Brandon, Cody, Calf Ropin & Charlie (and Tony Mullins of all things!)

I waited too damn long to blog so I'm covering two nights. College Station was Wed. and stopped by Hurricane Harry's to check out Brandon Rhyder, Whiskey Myers and Matt Powell (top picture). I'd not seen Brandon or Matt before. More times than not acoustic shows bore me now a days. Matt would have been my favorite if he ever would've finished a song. He'd get part of the way through his songs and stop. I really dig his voice and songs (my favorite songs from the night). Whiskey Myers are good, young and (to me) just a little derivative right now to a bunch of other black crows typa bands. Good players, singers and probably will develop their own style with all the gigging. Shit, "Kings of Leon" guys were a pop boy band typa thing when I'd met with them and obviously moved on from there (thank GOD and Angelo for THAT "evolution"!) Brandon really sang his ass off and was obviously the "star". The bar, not bad. Not quite the Midnight Rodeo seeing as it has a little more character. It's more the ranch styled house approach that's more spread out than the one big roomed chain bars.
Thanks to a tip from a Rita Ballou fan (Thanks Lisa), last night I went to the Ft. Bend County fair. Had NEVER watched a rodeo and they actually had one going on in the midst of the fair. As far as the music, it was Kristen Kelly, Charlie Robison & Cody Canada playing the big stage. I'd seen Kelly and she's not my thing so I enjoyed the "Calf ropin" while listening to her in the background. Those poor little calves. They seem to be all fine though after all that slamming down, getting tied up then the horse draggin 'em backwards. The crowd was sparse for the rodeo (and I think for Kristen). I guess with the farm animal auction next door, the rides and all the carny stuff around the rodeo (and Kristen) it was just one of too many things for people to do. After a long wait (and a TON of calf ropin), Charlie and Cody started. I went and met Lisa and she's like in the front damn row. I mean like FRONT row. Not like second or third or "toward" the the front. Rita calls it panty row, I think. From church (back in the day), to school, to any show, I'm kind of a back row guy (that and I'm not wearing any panties). Lisa and friends really were into it and people were like positioning around me for pictures, and everything and I'm like I gotta get outta this position (before invocation!). I got back a safe distance (for me) took a coupla pix (that's too blurry to post) listened for probably an hour and went back to calf ropin. I think after 25+ years, I've hit my max for acoustic shows (outside of like half a dozen writers). I say that and am thinking of seeing Bruce Robison tonight (unless I come back here for Randy Rogers). Bruce IS one of the exceptions for me. I'd seen these two in Nashville and seen Charlie up in Plano a few weeks back with his band. Though their both good song writers, I'd just prefer to hear them with a rocking band. The calf ropin ROCKED, though! Apologies to the music fans. I just couldn't stand there when all of the rodeo-ing was going on 20 yards away (being my first time and everything)! Thanks again Lisa and sorry I bailed on you guys. I mean it WAS my first rodeo!!!
P.S., OH sitting there watching the rodeo "A Little Bit Of Life"-Craig Morgan played over the P.A.. I worked with both those writers for a few years (Tony Mullins and Danny Wells). Now if you wanna see an "acoustic show" go see Tony Mullins. He is crazy, great and one of the most engaging and entertaining guys you'll ever watch. He's not a star in the sense of these guys above. He's just up there to please the people watching in any way he can. He's larger than life (which is a TALL order ;)). Go see him if he ever happens to come into your town. If you don't know the songs, it won't make a "hill a beans" difference (though he'll play plenty of his hits!). Sorry for the extended blog!