Thursday, September 16, 2010

Stoney Larue, Statesboro Revue and a little apology



Last nights visits first took me back to Gruene Hall. For everyone out there (outside of Texas) still wearing their “Texas training wheels” it’s pronounced “Green”. I had a little time to kill so I stopped by for maybe 30 minutes and saw Statesboro Revue. Really liked the players and singer. From what little time I had they played a Van Morrison cover (that I can’t remember right now) which was REALLY cool in the way that they did it! They did some other originals and the more blues stuff they played the less I liked it. They may be a blues band and I’m not really sure (given 30 minutes) but I liked it best when they played a little less blues (and I dig blues, too). I had a beer there and then headed up to Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos (maybe 20 minute drive) to see Stoney Larue. OH, on this night as well (at Gruene), it looked like hardly anyone (about 30,40 people or so ) was there for the band. It was just tourists (like me) stopping in to see the “Hall” (regardless of the act) and to take a coupla pictures. O.K., back to my second part of the night at Cheatham Street. That place was PA ACKED. Good lord! I had to remind myself that this discomfort keeps a lot of people in business. Spoke with the sound guy for a second about the crowd. He said there is no “built in” crowd there. You draw the one’s that are there (or not). So once Stoney started (at way past my old bed time/after 11PM) the crowd all bunched up in front of the place (that I thought had a good view of) so I stood there and listened while staring at a bunch of shoulder blades (I may be just the guy to bring back “platform shoes”). After a while I could almost see while some people got to talking and stuff and took a coupla pix (holding the camera up high). I really dig what Stoney does as a whole and he has a great voice. As far as the actual songs, I liked things that were in them more than I liked the songs themselves (as “my” ex-songwriters roll their collective eyes). Kinda lifestyle typa stuff that I could see people relating to.O.k. that said, he packed the place out and the kids were all singing every word to maybe 6 or 8 of them and were listening intently to the rest. My opinion will not help or make Stoney one damn penny but that’s what I really thought (as if he cares or should care). I really, really loved his personality up there. He seemed to have a real sincere care and concern for the kids out there listening. You can’t fake that shit! All this “song stuff” reminds me of (years back) seeing Robert Earl Keen. Not being from “down here” I knew more about him than of his music. Gillian Welch (who's coincidentally playing right now in this Starbucks) in the VERY beginning (when they’d just be like me, David Conrad, Bobby, her and Dave at their gig) used to cover “Go On Downtown” and I’d also heard a coupla other REK covers that I’d loved of his. Well, we started working with him years after that (as his publisher) and I went to see a show he was playing in Nashville. He was playing these songs that I just didn’t like at all (it all sounded to me like "beer, beer, beer, yeah, yeah, yeah" stuff) and seemed like he’d written them in about 5 minutes (which he may have) and the kids were going just freaking nuts! I was like what the f….??!! Well, he finally played one that showed how GREAT a songwriter that he could be (and was) and the kids all stood there like a bunch of cows staring at a barn. All that to say, I don’t know jack shit about what kids want but I do know what I think. Stoney may be or may have some incredible songs (they could’ve been the one’s that I was hearing!). That’s all subjective. The good thing that he was doing last night was making a bunch of money ($20 per) and everybody (including me!) was having just a damn fine time while he was doing it. All of the kids out there (mostly college kids) were just so damn nice (except for the one young chick who got pissed off that I interrupted her texting while trying to squeeze by (“sorry chicky”, daddy should've bought you a smaller less complicated phone). Man, for the most part college kids of today ARE damn considerate in comparison to when I was a smart/rude assed kid growing up. I’d buy you all beer if I could only afford it except for the one “text chick”, you can buy your own (which you looked like you could afford :).


I was listening to some of songs yesterday and realizing just how freaking clueless I’d become a lot of times in hearing too many damn songs over the years (had to be in the hundreds of thousands I’d bet) . I’m hopefully (finally) starting to hear songs a little better. I apologize to all you poor writers: Erin, Travis, Jeremy, Marcel, Luke, Jenn and anyone ELSE who happens to read this and who had the displeasure of working with me those last few years. I still may not can “hear a train wreck” but I feel like I’d gotten to the point to where I couldn’t have even have seen the train a coming.
“I hear that train a comin’, it’s rollin’ round the bend, and I ain’t seen a hotel room, since I don’t know when”- J.Cash (with a little me re-write ;))



6 comments:

  1. Hi Scott, You are in my neck of the woods. Nashville is just where I work. The Phoenix Saloon in New Braunfels is probably less touristy and has some good bands normally. It is literally a new venue that was an old Saloon that is downtown. Did you go to Willie's (Nelson) dive near Lake Travis while you have been down there? He normally has some good music. I am enjoying your blog so far. My niece goes to the University of Texas and her boyfriend is up at Baylor if you want to know more what the kids are listening to and going to see, let me know. I also have an adopted niece that is in the Lubbock area but you have already been there. I will be in Austin this weekend. Be safe in your travels, and there is a lot to love in music still. It is just easy to lose sight of that on the business side of it. Cynthia Little (I gave you my Jeffrey Steele ticket to use with the BMG people last year just in case you don't know me by name.:) It was for the Alex benefit. I was glad that Megan gave it to someone that knew Jeff.)

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  2. ...the kids all stood there like a bunch of cows staring at a barn. Now that's a five pound bass.

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  3. I love Stoney...he's one of my top 5 if not top 3 dudes. He gets tons of shit...from me especially...from not coming up with tons of "new material" and doing lots of covers, but I agree..he's just damn charismatic on stage that I will pay my money to see him sing the same shit over and over and over and enjoy every second of it. He's also VERY charming but oddly hot in that greasy bad boy kinda way. I have always called him my Urban Cowboy Wes Hightower fantasy man. I want him to pick my up by my hair in an old Airstream trailer and tell me to fix him something to eat. Sad, sick...and true. I hate myself for it, but I LOVE me some Stoney!

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  4. Hey Scott this is steve. I met you at cheatam st. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip. Stoney was awesome that was a great night! Go Texas State!

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  5. i love that you FINALLY got to see stoney! he's one of my favorite singers! :)

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