For any of you guys out there in Bloggerville who have not been to Lee Harvey’s, you need to make sure you check it out. It is a one of a kind Dallas landmark that you won’t find it near any of the common night spots or other businesses. While it is somewhat isolated (right-chow)it is a great place to sit outside, enjoy live music, cold drinks, and great food. You can’t go wrong with their tacos or burgers. Actually… I have yet to have anything down there that I didn’t really enjoy. Last Saturday night, on top of their food, atmosphere and drinks, two great local bands on the stage at Lee Harvey’s, and I thought I should investigate.

First up were the Charming Gardeners, who put on a great set full of energy and rock and roll. They played a lot of original tracks, including songs from their new self titled EP. Their colorful leading lady, Amy Curnow, showcased her vocal talents with great support from the band. She has tremendous range, so you never know what the next song might sound like. The crew is very talented, and Mark Solomon really stood out with his guitar skills (I just wished he would have stood in the light more so I could snap better pics!). The crowd responded very well to the show, and I would highly recommend checking them out if you get the chance. If you want to check out their sound, you can find their EP here on iTunes for 3.99. I recommend taking a listen to Shut and For All I Know to get a little taste. If you want to see a recent interview I did with Amy, click here.

I can’t exactly explain it…. but there is just something about The BAcksliders. They are one of those bands you just need to see once in a while to get your fix for heavy rock and a kick ass show. The BAcksliders are a family affair with brothers Chris and Jason Bonner on bass and guitar, and Kim Bonner on vocals. The only non-Bonner is Taylor Young (of the O’s) on the drums. The show was very high energy with heavy guitar lines and beats. Kim has an incredible raspy/sultry voice that you can’t help but enjoy. The crowd was rocking right along with them as they played songs from their current album Thank You, and tracks from previous records (and yes, You’re Welcome is one of them )
If you don’t read any of my jabbering, I hope you read this: Not only can you hear their entire new album (and new single) on their website, you can download it for free. No strings attached. No login, contact info, credit card number, rebate…just a free download. FREEEEE! Click here, and go to the store tab. The whole album is great, and the first two tracks will give you an idea of what you are in for. You can also find their work on iTunes, including You’re Welcome. Check out Fat Girls and Typically I Don’t Mind for a little sample.

The only downer for the night was that there was a problem with the PA system that was somewhat annoying. The vocals would cut out (except for in the monitors) intermittently, and stay out for about 5-10 seconds, and then come back in. I first noticed it when the Charming Gardeners were playing, and by the time The BAcksliders made it to the stage it seemed to be happening more often. It kinda kills the flow of the song when you lose your vocals throughout the song, but neither band let that slow them down. They powered through and kept the show going.

Overall it was a great night. Both bands played great sets, and the crowd responded very well to both of them. I got my BAcksliders fix, and had plenty of cool beer from the nice folks at Lee Harvey’s to keep me cool on a summer night.

For what it’s worth, even though they have had their name changed for several years, it will always first be Standard and Pours to me. It is hard to believe that Opening Bell is already 7 years old! For many years now, Opening Bell has been one of my favorite places to enjoy live music in a relaxed environment with a good drink (beer/wine/coffee, pick your poison), and when Pascale told me she was having a little birthday party, I knew I had to head down and help them celebrate.

This week, and next week can be a really good time to catch some great musical talent in Dallas that you wouldn’t normally get to see. Often, bands going to and coming back from South By South West often times play around town on their way down and on their way back from Austin. This creates the opportunity to see some great talent from all over the country playing on week nights at all sorts of venues. Mandi Perkins, and her band Of Verona from L.A., started the birthday party off early tonight at Opening Bell. They put on a hell of a good set before Salim Nourallah, Danny Malone, and Alex Dezen(of the Damwells).

The venue was standing room only. The music was fantastic, and the birthday cake was served on coffee filters. All in all, a great night, and a very happy birthday for Opening Bell. For a few more pics from the night, click here.

The best thing about the show at the City Tavern this Friday night, was the fact that it was in fact this Friday and not last Friday. Now don’t get me wrong; the bill for the night was pretty fantastic, featuring two bands with beautiful leading ladies, and a third band with talent on tap. That alone is pretty fantastic, but for some reason I thought the show was last weekend when I was stranded out of town and unable to attend. Sometimes being easily confused has it’s benefits.

The lineup for the evening: The Charming Gardeners, Cricket Taylor and the Electromagnetics, and The Slack.

The night proved to be a great night for some live rockn’ live music The Charming Gardeners started off the night with leading lady Amy Curnow on lead vocals. If Amy looks familiar, she and Jack have become the face/icons of Lee Harevy’s, and there are some great pics of her at Lee Harvey’s floating around. I digress. Their set was great, with a good mix of tempo and vocal range. I really need to get my hands on some of their recordings. On another note, they dealt well with the drunk (high?…both?) guy screaming, stomping, singing(?), spilling beer, and asking for “love” repeatedly. How does one get that messed up by 9PM?

Next was Cricket Taylor and the Electromagnetics. These guys are a jammn’ three piece band that even supplied their own dancers (sweet!). If there is ever a Pulp Fiction 2, I am convinced they will be on the sound track, and probably make an appearance in the movie. The songs were mostly upbeat, with heavy blues/soul influences. Their look… imagine the Boxmasters, but swap out Billy Bob Thorton’s crazy, for Cricket Taylor’s “dayyyyyyyum!”. At one point I counted 10 photographers taking her photo on the front row; clearly she is as lovely as she is talented. They put on a great performance, and had the Tavern jamming along with them.

The last show of the night was another great Dallas local band: The Slack. These guys had a big challenge to over come when they took the stage. Both bands before them had beautiful, blond, tattooed lead singers….and The Slack…well, they didn’t have the necessary equipment in that department. Fear not; they adapted and overcame with their secret sauce. One word comes to mind when I think of these guys, and that word is: Talent. Chris Holt heads up the lead vocals and lead guitar, and he takes lead guitar to a whole new level. It shouldn’t be possible to do what he does with just one guitar in the band, but somehow he does it. Add another one of the most talented musicians in the city, Eric Neal, on bass guitar, along with keys and some drums and you have the components for a badass show.

Overall the night was a great one, and the music was superb. If you are at the Tavern, I highly recommend Nachos. Random food suggestion, brought to you by zlew.net!

Please forgive the brevity of this post, but I have to get this one knocked out as a quick 2 for 1 post to help me get caught up. I have been swamped with pictures, interviews, and movies, and I have been running way behind on getting these posts out. So, I’ll let the video and the pics do most of the talking on this post. Below you will find a few tidbits from the last two shows I went to see: Sarah Jaffe/Robert Gomez, and Ruby James. Both are acts that I’ve been trying to see for over a year now, and both shows I’d recommend.

I think I might try to mix things up a little bit on this post by adding in a little video to go along with my usual photos and comments. Along with my my still camera, I also took my new little video camera along to see how well the image and sound quality worked out. So far I think it turned out pretty well, and I hope it adds a little bit to these posts and reviews for you guys.

The show was a lot of fun, and I”m glad I made it down there. I have never seen anyone who has a sound or style like Kristy Kruger, and it is one of those performances that impresses me every time I see it. Kristy is a touring machine, so there is a good chance she will end up in your neck of the woods. If you get the chance to see her show, make sure to check it out! Opening Bell has had a really good line up lately; make sure to keep an eye on their calendar as well.

Z- Name, Rank, and Serial Number?
Camille-Camille Cortinas, Princess, 2-28-22

Z- On the stage you sing and play the guitar; are there any other musical talents we don’t know about?
Camille- I dabble in the flute and piano… a little bit untapped and rusty, but worth mentioning.

Z- What are some of your favorite venues to play around town?
Camille- I love any environment that acknowledges the audience, and is listener friendly like Opening Bell, or Sue Ellens. We get people there who really listen, and we as song writers are really able to tell our stories.

Z-Can you tell us a little bit about your first live performance?
Camille-It was at my high school graduation. It was pretty weird; I’m not even sure how I got the gig. Someone asked me to play at the Sr. Luncheon. I had just learned how to play and was rusty, but it was fun!

Z-One of the things I struggle with is trying to define someone’s sound or style. I think “folk” and “indie” are overused and most times don’t do justice or accurately describe any given music. How would you characterize your style and sound?
Camille- Of all of the adjectives that describe our music, I think quirky and sweet are most accurate. Kinda like the first few weeks of falling in love. A little mystery, a little darkness, with a lot of layers, but still sugar sweet.

Z-If you could only keep one of your possessions, what would it be?
Camille- Does it have to be G rated?
*note from Z, you should have seen the grin on her face when she said this!

Z-Who are some of your favorite local bands/ musicians?
Emily Elbert, The O’s, The King Bucks, Chameleon Chamber Group, Backsliders… anyone who does things outside of the box.

Z- If you could only listen to one album, what would it be?
Camille- The White Album, Beatles (both discs thank you!)

Z-How do you want to be remembered-
Camille- As a person who always looks at her glass as half full……of wine

For more on Camille, and hear some of her music, check out her myspace. Her schedule can also be found there, and I would highly recommend checking out one of her live shows. Stay tuned: I also did a shoot with her husband to be, Eric Neal, at the same time I shot this interview. I hope to have that one posted in the next week or so.

Z-Name, Rank, and Serial Number?
Vanessa- : Vanessa Peters, General, 916ITTX

Z- How long would you say you have been a musician?
Vanessa- In my mind I have been a muscian all of my life. As far as other people, or the public are concerned I have been performing since 2002.

Z-Anytime I think of Vanessa Peters, I think of Italy. Many of your stories at your live shows include Itialy, many of your youtube videos (note, this video is not from Italy, but was picked for the recording quality) are from there, and your touring schedule is always packed with shows on the boot. Can you explain the Italian connection?-
Vanessa-I was a student there in 2000 in a university study abroad program. Since I graduated from college at age 20, I thought it would be fun to see the world and travel. I ended up moving back to Italy for a year. While I was there I met the guys who ended up becoming my band and now it is my home for half of the year. I even have a job there working for the study abroad center.

Z-On the subject of traveling and touring, your tour schedule is more packed and more spread out all of the country and the world than any local musician I can think of. How many miles did you put on your car last year?
Vanessa- About 30,000 or so. My car is 3 years old, and has around 90,000 miles on it.

Z-What has been your favorite destination so far?
Vanessa- In the U.S., I love going to Brooklyn, Minneapolis, and Chicago. The most beautiful places I have been to were West Virginia, and Eastern Tennessee.

Z-One of the things I struggle with is trying to define someone’s sound or style. I think “folk” and “indie” are overused and most times don’t do justice or accurately describe any given music. How would you characterize your style and sound?
Vanessa- I always fall back on singer/songwriter. Genres something that I really struggle with as well, but “singer songwriter” seems to be a good catch all. Folk Rock, or Alternative Country also accurately describe my music.

Z- You said you graduated at 20 and started at just 16 years old; where did you go to school, and what did you study?
Vanessa- I went to A&M, and got my degree in Literature/ Creative Writing with minors in Latin and History.

Z-If you could only keep one of your possessions, what would it be?
Vanessa- My guitar.

Z- If you could only listen to one album, what would it be?
Vanessa-You Were Here, by Sarah Harmer.

Z-How do you want to be remembered-
Vanessa- as a kind person and as a songwriter.

If you get the opportunity, check out Vanessa and her band: Vanessa Peters and Ice Cream on Mondays. You can get a taste of her music on her myspace or on youtube. Drownding in Amsterdam and Little Films are two of my favorites. If you want to see her live, she will be in in Texas for a few more weeks before she starts globetrotting and putting more miles on her poor car.

It’s been a tough few weeks for Dallas music venues! I had really high hopes for “The Listening Room” at Club Dada, and really enjoyed Club Dada itself, and I was sorry to hear that they closed their doors. I was also sorry to hear that Opening Bell (Mosaic) is no longer associated with Pascale Hall, the creator/owner of the original Opening Bell (South Side on Lamar). The Mosaic location is still open, but from looking at their posted calendar online, and talking to some insiders, it looks like the singer songwriters and other bands you are used to seeing at OBC will be all but gone, and spoken word and DJ’s may fill that space. The good news is that Pascale and OBC at Southside are still there and doing what they have always done for the local music scene.

On a related note, I did hear that Trees is going to open back up. That brings back many memories from high school! Back in the day, that was the only place you could get in to see music in Deep Ellum at 17 years old. We couldn’t get in anywhere else, but we spent a good amount of time at Trees. They open back up Aug 14th, and I wish them the best!

Of course, it only seemed fitting that my weekend travels took me down to OBC Southside. I was talked into having a root beer float, with a shot of Irish Cream on top, and must recommend it to anyone who is reading this. So good! There was supposed to be a double or triple bill of music, but the visiting act from Nashville didn’t ever show up. That left just Summe Ames to play along with her husband for the evenings entertainment. Summer had a really well developed, and very strong voice as she sang her tunes. Her husband backed her up on a single drum, and she played the guitar and keyboard on different songs. The audience responded very well to her, and I enjoyed what I heard. As is the case many times, her style reminds me of someone, but I can’t place it. Make sure to check her out if you get the chance.

What is better than good music? Good music that is freeeeeee to download! The Backsliders have released their new album Thank You, and have made it available free for download with no strings attached. I asked the band how long they were going to keep Thank You available for free, and they assured me they had no plans to charge for it. Just go to their main page, and click on the store tab. Click the songs and download them for your listening pleasure. The album has some great tunes on it, including some favorites from their live shows like Keep a Knockn’ and Have You Ever Been Down.

These guys come with a great history and long list of accolades for their rockn’ Dallas grown music. The band’s rocky beats, topped off with Kim’s raspy voice are sure to give you a swift kick in the pants right when you need it. I was going to go to their show last weekend, and some how managed to put down the wrong date in my calendar. That was dumb. So don’t be dumb like me, and make sure to take advantage of the free album!

I am happy to report that I finally got the chance to see Manya’s newest project “Morning Elephant” (or a.m. Elephant if ya nasty) and check out a new venue at Live at Mokah.
I’m going to see if I can review a show and a venue in one sentence each… and I reserve the right for those sentences to be poorly punctuated run-on sentences.

Morning Elephant sounded great, with a 7.5 piece talent filled band (including keys, 3 guitars, bass, 2 singers, drums, and one little girl (that was the .5)); make sure to keep an eye out for these guys!

Live at Mokah is a different sort of venue just south of Deep Ellum, with a large listening room, Coffee Bar (no beer), and comfortable couches; for intimate shows, I would go again.