and force a story, the more I give it space, the less I really think about it. It comes in waves. I might just hear somebody say something. I had several songs that came
How
many albums do you have? This is the first real one. I have a demo EP that’s pretty good quality wise and has helped me get gigs and we play a lot. I play from solo, duo, trio, all the way through my full outfit which is five people.
So tonight it's you, a bass player and a mandolin player. Tom Crail is on the upright bass. I played with him for about three or four years now; ever since I've been in the hill country. Chrisout of one little phrase. I had just sold a Square Neck Lap Steel Dobro Guitar to make room for this Weissenborn Hollow Body Lap Steel Guitar. Literally the first 15 minutes of sitting down, I had the better part of the title track, Ol’ Time Waddies Blues. I didn't change anything. That's just one of those instances that fell out of nowhere where I had a full song. Those are few and far between. Out of 150 songs that I've written that I actually play, there are probably five that are like that.
I agree, I think that's a pretty rare happening for most songwriters. It's certainly special when it happens though. I think those moments, at least for me, are somewhat pivotal in bringing so much inspiration to the moment, because it's easy to go through dry spells, especially if you're playing live a lot and you're staying busy.
Courtesy Photo
tian Leal, playing the mandolin, and I have been playing together just over a year, but I've known Christian for a few years from other bands.
So tell me about this new album. The album is called Ol’ Time Waddies Blues, and Waddy is an old slang term for a cow hand and I come from a long lineage of Waddies. My little ragtag crew of friends, I think deep in our hearts we’re all old-time cowboys in our thrill-seeking and adventure. I wrote eight of the songs either about a specific person in my life or they’re certainly inspired heavily by people in my life, so it's not autobiographical per se, it's kind of like a memoir. Some of the friends that some of the songs are about have passed on and some of these relationships that the songs are about have taken on the form of how they are written, so it's kind of an homage of looking back at people that inspired me at times in my life. Every song I've written is a direct response of my experience of travel and people in my life. The ninth is "St. James Infirmary Blues" is a really old song. I always loved that song. As far as I know, that's an Irving Mills song but he went by several names, and I really remember the Louis Armstrong version which I thought it was incredible. Not only Louis’s playing, but the story telling and that whole New Orleans vibe. I wanted to play it and Tom had a cool way of doing it. The song
comes from that old 20’s jazz side, so we hashed out how we wanted to play it; a mix of how I would play it with Tom’s flair put on it. It's a crowd favorite.
Where did you record it at? Actually it was recorded at a buddy’s house in Austin. He has a studio in town and his name is Cameron Dena, but being a string man all acoustic, no drummer, you got a record that stuff live, so the house is in a quiet area, on family property, and empty.
What area do you play the most in? In Houston, I’ve played at a place called The Americana, which is right down the road from here. The last four years have been all Hill Country. I did a tour through Colorado two summers ago and I started out from West Texas, at Starlight Theater in Terlingua. I've also been out there for New Year's, which is a two -night gig, but I mostly do solo gigs out there because it's hard to get everybody to go.
Are you going to be touring soon? Right now we are busy around here. I think we'll do something next summer.
Well, it’s time for you to get back up and finish the night, so I’ll ask my favorite question… Who would you like to see in concert? I would have to say Mississippi John Hurt and probably Doc Watson.
That
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it makes me feel out in words; they always come out sounding like chaotic buffoonery. I am happy that Tony dove into his apps and brought this out. It changes me.
es, Tony is quite the musical encyclopedia. Since you typically are a solo act, who do you have playing on the album?
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
There's Travis Stern on percussion, Ty Dietz playing bass and guitar on some tracks, and Derek Galvan playing bass on others. Oh and Reverend Matt played lead guitar on Wake the Dawn.
tweaking the words and tune to make them flow together. The 3rd is a song I still play is Led Zep's Thank You. I tried to use it to seduce a girl in high school. FAIL.
s this going to be a full album or an EP?
ow did you come up with your Viking logo?
I don't know. You have to understand I'm pretty green in this whole business; I'm still learning a bunch of stuff. I’m learning from Ty and from Tony and others around, so I don't know what it's going to be. I will have counsel before it's released and then I'll know what's best.
Glad you asked. Magnusson is Norwegian. One of my forefathers befriended a Mormon. The Mormons follow their lineage for their own business and they're good at it. So this Magnusson blood line will end with my two sons, but it started back in ancient Scandinavia. I'd be the 9th Eric in the line but 4 generations ago Magnus Magnusson was named. I am a Jr but we kinda started again from my dad's dad and named my son Eric the IV. To point? We have a direct line to the first settlers in Iceland from Scandinavia with some ties from Scotland too. The longship I find to be a romantic part of my legacy. Can you imagine? What ride to take. The Norsmen were feared but still a help to human evolution. Oh the irony. On a lighter note, I went to YouTube and asked how to draw a longship. What you see on my sign is the first video. It was PERFECT. I then drew, cut, screwed and painted my sign. It’s kinda cool. My youngest son, Joe, gave me the sword and it was his idea to have the sword hold the sign. Good idea Joe.
eah, really good idea Joe! Let’s talk about the album you’re working on. with Tony Saracene to record. Yes, I am working on an album. Currently I have 7 songs produced by Ty Dietz that I have deemed ready for mastering by Tony Saracene at Aransas Music Emporium and he is helping with the eighth song. We recorded number 8 but I wasn't satisfied and we’re still working on it. This song, A
Continued from page 15 wrote Chase Each Other Around The Room Tonight and You Put Me On A Nashville High. This guy was an incredible prolific writer and producer and I studied his work before I even met him. Freddy had Parkinson's Disease and died about a year after Merle. I was very blessed to get to know him when he could still sing. We got to be buddies and I was a trusted friend, so when his wife Catherine had to run errands she would call me and I would sit with Freddy. A year and a half before Merle died, he played at Greune Hall and I went with Freddy and Catherine. At the end I asked Catherine if I could help get Freddy back into the motorhome and she told me no but I could help him get onto Merle's bus.
totally understand. When are you thinking you’ll Release it? Well, now that's the question isn't it? It's hard for me to balance overlooking “things I want to hear” vs “what I can let slip by”. I honestly don't know when. Maybe if I set a goal or a deadline I'd be more apt to know when it's going to be done. I actually started working on this when Hacienda (Records) was around. I still have their recordings and that's all I have to say about that. I'll just say ASAP is its release date.
Mother’s Bane, is about the woman I mentioned earlier and is a repercussion of me, trying to get that 8th song to her. She's heard it and I'll spare you that story but I need the song to be melancholy, dark as from the grave, an ethereal judgment. To achieve this Tony introduced me to the Mellotron with strings. That sound is so beyond me and so perfect. It sends me to an all knowing and lonely place. I wish I could get how
So I took Freddy out of his wheelchair and put him on my back to carry him up the stairs of the bus and into the back where Merle was. The bus driver was Ray Eckerd, who I knew since the 80s in California. When I got on the bus I asked Ray to hold my hat and he told me that when I got Freddy on there to get off the bus. So I got Freddy situated and asked if he needed anything and he wanted a Coke, so I said "Mr. Haggard, Freddy would like a coke" and he said "Can somebody get Freddy a freakin’ coke?!” I got him taken care of and his hands were shaking real bad and I told him that Catherine would be on the bus in a minute, kissed him on his forehead and told him I loved him and I will see him in a while. So I turned around to leave and Merle said "Where are you going?" I told him that the bus driver told me to leave after I got Freddy situated and he said "The last time I checked, the bus driver don't own this bus, I do. And anybody that loves Freddy like that is a friend of mine, so you're welcome to stay." They gave me the opportunity to get my cowboy hat and tell Ray that I've been invited to stay. I went back where they were sitting and Merle was lighting a big fat joint and offered me a drag, so I took a big hit off of it but I didn't hand it back to him; I
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asshole". Then he said "Just so you know, Freddy, I'm not going to do that for you". That night Tanya Tucker was also playing and I got to hang out with her, Merle and Freddy.
What an incredible story; not just for
took another hit and he was looking at me like I was some kind of asshole, but with that big hit I walked over to Freddy and blew it in his mouth. He took it in and his hands stopped shaking and Merle said "I never seen nothing like that before in my life and here I was thinking that you're an
meeting your hero, but of your friendship and compassion. Is that when he signed your guitar? No. I was in Dollywood for two years as a singer, and at the time, I was dressed as a scarecrow and I would walk around the park and sing to children. When you are in costume you can go anywhere, so I walked up to Merle's bus and told the bus driver that I wanted Merle to sign my guitar and I gave him a pen. Within two minutes, Merle came out with my guitar and he said "Well one thing, scarecrow, your pen ain't worth a shit. Somebody get me a damn sharpie." So somebody got him a sharpie and he signed it, but before he handed it back, he says, "What makes a grown man dress like a scarecrow and sing songs?” And I said, "Child support". He told me that was a good answer.
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