Monthly Archive for December, 2007

Kristy Kruger at The All Good Cafe

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Sometimes things just seem to work out. A post or two ago I wrote about recommending that you go see the Kristy Kruger show at Opening Bell in a few weeks. In that same post I wrote about how I still hadn’t been to the All Good Cafe and wanted to go check them out soon. In the very next post I wrote about the fantastic cup of Joe that Kristy made for me at the show. Well, as she handed me my cup of joe, she recommended that I check out her show at the All Good the next night. Who am I to say no to a pretty lady who just handed me the best coffee I’ve ever had?

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My first impression of the All Good Cafe was that it was much larger than I had imagined it in my head. It is a pretty good sized little Cafe, with a stage large enough to comfortably hold a full band. There were plenty of tables and seating, and with high ceilings and an open feel it did not seem smoky or claustrophobic. The show bills on the wall really point out how rich and old the live music scene in Dallas really is. My personal favorite was the the Bob Wills (ahhh haaa!) show bill on the wall for a show at Sons of Herman Hall. So far so good, but time to get down to business. My first objective was to procure beer and try out one of the world famous Chicken Fried Steaks. Chicken Fried Steak, in my opinion is the acid test for any home style food joint in the south. When my plate of mashed potatoes, spinach and Chicken Fried goodness was deliverd, I was not let down and the All Good Cafe passed my little test with flying colors. The one funny thing about the Cafe was the restroom. There are 2 restrooms, but neither are labeled. Every person I watched head back to the john had the same confused look on their face. Some would try one door, if it was locked, they weren’t sure if the other door was also a restroom. They also didn’t seem sure if there was a mens/womens distinction. Their confusion provided me a few chuckles. I almost wrote “giggles” just then, but I think chuckles is a much more masculine alternative.

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Kristy’s show was a lot of fun to listen to. Her style and sound really are one of a kind, and not something you will hear often. This night she played along with her friend Linda on the upright bass. Kristy’s style is an interesting mix of country, acoustic, modern and retro. Her music is fantastic and her performance itself keeps the audience engaged and tuned in. The upright bass really added a lot to the music. Kristy’s brother lost his life fighting for our country in Iraq, and she is honoring him by touring all of the states of the country he gave his life for. You won’t be disapointed if you go see her play when she comes around your neck of the woods. In the next few months she will be in the South East. For all of my Dallas people, she will be at Opening Bell on the 12th of January. For a recent review of one of her shows click here.

All Good Cafe

Kristy Kruger

Matt The Electrician and Southpaw Jones

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Without the use of a time machine, I was about to find my very own ass placed in a seat in the front row of Opening Bell Coffee Friday night. I know what you, my reading audience are thinking: Zach, what did you find when you got there? Funny you guys should ask! First of all I found a rock star working at the front counter that night. I got a beer and a coffee from none other than Kristy Kruger. Pascale, if you are reading this you need to put the coffee drink Kristy made up on your main board! I’m not sure what it was, but MAN it was good. As usual, I find myself rambling. FOCUS Zach, Focus!!

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I’ve been to several shows where Taylor Davis would be playing later that night, and for one reason or another I had to leave early. After about a year of near misses, I finally got to see Taylor play. I was actually surprised by his style based on some very inaccurate assumptions I made with no real base. Taylor was a little bit on the rocky side and had a really strong voice. Accompanying him was a guitar/keyboard player and a drummer. Taylor broke or damaged the mic stand pretty early in the show; this would prove to provide plenty of comic relief as the night went on. At one point the mic slipped all the way to it’s lowest possible point forcing Taylor to get out of his stool and bend/squat down as far as he could to make sure the show would go on and his voice would be heard. I almost thought he would go Ian Moore style and lose the microphone and let his voice fill the small venue. Fortunately for Taylor a good Samaritan in the audience came forward and fixed the mic mid song for him (see pic below). Speaking of Ian Moore, there were some elements of Taylors show that reminded me of Ian. Their styles are pretty different, but there was a specific vocal trick(queue?) that Ian uses often where his voice pitches way up and gets softer at the same time. Taylor also implemented this well at several points during the show. I wonder if Taylor has ever had Kiristy Kruger’s special coffee before…

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Focus Zach… FOCUS!!!

About this time Blake and Miss Keni came to join me, and Matt the Electrician and Southpaw Jones took the stage. Matt and Southpaw reminded me a lot of some of the fun bar bands that I used to watch in Denton and in Lubbock( hell, it may have been them, and I just didn’t know). There was a lot of satire and humor. Many of the songs were outragous and very funny. It’s difficult to accurately describe this show, so allow me a few lines to see if I can put the pieces together. I almost felt like there were 3 shows. The duo would trade off who sang almost after every song, so you had Matt, and you had Southpaw for the first two parts. The third could be found in some of the songs where they were playing off of each other to really set up the satire/humor.

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Most of Southpaw’s songs reminded me very much of some bands you might be familiar with like They Might Be Giants and Bare Naked Ladies. The rhyme scheme, rhythm and of course the lyrics were very reminiscent of some of these older satire bands. Southpaw has a pretty good voice and played his guitar southpaw style (upside down/left handed) very well. The audience really seemed to enjoy the songs and laughter was the audiences addition to the music. When you think of Southpaw, think of satire. Think of songs about the man on the moon, and his hooker. Think of woman’s rights songs that start off talking about traditional feminist woman’s rights such as fair pay, and ends up truing into a song that paints a picture of a well lathered woman tracing circles in the suds in the shower. I wonder if Kristy made him a coffee.

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When Mr. Southpaw wasn’t singing, Matt the Electrician took over the microphone. Some of Matt’s songs were similar in their humor and satire to Southpaw’s, but some of them were more traditional acoustic/folk/rock. Matt has a really raspy, yet refined voice and style that I really enjoyed listening to. The songs that were not pure humor were songs that would be respected by even the most serious musician, artist, or amateur photographer/blogger :) . They were lyrically well written and musically sound and well enjoyed by this amateur photographer and blogger.

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The rest of the music was a good combination of the two artists playing off of each other. These were the songs that really reminded me of some of the bands I used to see in Denton/Lubbock that were great bar music. They were fun and light and really played off of the other very well. There was an arsenal of instruments that were used from guitars, children’s xylophones, kazoos, harmonicas,banjos, and even a euphonium. My personal favorite was the box that Matt was sitting on that had about an 8 inch hole drilled in it that doubled as a great foot and hand drum.

The verdict for this show was the same as Kruger’s coffee: Good!!! Even though the music was “Zach Style” I think Blake and Keni had a good time along with me and the rest of the audience at the coolest little coffee shop south of downtown Dallas. Matt, Taylor, and Southpaw play all around Dallas and Austin, so if you they come anywhere around where you might be, I would recommend checking them out. And of course, if you find yourself in the downtown Dallas area and find your self in need of a nice place to enojoy a beer or coffee, check out Opening Bell at Southside on Lamar.

Opening Bell

Matt the Electrician

Southpaw Jones

Taylor Davis

December- January. Dallas top 5 show pics

Have you ever started to write a post knowing that you might not figure out a way to make it work, and thus not ever post it? I’m having that feeling right now. I usually don’t do too much on here that is super time sensitive, and since this is date bound it has somewhat of an expiration date but still might be worth a shot. I thought that since I’ve seen so many live music shows around Dallas in the last few years that I would pick a few shows for the upcoming month or so that I would recommend to people. Click the pics to get to past reviews, and their websites are at the bottom of the page if you want to check out their music and other shows. We’ll see how this works out:

So…I was a little late in getting this posted, so the first show below won’t be a good show unless you happen to have a time machine since it happened last night. BUT, if you do have a time machine, it would be a great one to catch. Or, if Matt and Southpaw are playing in your area you should check them out.

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First: Matt the Electrician with Southpaw Jones and Taylor Davis at Opening Bell, Friday Dec. 14th.
I think I’m going to this show tomorrow night. I’ve wanted to see Matt for a long time now, and keep having near misses seeing Taylor. I’ve heard some live recordings of Matt the Electrician on some of the benefit/compilation CD’s that Ally with Bend Studio has. The live version of “Little Hands” is more than enough for me to know the show will be worth seeing. On top of that Opening Bell is a Great small venue, with a great combination of a coffee shop that also sells beer and small venue. It’s better set up for music than any coffee shop I’ve been to, but is also a place that you can still have a conversation or relax during a show. It’s not smoky and the atmosphere is fantastic. *Editors Note: I did see this show and it was a lot of fun. Stay tuned for a full review with more pics.

Patrice Pike at Bend Studio

Patrice Pike Dec 27 2007 8:00, Dan’s Sliverleaf- Denton.
I’m very tempted to go to this one (might have a party this night…can’t remember …ha!) The last time I saw Patrice was before she went on the reality TV show with Tommy Lee and the gang called”Rock Star Supernova”. Her acoustic solo set I saw was pretty amazing. She is this little petit girl whose guitar is bigger than she is…but yet has this amazing and HUGE voice. Her set was softer rock and was amazing. On the show they kept giving her trouble about not being “ROCK” enough, and her sets turned more and more heavy and more like some of her older work with Sister 7 back in the day. So I will be interested to see if this show is pre- Supernova style or if it’s going to be rocked out. Either way, I’m sure it will be great. I’ve only been in Dan’s Silverleaf one night, and cant comment on it too much. It seemed to be a pretty standard Bar/music venue. I wasn’t there long enough to form much more of an opinion than that.

The Campaign

The Campaign-Dec 28 2007 10:30P Hailey’s Denton, Texas- The keyword for this show is just energy. These guys lay it all out there and really explode on stage. I’m pretty sure they may have broken a few keys on their keyboard the last time I saw them. I wouldn’t put Hailey’s in my top 5 venues, but it’s not a bad place. It’s a pretty standard large bar with moderate seating and room for a dance floor. It is just south of the square in Denton, and is worth checking out.

Kristy Kruger

Also playing at Opening Bell on the list: Kristy Kruger Jan 12th. – Kristy was one of my favorite shows from 2007. She has a sound that is unlike any other that I’ve heard before. It’s a little bit country, a little bit contemporary, with retro 20′/30’s tones all mixed in together. Her music is fantastic and her performance always captures the crowd. She is also playing at the All Good Cafe on December 15th. I’ve haven’t been to the All Good Cafe just yet, but it’s on my list to check out soon (maybe even tonight…).

Bob

Bob Schneider and Strings Attached- Saturday, January 26th at Sons of Herman Hall-
I haven’t seen Bob play with the full band before, but I have seen 2 of his shows in the last year or so and can testify that he puts on one of the most fun shows around. From a sheer performance and crowd engagement standpoint he is right up there with Ian Moore in my book. On top of that the music is a lot of fun and great as well. You can’t go wrong with a Bob Show. This is a Bend Studio production, but is being held at Son’s of Herman Hall due to the number of people who will be there. Son’s is a pretty cool old venue that has a dance hall/concert room upstairs in an old 2 story building in Deep Ellum

Matt’s myspace

Southpaw

Taylor

Patrice Pike

Opening Bell

The Campaign

Kristy Kruger

Bend’s Myspace

Bob’s Myspace

Yea…that’s right.

Marley

I’m sure this doesn’t come to a surprise to anyone who reads this blog. It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything of substance, and as you probably know I’m too lazy to go back and write individual posts about everything that has been going on in the last month or two; thus you will soon find yourself reading a compilation post. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.

I’m going back through all of my recent pictures to help me remember what I’ve been up to lately. I guess that is a sign of taking too many pictures when you start using your pics to help you remember what your life has consisted of for any period of time that stretches past yesterday. It could also just be a sign of me getting older. The first thing I found in my photographic memory was Thanksgiving:

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Once again we had a fantastic time at Red Apple on Greers Ferry Lake. I think this was our 19th year that we have gotten together with Mom’s side of the family for Thanksgiving. In fact, Aunt Gina put together a DVD picture album of all of our family events since 1988, and many of those events were Thanksgivings at Red Apple. The DVD was very cool, and I couldn’t help but realize how fortunate I am with the family I have been blessed with. It’s amazing how much some people have changed in those 18 years or so, and at the same time stayed the same. This year’s trip out there was a shorter trip than our usual stay, but we still had a great feast and a great time. Jeffrey and I got the 3rd annual polar bear swim out of the way on the first day we were there. This turned out to be a good thing because the temperature dropped about 40 degrees in the next 24 hours!

Manya

Next up are some pics from a live music show I went to with Blake and Viv. I realized that I had not taken any music pics or done any reviews in several months, and resolved that problem by going down to my favorite little coffee shop at South Side on Lamar. I have wanted to see Manya play for a long time, and just happened to see her message that she was playing on a week night at Opening Bell. Manya is getting started with her music performances and plays with Blue Petal around Dallas a few times a month. The show was a simple 3 man set, with Manya on vocals and guitar. Her voice has an unusual and interesting sound that is difficult to describe. She reminds me a little bit of Bjork (but not as crazy ;) ). Her style is what I would consider a soft acoustic/Indie, and quite enjoyable. Her set was short, but entertaining. Keep an eye out for her as she plays more and more live shows I think her performances will only get better.

Robin's Graduation
This is actually a pretty rare pic, with both of the parents taken in the 21st century.

NEXXXXXXXXTTTTTT comes Robin’s Graduation.
I looked for 10 mins, and couldn’t find the Tommy Boy clip on YouTube with the “You know a lot of people go to college for 7 years” … “I know, they’re called doctors.” Never the less, little sister has done it! She graduated (Mom and Dad doing the happy dance in the background), and now has a 4ish year degree from UTD. Congrats Sis!!! I think the next move for her is nursing school, bu for now I’m sure she’s just enjoying being done with her degree.

Gram

Last, and not least in the update is Gram’s 80th birthday party. My Dad and uncles threw a big party for Gram’s 80th birthday party last night in Highland Park. Almost all of the family came in town to celebrate with dozens of old friends. I know Gram has been looking forward to her big night for a long time, and I don’t think she was disappointed by the end of the night. One of the highlights for me was that all of my Cousins made it into town, as did my Aunt Linda. I only get to see all of my five of my cousins on my Dad’s side every few years, which is regrettable especially since Nick/Eric/Alex and I were like brothers growing up. None of that matters now, because I got to see everyone and hang out with everyone extensively this weekend. Thus I am refreshed and rejuvenated.

Alex Lewis
I think I’m 7 years older than him…and for about the first 2 years of his life I could kick his ass…from there it was all down hill.

Nicke Meg and Zach Lewis
Nick, Meg, and yours truly.

PS: I hate being sick. I haven’t been this sick for about 2 years, but the good news is that with FIOS, there is actually good stuff on TV during the week. When I was a kid about the best I could hope for was Green Acres re-runs and Jeopardy.

Manya’s myspace

Opening Bell

PPPPPPS: I know the links are messed up for the gallery right now, but I’ll try to have the pics from the party and thanksgiving posted soon.