Josh Abbott Band ~ Live @ Big Texas

To see the “good karma boomerang” live and in person is a rare sight.  There are times something good happens to you and you wonder what good deed you bestowed upon someone to receive something in return?  To be in the presence of Josh Abbott, you see it unfold right in front of your eyes.  Josh is a relative newcomer to the Texas Country scene and has had about the most successful beginning as one can only hope to have with sold out shows and rabid fans everywhere he goes.  And the good karma he gives back to his loyal followers, putting on great show, being as down to earth and personable as possible, and even helping a desperate fan get in at the last moment when a show might be sold out.  We had a chance to sit down with Josh just before he hit the stage in early January and he was generous enough to give us his thoughts and ideas on where he came from and where he sees The Josh Abbott Band going from here.

LoneStar Outlaw: “As someone who takes pride in writing his own material and having it based on your life or someone close to you, does it get harder to do by being on the road so much and maybe not able to have those experiences anymore to write about?”

Josh Abbott: “It does get harder with every album and that’s part of the reason why this next album is going to feature songs written by other artists such as Adam Hood and Brian Keane as well as myself.  The more successful you become the more it becomes a business with meetings  and other obligations and that’s why I finally had to schedule time to write and treat it like a job.  It does become more daunting at times but it is still so overwhelmingly special to see a fan singing along to a song you wrote and know you’ve made a connection.”

LSO: “With the huge success of “She’s Like Texas”, do you feel pressure to live up to its awards and accolades or are you using that as a barometer to motivate you to even further success?”

JA: “I knew it was a great song personally and thought that it would be liked to the audience but had no idea things would take off the way they did.  I don’t feel the pressure to live up to that album’s success because I am always trying to better myself, my song writing, my stage show for the fans.  If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have this dream job.”

LSO: “A quote I came across from you is “to me, the value of the education is more important than the paper of the degree”.  Are you able to apply that same logic to your career and if so, how”

JA: “You know, the life lessons you learn on the road are priceless.  It’s equivalent to being in college and learning everything they teach you and then getting out into the real world and realizing things are much more different then what you expected.  I try to go about this business the right way; appreciating the fans, learning from my mistakes, and remembering what goes around comes around.  It’s been great to see the fan base grow as it is a representation of our growth in both gelling as a band and reaching a broader audience. The ends are more than the means, man.”

LSO: “I noticed you are always on Twitter and Facebook, how helpful do you think these social networks are to a bands growth”?

JA: “It’s extremely helpful.  It lets you get to be personal with people without being in their face.  It keeps you connected to what’s going on, what people want to see or hear, ways we might be able to improve our show.  Listening and interacting with the fans helps us keep a pulse to what’s going on in a way that we might miss. “

LSO:  “Lastly, we ask all the guys this but what is the one thing you can’t live without on the tour bus?”

JA: “X-Box, without a doubt”.

Randy Rogers ~ Live @ Verizon Wireless

Randy Rogers couldn’t write a bad song if he wanted to.  Ok, maybe he could, but it just seems like writing great, meaningful, songs with substance is second nature to him.  And he’s had a lot of chances, having put out an album every two years since 2002’s Like It Used to Be.  He’s even thrown in a few live albums along the way, like 2004’s Live at Billy Bob’s and 2000’s Live at Cheatham Street Crossing (out of print).  These albums proved the point that hearing him on vinyl or CD is great, but he sounds just as good, if not better, live.  So going to see The Randy Rogers Band perform one of their last shows of the year at Verizon Wireless was a no brainer.

The Houston music scene is a funny thing.  If you are an up and comer with not that big of a following then there are a ton of places to play.  For most country acts, once you have moved beyond the Firehouse Saloon there aren’t many options.   Though many music lovers loathe Live Nation, they are the ones that brought us the House of Blues and Verizon Wireless so we can still see the bands we care about without having to drive to the outskirts of town to do so.  Both venues provide great seating and standing areas, a chance to get pretty up close and personal, and a kick ass sound system that is crystal clear.  And for that we thank you.

So about Randy Rogers, there are no pyros, no dancing girls, and no smoke and mirrors to hide behind.  It’s just five guys coming together as one cohesive unit to deliver the songs to the fans just the way the fans want them, loud and a lot of them.  And how does he reward his fans; with 25 songs spanning 5 albums with a few that haven’t even been released yet sprinkled in.  Every album was represented with the band’s latest offering, Burning the Day just barely beating out 2004’s Roller Coaster for most songs played from an album.  While many older acts have resorted to playing an entire album all the way through in concert (kind of a cool concept) it seems difficult for the RRB to have to condense a set list down to just 25 songs.  They could play any of their albums straight through and their fans would only love them more for doing so.

His songs are relatable, on point, and take you back to a time or situation that you can always remember.  Whether it’s the first time you drank whiskey as in “Never Be That High” or about running into old lovers such as “One More Goodbye”, you can feel the songs reverberate within yourself.  He seems to tell all of his stories from the first person, which is always easier for the listener to follow.    Also, every song has something catchy to it, whether it is the chorus, a smart lyric, or the fiddle guitar tearing down the house.  Though many of the bands songs are up-tempo and easy to sing along to, it is the slower, more melodic songs that Randy’s voice and smart ways with words really catch you off guard.  A couple of great examples are “Steal You Away” and the Radney Foster penned “If I Had Another Heart, I’d Let You Break That One Too”. 

The band made a point of saying that they “know where they’re from” and no matter how long they are out on the road they always return back home to Texas.  And those times they are gone get longer as their popularity grows.  As long as they keep knocking ‘em dead on stage and in the studio, these guys are going to be around for the long haul, and they will have nothing but great fortunes ahead of them.

To see the rest of the pictures from this show, be sure and visit:

www.facebok.com/LoneStarOutlawReview

SETLIST

Too Late For Goodbye

Better Off Wrong

I’ve Been Looking for You For so Long

Buy Myself a Chance

Tonight’s Not the Night

Damn the Rain

Never Be That High

10 Miles Deep

Lonely Too Long

Missing You is More Than I Can Do

Again

Wicked Ways

One More Goodbye

You Could Change My Mind

Steal You Away

Last Last Chance

Goodbye Lonely

Lost and Found

Somebody Take Me Home

In My Arms Instead

Down and Out

Interstate

Kiss Me in The Dark

If I Had Another Heart, I’d Let You Break That One Too

This Time Around

Robert Earl Keen ~ Live @ HOB

There are many, many things that make us proud to call ourselves “ Texan”.  A few off the top of the head; the Hill country, great people, driving for days and being in the same state, and the music of Robert Earl Keen.  George may be the King, Willie the “red headed stranger”, but REK is that favorite Uncle that you can’t wait to see because he’s always up to something…and you know it’s gonna be a good time.

 

A Robert Earl Keen concert is much akin to attending a house party.  A slow and steady start that builds upon itself and hits a crescendo with someone swinging from a light fixture.  That pretty much makes seeing Mr. Keen anytime he comes through town a necessity, not a maybe.

Robert Earl Keen gets the best and most out of his five piece band.  They can get the crowd to sway and dance a two-step to songs such as “Love’s a Word I Never Throw Around” (a rarely played song!), or “Paint the Town Beige”.  They can tear down the house with “Amarillo Highway” and the always present “The Road Goes on Forever”.  But it’s the in-betweens where REK is at his best; being a story teller.

Robert has built his career telling great (and often outlandish) stories and presenting himself as the everyday man we all can relate to.  Whether it is the humorous; “Merry Christmas”, “That Buckin Song”, or the retelling of the past, “Feeling Good Again”, “Corpus Christie Bay”, he is always able to paint a crystal clear portrait of what he is trying to describe.  He combines the old, “I’m Coming Home” with the new “I Gotta Go” and has a ball doing so.  There is such a back catalog to choose from that he has just the right type of songs for any occasion.  And it is that back catalog that other bands would kill to have. 

We loved every song on the set-list @ HOB, and could still think of a baker’s dozen others that we would have killed to hear.  And that’s only part of the reason LoneStar Outlaw Review will be back next time he comes through town (and ever time after that, too!), because you just never know.

The beautiful thing about his shows is that they are for everyone; the preppy college kid, the frat guys, the music connoisseur, or even Mom and Dad out on a date night.  And since his type of music has no definition, it appeals to an even bigger audience.  To see Robert Earl Keen live is to get a lesson in what a good showman is.  He has the good humor (apparently his parents named him REK because James Coney Island was already taken), the ability to captivate, and the musical chops that nearly thirty years on the road will hone.  He is truly a treasure and a proud native son that always calls Texas home. 

SET LIST

Feeling Good Again

Gringo Honeymoon

Merry Christmas from the Family

I Gotta Go

Love’s a Word I Never Throw Around

Mr. Wolf and Momma Bear

Wild Wind

Who do Man

Corpus Christie Bay

Shades of Grey

Amarillo Highway

That Buckin Song

Ready for Confetti

Road Goes on and on

The Road Goes on Forever

Paint the Town Beige

I’m Coming Home

Encore

Merry Christmas from the Family (again)

Feliz Nafidad

Photo courtesy of: bradhodgephoto.com

Mickey and the Motorcars ~ Live at The Firehouse

When so much of the world is trying to pigeon hole everything, whether it be style of clothing, types of movies, or even the coffee you drink, it is always so refreshing to see a band like Mickey and the Motorcars.  They play what they feel, keep an ear to the ground of what their fans what, and make it happen.  And that, my friends, is the golden ticket for a traveling band.

Upon transplanting from Idaho back in the early 2000’s, Mickey and one of his brothers Gary (the other two make up part of Reckless Kelly) hit the road hard and haven’t looked back.  The guys finally put their road tested material to the test and recorded Which Way from Here in 2003 and quickly followed it up with 2004’s Ain’t in it for the Money.  It was along these times that “Texas Country” was being recognized as much more than a passing fad and Mickey and the Motorcars were right there at the doorsteps with all the other headliners—one step away from national exposure.  With 2006’s Careless and certainly 2008’s Naïve, they were there.

A place like the Firehouse Saloon is perfect for Mickey and company as it is raucous enough to rock along to a Warren Zevon cover of “Lawyers, Guns, and Money”, bluesy enough to sway to a newer single like “How Far I’ll Go”, and sing along to a song that help make them; “Carolina Morning”.  The guys seem adaptable enough to fit in any type of market and get along just fine with whatever the crowd may throw at them.

The guys have been on several East Coast trips such as the run they just returned from with support from Reckless Kelly and Stoney LaRue, and also made time to make a West Coast run that is starting to become a more common practice.  Everywhere they go they find more and more fans who partake in, what seems like their theory: that music is the common ground and doesn’t need to be confined to borders. 

When asked about how the songs come together and the way that most previous albums seem to come along in a back to back nature, Mickey says “the music just kind of comes to us and we test it out, see if we, and most importantly the fans, like it and that seems to be the nature of how the music has happened.”  This time, after 2011’s Raise My Glass album, “with a new guitar and bass player we’re going to play around a little bit and find our groove and hopefully have an album out before the end of 2012 if not early 2013.”  Pretty sure that will make Christmas shopping pretty easy for many fans from Texas to Idaho and anywhere in between. 

The band has a confidence that years of adoring fans will build but are still more than accommodating to giving their time and thoughts to a music fan turned writer.  We here at LoneStar Outlaw Review could not do anything but wish these road warriors the best.

 

Joseph Hall ~ Live at The Grand

One of the greatest things about music is how diverse it can be.  From country, to jazz, to rock & roll...latest hits to the classics, Johnny Cash to Jay-Z—music really can appeal to just about anyone. So naturally, here at LoneStar Outlaw Review, we’re always up for hearing new acts  and seeing new stuff.  And a few weeks ago…that’s exactly what we got the chance to do.  At The Grand Theater in Grand Island, Nebraska, we saw our first Joseph Hall show. 

To date, Joseph Hall (a native Texan) has made quite the name for himself as an Elvis tribute artist.  With appearances on Good Morning America, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, USA Today, Fox News, The Morning Show, and several others…we had to see what this kid was all about for ourselves. C’mon…if you’re going to pay tribute to one of the music’s original outlaws, we want to see what you can bring to the table. 

Just getting into the theater was a message in itself as to how far and wide people will travel to see his Elvis “Rock ‘N’ Remember” tribute to The King, himself.  As the line wrapped around the corner of the block, fans continued to arrive dressed in their Joseph Hall T-shirts, scarves, and jackets. Quite the change of pace from the beer swilling and fold-out chairs you’ll see during summertime festivals in Texas, we took a seat in The Grand.  With all 400 seats filled at the beautifully refurbished facility and the stage set with colored lights and satin curtains—it was a sold-out (packed) house.  And they were ready to ROCK & ROLL!

Kyle Hall (father and manager to Joseph) kicked the show off by introducing the fan’s favorite in Nebraska—there wasn’t a single soul sitting when he took stage.  From the moment Joseph set foot in the spotlight, the fans went wild. 

Hall has mastered the uncanny ability to make each and every person in the audience feel ecstatic about just being at his show—whether they’re coming from across town or a 14-hour drive from Texas.  As he worked his way through every row in the venue, you could see how fans felt connected to this “America’s Got Talent” star.  He was up close and personal—connecting to the audience with his amazing performance. 

Some of Joseph’s highlighted songs that kicked the concert into fifth gear were the fast-paced “Poke Salad Annie” and the smooth-even tune of “Good time Charlie’s Got the Blues”.  Hall also treated the large audience with a number of Christmas tunes like, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and blessed the crowd with some of the gospel songs from his last CD.  “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”.  Our favorite here at LoneStar Outlaw Review—was his rendition of “Suspicious Minds”…undoubtedly. Talk about the classics.  Wow.

One of the greatest things about this show aside from the raw energy he exuded was Joseph’s appreciation—both of the US TROOPS . . . and his Crew.  Joseph gave our soldiers honor and respect for their service by his songs.  He also has an innate ability to show gratitude to his team—his lights and sound technicians, camera man, merchandise sales people, and his family, who supports his endeavors.  Nice to see that people can stay humble even when they’re in the midst of becoming rising stars. 

Personal photos with Joseph were offered to guests during the intermission and the takers made a huge line for the opportunity to hug their favorite star.  Joseph’s CD’s, T-shirts, composites, chains, scarves, pins and leather bags were all sold during the show.  Joseph also showed his humility as he offered a “Meet and Greet” to the fans after the performance. 

Ask any number of people “what’s one concert you wish you could have seen?”, and it’s guaranteed that you’ll get countless ELVIS responses.  Seeing Joseph Hall preform is as close to the real thing as one can get! Joseph did an incredible job recreating the moves, the look, and the sound of Elvis Presley.  Hall’s earned and well-deserved success has brought him to great new heights.  He moved his show to The Americana Theatre in Branson, Missouri performing five nights a week.  Looks like he’ll be creating an all-new production that sounds like it will simply knock your socks off!  Utilizing state-of-the-art lighting, lasers, video, sets, and the tightest Rock N Roll band in Branson, Joseph will blow you away as he recreates the legend of Elvis Presley live on stage.  After that remarkable performance at The Grand, I highly doubt this is the last we’ll hear from this talented star.  Everyone walked away from the Joseph Hall Show with huge smiles on their faces . . . and a song in their heart.

Roger Creager ~ Live at Pub Fiction

There are a million different types of energy in the world.  For example; there is kinetic energy, or a child on a sugar rush, or a Richard Simmons workout video, or that of a tiger.  And then…there is Roger Creager.  When passion flows through every pore of your body and you truly love what you do, it shows.  And in the case of Roger Creager, it shows in spades.  Creager is upbeat, authentic, and seems to be having the time of his life whether he is belting out a brand new song like “I’ll Take Anything” (!?!) from his upcoming album, Surrender, or an oldie but goody such as “Everclear”.   Many of his early songs like “Things Look Good Around Here” and “Love is Crazy” can more than hold their own against any of his newer music in respect to writing, storytelling, and the delivery.  Even though hearing a concert at Pub Fiction is akin to seeing a Ritalin starved child on withdrawals, Roger’s voice is always crisp and clear enough to hear (almost as well as the eight different conversations going on around you).  Getting there a little early to possibly share a table with some other diehards and $10 buckets should help alleviate any hassles about having to hear about some drunken guy’s horrible boss. 

Only in Texas could you hear a tear jerking song about a grandfather handing down his firearms such as the wonderfully crafted “I Got the Guns” and it not sound hokey.  Or try asking Roger what the best/worst thing about growing up in South Texas was and surely the next words you’ll hear would be the opening lines of “Long Way to Mexico”.  And you can only imagine that his proximity to the border helped shape “Rancho Grande”, which is generally a treat to hear in and around the Houston area as Roger’s father often joins him onstage and you can see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 

Though there may sometimes be a longer break between new music than what fans want/demand, Roger makes up for it with packing the albums with sing-a-longs such as “Love”, “My Ship Goes Down”, “Swinging from the Chandeliers”, and “Shreveport to New Orleans”.  Better yet…there are absolutely no fillers—either in concert or on-album.  He has also gone on to master several cover songs along the way from “Piano Man” to “A Pirate Looks at 40” to the immortal Johnny Cash’s “Cocaine Blues” and even “Stu’s Song” from The Hangover.   Classic.

Creager not only knows how to keep the party moving right along but how to have fun with it as well; whether he’s sharing an oversized hamburger with his stage mates, joking about how “Bud Light does not make you fat, it makes you HAPPY”, or shining the spotlight on a beautiful and talented ‘up and comer’, Bri Bagwell.  A Roger Creager concert, such as this night at Pub Fiction, is about fans coming together and forgetting all the hustle and bustle, making new friends, and sharing stories about how far each of you has traveled to see different shows/festivals featuring the man of the hour. 

Roger has gotten to a place now where he commands big crowds, has major sponsorships and I can only assume is well compensated for his efforts.  The thing about it is, he seems as though he would act the same way whether he was living the life he is now or if he was just some Joe nobody you met at your local bar.  There are not many people out there that you can see their love for life in everything they do, but Roger Creager is one of those lucky ones, and he makes you feel better through the power of music.

Bleu Edmondson ~ Unplugged and Brutally Honest

To see a Bleu Edmondson Band show has been called anything from a revival, to perfection, to just plain loud.  To see the man by himself with nothing but a guitar and baseball hat to hide behind is to see into his soul.  And the road has had its way with that soul, but it seems to have opened up the creative process for a very talented and genuine artist.

Bleu Edmondson seems to have two ways of writing; one, with intricate storytelling using characters to express the things he sees and hears, and two, just laying his heart on the line and letting the chips fall where they may.  He sings with all he has; he doesn’t leave much room for thought on where he stands, and he is unabashed in his search for the meaning of life or just a good time.

 To hear the stories that lead to becoming songs is what makes acoustic shows so special.  Bleu got his start by working these same types of events burning up the blacktop between College Station and Dallas, and probably just about anywhere else that would have him.  He can seem uneasy and uncomfortable when offstage and surrounded by others, but it is the stage that seems to be his sanctuary and where he truly belongs.  He can show the nervousness of a new kid in school and hide behind his pulled-too-low-to-notice-me baseball hat, and that’s too bad.  He has the charisma of a natural born leader, the charm of a salesman, and the feel of someone important when he walks on stage.  He was born to be a performer and now has the years of experience to fulfill his pedigree. 

So whether it is a full band show or just a man and his guitar, go check Bleu Edmondson and get ready to not just hear the music, but feel it.

Before the Holiday season got into full swing, we had a chance to see Bleu perform at the Firehouse Saloon here in Houston.  Here are some of the songs he played and a few funny stories to go with them.

UNPLUGGED & BRUTALLY HONEST

-“Not Afraid to be Alone” -- but “scared to death of being lonely”.  Great play on words.

-“Finger on the Trigger” -- a song written by Brandon Jenkins also was a video for Bleu on CMT.  Still to this day I wonder if all the people singing and cheering along actually listen to the lyrics.

-“American Saint” -- story telling at its best and paints such a broad stroked picture of life in West Texas.

-“Good Thing” -- written by Matt Powell and tells the (sometimes) heart wrenching story of loves both won and lost...both eloquent and real at the same time.

-“Blood Red Lincoln” -- 1^st and only number 1 song

-“Back to You” -- sounds like his version of a love song.

-“Can’t Run from you Baby”?!? -- Bleu has a new album coming out and apparently this time it was a bit of a departure from “getting drunk and waking up the next day and saying WTF, a song about fire trucks?”  Sounds like it will easily be a staple of the set list.

-“Jesus is Crying” -- “freedom is a hard luck drug and I’m a strung out fiend” Wow.

-“Laughing Right out Loud” -- Only 21 when he wrote this song and though he has played it and numerous other songs for years, he has a tendency to forget the lyrics from time to time and that is part of his charm. 

-“Resurrection” -- Quite possibly the only song you’ll hear that will make “making love in a bathroom stall” sound sexy.  He and Wade Bowen wrote this together and it’s amazing to hear both of them play it and hear how different they sound.  Both are amazing and the song actually has a bigger message that unfortunately gets lost in the before mentioned lyric.

-“$50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown” -- Another song written by Matt Powell that first put Bleu on the map and is still probably his calling card (for better or worse).

-“Dallas” -- A Jimmie Gilmore cover that has been in the set list for many, many years and happens to be Bleu’s hometown.

-“The Band Plays On” -- Title track to second album and seems to be hodgepodge of different people from different cities as seen through the eyes of a performer.

-“Just a little bit Crazy” -- Just how a man feels after the heartache sets in.

-“Last Last Time” --   My personal favorite and said to be written in the ghetto of Dallas.

-“Highway Patrolman” -- A Springsteen cover that I believe I heard Bleu say before was his favorite to play.  Bruce has been/is a huge influence on many artists here in Texas (and the world) and it is pretty typical to hear at least one song by the Boss played excellently by Bleu.

-“Traveling Man” -- Just a lonely man in search of a beer, who can’t relate?

-“The Echo” --  Bleu’s self-anointed love song.  Though the word love never appears.