STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music volume 5 issue 11 February 2017

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

Mardi Gras Port A Style

Sunday February 26 @ 3PM Fat Tuesday February 28, @ 5PM 21st Annual Port Aransas Mardi Gras Parade

It’s not just any Tuesday, it’s Fat Tuesday!

Announcing this year’s King and Queen: Dylan Bailey and Rhonda Shirey!

The Port Aransas Mardi Gras Parade was started by Janet culvert after a “hectic and not much fun” Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

The 21st Annual Port Aransas Mardi Gras Parade will kick off at 5pm from the corner of Beach Street and N Station Street!

Every year this parade has grown like crazy from its humble beginnings of a quick four block walk. The Parade now encompasses a 1.3 mile route that takes about an hour.

Barefoot Mardi Gras

February 25, 2017 11am-11pm Corpus Christi North Padre Island, Texas Add a little cayenne to your weekend & leave the shoes at home!

The Barefoot Mardi Gras returns on February 25, 2017 for an 8th year in a row on Padre Island raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Island Foundation Schools.

A Family Parade takes place along the beach off Park Road 22 between Whitecap Blvd and Bob Hall Pier. Parade starts at 11am. The Parade Judges Float will open the parade followed a few minutes later by color guard and Mardi Gras themed floats in different divisions like Float, Jeep and Golf Cart. Many

Yes, there are that many walkers, carts, bike riders, bead and candy throwers, costumes, the King and Queen, and of course floats!

This year they're launching a new parade… the Muttly Krewe! It will be held on the Sunday prior to Mardi Gras and begins in the “barking” lot at the Salty Dog. We’re starting there at the Salty Dog because the Muttly Krewe is just for dogs and their owners. To kick off the parade the theme is “Indiana Bones and the Raiders of the Lost Bark.”

We've had lots of Paws-itive feedback!

The Parades are for the people by the people and, keeping with the small town feel, there are no parade sponsors. There are also no entry fees for either parade, however donations will be accepted for the Animal Friends of Port Aransas and the Jody McCormick Scholarship Fund.

colorful characters enter the parade making it a unique activity for friends and family.

New this year is the Barefoot Mardi Gras Festival, a fun filled family event with Cajun music, food, drink, displays, exhibits, artists, children’s area, children’s stage and more!

Admission is $5 with Kids 8 years old and younger FREE! An adult-themed Party, The King & Queens Ball, will let the good times roll on the evening of the 25th from 7pm – 11pm at the Veranda Restaurant & Bar at Schlitterbahn. Miss Neesie and the Earfood Orchestra will perform and a special menu of Cajun style food will be served. Signature Barefoot Mardi Gras drinks will also be available. Guests are encouraged to wear costumes. Dancing and a live video stream from Bourbon Street in New Orleans will be part of the merriment.

Attendees must be 21 years old and above. Tickets are $30 and available at various locations..

Bud Light Mardi Gras River Parade & Festival February 25, 2017 | 1:00PM - 6:00PM San Antonio, Texas Arneson River Theatre & 2 1/2 mile downtown area of the River Walk, San Antonio A procession of decorated floats transforms the River Walk into a floating Mardi Gras celebration. Krewes of costumed revelers and

live entertainment celebrate San Antonio style. Enjoy live music, entertainment and food trucks. The public is encouraged to come dressed in masks, costumes, and beads.

Free admission.

Live Music & Entertainment, 1-4 pm at the Arneson River Theatre River Parade: 4-6 pm (2 ½ mile downtown area of the River Walk).

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CONTENTS 3 MARDI GRAS SOUTH TEXAS STYLE 5 QUICK READ 6 COMICS *NEW* 7 CD REVIEWS 8 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 9 THOMAS MORRISON: MASTER SCULPTOR 13 W H I S K E Y M Y E R S : NEW MUSIC, MUD 14 J A M E S L I T T L E B A N D 15 M I K E Y R I V E R A J R 16 3 R D C O A S T F O O D I E : THE CRAZY CAJUN 18 N E W M U S I C & M O V I E S 19 B O O K R E V I E W & KEITH SYKES CONCERT

PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS, CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE, ROB DICKENS, RICK J BOWEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS

February 2017

VOL.5 ISS.11 ON THE COVER...

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APHRODITE BLESSES PANDORA WITH HER BEAUTIES

BY THOMAS MORRISON

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SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC, BOOK, ART, OR SHOW FOR REVIEW! HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM

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STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine, South Texas Entertainment Art Music, in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine. Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries to: submissions@steamtx.com

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Rock beats scissors J. Michael Dolan (:33) No one remembers who was king when Beethoven was alive.

No one remembers who published The Lord Of The Rings.

No one remembers what company produced and distributed the original Star Wars film.

No one remembers who invented the “mouse.”

No one can forget the definition of “Carpe Diem.”

Important because art outshines uniformity, culture eclipses commerce, inspiration dwarfs policy and innovation trumps protocol. And even though we have entered into a time of political ambiguity, and even though the industries of certainty are continuously being disrupted all around us, what matters most is the art you create, the songs you compose, the books you write, the movies you direct, the products you invent and the worthy ideas you produce. Those manifestations will outlast and outlive adversity and mediocrity, and they will be recalled over and over again for generations to come.

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Upheaval!

J. Michael Dolan (:43) Some interruptions are necessary, some pauses are helpful, and an unexpected break in our routine can be valuable. However, some other disruptions really suck; career failures, money loss, project flops, personal heartbreaks, etc. And getting the motor running again, at top performance, after a dramatic, drawn-out delay can be an effort. Why? Because the brute called “Resistance” will stop at nothing to keep you stuck in the drama of your circumstances.

Important because When you finally reconnect with

your desire to succeed, and your resolve to push through “resistance” becomes ruthless, then getting back in the groove can be exhilarating. Not to mention that reinventing yourself can be empowering, and starting over can actually be a blessing in disguise. And if you're really smart, the choices and decisions you make after your big upheaval should actually put you further down the road than you were before. Why? Because you’re starting from HERE. And as a result of your disruption you should be stronger, wiser, more experienced, and a lot clearer on where you want to go, and how you’re going to get there. That said, experiencing an “upheaval” is never a back step, it’s actually progress in disguise.

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CD

BETH HART FIRE O THE FLOOR (PROVOGUE/MASCOT LABEL GROUP)

BY ROB DICKENS Beth Hart continues to produce quality work at a creditable output rate. She also continues to distance herself from the somewhat restrictive descriptor of 'blues siren'.

The Grammy-nominated singer furthers her songwriting chops with her new album Fire On The Floor, just out (in some parts of the world anyway) on Provogue/Mascot Label Group. Her last release Better Than Home (2015) was a critical success and provided ample evidence of her move away from blues standards to her own personal stories committed to song.

Fire On The Floor is a fine body of work, building on her past material. It is also an emotional release and an escape from hard times as the recording of Better Than Home was an emotionally heart-breaking journey. As Hart herself says in the media release: "We were still in the mixing stages for that album and I knew I had to make another record. Making Better Than Home was so painful, because one of the producers, Michael Stevens, was dying of cancer. It was a very emotional record to write and make. I wanted the songs for Fire On The Water to get born real quick" For the new release, Hart called on producer Oliver Lieber and an A-list studio band was assembled - Michael Landau (guitar), Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Brian Allen (bass), Rick Marotta (drums), Jim Cox (piano), Dean Parks (acoustic guitar) and Ivan Neville (B3 and organ).

The album contains twelve tracks, all written by Hart, with plenty of genre diversity. There's the hard-edged rock of 'Fat Man', the lively soul of 'Let's Get Together', the twisty, playful jazz-infused 'Coca Cola' and the salsa spring of 'Baby Shot Me Down'. All fine examples of the songwriting diversity and vocal finesse that she has in spades.

But for me, it's the shouldering ballads that are the real highlights - 'Love Is A Lie', 'Fire On The Floor', 'Good Day To Cry' and 'No Place Like Home'. They have a quiet emotional pull that is hard to resist.

Fire On The Floor is another strong statement from Beth Hart, as she further cements her place as a fine songwriter, along with her standing as one of the great blues-rock/soul voices of our time.

BETHHART.com | RobDickens101.com

REVIEWS

COLIN JAMES BLUE HIGHWAYS (TRUE NORTH RECORDS)

BY BOB GOTTLIEB Colin James was born Colin James Munn in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Years ago while opening on tour for Stevie Ray Vaughan, Vaughan suggested he change his name to “Colin James” as when he was introduced “Munn" sounded like it was pronounced “Mud”. This is his latest disc, number 18, and is titled Blue Highways, and is a collection of some of his favorite blues tunes, from writers such as Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Peter Green, and William Bell to name but a few of those who penned these gems. He did it at the end of a tour and used his road band for the most part. Good thinking as they were coming off months on the road and the whole unit was beautifully together; the way only bands that appreciate the road and music can be at the end of a tour.

On this disc, made just to show an appreciation for the songs that had an impact on him and his music, on that long road to being able to make a disc like this one, the band is one solid unit and plays together as if their tour had been forever instead of several months. Not the easiest of tasks when covering writers as diverse as Chester Burnett, Blind Willie McTell, and McKinley Morganfield.

The fact that this is such a cohesive disc and the playing is a heartfelt celebration of the love for this music and its variety is something that explodes off the disc. A great disc to celebrate all that the blues has to offer.

COLINJAMES.COM NODEPRESSION.COM/TAOBOYCOXNET

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JASON ELMORE & HOODOO WITCH CHAMPAGNE VELVET (UNDERWORLD RECORDS)

BY RICK J BOWEN Jason Elmore describes his band’s new album Champagne Velvet as “like a road trip from Dallas to Memphis with a quick stop by the West Coast on the way. “The 14-track album is a bit of departure from the two previous in that it represents the blues and soul vibes of the band more so than past efforts, which have been heavy on the rock side. Make no mistake, Elmore and Hoodoo Witch are still rocking out and remaining true to the classic guitar-bass-drum format that has drawn the Texas boys accolades.

Going for that raw retro sound, the album kicks off with the jump blues “House Rockin’ Boogie #7,” then keeps the dance floor filled by seamlessly moving on to the sleek Thunderbirds styled shuffle “Double My Money.” The smooth grooving track “Midnight in Memphis,” is a loving tribute to the home of the blues and will no doubt be a radio favorite. The straight ahead electric blues “Maybe,” shows off plenty of the trio’s Texas muscle, while the easy swing of southern rock ballad ‘Shine Your Light,’ reveals a gentler side of Elmore’s songwriting skills.

He then channels Louis Jordon for another saucy bounce ‘Cross-eyed Women,’ that features a great walkin’ bass from Brandon Katona, clever trap kit flair from drummer Mike Talbot and confounding fast fret work from Elmore. Duel guitar leads carry the instrumental ‘Lament For Evelyn McHale,’ and the soulful “Right As Rain,” finds Elmore stretching his vocal chops as well. The Nashville shuffle ‘Land of Plenty,’ is a tongue in cheek tale of hard luck and trouble of a man “starving to death in the land of plenty.” The instrumental title track is a study in pure tone; a sweet little swing number that pays homage to Les Paul, Wes Montgomery and all the pioneers of electric guitar. The trio goes acoustic for the playful back porch lament on hard times “Green to Gone,” then close out the set with another rollicking jump boogie and shout dedicated to their favorite “lady,” “Mary Jane.” al.

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"Willie and Family Live” – Willie "Brothers and Sisters” – The Allman Brothers Band (1973) Nelson (1978) By the time this live, double album was released, Willie Nelson was already a chart topping, country music outlaw well on his way to becoming a beloved American treasure. But it was a long road from Abbott, Texas to becoming the “Red Headed Stranger” and releasing 115 albums. Willie landed a Nashville songwriting job with the help of Hank Cochran in the late 1940s. He sharply honed his writing chops and soon produced future classics like “Crazy,” Funny How Time Slips Away,” and “Night Life,” all included on this album. Since then, Willie has written and sung some of the most memorable tunes in country music, many are on this album, too.

Willie had moderate success in Nashville, but retired to Bandera, Texas in 1970 after his Tennessee home burned down. Inspired by Austin’s burgeoning music scene, Willie started playing again to enthusiastic audiences that related to his independent musical force. He had his first number one hit, “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” in 1975, also on this album.

He went on to act in movies, collaborated with some of the giants in music, had his assets seized by the IRS, and toured and recorded continuously. This album, recorded at Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe, Nevada in April, 1978, goes far in capturing the feeling of a live Willie Nelson show. Energized by his venerable band of cohorts, Willie, Sister Bobbie, and the rest are at the top of their game and clearly enjoying the ride. It also features guest singers Emmylou Harris and Johnny Paycheck, and a cool cover photo of Willie and Trigger. This is a man who’s paid his dues. If you listen to one song, try “Georgia On My Mind.”

How do you regroup and survive as a red-hot Southern blues/rock band after your cofounder, brother, and driving force crashes his motorcycle? This rocking Georgia powerhouse all decided to keep Duane Allman’s influence alive. They hit the road and things began looking brighter. “Eat A Peach” (1972) was a strong album of live and studio material with and without Duane. They were making lots of money, selling albums, and bought a farm. They were living the rock and roll, hippie dream. But all was not well with bassist, Barry Oakley. The death of Duane Allman hit him very hard and he dealt with it by numbing himself with heavy drinking and hard drugs. Then, just a little over a year later, 24 year old Barry slammed his bike into a bus three blocks from where his friend wrecked, also age 24. By then, work had already begun on their fourth studio album. Lamar Williams was brought in on bass after Barry’s death to complete this album with Gregg Allman on organ and guitar, Richard Betts on guitar, Butch Trucks on drums, Jai Johanney “Jaimoe” Johanson on drums, and Chuck Leavell on piano. (Lamar Williams died of cancer in 1983 at age 34.) These seven songs proved that The Allman Brothers Band could overcome major setbacks and rise to the occasion. “Ramblin’ Man” was a giant hit that featured harmony lead guitars by Dickey Betts and guest, Les Dudek. Dudek’s boasting about being the new guy didn’t sit well with the band who didn’t want to replace Duane.

Dudek plays on only one other song; the popular instrumental, ”Jessica,” and that’s the recommended track to seek out, and not just because it’s my daughter’s name.

So there we were in New Orleans, at this modest hostel in the Garden District that is a remnant from 1861. We had chosen the St Vincent for two reasons; first it’s on Magazine Street and second because of its history (it originally was an Orphanage and Convent), but that’s a whole other story. As we headed for the elevator we saw these gorgeous bronze sculptures along the hallway. Not that sculptures were unexpected, just these sculptures were. When we asked about the artist the guy at the front desk said that he lived there. So we made the connection and met Thomas Morrison, who is not just a well-known sculptor, but also an awardwinning Mardi Gras float designer and creator. This is New Orleans and we’d just met an extremely talented artist, so where would you expect the interview to take place?

Why on the roof of a four story building from 1861 of course! This was truly an amazing experience.

Are you originally from New Orleans?

Nope, New Orleans adopted me very quickly. I had driven three days straight to get to my mother’s wedding and really only thinking of passing through. I was waiting in line and struck up a conversation with this really nice couple in front of me at the Royal Blend Coffee Shop in the French Quarter and they offered me a place to stay for a few days. By the third day I had a job running the sculpture department at Kern Studios, who at the time were doing a lot of high-profile National clients.

I'm sure you have an outstanding resume to walk into that position.

Actually it's funny story. I dropped by their office and gave them a copy of my sample sheet-resume, which included all the things I'd been working on for Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, and others in Los Angeles (L.A.). I handed it to this

THOMAS MORRISON’S ROOFTOP INTERVIEW @ ST VINCENT HARLEY @ HARLEY-DAVIDSON CAFÉ, LAS VEGAS, 30FT TALL KREWE OF HERMES HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL ON PARADE & ILLSTRATION

young manager, who was maybe 20, and he said he’d get it to the owner and “we’ll give you a call”. I got in the car and I decided I’d just kind of sit there and wait a couple of minutes. Not five minutes later the kid comes rushing through the door looking for me. The owner hired me on the spot, gave me a place to stay, and hired me at the same wages I was making in L.A.. In joining Kern it just really started off with so many big projects, there's stuff all over the Gulf Coast that was done during that era.

Wow! What a great, smooth transition.

You know it was just like the City was waiting for me to show up. That was 20 years ago and, as a matter of fact, there was a Tarot reader in the French Quarter that I saw few hours after I had met that couple. The first card he threw down was the star card, meaning just about everything is going to fall in line like magic and by the end of the third day that’s what had happened. Well, that's how I got started here.

How did you get involved with Commercial Art to begin with?

I was in art school in Pittsburgh PA when a movie a company came to town to film Passed Away. The production office was at the hotel my mother worked at, so I went to see if the art director had any work; I was maybe 19 or 20 at this point.

When I finally met him, he told me they were in a crisis because they needed a sculpture done and their artist from L.A. wasn’t available to do it, so he gave me a basic description of what it was they were looking for and I went home and made a sculpture of a horse rearing up. When I brought it in the next day they hired me instantly. We turned it into a 10 foot tall sculpture with materials I had never worked with before, but they loved it so much they created a scene in the movie for it. Then they told me to go

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I have to say that when you see these giant floats and experience all the noise and excitement that's going on around, you kind of fall into a dreamlike state as they go by and then you get smacked in the face by a handful of beads. So when a Krewe hires is it for one float or the complete parade?

I design, art direct, and create all the sculptures for the entire parade. I like to create the cast of characters first since you need certain characters in the parade; a noble King, monsters, anything that will give you an expression of emotion and fear, so possibly warriors battling.

You must have a deep understanding of Greek mythology.

I spend months just doing research to figure out what is the best, most exciting elements of the story we’re telling.

How big of a crew do you have in building a parade?

It's a skeleton crew actually. Three or four artists and we work extremely hard in almost sweatshop fashion. You would be surprised at how fast we can put these pieces out. We do a steel armature and then sculpt the form out of Styrofoam.

How much lead time do you need?

Can a Krewe come up to you in November and say hey we decided to change the parade?

No, no, no. Most of the Krewes have been through this rodeo before, so they know that there's a very fixed schedule that we need to keep. We need to start early so that the designs are done well before summer. We need to have at least six months in the building studio and it's a little tricky because Mardi Gras dates move around. In 2014 Fat Tuesday was February 15th, last year it was the 9th and this year it is the 28th, so depending on the date you could lose a week to a month.

Are you currently working on with a krewe?

No, the last two years I worked with Pygmalion and created a selection of sculptures for their parade.

I was just thinking, what happens to these masterpieces when a Krewe decides they want something new. Is there a graveyard for Mardi Gras floats?

No and it just depends on the Krewe.

Often they land in the landfill.

Wow, what a waste.

More of Thomas’ incredible pieces: www.morrisonsculpture.com facebook.com/morrisonsculpture New Orleans Mardi Gras 2017: Krewe of Pygmalion Parade Krewe of Hermes Parade St Vincent’s Guest House 1507 Magazine Street, New Orleans LA

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ULYSSES AND THE SIRENS 1/3 LIFE SCALE, BRONZE THOMAS MORRISON WITH NYX 1/4 LIFE SCALE, BRONZE CHRYSALIS 1/2 LIFE SCALE, BRONZE ANDROMEDA 1/4 LIFE SCALE, BRONZE

By Scott Yager, Sound Magazine

Whiskey Myers are a Southern Rock band who like to jam out until their hearts are content.

They recently released a new album, MUD, and they dropped by STEAM Magazine to discuss their latest record, their playing style, and the origin of their band name.

You guys have long songs. Typically songs are 3 to 4 minutes; your songs can be as long as 14 minutes. How difficult is that, to write them, play them, and fit them into a set?

It's easy for us to make them, love. The hard thing for us is to shorten them, actually. And that’s something we've gotten better at when recording, making them shorter. But we like to jam, so we're going to stretch them out. That's our thing. We'd play for 30 minutes if we could, but when you're in the studio it's about making it all fit into a shorter song and I guess as you get at your craft you can do that.

Is it hard condensing those jamming sensibilities into shorter songs and what is the process like?

We don't really think too much into stuff. We just let it come naturally. Our producer, Dave Cobb, is good at making us shorten stuff and making it fit. You just have to pick the important stuff when you're shortening songs. What do you need, what makes a song better, and what is there just to be there? We like to create very loosely and be free;

we never overthink any of our music. I can tell when someone is trying to do a certain thing or sound a certain way and not being natural. We just like to be natural and let it flow.

What types of things do you notice in other artists songs that make you feel like an artist might be trying too hard to sound a certain way? Are there certain qualities a song might have that tip you off to that?

No man. I try not to be judgmental, I just think in general. Sometimes you can tell if it's real or not, but there's no certain thing. It's just a feeling.

Whiskey Myers MUD Out Now

Who is Whiskey Myers?

It’s an infamous Mexican fighting rooster.

Really? What drew you guys to that?

Our bass player is real into cockfighting.

He was real big into fighting roosters in his younger days. He's from Texas. He would just sneak off and do it. I don't know.

Wow. You know, cockfighting is really looked down on these days. (laughs) Yeah, I'm totally f***ing with you man.

Oh, okay. Good.

No, it's just a myth. We always go with different stories and that's the one I go with.

You mentioned your producer earlier.

What is that relationship like?

This is our second album with Dave. We recorded it last winter and it was released in September. It's our third record, so we are ready for the people to hear it. We like it a lot.

What role does he play with your band during the recording process?

Dave is a genius. Producers just get the vibes and he is good at hearing the music and making us the best version of ourselves. He's not into changing your sound or making you do something you're not going to do. He’s just really good at making you do the best job you can. We love working with him. He's a

pleasure to work with.

How is this new album, MUD, different from your last one?

That's always a hard question, because to me it just sounds like us. To outsiders it might be that this one is more rock or this one is more country, but to me we just go and do our thing. We never try to go in big directions or think of that. It's just pouring your heart and soul into this s***.

WHISKEYMYERS.COM

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By Tamma Hicks and Rusty Hicks, STEAM Magazine

I know you sang a lot of karaoke, what made you want to go from karaoke to a band?

I'd really always wanted to be in a band and the idea started about four years ago. One night this old guy comes up and tells me that I should be in a band and I said, “Okay, I appreciate that. Thank you,” and then he starts rattling off how much it's going to cost me to do it. So I told him to hold on there and let me start from the ground up. I had just had back surgery, so I decided I’d use my time off to start up a band. A couple months later Chris (Hays) and I started playing together.

first pictures I can remember is with me playing on a Smurf guitar. I also remember crawling up on my mom's coffee table pretending to sing into a microphone in front of people.

Were you and Chris friends before or did you meet because of the band?

I'd only lived here in Corpus for about 2 years when I had decided to put a band together and my friends told me to go on Craigslist and advertise for it. I was from Irving so I didn't know a lot of people, so that’s what I did and got some good responses. Chris was one of them and he said he could play piano and wanted to take up guitar. Really it just took off from there.

We’ve been best friends since.

I want to hand it to you guys because I've been watching how you've grown over the last three, four years. I’ve seen that you studied and learned what you need to do. I like that you guys did a duo first.

Our very first show was at the Ingleside VFW. There were three people there. I forgot most of the words, Chris forgot most of the notes, and they even had us come back. So for our second show Steve West came out and played lead guitar.

I really want to take my hat off and thank all my friends who have came out and supported us. You know all I tell anybody is that I am a singer man and that's what I do.

It’s the musicians in the band that are really the talent. I really just want to stay humble.

Basically you guys are the band. Have you're always wanted to do Texas Country or Country music?

I always wanted to do Country and my dad was a DJ, so I heard a lot of it. One of the FEB 2017

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I remember when you and Chris first got together and I (Rusty) was helping you guys out while you were getting your chops together.

Yes, that’s true. You really gave us a lot of insight. Really it’s because of you and a lot of good friends who have given us a good foundation.

And I’ve learned something from everybody I work with.

Do you guys have merchandise?

Yeah, you can always get a t-shirt and whatnot at our shows.

STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Chris plays piano, keyboard and guitar and you play rhythm guitar occasionally too. Tell me about the guys that back you and Chris.

Well, I think we’re probably the only ones in Texas Country that’s got twins in the band, Jonathan Merino is on bass and Michael is on lead guitar. Our drummer is Mike Wilson and he's out of Victoria Texas. One of my best friends, Clay Tree, is running sound for us as well as managing the band. The group we have now is very solid. It’s the band I want and always wanted. We may not be the best band out there, but we have a really good time and we make sure the crowd does too.

that you are working on. Are you looking to record an album soon?

Yeah, you know we've got a few and they're coming together but we haven't really put them out there yet, because I'm a big believer in not being in a hurry. When I put it out on the radio I want to make sure that it's something I want to sing, is something I want to hear, is something someone else wants to hear, and, this sounds odd but, I want it to sound like a punch in the mouth.

I want it to wake you and say “what was that!” I want to see people dancing and see that they're having a good time as soon as it starts off. There are people out there that just put songs on the radio and they're good but they're not outstanding. I want to make sure that ours goes to number one and I want to make sure that people know it's us.

Who are your influences? Are you guys’ rockers underneath or strictly country?

Chris is a little more rock and roll than I Once you’re ready it'll be promo, proam and he's been in a few more bands than mo, promo! Push it and get it out there me. Then again, he likes the same stuff that quick. It would be really awesome to I do. My biggest influence was my dad; the say that second you guys would have 4th Annual Sky High Rollers Casino Night are on to be the TexGeorge Benefiting HALO-Flight as CounStrait, Saturday February 25 @ 7pm t r y who's just phenome- The Breezeway at L&F Distributors, Corpus Christi C h a r t s within nal. After the next year. What kind of songs do that would be Chris LeDoux and Garth you write and when you do head into Brooks. One of my biggest Texas Country the studio are you going to bring in influences is Cody Johnson. He's just an keyboards, fiddle, pedal steel anything awesome guy, really talented. like that?

That's my goal and that's what we're workYou guys perform a lot of cover songs. ing to. We’ve got some ballads, some are Do the others sing lead vocals? kind of grooving, some are very redneck, Oh yeah, everybody. 40 songs a night kills and all are definitely Country. Our first my voice, so they all do two or three a single is “Countrified” written by a good piece besides the harmonies.

I know you've got a couple originals

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By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

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Mikey Rivera Jr Online @

reverbnation.com/mikeyriverajr facebook.com/mikey.rivera5 Tell me a little bit about you. What was

the first song you learned to play and do you still play it?

“Oklahoma Girl” by the Eli Young Band.

One night back in 2009, I came across a guitar at a party and started strumming like I knew what I was doing when in fact, I had no idea. After being told to "shut the hell up" I told everybody the next time they see me, I would have learned how to play. After about 2 months of teaching myself how to play, I randomly showed up to the next social event, with a pocket full of songs and began jamming. At that time, EYB was one of the hottest bands in the Texas Country circuit, so it only felt right to learn one of their songs. I do play it once every blue moon, mostly when I meet someone from Oklahoma.

Have you always been interested in playing country music? Who are you biggest influences?

Personally, I always believed country music is one of the finest genres in music, and it can be mixed in with whatever your feeling is. Be it in need of a drink from a long day's work or if you're going through a tough time in life, Country music has a song for you to connect with. I can go on for days about influences.

One of the first was Pat Green. I had found a cd with some cool artwork on it when I was a kid. I asked my cousin if i could keep it without ever listening to it. I really dug that artwork and it was only a matter of time until I found out that the songs on that "Pat Green: Live at Billy Bob's" cd were awesome as well.

As the years went by, the influences grew more and more. From Cory Morrow to Robert Earl Keen to Todd Snider, Hayes Carll, Ryan Bingham, and Randy Rogers. In my eyes today, after listening to his albums up and down about 527 times, Slaid Cleaves is one of my major influences in songwriting, and life, in general.

bum with some special guests to help sing along. One of my good friends, Molleigh Green, and her fantastic voice will definitely be on it. The album will be special to me for many reasons, but mainly because it will be dedicated to my dad, Michael Rivera Sr, who I lost in October of last year.

Tell me about your original songs. What

festivals around the Coastal Bend area, what are your plans for touring? Do you have any road trips planned for the summer?

Every year, I make a vow to play 2-3 new venues. I love traveling and jamming out at new places. New places, new friends. Touring will be a ways from now, as I still have and enjoy my full time job. Hopefully, with the help of good, hard work, I can pursue music full time and begin a Texas tour. Until then, one day at a time.

inspires the music you write?

I get inspiration from anything and everything that has happened to me in my life.

Just like any other person in this world, I have had many good times as well as bad.

When writing a song, I like to take a simple story/event from my life and place the listener in that very moment so they can feel how I felt. You can feel it in "Gone, Not Forgotten", a song I wrote about how I felt when I lost my uncle in 2010. Life is one big song, and the moments that come along with it are the ballads ready to be wrote about.

It’s been a while since your first EP, are you working on a new album?

Yeah, it's been nearly 5 years since I cut my "308 & a 6 Pack" EP, so I plan on getting back in the studio later this year. By then, I will have enough songs to put out at least a 10 track album. A lot has happened since the EP, so being able to express everything in the album will be fun. From finding and preparing to marry my fiancée, to dealing with a difficult loss, each song will have a story to tell. It will be another guitar and vocals al-

We know you’ve played at venues and

Where is your favorite place to be and what do you do there?

I don't have one specific place, but it is always what friends are around me that makes me happy to be there. Most times, my fiancée and I like to spend evenings outside on a patio, talking and laughing with friends.

It's home away from home. When I'm not able to be there, a stage with a guitar is my 2nd place to be. Where I can also still enjoy the one on one with the FEB 2017 crowd.

STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

M

t s a o C 3rd e i d o o F

By Tamma hicks, STEAM Magazine

THE HUNGRY CAJUN

othing says Mardi Gras or the South like a good Cajun Boil and in my opinion The Crazy Cajun in Port Aransas has been serving some of the best Cajun food this side of the Louisiana border for 30 years and counting! That’s right, 30 years ago Phyllis Layne and her (ex) husband moved to Port Aransas and opened The Crazy Cajun with some recipes that had been handed down. The green building with pink trim has been sitting on the corner of Station and Beach for 25 years. It’s between the beach and the main thoroughfare and across from the ballfield so it’s easy to find with plenty of parking.

DIRTY RICE AND JAMBALAYA WITH CREOLE SAUCE

A few things to keep in mind when you

go… First, remember that any place that has been around for 30 years is going to have a following, so you may have to wait for a table. But it is really worth the wait!

Second, Cajun food isn’t made to be gobbled, it’s made to be enjoyed. And third, be prepared to loosen your belt! The portions are large and the Cajun Spices they use will have your mouth watering before you even get to your seat. The staff is amazing! Really, it’s like a family dinner at your aunt’s house! Of course, my aunt would have a fit if you poured dinner out on the table!

Speaking of which, every day The Crazy Cajun goes through one to two rolls of paper towels per table and almost every week they go through a 1,000-foot roll of white butcher paper. During high-season they can go through as many as three in a week! Crazy?!

On the corner of Beach & Station 303 E Beach Ave, Port Aransas TX (361) 749-5069 Mon-Fri Open 5pm Fri & Sat Open 12pm SAUSGE GUMBO, RED BEANS & RICE, AND SEAFOOD GUMBO

tastes like corn, and so on down the line. Another side note is about the rice. Moist and tender with just a touch of seasoning – wow, I think that is perfect rice!

We decided we would start out with a few of the traditional

Cajun recipes that everyone knows. We had both the Seafood and the Sausage Gumbos. The roux base was thick and tasty and the choice of meat had its own distinctive flavors.

The Sausage Gumbo had a mild flavor, while you were able to taste the shrimp and the fish in the Seafood Gumbo. The Dirty Rice was really scrumptious with chunks of chicken and ground pork. Of course no Cajun dinner is complete without Jambalaya and this did not disappoint! Chicken, ham, and sausage mixed into savory rice topped with their own Creole Sauce. The Red Beans & Rice were so delicious; we decided that was our favorite rice dish! Really no other words for it – three kinds of beans, smoked sausage, celery, bell peppers, and onions mixed with the savory rice. Yum!!

A

little about the spices they use… It’s their own special mix with garlic, oregano, onion, and a few others. Extremely fragrant, bursting with flavor, but not overwhelming so the shrimp tastes like FEB 2017 shrimp, the corn

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STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

BABY BACK RIBS, THE HUNGRY CAJUN BOIL, AND JAMBALAYA

Hands down,

The Crazy Cajun makes some of the most

tender and tasty baby back ribs! And they use their own barbeque sauce recipe that is a real standout! We had a half-rack which came with new potatoes and corn on the cob. At this point we were so full and then came out The Crazy Cajun’s famous “The Hungry Cajun.” Yep, it was boil time and we forgot we were full! As it was poured out on the table in front of our wondering eyes I realized this was the point we needed to loosen our belts! The savory steam reached up and pulled us in! What a full pot! Crawfish, jumbo shrimp, snow crab, corn on the cob, new potatoes, and smoked sausage. Everything was perfect!

The potatoes were cooked just right as was

the corn and neither had absorbed too much of the spices or water – which fellow “boilers” know can be a problem.

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At this point I was ready to roll myself out

the door, park on the beach, listen to the waves on the surf, and take a siesta in the car! But no. At some point, before we were stuffed to the gill, we had heard the magic words… Key Lime Pie! This was the perfect way to end this meal… lightly tangy, sweet, and creamy.

The Crazy Cajun has a saying… You haven’t been to Port A, if you haven’t been to The Crazy Cajun!

KEY LIME PIE

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FEB 2017

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 friend of mine, Clint Freeman. We’ve put it in front of crowds and they seemed to enjoy it; which is what we're after. We want to bring in some fiddle for sure and we want to make sure that it's good for us. We want to make sure it's what you want to hear as much as we want to do.

Any road trips or festival shows coming up?

Well we are just starting to get into the festivals and booking those gigs, but we are playing the Halo Flight Benefit on February 25th at the L&F Distributors. We’ll also be at the bike rally up in Bandera as well as Shrimporee in Aransas Pass. Really, we don't want to stop, we want to just keep going places and doing things.

Laredo, the Valley, here, San Antonio but really if you want to know where we're going to be follow James Little Band Facebook, our ReverbNation,

and Twitter.

What's the best advice you've gotten?

It's what I've learned from my dad. He always said, “If you're going to do it, do it right. Be the best at what you can.” I don't want to be the best, but I do want to go out there and do my best.

FaceBook.com…ReverbNation.com…

Twitter JamesLittleBand

**Release dates & Parental Ratings are subject to change, and often do.**

**Release dates & Parental Ratings are subject to change, and often do.**

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

E FEB 2017

FACEBOOK.COM/STEAMTX

Singer/songwriter extraordinaire Keith Sykes has been in Michael P Earney is an extremely multi-talented artist, film-maker/documentarian, and author.

While on vacation in Central America with no phone, no television, no paint supplies, and minimal distractions Michael penned his first detective novella, Corpus.

Corpus is about the murder or suicide of well to do doctor. The not so grieving wife and son look down at the daughter who is missing her father, so when a second will surfaces she hires a private investigator. Earney provided ample descriptions of the “beach” life style, Corpus Christi, and the surrounding areas and cities making the reading experience enjoyable and I even learned some history.

The main characters are developed well and the “who-done-it” has a hold on you until the big reveal – which wasn’t totally what I had expected.

Corpus is available on Amazon.com and EarneyWorks.com.

the music business for more than 40 years starting in the late 60’s. You may not know him by name but you most likely know many of his songs as more than a hundred have been recorded by artists such as Rosanne Cash and George Thorogood. At one point in his illustrious career he joined Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Not only did he tour the country and record the Volcano album, but he co-wrote the title track with Jimmy. Recordings of Keith’s songs have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.

He has released 13 full-length albums and had great success with his own publishing company. Keith is credited with signing John Kilzer to Geffen Records and for the discovery of Todd Snider. Keith’s most recent release is Songs From A Little Beach Town, a 6-song EP. His single Come As You Are Beach Bar is out now.

Each year he takes a month off from touring to work on songwriting in Port Aransas. Often during these “vacations” Keith performs at the Third Coast Theater in Port Aransas. January 28th was one of these lucky nights for the 100+ people in attendance. If you haven’t been to one of his shows you are missing out. Keith is witty and full of stories and songs. Our favorite highlight of the night was his impression of Bob Dylan singing Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

Available on KeithSykes.com and Amazon.com *Special Note: you can hear Keith’s Songs From A Little Beach Town played in its entirety on SteamMagazineRadio.net