STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music volume 8 issue 3 June 2019

The Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival infused with art and creativity. The motto on the “ranch” as they refer to KFF is “Welcome Home” and from the moment you step foot on the Quiet Valley Ranch you are transported to a land of peace, love, music & art. ~ Ray Leverett

Bill Larsen , Stone stacker, Ingram Tx - Bill is a member of the Vibe Tribe.... Vibe Tribe is a crew at the Kerrville Folk Festival devoted to creating art throughout the campgrounds. Bill has been coming to KFF for 5 years.

Art everywhere at the Kerrville Folk Festival!

Looking at Camp Inertia and Javiers Teepee Kevin Russell of the Shinyribs Friday night at the Quiet Valley Ranch... This shot is from stage looking out at the audience of the Rod Kennedy Outdoor Theater The Shinyribs played Starry Eyes by Rocky Erickson responsible for the psychedelic music scene and he was a founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators Here’s another shot of Shinyribs from the audience

This is a painting on an outhouse at the Quiet Valley Ranch by Pinky Rae

This is a sand castle by the Amazing Walter of South Padre Texas

eRic Luplow at his booth in the Rod Kennedy Outdoor Theater Campgrounds of the Kerrville Folk Festival on a rainy morning

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2 KERRVILLE FOLK FEST 4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 WOODIE LAWSON: HAVE BASS WILL TRAVEL 10 JIM GILMORE : BRONZE SCULPTOR 13 ZANE WILLIAMS : NEW MUSIC 14 KENNY GRIMES: MASTER GUITARIST 16 3 RD C OAST FOOD I E: MIKEL MAY’S BEACHSIDE BAR & GRILL 18 T HI S & T HAT REVI EWS: MAGSLIDE, BOB MAULDIN 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, DEBBIE NOBEL Alternative Weekly Network

June 2019 VOL.8 ISS.3 #87 ON THE COVER...

CRABAPPLE CROW

BY JIM GLMORE

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The next big crazy step J. Michael Dolan

The next step is already preplanned, thought out and ready to take—so you might as well take it. The next BIG step is different. If it’s really going to be a BIG one, if it’s truly going to take you to the next level, if the next step you really want to take is actually a quantum leap right into the belly of your biggest dream, then it cannot be taken by who you are today. It can only be taken by that bold, confident, crazy person you become, when you finally make the commitment to take the leap!

Duck soup J. Michael Dolan We spend so much time and effort getting our ducks in a row, and for good reason; we

want to get it right and have everything in place before we release the record, debut the video, publish the blog, audition for the part, pitch the project or launch our newest offering. It’s so important to pause at the start of the runway (like all pilots do) and make sure that our ducks are ready to fly before we take off.

Important because our fans, clients, customers and partners may not notice if our ducks are in a perfect row. However, they will notice (and remember) if just one of our ducks is out of line .

When you forget who you are J. Michael Dolan

In my experience, pro artists and entre-

preneurs are always smarter than they think, stronger than they seem and braver than they believe. However, with so many uncertain twists & turns and radical ups & downs in your crazy career, it’s easy to forget who you are in the matter, what you’re capable of and where you’re headed.

That said, here’s a sticky-note to stick on your bathroom mirror to help clear your head when you’re dancing with doubt:

1) Trust the experiences you’ve had to teach you.

2) Honor the knowledge you’ve acquired to lead you.

3) Have confidence in your talents, abilities and skills to support you.

4) Have faith in that “deeper wisdom” you’ve attained to bubble up from the inside and guide you in the right direction.

Guessing the future J. Michael Dolan

It was drilled into my brain at a young

age that smart entrepreneurs make long term plans. Now that I’ve dumped that myth into my digital trashcan, I’ve learned that unless you’re beholden to shareholders or investors, long-term plans are an illusion. A best guess. And given the blinding speed at which our creative industry is changing, I place little value on guessing the future and plenty of focus on what I’m rigorously committed to achieving today, or this week, or this month. For me, this simple strategy makes it much easier to track progress and achieve results quicker.

Important because planning too far in the future fuels our resistance to change, keeps us at a dangerous distance from our destination and supports the excuse that we still have plenty of time to reach our goal.

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Up until 1967, England’s Moody Blues’ main claim to fame had been for their big 1965 pop hit, “Go Now.” Denny Laine, who’d helped form the band in 1964 introduced the song to the others and would eventually go on to perform it with his band in the ‘70’s, Wings. Personnel changes would find Laine out and guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge joining up with Mike Pinder on keyboards, Graeme Edge on drums and Ray Thomas on flute to record this album that helped define the artistic era of progressive rock. Decca Records had made significant inroads incorporating stereo recording techniques for classical music, and wanted to use that same technology to fuse classical music with a pop band for their Deram subsidiary label. What they got was a conceptual mix of material intended for a theater project and given the highbrow treatment by Peter Knight and The London Symphony Orchestra.

The album is an aural opus about one day in the life of an everyman. “The Day Begins” has the LSO performing a melodic precursor to what’s ahead followed by Mike Pinder’s evocative reading of Graeme Edge’s poetry. “Dawn: Dawn Is A Feeling “was the song that initially inspired the concept, along with Pinder’s newly acquired Mellotron keyboard, featured prominently throughout the album. The LSO are once again given way before segueing into Ray

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Thomas’ upbeat look at “The Morning: Another Morning.”

This turns into “Lunch Break: Peak Hour” that has the orchestra setting the highpaced rush for John Lodge’s psychedelic rocker that ends side one. “The Afternoon: Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)” begins side two with Justin Hayward’s soaring vocal followed by an LSO interlude and Lodge’s transitional “Time To Get Away” that gives way to “The Evening: The Sun Set: Twilight Time.” “The Night: Nights In White Satin” closes the album with a song that combines the massive talents of The Moody Blues with The London Symphony Orchestra for what would become one of the benchmarks of classic rock.

Before he asked the world if they thought he was sexy, before he showed his depth with his groundbreaking GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK series, before the three wives and countless love interests, before writing a tell-all autobiography, before he achieved knighthood status in England, he was just “Rod the Mod;” the guy with the high, gravely voice that fronted The Jeff Beck Group and, more recently, served as replacement for Steve Marriott in the Small Faces, now just known as Faces. As soon as he sings, you know it’s him.

On GASOLINE ALLEY, his second solo album, Rod calls on friends, mostly from Faces; Ronnie Wood, Ronnie Laine, Kenny Jones and Ian McLagen, to

support him on nine tracks that went a long way in helping establish a legacy that is alive and well in its sixth decade. His unique soulful mix of rock and folk, along with a serious fun attitude is in full supply. Rod and company set the pace with the opening title track, followed by Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now,” which had also been covered by Ronnie Wood’s future band a few years earlier. Rod shows his love of Bob Dylan with an intimate, pub feel given to “Only A Hobo.” McLagen joins Rod on vocals for “My Way of Giving,” a tune the Small Faces recorded two years earlier. Rod pays fine tribute to his friend Elton John with a loose, thoughtful take on “Country Comforts.” Eddie Cochrane’s classic “Cut Across Shorty” is given the rock and roll treatment it deserves, while “Lady Day” and “Jo’s Lament” show off Rod’s skillful songwriting, not to mention Wood’s tasteful slide guitar licks. Rocking hard is the order for “You’re My Girl,” the last track on this significant record. If you need a reminder, look no further than “Gasoline Alley,” the Stewart/Wood written title track that opens the album featuring the duo with Stanley Matthews on mandolin. Rod’s trailing falsetto echoing at the end of the song is like the whistle of the train that’s taking him home.

THE DIP DELIVERS (SELF-RELEASE)

BY RICK J BOWEN

JOHN PAUL WHITE THE HURTING KIND (SINGLE LOCK RECORDS)

BY KEIRAN CROKER I had the opportunity to see John Paul White last September at the AmericanaFest in Nashville. It was only a short set as part of Emmylou Harris’s ‘Woofstock’ gig. However, for my part it was an introduction as I had somehow missed hearing his talents previously, either solo or with the award winning The Civil Wars duo. I was certainly won over by his exquisite voice and beautiful songs.

So it is with much anticipation I come to review his new offering The Hurting Kind.

White was been inspired by the classic country artists and songs of Nashville, and has set out to capture that feeling on this recording. His soaring vocals, supported by lush instrumentation – fiddle, pedal steel and guitars, showcase songs of love lost and found, and overall he delivers on his objective.

The opening track asks perhaps a rhetorical question of what’s so good about “The Good Old Days”. This is guitardriven modern Americana which sets us up for what’s to come. “I Wish I Could Write You A Song” talks of longing and showcases

Listening to the new LP, Delivers, by the seven piece Seattle ensemble The Dip, released this past February, you can’t help feeling like maybe we have turned another cultural corner. The 10 sophisticated tracks are centered around the amazing vocals of frontman Tom Eddy, which are equal parts John Legend, Adam Lambert and Alex Hilton and Sam Cooke. The arrangements have a retro intention with a modern dance sensibility and pop succinctness.

Backed by The Honeynut Horns, featuring Brennan Carter on trumpet, Levi Gillis on tenor saxophone, Evan Smith on baritone saxophone, along with the tight rhythm section of Jarred Katz on drums and Mark Hunter on bass, and lead guitarist Jacob Lundgren, Eddy found a brotherhood of likeminded souls in the University of Washington jazz program to form a fabulous reinvention of blue-eyed soul. The opening track, ”Sure Don’t Miss You,” has a French Quarter street beat and a scorching soul blues vocal.

The time-shifting swing of “Best Believe,” opens with trumpet blasts that bring in a relentless soul groove while Eddy pleads with a lover. Jimmy James and Delvon Lamarr sit in on the hard driving four on the floor soul burner “Advertising,” with Eddy laying out his clever plan to win his sweetheart’s affection. The

trip takes a convincing turn back to the 1950s on the golden doo wop slow dance number “Adeline” that sparkles with glorious backup vocals, reverb-soaked guitars and more soaring horns. The Dip dig deeper into northern soul on the expansive “Atlas” and the dramatic dip into the macabre, ”Slow Sipper.’”

Everyone stretches out on the spacious kneedeep shag Stax reboot “Spiderweb,” and the Bar Kays-styled instrumental “Starcastle.” The band did their homework on 1950s blues and created an authentic vibe for the sweet singalong “She Gave Me the Keys,” channeling Bobby “Blue” Bland and Big Joe Turner.

Another instrumental, “Sea Snake,” closes the album by further showing off the studious devotion to production ideals that brought us records like Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Young Americans. The Dip, being a group of players conspicuously under 30, may be a sign that the next generation is ready to embrace organic sounds and mix conventional rock, blues and soul set-ups with elaborate layers of harmonies and timely conventions into a new type of old schoo .

THEDIPMUSIC.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG

WILL KIMBROUGH I LIKE IT DOWN HERE (SOUNDLY MUSIC)

BY ROB DICKENS

White’s outstanding voice gliding above beautiful instrumentation that captures that classic country feel.

That feel is maintained on “Heart Like A Kite” and “Yesterday’s Love” where he sings of trying to hold on to love. White returns to a more modern feel on “The Long Way Home” (see clip below), then delivers the showstopper with the title track. Simply superb! He is joined by Lee Ann Womack on “This Isn’t Gonna End Well”. Their seamless vocal interplay ensures that I’ll be checking out the back catalogue of The Civil Wars to get more of this style.

That classic country feel is brought home with the closing tracks – “You Lost Me, James” and “My Dreams Have All Come True”.

Speaking of the songwriting and production process for this recording White says: “I really wanted there to be a torch song quality to it, the classic timeless quality. To not be afraid of the big note, and not be afraid of the drama.”

In my humble opinion he has achieved this in a major way with a suite of memorable classic songs.

It’s always a delight to make a personal discovery of a new favorite artist. Of course John Paul is well known by many and this new recording will only enhance his already high standing in the alternative country genre. I can highly recommend this offering.

JOHNPAULWHITE.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM

Will Kimbrough is a prolific and much-in-demand person.

An Alabama native he now lives in Nashville, which is fitting. In a town driven by music and replete with so many great players, he manages, not only to make a living, but to stand out amongst his peers.

This talented and diligent individual’s standing is impressive and rising even higher as word inevitably passes.

Songwriter, singer, guitarist, multiinstrumentalist, solo recording artist, producer, creator, collaborator – all he touches is ‘A’ grade. As the Americana Music Association 2004 Instrumentalist of the Year, his songs have been recorded by Little Feat, Jimmy Buffett, Todd Snider, Hard Working Americans and Jack Ingram.

He has produced Buffett, Shemekia Copeland (which has been nominated for Album Of The Year) Doug Seegers and Radney Foster. He has toured with Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and Todd Snider.

As a collaborator, he has recorded a duets album with Brigitte DeMeyer, issued three releases with Tommy Womack under the banner of DADDY, and is a member of the terrific Alabama group Willie Sugarcapps.

I Like It Down Here is his ninth solo release since 2000. It oozes classes from the very first note. The narratives revolve around the current political bifurcation and hark back to his Alabama upbringing, family ties and his start as a whiz kid guitarist.

The opener “Hey Trouble” brilliantly combines a blues lyrical aesthetic with a soaring alt.country/pop arrangement. The title track is insistent and ironic and “Alabama (For Michael McDonald)” chillingly portrays the last public lynching in Alabama (as recent-

ly as 1981!). “Buddha Blues” grinds with distorted guitar and presents a stark sonic landscape while “When I Get To Memphis” has a breezy RnB vibe over highly evocative imagery.

“Salt Water & Sand” is gorgeous. A ballad which has a Springsteen feel of redemption – escaping troubles and regrets for a while by joyously dipping your toes in the healing coastal water.

The recurrent riff of “Anything Helps” is irresistible while the closing “Star” provides clear evidence of Kimbrough’s vocal skills.

When the latter finishes, the silence is deafening as happens with great musical works.

I Like It Down Here is another riveting indication of Will Kimbrough‘s seemingly limitless powers.

As well as Kimbrough, the album features Chris Donohue (bass) and Bryan Owings (drums and percussion) with guest spots from Copeland, Savana Lee Crawford, Anthony Crawford, DeMeyer, Lisa Oliver-Gray, Jim Hoke and Dean Owens. It was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville and produced by Kimbrough.

WILLKIMBROUGH.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM

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Woodie Ray Lawson is a wellknown bass player in the Coastal Bend. He and his wife have recently retired and are taking advantage of their free time by moving back to the Dallas. They’ll be closer to family, but don’t fret! Like many other North Texans, they will be back each winter. After all, Woodie is the bass player for the PA Rockers.

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

How do you like living in the Dallas area again?

Pretty nice; it’s taking a little getting used to and we’ve only been here about three weeks and I was gone for a week of that in Port Aransas for the Summer Showcase and then I played with Todd Dorn & the Sea Drifters at Giggity's. We’re still renovating and remodeling the house. We haven't quite unpacked everything yet, so we're in a little bit of disarray but we're getting there.

That's okay. You’ll settle in soon. Are you from Stephenville or did you move there when you were a kid?

Well, actually I was born in Dallas at the First Methodist Hospital at a very young age. (laughter) We lived in Grand Prairie before moving to Stephenville when I was 5. I was in school there from second grade through two years of college.

When did you start playing music?

Well, I started playing clarinet when I was in junior high. I still have the clarinet at my mom's house in storage. When I started, I didn't really read music and I didn't learn to, xylophone, or even drums. so I was playing by ear. I was always the next I own a violin and I’m not very good on it at to last chair in school because I would listen all. I bought it from sweet Mary Hattersley, to what the person played before me and who was the violin player with Greezy duplicate it. My Wheels; it was her second fiddle. All I dad played play on it is Christmas songs, but I Being a musician I never guitar in a haven't played it in a couple of years, thought that I would retire country band so you may not want to hear me this from a full-time job, but it Christmas. I still have a lot of work to with one of my mom’s cousins worked out that way and I do on it. I really love that fiddle. It and a couple of means a lot to me and someday when I other guys, so I was really lucky and blessed. have spare time, I’ll work on it. started playing clarinet in their band. I’d play songs like “Stranger On The Shore” and “When The Saints Go Marching In” and that kind of stuff. I think I was trying to be a sax player, but actually, I started playing Spanish guitar.

My mom played the piano like “You are my sunshine” and stuff. She didn't teach me to sing harmony but I learned it by listening to her.

Then in high school, some buddies of mine wanted to jam, and of course, the Beatles had come out by then, so I took my clarinet and I was going to play When I'm 64 from Sgt. Peppers, but we needed a bass player. So I ran home and got my dad’s electric guitar and amplifier and started playing bass on the big E string and gradually I broke into four strings, and now I have a five string bass.

You play the clarinet, Spanish and classical guitar, and bass guitar. Anything else?

Piano. I have an electronic keyboard at the house, but something about a real piano is so much more fun to play. I really like the variety of sounds you can get on the keyboard. You can make it sound like a saxophone, organ

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We played a lot of rock and we were pretty good but Sam decided too many late nights were distracting him from his art, so he quit the band. He made the right decision that’s for sure.

Anyway, we had a keyboard player but it didn't really work out, so I move back home to Stephenville and washed dishes at my parents Holiday Inn Restaurant for a while. Then for my 21st birthday, I went to the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin and Leon Russell was playing with a band called Greezy Wheels. We sat together and shared a picture of Lone Star beer. I thought I'd move there, so in ‘73 I moved to Austin and that was the start of that.

You just decided to move to Austin?

Yeah, well I knew this girl from Stephenville who was living in Austin and I stayed there.

One day I was leaving her place and I heard a band playing right next door so I knocked. It was Doak Snead and his band practicing and they had just fired their bass player the week before, so I ran home and got my bass and amp and joined the band.

How long did you play with Doak?

About three years. One of the first gigs we did was warming up for John Prine at Hogg Auditorium on the UT Campus! We played with the Houston pops orchestra one year. We warmed up for Willie Nelson at the Ritz in Corpus Christi, that was pretty neat!

Very cool. You worked at Armadillo too, right?

Yeah, I lived with this lady, Jan Beeman, who ran the kitchen and she knew the Doak Snead Band. I actually met her through the band and later we were a couple. Anyway, the band played at Armadillo quite a bit and I started doing the lights and spotlights and that was a Was that your first band? lot of fun. Those were Yeah, my first rock 'n' the golden years for roll band. Sam Yates Our band was practicing In-Ame. A lot of great and I were freshmen in high school and the Gadda-Da-Vida at Sam's parent’s musicians played there name of our band was house. All of a sudden the house like Frank Zappa, Resurrection. After two exploded! The lights went out and Devo, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Van years of college, Sam Morrison; tons of I thought maybe the Russians had wanted to major in art really good people. at North Texas State finally attacked or something.

I was doing the SpotUniversity in Denton. light for Charlie DanWe moved up there iels Band when I found out that John Lennon and started our next band, Rocking Horse. had been shot & killed from the late "Big Riki" or "Guacamole Queen". I thought she was trying to be funny, or something. Or maybe I just didn't want to believe it. And, speaking of Charlie Daniels he took a cassette copy of my song, Song For The Waitress, with him in his guitar case. We had recorded "Live" on the Big Stage at the Armadillo, mixed the recording in the studio there, "Onion Audio". Not sure he ever gave the cassette to the Marshall Tucker Band like he'd said he was going to, but I was thrilled that he even wanted to do that!

Wasn’t Jan Beeman was a big personality at the Armadillo?

Yeah, she was a manager there. She also managed bands like Doak Snead Band and Balcones Fault, a really great Texas show band, and helped young musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn. When Asleep at the Wheel first moved to Austin, I met with them and became really good friends with their manager's husband, Floyd Domino. He played piano and went on to play with Merle Haggard. He still lives in the Austin area and he plays about twice a week. So I met some really cool peo-

dillo a lot and had some really good vocalists.

In Port Aransas-Corpus Christi I was in the Brother Brothers until Deb Dault joined the band and we changed the name to the Dynamics which morphed into Triggerfish. We played together for 11 years and just came out with our third CD a couple of years ago. We were a pretty good soft rocking band and played New Orleans, Houston, Dallas and of course all over the Coastal Bend. I played with Oscar Gonzalez’s Bushbullet. I can't remember the name of the venue we were at in San Antonio about 12 years ago, but we were backing Bo Diddly who was going to play for just a short length of time, but he was enjoying it so much that he played with us for about 30 minutes.

Most recently I was in Bad Buoys (with Rusty Hicks, Steve Goldstein, and Ron Baker) and Giggity’s Free Beer Band. Here in Dallas, I'll be playing with the “Bad Monkeys”. They are a soft rock band that wanted me to play with them June 8 to warm up for Jimmy Buffett, but that's when we're playing in Colorado with the PA rockers.

ple when I lived there.

That's very cool. Sam has told us that it's because of you he went to Austin and worked at the Armadillo.

Yeah, after he graduated from the university he was getting bored with the area and wanted to make a fresh start, so he moved in with us on Riverside Drive. He started working at the Armadillo in the kitchen and he got to meet some of the poster artists and got into the Art Squad, so it was a good move for him.

I think it was an awesome move because he's still in Austin and he credits a lot of his beginnings with the Armadillo. Hey, in one of Sam’s Lone Star pieces he used you as his subject, didn’t he Yes, I was dressed up as a rodeo clown in one of those 55-gallon barrels and it was painted like a Lone Star beer can and the name was called “Rodeo break”.

I love that. It’s a very cool thing! You didn't start playing five-string bass until just a couple years ago right?

Yes, just a little over two years ago.

I realize it's a different guitar. What makes a difference between the four string and the five-string??

I really like the sound of it, and to be able to get that low note. I thought I could use a big challenge and it took a while because it's a different animal. I still have trouble on a few songs, but I'm getting the hang of it now. The difference is the way your fingers are used to playing. Eddie Saenz, who played bass with Bushbullet, told me, “When in doubt you can always use the fifth string as a thumb rest.”

And I have used it that way a few times.

I like that. So you been a musician pretty much all of your adult life?

Yes, I've been a part-time musician because I used to have day jobs. and shortly after I moved to Port Aransas, I started working parttime for UT Marine Science Institute and parttime for the South Jetty delivering papers from Victoria. After about six months I worked at UT full-time for about 7.5 years then they ran out of grant money, so I started working at the lighthouse part-time. I was there for about 4 1/2 years. While I was working out there I got my foot in the door as a custodian at TA&MU -CC. After a while, they offered me a full-time job, so I took it and was there until about four years ago when Susan figured out a way that I could retire early, so that's good. Since then

I’ve been playing more music. Being a musician I never thought that I would retire from a full-time job, but it worked out that way and I was really lucky and blessed. Susan just retired the end of April from working at UT for 20 years.

So the PA Rockers are playing the Rock ‘n Soul Jam in Westcliffe CO for the 3rd year.

How did you get into the PA rockers?

Well, Susan had shown me an ad in the paper when they were getting together but I didn't really pursue it. Then she saw another ad in the paper when their bass player moved away.

They asked me to audition, but at that point, they didn't want to make a commitment until the next season. That’s when they asked me to join. Mark Munson, the originator of the band, was having some health issues which he later died from, but they needed a drummer too, so I got Debbie Dault to play with us that year.

Of course, she's passed away too. Anyway, I think I've been with the PA Rockers for five years now.

I knew you had joined because of one of their ads.

Well, Susan saw the first ad and I was playing with other bands and didn't really have time for it, then the when Tommy was going to be moving, I thought that I’d try it out. So I went

to hear them and it was great seeing them pack the dance floor with people older than me having a good time and sure enough, I really liked playing with them.

How long did you live in Austin?

17 years from 1973 to New Year's Eve eve 1989. I just wanted to start the year in a different place; I needed a new start. I was going to Port Aransas every two weeks or so and realized that it cleared my mind up a lot, so I decided that would be good for me. I would do beach cruises and it would help me forget about stuff and put me a good state of mind.

Being in Port Aransas and around the water like that is good for you.

Yeah, that’s the thing I'm going to miss the most now that we’re in Dallas, but I’ll be coming back January through March to play with PA Rockers, and I’ll be down at least once a month with Todd Dorn’s group, so it's not like I'm saying goodbye.

Good! What other bands have you played in?

Hmm. In Austin, there were the Dogs at Play, Octave Doctors, and couple others. Susan thinks Dogs At Play is one of her favorite bands she's heard recordings of. It was a fun band and we played the Beer Garden at Arma-

Besides the Beatles, what are your other influences?

Well, Led Zeppelin's my second favorite band.

I like the Moody Blues and the Holly’s a lot too, and Elvis of course.

Do you have any Country music influences?

Well, I was raised on Country music. My dad was a Country Western musician. He wrote a song called “I'll be waiting backstage for you” in his own record.

That’s cool. Have you ever thought about playing it?

Yes, and I have the sheet music for it too.

How many songs have you written?

Twenty or thirty, mostly on guitar and piano; not many on bass but I’ve written several songs on piano. I hope to make my Christmas blues song a hit one day. I talked to Ray Benson of “Asleep at the Wheel” about doing it sometime, but I guess he's not interested; but I bet if I give him the CD that has it on it, he might give it a listen.

Well before we go, I heard you blew up Sam's house?

Okay. Well, Resurrection, our high school rock band, was practicing In-A-Gadda-DaVida by Iron Butterfly at Sam's parent’s house about 14 miles north of Stephenville and out in the country. All of a sudden the house exploded. The lights went out and I thought maybe the Russians had finally attacked or something.

How terrible!

Yeah, we were in a room away from the fire so we were fine. We got most of our equipment out of there and most of that didn't get hurt.

Sam and I had to drive down to the neighbor's house to call the Fire Department because we were out in the country, so by the time the Fire Department got out there, it was too late and the house had completely burned and they lost everything. Sam’s parents and brother weren't seriously injured and later we found out that there was a gas leak in the water heater.

Have you ever played “In-A-Gadda-DaVida” since?

No, sometimes I'll just go over the lick but I have never done the whole song with any band and probably never will. But Bad Buoys warmed up for Iron Butterfly last summer at the Rock & Ride in Corpus Christi.

STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JUNE 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 9

year’s process.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 at it all these years.

How long did it take for the parachute to open?

Well, I sculpted a lot and then I decided I was just going to quit (the ranch) and give it a year to see if I could sell some stuff. The first year I actually made more (sculpting) than I had been making on the ranch. And then I just kept at it because I could see it was going to work, so I worked on getting more galleries in different places and started going to more shows; doing things like that and it worked for me. About 15 or 20 years ago I started doing the monumental pieces. My first was a piece for Baylor University and it kind of ballooned from there.

Wow, that is just amazing! One of the thoughts that we had was how well you grab the intensity of the situation and capture the expression. For example, we were looking at the Snowshoe Race. You look at that rabbit and you can just feel the fear he has, and then you look at that lynx and you’re hungry.

Well, thanks! That's what I try. I did that for the Division of Wildlife here. They were doing a re-introduction program in Colorado and that's one of the pieces they bought to give the people that had worked on that project. That’s an open addition that I've sold to other galleries too.

It's incredible, especially to do it in sculpture. The guy canoeing in the rough waters and finding a bear, I mean, they both look scared to death!

Right! (laughing) He got in between the

Wow, that is quite the story! What's the volume of work you have done? Do you have a count of how many sculptures?

Oh gosh! The smaller ones I would imagine for each one of those there is an additional 30 to 40, but probably well over 200. So 2,000 to 3,000 pieces I would imagine!

I know a little about bronze sculpting, but will you please explain it?

First, you sculpt the piece in clay and do a mold of that original. Then you take the original out, put the mold back together, pour melted wax into that and after it has hardened then you take the mold off. That wax has been invested in a ceramic material, like a coating or a shell, and then it's put in an oven and the wax is melted out of that ceramic shell. That's where the name “lost wax process casting” comes from.

It would be scary to me, after doing all that work and find a mistake.

Well, you have your mold that you can always pour another wax, and out of this ceramic the wax melts, and then the bronze is poured into the ceramic shell, the shell is knocked off, and then you have your sculpture in bronze and it goes through a lot of welding, chasing and finishing work after that.

I know there are not many bronzing foundries around. I think there's only one in Texas.

There's probably only a couple in Texas. Two of the biggest foundries in the United States is in Loveland Colorado, so we’re really lucky to have these foundries so close.

From start to finish, how long does it take you to make your small pieces and monuments?

Well, the smaller pieces, depending on how complex they are, will take anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks to do the original. The molding and casting process probably takes around two months. We have a lot coming through at one time, but it takes that long. The monuments will probably take me 4 to 5 months to complete the original and the casting time is anywhere from 8 to 12 months on those big pieces. You have to plan ahead for those; it's a 12 STEAM MAGAZINE JUNE 2019 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

mamma and the babies. That's a bad place to be.

bronzes going through but I'm painting a lot too, so I'm getting back into that.

A Wreck In The Making, did you experience that?

Well, I've packed all my life and with horses up in the mountains and yeah, those things happen, so it's kind of drawn from life.

Are your paintings in acrylic or oils and what is your subject matter?

I do all oils. Well, a lot of wildlife. Some landscapes too. I really like doing landscapes, but mostly wildlife.

I've ridden before and you never know what can happen. Are all of the things that you sculpted, like the bear and the lynx, actual animals that you have seen doing things?

Well, with a lot of them, I've always taken a ton of photographs. That's been a main focus of mine, photography, for reference material and because I love to do it.

Where would we be able to see that? Are there galleries in Texas that you display your paintings at?

Not anymore. Mostly in Colorado and Wyoming right now. I was in a gallery in Jackson Hole for 20 years and they just closed up.

When we met you here in Port Aransas, you were just getting back into painting.

Yes, I am. I'm probably doing more painting right now than sculpting. I still have a lot of

Wreck In The Making Jim with Bear Monument sculpture before casting Rodeo

When you come down to Texas for the winter are you going to be looking for a gallery to show in or is that something you might open in Port Aransas?

I won't open a gallery myself, but if there's a gallery I can get into, yes, I definitely would.

JimGilmoreArt.com

Plain-spoken and down-home hones-

ty is the calling card for Zane Williams's career, landing him four #1 songs on the Texas radio charts, opening gigs with heroes like George Jones and Alan Jackson, and even an invitation to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 2015. The genuine quality of his music is no fluke. In a world where most popular music is created by committee, Zane writes the vast majority of his songs alone, whenever the inspiration strikes.

Early on, neither Zane nor his family would've guessed he one day would become the standard-bearer for traditional country music that he is today. Born in Abilene, TX, to a pair of college professors, Zane was moved as a child first to Kentucky, then West Virginia, and then California as his parents pursued their academic careers. While he enjoyed singing harmony in church and composing his own instrumental pieces on the family piano, it wasn't until he turned sixteen that he had his first transformative experience with country music.

The song was The Dance by Garth Books that struck a deep chord in Zane and not long after, his parents bought him a used guitar. Zane began trying his hand at writing his own songs and still followed his parents' advice and enrolled as a math major at Abilene Christian University. Four years later his hobby had blossomed into a passion and he accepted his diploma and moved to Nashville in 1999 to pursue music full time.

Music City proved to be a poor fit for a tradition-loving young man who did his best work independently. In 2006, Zane released his first studio album Hurry Home, the title track of which later became a top-20 Billboard hit for Jason Michael Carroll. After nine years Nashville left Zane dissatisfied with the state of the country music industry and writing songs for other artists. So in 2008, Zane left his staffwriter publishing deal to move back to his wife's hometown of McKinney, TX and in Texas, he quickly found a welcome home for his brand of honest, traditional country music.

We were able to catch Zane at Billy Joe’s Craft House in May before he headed to Montana, he’s back in Texas now, and this is what he had to say.

Welcome back to Port Aransas. It hasn't been very long, has it?

Thank you! Oh, a couple of months. Not too long; just long enough for me to get hungry for the food again. The food is always good here.

The food is awesome here! We love it.

We did a story on Billy Joe’s Craft House in our May issue.

Pretty serious for a couple of beer bums. Is there such a thing as a beer bum?

You know, I don't think so.

I'm going to have to write that song and coin

the term. Beer bums.

There you go, a new song! (Laughter).

So, why did you call this tour “The Oak Tree And The Weed”?

Well, to even call it a tour is a little bit grandiose. It’s really just three shows. The idea was that these shows would coincide with the release of an album, The Oak Tree And The Weed. Life happens, and that album has got pushed back a month, so I don't have that with me tonight. But the album was recorded as a live acoustic trio and I have the same two guys with me here tonight. We are doing the same set. It's 18 new songs, that I've never put out before, and all have a lot more folk and acoustic in them. They focus a little bit more on my storytelling side.

I read that you are from Abilene and that you spent time in California.

Yeah, it wasn't my favorite. I was in high school in California and came back to Texas for college and then went to Nashville for nine years and made a lot of good friends there, but never got along all that well with the mainstream country music industry. I thought that was the only option there was, so I moved back here to Texas to quit music and discovered that there were people down here that appreciated original music, singersongwriters, story-tellers, two-steppin and all those things that I was into. I realized that you could do it and you didn't have to have a major label, you didn't have to go through the gatekeepers, you could just go straight to the fans. And so that's what I started doing. I was kind of late to the party. I didn't really start doing that until six or seven years ago.

I thought you had been doing it for a long time.

No, I'd never played a show with a band. I didn't start touring every weekend with my band around Texas and such until about seven years ago.

Why was that?

I was already 33, and that’s a little bit late to be putting together a college party band, but we did our best.

It’s never too late!

Well, I hope so because this year, at age 41, I'm putting together a new band that's going to feature three, four and five-part harmonies and multiple lead singers. Kind of like Alabama or Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band or like a male version of Dixie chicks type of thing.

Awesome! Very cool!

It’s not gonna be called Zane Williams, it’s going to have its own name. We've been in the studio working on it. We’re hoping to come out with our debut album this fall or the early part of next year, so that's all in the works.

So who's in the band?

Andy Rogers, the guy that's playing banjo and dobro with me tonight, is in the band, then there's a drummer out of Houston named Lyndon Hughes, and the other two musicians play with other bands so I can't mention them right now.

This new album is 19 songs?

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine Yes, The Oak Tree And The Weed is what it's called and that's one of the songs we will be doing tonight. It's 18 new songs and as an encore, we tacked on an acoustic version of my song Ride With Me. And these are new songs that you haven't been playing a whole lot?

Right. Basically, I play none of these in my normal show and tonight I think we’ll just be playing it from start to finish. That's why I'm a little stressed out tonight; well not stressed, but just like…

Questionable?

Yes. Normally when you play the same songs on tour three times a week, you can sometimes kind of put it

on autopilot and relax. Tonight there will be none of that for me, although it's fun in a different way because I really enjoy the acoustical stuff like the banjo, fiddle, dobro, and mandolin, but I’ll have to be paying attention during the whole entire show because there will be 15 songs that I don't normally do in a full band show. I do some of them sometimes when I do acoustic shows.

Speaking of acoustic shows, you’re heading North to do some shows up there?

Yes, I believe that's in May to do four solo acoustic shows and we've been up that way a couple of times. Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Sometimes we’ll hit Kansas and Oklahoma on the way up there and come back through New Mexico. We have fans in all those states, a growing Fan base.

Yes, your fan base is actually quite intense! Are you still doing the “give me 10 words and I’ll write a song”?

I've done one of those this year. I'm not doing them every week like I used to. It was a lot of work that took me the better part of two days to write, record, and video the song.

I found that it was really good for my creativity in kind of the early days of Facebook. I could post stuff like that and all my fans could see it and it was interactive and fun.

These days, Facebook has made it more difficult and that zaps a lot of the fun out of it. Basically, I like doing that and I still am open to the idea of doing it from time to time.

M .CO SIC U SM AM LLI I EW Z AN

JUST RELEASED! OAK TREE & THE WEED BY ZANE WILLIAMS JUNE’S TEXAS SHOWS 06.01 Little Elm, Craft Brew & Que Festival 06.06 Austin, The Saxon Pub (Solo) 06.07 Cibolo, Old Main Ice House (Solo) 06.08 La Grange, Bugle Boy 06.09 Granbury, The New Granbury Live (Solo) 06.20 Tomball, Main Street Crossing (Solo) 06.21 Waco, The Backyard 06.22 Yantis, Neon Moon 06.28 Gainesville, Gainesville Summer Sounds STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JUNE 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 13

By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine

Guitar man Kenny Grimes has been playtrip? ing country music out of the Austin area I'm good; just getting back into the swing of since 1984. He has played and toured with things. It was fantastic! We had a great time many greats - Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walkactually. I've been to Europe maybe a dozen er, Lee Roy Parnell, The Flatlanders, Hank times, but this was actually the most fun, and Thompson, Shelly West, Stonewall JackI'll be honest, when we were setting this up son, Johnny Gimble, Chris Wall, Gary P. two weeks turned into three weeks. I was Nunn, and Hal Ketchum. Kenny co-wrote thinking “this was quite a long time, but how many of the songs on Hal’s last album, I’m often do we get this chance to go to SwitzerThe Troubadour. land and other places?” So it turned out to Kenny’s music talent graces many rebe the most fun trip I've ever taken. nowned stages such as Austin City LimitsAustin TX, Infinity Hall-Norfolk VA, And who did you go with?

Birchmere-Alexandria VA, Ram’s HeadThomas Michael Riley. He's a singerAnnapolis MD, The Coach House-San Juan songwriter out of the Fredericksburg area Capistrano CA, Ventura Theater-Ventura CA and has written a bunch of tunes that Gary and Crazy Horse-……to name a few. He has P. Nunn has recorded. We had a really good played Canada, Mexico, and all over the time. We had three weeks, but the truth of US. He has played all around the world the matter is we only had 10 shows, so we making several trips throughout Europe had a lot of downtime to explore and we and even going to Jamaica. His work takes actually got to do some really cool things! We him from the stage to the studio. Kenny’s took a gondola trip to the top of one of the long list of studio recordings is as impresSwiss Alps; really it was four different gonsive as his list of live stages. dolas to get all away to the top.

Kenny began playing professionally at the age of 14 and his love for music took him I'm so glad it was a good from his hometown of Wichita Falls, TX to The University of There were nights I worked trip. You mentioned Hal that you've played Colorado where he received with Hal that I knew I had and with him ever since the his Bachelors in Music. Kenny the best seat in the house, 80s right? is an accomplished jazz guiand I was sitting right Well, I met him back in tarist, classical guitarist, and there next to him.

1987, and we were playing skillful at playing virtually all the front room there at musical styles. His talent Greune Hall. Then I played with Gary P. makes him a well-rounded music teacher, teaching guitar and bass. When not out Nunn for a couple of years or so, and that’s touring, recording in the studio or giving about when Hal landed his record deal with lessons, you can often find Kenny playing Curb Records. We had talked about me playGruene Hall on Sundays with Bret Graham. ing with him, but the band playing with him, We caught up with Kenny just a few days Scott Neubert, Keith Carper and Wes Starr, after he returned from a three week Euroall from Austin, ended up moving to Nashpean tour with Thomas Michael Riley who ville, so they were his band. I started with he’s been playing with since 2011.

Hal full-time in 2003, and I've been with him Hi Kenny, how are you? How was your for the last 15 years. Keith was our bass

14 STEAM MAGAZINE JUNE 2019 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

player and had been with him from the beginning. Unfortunately he has passed away.

Such a monster player!

We really had a lot of fun out there.

We’d fly in and rent an SUV to drive to the gigs and they furnished the back line and everything, so I didn't have to do any heavy lifting but I was still sore as hell; my sides would hurt every time I laughed, those guys are crazy! A wonderful bunch!

It was announced in April that Hal is retired fully. I got to meet him once and he is really nice. We did a story with his wife Andrea showcasing her art and she is just incredible!

Yes, she's an angel! She really is a wonderful person! Last few years Hal and I have been doing primarily duos. Our last shows were in December and we knew it was winding down. It got to be difficult for Hal to travel.

She sent me a text the day they made that announcement. I was doing a Sunday Brunch Show at Greune Hall with Brett Graham. It was tough…it was a really tough day. We did so much together and played some of the best rooms in the country. We played Grand

Ole’ Opry several times and wow, what a wonderful ride!

I can only imagine what a wonderful ride it was!

Hal’s a funny, funny man. He's just funny and we laughed and laughed, but man, what a great singer and a wonderful songwriter.

You’re from Austin by way of Witchita Falls TX and Denver CO, right?

Yeah, I'm originally from Wichita Falls. After I graduated high school I went to three years of college there studying classical guitar. Besides guitar I played pedal steel and a friend of mine with a band in Colorado said “Hey, do you want to come up to Colorado?” and I did. Then I went and auditioned to study with this great classical guitarist named Ron Ellis in Pueblo.

I sat down and played a few classical things for him and he said “Okay, I'm moving to Albuquerque to study with Hector Garcia.

Do you want my students? ” And I said “What?!” He said that he also taught at the University there in Pueblo and told me to audition for that, so I landed that gig. I taught there at that university for a year. I broke my leg snow skiing, so that slowed me down a little and kind of put a stop to my pedal steel playing.

I went up to Denver to study Jazz and got my Bachelor of Science degree there. Then in 1984 I moved to Austin. Nothing wrong with Denver, it's a wonderful place, but it seems like Austin, New York, LA, Nashville, other places were more music-friendly; music centers where you can go to Europe, do recordings, and meet artists and great singersongwriters. Austin is a gateway and I've been real fortunate; I've been very blessed to work with some great singer-songwriters through the years like Hal Ketchum, Thomas Michael Riley, Brett Griswald, and Gary P. Nunn.

be more successful at something that you really enjoy rather than something that you don't want to do.”

That's kind of the deal. Follow your heart.

Follow your gut feeling, because it's usually pretty close.

Yes, he has an incredible voice and so distinctive!

So you are classical and jazz trained?

Yes, it's been a few years since I've played any classical pieces. I was asked to play a wedding, so in my library of sheet music, I had the wedding march and here comes the bride and others, so I was sitting down with my class to go over it and after listening, they told me that I needed to practice it That's (laughing). I used to be really good at it. It's great just a lot different without a pick, so I just advice! A kind of cheated and took the jazz approach lot of and everybody told me that it sounded great. people Classical music is very disciplined and regidon't see mented, which was very good for me early that as an on. It's very precise. I was studying jazz with option, this guy Dale Brunig up in Denver and he they get locked into “this is what you started teaching at the University. I thought have to do,” and then they just kind of that for what I'm paying him for lessons I muddle through life. could pay college tuition to study at, so I Just when it looked like everything was going went back and got my degree. to fall through, doors just opened up. It I studied with him privately for one hour a happened for me twice in life, when I moved week, but I had him for a jazz guitar ensemto Colorado and then when I moved back to ble and classical guitar ensemble. Dale was Texas. It involved teaching the guitar. To this the teacher and he would day, I teach a couple of days say “you see there in measat home. I’ll work with them ure 3 for instance, he's playon reading if that's where In 1985 South Austin ing an E minor seventh their interest lies, but until chord”. It's an E minor Music opened next door to they tell me that, I don't seventh chord but the notes the Saxon pub on South make that a prerequisite. I let are all broken up like arpegthem pick songs that they Lamar gios. Then he says "you see want to play. They’ll bring in over here, Kenny, you're their iPods and YouTube and playing this Dorian mode.” That's the stuff I will tell them “let's listen to it and see we were studying in jazz, but he was looking what's going on.” They're learning how and at the classical music composition and seeing why things go together. Plus, the students hit the music theory and what was going on in me to new material that I don't normally his mind, and that opened my eyes a lot. To hear. this day, I love all kinds of music.

How many students do you have?

I believe you have an interesting point of About seven or eight students and I teach view on music. Can you explain it for two days a week. me?

To me, it's all the same, and Dale opened my Is that because you're always on tour? eyes to that. I had to take a required instruWell, I've had to set them up in the middle mentation class where you write for all types of the week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I of instruments. It was called a Contemporary try to always leave Thursday through MonImprov, and all the majors would sit around day open and it seems like I'm always here with their instrument and with a jazz standon Tuesdays, regardless of where I'm playing. ard and pass it around the room and everyI try not to miss the lessons. I try to make it body would take turns soloing on it; everyserious because I want them to take it serious body was learning the same thing. It stayed and if I'm missing lessons, it makes it ok for with me. them to miss lessons, and it's not really ok.

It’s June and there are many people about to embark on life’s journey – be it a career, military, or college. What was the best advice you were given that helped you on to your music path?

In Wichita Falls I was getting really burned out on classes I didn’t like or really want to take when my friend’s mother asked me how college was going, so I told her. And she said, “Kenny, you're going to do it better and

You started playing professionally at 14, when did you start playing guitar?

I started when I was 10. I was in fourth grade, my brother was in sixth grade, and my Uncle used to come over and we would sit around while he played all these old gospel tunes, Sons of Pioneer tunes, and good old stuff, and what got me started playing guitar was that I loved listening to great guitar players. My uncle had an old 1947 Gibson arch

top guitar that he bought when he got out of the Army, and ironically enough, I found one identical to his guitar that was in mint shape and so I bought it. I actually used it on Hal's last record. If you listen to the song Chickadee, that's my ’47 Gibson.

cluded B Movie Boxcar. It was just the funkiest thing in the world and that's Mike O'Neil playing it. It still blows me away!

Mike O'Neil and the Texas Blues Runners, right?

Yeah, that's him. He was very successful, kind of the hometown hero if you will. He does an annual show there at Christmas time.

I haven't been able to make it because I've been out with Hal around Christmas, maybe I’ll go this year.

Was this the guitar you got started with?

Oh, no. Originally, my parents bought my brother a Catalina guitar from Light’s Auto Stores for $19. It didn't have a pick guard; it was painted on. It was a very inexpensive guitar and the strings were way off the frets, and I would play that and get in trouble. My You’ll be here in the Coastal Bend soon, brother would say, “Mom, make Kenny put right? the guitar down,” and when they weren’t Yes, I will be at The Back Porch in Port looking, I would go back in there and play Aransas June 29th with Thomas Michael some more.

O'Reilly.

When I was in seventh grade, my parents got me a guitar and amp, so my friends Barney Do you have your own band or record Johnson, Jeff Bullitt and I started a band and your own music? we actually had a few little sock hop deals I'm glad you asked. I have some original and restaurant openings. There was just the songs that I co-wrote on Hal’s last record three of us, and Barney and I were both and we co-wrote a few that didn't get on the playing guitar, so Barney said, “I’m going to record. At some point I'd like to do somebuy a bass.” Barney lives in Nashville now thing with those tunes instead of just letting and he's a fabulous bass player who’s played them go away. I've written some other songs with Lori Morgan some and all sorts of folks and some instrumental songs. I keep wanting up in Nashville. Every time I went to Nashand threatening to get in the studio and at ville with Hal, Barney would least get basic tracks on come to our shows. To this those.

B Movie Boxcar was just day, we’re still dear friends.

You know, to be honest with the funkiest thing in the Thinking back to Hal’s you, in Wichita Falls there do you think world and that's Mike retirement, wasn't much else to do. It you’ll retire? gets really hot in the summer O'Neil playing it. It still Again I'm very fortunate and and really cold in the winter, I'm doing what I enjoy doblows me away! so you just drive up and ing. I have worked with great down 10th Street or run out people for many years and I to Lake Arrowhead, but for the most part we don't plan to stop. I don't do much, so how just played music. There’s really a bunch of do you retire from this? I guess you get to great musicians from up in that area. There's where you can't do it and you just don't play nothing else to do and there's people doing it anymore. and it was a cool thing to do. There’s a great guitar player from Wichita Falls, Mike Even then, I bet that you would still play O'Neill who played with Delbert McClinton. music; you just wouldn’t do it on as big I grew up listening to this guy on the Delbert McClinton and Glenn Clark album that inContinued on Page 19 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JUNE 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 15

3rd Coa s Foodie t

By Tamma Hicks

W

elcome summer! It has been a long winter and spring, so we’re glad to have it back! If you are like us you’ve spent lots of time thinking about the sand, sun, and surf! Well, I have the perfect place for you to unwind and warm up…

Padre Balli Park on North Padre Island and very specifically at Mikel May’s Beachside Bar & Grill which sits a top Bob Hall Pier, surrounded by an observation deck that has unobstructed views down the beach and out to the horizon. Time for a deep breathe!

Every time we go to Mikel May’s Beachside Bar & Grill we are impressed by their constant upkeep and improvements. If you haven’t been there in the last couple of months, it’s time!

Honestly you’re going to the beach; who wants to go home to cook after such a relaxing day? I for one don’t so I pull my group together, walk up the ramp, melt into a chair and watch the surfers, swimmers and mullets jumping, and order draft beers for

LOCATED ON

BOB HALL PIER

Pictured: Seafood Nachos New Orleans Style Baked Oysters Beachside Philly Ribeye Sub New Gift Shop!

N PADRE ISLAND TX 361.949.PIER

OPEN DAILY MON—THU 11am-10pm FRI 11am-11pm SAT 8am-11pm SUN 8am-10pm the grown-ups and sodas for the kids. The day we were at Mikel May’s there was a flotilla of five Sea Turtles swimming next to the pier. It was exciting to watch them, in fact people of all ages became little kids as they pointed each time a turtle came up for air. Proving again it was time for a relaxing breathe!

16 STEAM MAGAZINE JUNE 2019 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

As I said Mikel May’s is always improving and in the month of May they had two exciting happenings. First and most visible to patrons

Father’s Day! Drink & Food Specials all day!

Don’t miss the Ahhfugyeahs live from 4-8pm FACEBOOK.COM/ MIKELMAYSBEACHSIDE

Pictured: Ahi Tuna Tacos Seafood Mac & Cheese | Blackened Mahi Mahi Fillet

was the remodel and opening of their Gift Shop ! If you need anything chances are they have it! And you should see the huge selection and reasonable prices. I’m sold, now I only need to convince my husband that I really do need that stuff.

The second exciting news is the new menu! Yes, they kept all their fan favorites like the Southwestern Egg Rolls and Beachside Crab Rolls! But they’ve also introduced quite a few dishes that are a sure to become fan favorites! Honestly, how often do you see the restaurant owner sit down and enjoy the dishes off the menu as much as their patrons? I can tell you that May does and it’s because the food is that good! Kitchen manager Kyle Boston worked hard developing these new recipes that range from appetizers and salads to entrees and sandwiches and the presentation was absolutely marvelous!

As always, we started with two Appetizers and both were excellent! The Seafood Nachos crunchy tortilla chips were covered in a thick layer of shrimp and crab meat with a creamy parmesan cheese sauce. Diced avocado, tomato, and green onions generously topped the plate and there were plenty for all the hands reaching. The New Orleans Style Baked Oysters were truly mouthwatering and King Rex’s chefs would be hard pressed do better than these. Oysters on a half shell topped with garlic, parmesan, and bread crumbs. I would actually consider getting either as my main entrée!

I have come to the belief that all good restaurants serve mac and cheese to appease the picky eaters of the world, but I will say that Mikel May’s Seafood Mac & Cheese has to be one of the best ever! Rich, creamy, cheesy, and tender cavatappi noodles amply topped with crab meat, shrimp, and andouille sausage, with crunchy butter bread crumbs toasted on top with garlic bread on the side. Next was the Beachside Philly Ribeye Sub with hand sliced ribeye served on a fresh hoagie roll with sautéed onions and peppers topped by thick layer of mozzarella and provolone cheeses melted so cheese was in every bite. A generous amount of French Fries accompanied the sub and were delicious! Living in South Texas has taught me that everyone loves tacos and the Ahi Tuna Tacos were amazing! The soft corn tortilla shells were piled high with wasabi slaw, pineapple salsa and topped with large portions of sesame seared tuna. The avocado and spicy mayo on the side was a tasteful accompaniment! To finish off we had the Blackened Mahi Mahi Fillet. The thick fillet was moist and flaky with a nice crispy coating of blackened spices. The Mahi Mahi was lavishly topped with crab meat in a parmesan sauce with diced avocado and tomato under a nicely toasted layer of cheese.

This meal was exquisite not only in taste but in presentation! As we watched the numerous people come and go I reminded myself of how truly lucky we Costal Bend residents are.

STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JUNE 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 17

BOB MAULDIN TV HOST & MUSICIAN Bob Mauldin is host of the syndicated TV show, Expedition Texas, seen on television stations across the state and nationwide on The Heartland TV Network.

Bob happens to be both a TV host and musician. In fact, he’s getting ready to release of his fourth album called Summer Days. This is Bob’s first album in 8 years and he’s looking forward to getting back on stage with his band, as they hit the road playing dates around Texas in June, July and August.

Steam Magazine caught up with the Bob before he started his summer tour. We talked with him about his return to music and the making of this new album.

What inspired the album Summer Days?

Life inspired this album. Writing for me is a way to process the things I’ve lived. Over the course of about ten years, I wrote about twenty new songs that were directly tied to moments and places I’d experienced. Going back and listening to them, I found that they told a nice little story and that they would make a good album if I ever got around to that. The motivating force in recording the music was my wife, Tessa. She asked me about music a lot. I shared the songs and stories with her. The more we talked, the more motivated I became.

What's your process for writing a song?

I never sit down and say, "I need to write a song today." It either comes as a way to document a life experience or in the rare case of a song like Out of Time, I just wake up with it! The entire song just came to me in my sleep. Words, music and everything!

Summer Days is the first single that's been released to radio. Tell us a little about the song.

Summer Days is the most personal song I've ever written. It was written at a pivotal moment in my life. Since it’s the beginning of summer, it made sense that we release the song first.

Reviewed By Tony Saracene Being a slide player for a while now, I've come to realize how important a couple of factors are. First (and foremost) TONE! or sound, next WEIGHT you don't want the slide to be too heavy that it causes problems for you later in life (tendinitis). Then comes the practicality of it all, weather its breakable or not. I can’t tell you how many times I've broken my slide before even getting up on the stage. Well my prayers have been answered; MAGSLIDE by the Thixotek folks is everything you would ever want in a professional slide. I play with the slide on my pinky finger so the weight is wonderful. I've been using a variety of different slides throughout my career; Ceramic, Porcelain and Glass to name a few. The tone of the MAGSLIDE sounds like it's coming from a much heavier slide. The MAGSLIDE is made from Magnesium which is 33% lighter than glass, 75% lighter than steel, and 80% lighter than brass. It has a ribbed interior which really helps grip the slide. It comes in a cool magnetic lid case with a cloth pouch also. Overall, a wonderful product that has surely answered a lot of wishes for this player.

ONLINE:

PLAYMAGSLIDE.COM

Tell me why you made two of the songs on the album instrumental.

The opening theme is an instrumental remix of Summer Days. It's vastly different from the vocal version and sets the scene of the album.

Rain is something I have always played to warm up. It never had a title until this album. In the studio, I played Rain on the new 12-string guitar my wife gave me for Christmas, which makes the song even more special to me.

Your career is very diverse with music and television. Which will you focus on more after this tour and why?

I kind of gave myself a deadline to get this music thing out of my system. We're pushing the single through the summer and playing dates on a little tour to promote it. Then I have to get back to work on Expedition Texas, because we have a big season coming up this fall. If the music is successful, I may have to juggle the two through the fall season. Right now, the plan is just to have some fun playing music this summer, then get back to my real job.

You can find Bob’s new album starting June 3rd on Itunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube and other online digital platforms.

You can also order CD’s of the album.

For more information on Bob and his music visit: BOBMAULDIN.COM or look him up on Facebook at Bob Mauldin Music.

18 STEAM MAGAZINE JUNE 2019 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET

Tony Saracene, Vocals, Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Drums Recording Engineer, Musical Instrument Repair and more

My brother would say, “Mom, make Kenny put the guitar down,” and when they weren’t looking, I would go back in there and play some more.

Continued From Page??? of a scale.

What can I say is I’ve been really blessed to work with some great singer-songwriters. I never took the 15 years with Hal for granted and I considered it to be a privilege to play alongside him. Thomas writes some great, funny songs. Chris Wall has written some wonderful songs. Chris, he's just a blast! I worked with him around 10 years and played on several of his records.

You know, it's been a treat playing with Hal, because we traveled all over the country and every time I get some place I'd call and I hook up with some of my old friends in all these different parts of the country. People are all scattered out, but I run into folks at the craziest places and we would hang out and visit for a while. The only state I haven't played in is Hawaii.

Really? I think you are the first musician I have talked with say that.

We played the Alaska State Fair, the Big Valley Jam in Calgary, Canada, and then we played down in Alchemy, Mexico. It's been a great ride for me. There were nights I worked with Hal that I knew I had the best seat in the house, and I was sitting right there next to him.

How many albums have you actually played on?

Oh, I don't know. I have tried to get CDs to put up on the wall in my teaching studio, but I realized I have stacks of them. I tried to do the discography thing, but being on the road made that difficult to put together and besides I do a lot of session work. In fact I may get a call for one session, go record it, and find out that they use it for something else.

So the answer is I don't know.

Do you still play pedal steel?

I've got one and I set it up in my living room and put new strings on it thinking that will entice me to play because I love pedal steel guitar. I cut a record with Gary P. Nunn, doing all the acoustic, electric and steel guitar on it back in ’89. We were going to play some gigs, and he said “bring a steel”, so I found myself carrying two amplifiers, an electric guitar and the pedal steel, which was too much to carry without help, so that did-

n’t last long. I wanted a steel guitar sound from my electric guitar, so I went back and thought about what I played on the pedal steel and just learned it on the guitar because I knew exactly what it needed to sound like.

There are times when I play a solo it has a tendency to sound like a pedal steel.

I like that. Is it true that you are one of the original owners of South Austin Music store?

Well, if you remember when I moved to Austin I was teaching at a music store? Well, I was there for a year when the owner decided to close the store and fortunately Charlie Souder (McCarty Music in Wichita Falls) wanted to open a store in Austin. Now, I take this as a great complement, because Charlie, his wife Joan, and Michael Devorcan actually trusted me to be partners with them! So, I talked to the landlords and found out it had been a music store for years; so I thought it was a nobrainer because people were going to pull in the parking lot even if it's a different name because it's still a music store. In 1985, we opened South Austin Music next door to the Saxon pub on South Lamar. We had it for about a year and when Bill Welker, who was working for Charlie up in Wichita Falls wanted to buy the store from us so we sold it to him. In 1986 he bought the store from us and it's still there today and Bill is a sweet person and everybody that asks me questions about music I tell them to go to South Austin Music at 1402 South Lamar.

You’ve been in Austin since 1984, what are your thoughts on its growth?

Yeah, Austin’s growing. All these people just keep coming in and that's fine. You get a call to do a gig and you never know who's going to be there. It’s getting to where it doesn't matter because they're just great players and it's going to be fun, good, and musical. I tell people not to get all uptight, it’s just music man; relax. Don't worry about the ones you miss; it's the ones you hit.

K ENNY G RIMES . COM 6/5 K ERRVILLE F OLK F ESTIVAL WITH R EX F OSTER 6/29 B ACK P ORCH , P ORT A RANSAS WITH T HOMAS M ICHAEL R ILEY

STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JUNE 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 19