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Three Chords and the Truth By Ronnie Narmour ronnienarmour@gmail.com
One soggy week in review… Well, SandFest endured a week’s worth of adversity with monstrous thunderstorms as well as vandalism but still emerged our shining star. Kudos to the sculptors, volunteers and staff that pulled this one out of a soggy hat this year. There may have been big rain puddles everywhere but the sculptures were still amazing and the music still went on. .. and brother, the crowds did come. The traffic gridlocked the streets of Port A on Saturday afternoon as it took over two hours to drive from N. Padre and the mega-long ferry lines tested everyone’s patience both coming and going. The clubs did very well over the weekend. Back Porch manager, Burke Dawson,
April 30, 2015
Island Moon
upon us. I’ve listed all the music acts playing Thursday through Sunday. Check out their website at bucdays.com for a schedule of upcoming parades and carnivals. According to their Facebook page, “Buc Days grew out of the bathing beauty contest and picnic called “Splash Days” occurring on North Beach each year. In 1938, the newly formed, Buccaneer Commission, decided to stage a bigger and more elaborate celebration based on the history and legend of the days of long ago when pirate ships haunted the waters of the Gulf and preyed on merchantmen.” 2015 marks the 78th year for Buc Days and the 24th year of rodeos. An estimated 250,000 participants attend Buc Days each year and this springtime event boasts something for everyone, including a Pro PRCA Rodeo, a Carnival, a Rodeo BBQ Tailgate Party, and the largest event, the Illuminated Night Parade. Over 160,000 attendees line the streets each year awaiting the Buc Days Pirate Queens and Buc Days King scholarship contestants on the Buc Days float.
(Doctor) Rockit’s to re-open…
The Toman Brothers will play Giggity’s on Saturday night Sky Smeed & Joe Mack will play Shorty’s on Friday. up, he’s been know to actually set a guitar neck on fire with his fingers. He’s somewhere between Leo Kotke meets Flatt & Scruggs at Jerry Garcia’s house. Smeed joins Joe Mack on this run through Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and New Mexico with a new CD, Drive All Night. These boys are truly a sight to behold and a lesson in hillbilly guitar picking. DO NOT MISS this show! And over at Giggity’s on Friday, Myndfield will make their debut with a repertoire of funk and soul and the big horn party band Cruise Control will play the Back Porch and everybody’s favorite coach, Jim Dugan will serve it up at
institution. Otherwise on Saturday, it’s Aaron Lewis at Brewster Street and Wings Over Society at the Handsome Sailor. On Sunday the 3rd, rock super-stars ZZ Top and Jeff Beck will play Concrete Street. It looks like the weather is finally going to be nice for a while, so this show should rock. If I have to tell you who ZZ Top and Jeff Beck are then go crawl back under that rock and stay there. And finally on Sunday, the Swinging Utters will play the House of Rock. I have no idea who the Swinging Utters are but this may be my only chance to mention them in a sentence.
Coming next week… And coming next week, watch for shows by Beau Walker, Thomas Michael Riley, Mike Milligan, Randy McAllister, Shattered Sun and Mark Wilks. And the show to definitely catch next week on Sunday the 10th will be
Uncle Lucius played an excellent show at the Back Porch last Friday reported SRO crowds for both weekend shows. Uncle Lucius put on a stellar performance on Friday even though there wasn’t any room left to dance. People were showing up as early as 6:00 to stake claim on their tables. And the Gary P. Nunn show drew nearly 400 fans on Saturday. You needed a shoe horn to get in that room. Over at Giggity’s both the Lyrical Binge and Todd Dorn shows filled the house with SandFest revelers as did the Ty Dietz and 90 Proof shows at Shorty’s. I also heard from Capt. Tom Doran that the Handsome Sailor
Ray T popped up at the Monday jam and reunited one version of the City Crew with Chris Jorday and Reeves Allen Tiki Bar got their season rolling with a great turnout for Carol Elliott and later HOBO. It was great to see all of the bands received so well. I think we’re going to have a killer season this year. And one last thing, on Sunday at the weekly open jam at Giggity’s this week, Ray T was back in town and ran into a couple of ex-City Crew members: Chris Jordan on bass and Reeves Allen on drums. This made for a scalding reunion on stage and was a lot of fun.
Buc Days… There are a couple of events coming up this week in Corpus. First of all, Buc Days is
Duke E. Brown will play Rockit’s this Friday Corpus Christi nightclub magnate, Mark Schaberg (Brewster Street Ice House and Concrete Street Amphitheater) has announced the opening of his newest acquisition, Rockit’s (formerly known as Doctor Rockit’s Blues Bar). The storied blues venue, located on N. Chaparral, across from the bus station in downtown Corpus, was host to hundreds of local, regional and national blues acts for 25 years. Schaberg and his partners, Bill Durrill and Eric Gutschow, took over this venue when owners Jennifer and Larry Williams decided to call it quits a few months ago. It’s my understanding that the entertainment will take on a bigger variety of genres and will encompass more Americana shows. Schaberg said, “We’re excited to bring downtown Corpus Christi an upscale but casual interactive entertainment experience.” They will open today, Thursday the 30th, and will have performances by Duke E. Brown on Friday and Flatbroke on Saturday. The legend continues…
DO NOT MISS LIST Coming this week… Tonight, Thursday the 30th, the great Max Stalling (Ft. Worth, TX) will play Brewster Street Ice House on a bill with Aaron Einhouse. Stalling is a real-deal country singer from the land of real-deal country singers. Stallings sound is “modern with a vintage feel” and his big baritone voice feels as comfortable as going home to mama. As I mentioned above, also on Thursday Buc Days kicks off with Whisker Biscuits and Stephen James and Rockit’s will open with Duke E. Brown. On Friday the 1st, our folky Okie buddies Joe Mack and Sky Smeed will play Shorty’s. These guys sleep with their guitars. When Joe Mack gets wound
GIGGITY’S RESTAURANT & BAR Free Beer Band Myndfield Toman Brothers Antone & the All Stars Open Jam w/ Selfie Paul Taylor Band Ty Dietz & Tony Saracene
IN PORT A
The Spot for your
Island Fiesta
April 30 May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6
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Specializing in 70 Premium Tequilas!
Wings Over Society
Catering for any Occasion Closed Monday 222 Beach St. Port A (361) 749-0022
Earl Gard & Friends
May 2
Tom Doran & Jim Beaver May 9 Special Surprise Guest May 16 May 23
508 Bigelow @ Conn Brown Harbor, Aransas Pass (361) 790-6668
Arrrr you ready?
Adventure Tour More than a boat ride. It’s a show and you’re in it! Fend off a Pirate Attack in an Epic Squirt Gun Battle Woody’s Sport Center 136 W. Cotter, Port Aransas, (361) 749-6969 CHRISTOPHER TODD JORDAN Designer & Builder of Food & Beverage Facilities
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Janet McLaughlin will join Carol Elliott at Shorty’s on Saturday. Shorty’s. On Saturday the 2nd, Jake Ward will bring his country show to the Porch and local troubadours Russell Edge will play the Gaff and Rich Lockhart will play Drop Anchor. Over at Shorty’s, Carol Elliott will play a song swap with a fellow singer-songwriter from Nashville, Janet McLaughlin who’s worked with the Indigo Girls and had songs recorded by Loretta Lynn. And a Giggity’s the mighty Toman Brothers (San Antonio, TX) will return. The Tomans are country super-star Gary Stewart’s old road band. All you Gary Stewart fans need to come check the Tomans out. But they’re not all country, they’ve been known to slip in some Foghat or Eric Clapton when least expected. They are a San Antonio
Steve Earle and the Dukes will play the House of Rock on May 10 multi-GRAMMY winner Steve Earle and the Dukes (Nashville, TN) on a show with Ty Dietz & Pake Rossi and The Mastersons. Earle is touring in support of his latest release, Terraplane. I’m a huge Steve Earle fan and have been since the release of Guitar Town in 1986. I recently read his biography, Hard Core Troubadour, and must say, that’s one tough hombre’. Originally from San Antonio, Earle is an advocate for no death penalty and an international star who came up in the Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell camp. I’ve seen him perform three times in Austin and San Antonio and wouldn’t miss this show for love or money. ♫ ♪ And, that’s the truth! ♫ ♪
Live Music Tonight
Thursday, April 30 Free Beer Band @ Giggity’s Max Stalling, Aaron Einhouse @ Brewster Street Ice House Lucas Jack, Peace & Quiet, Jimmy Wilden @ House of Rock Whisker Biscuits, Steven James @ Buc Days Duke E. Brown @ Rockit’s
Friday, May 1 Myndfield @ Giggity’s Joe Mack, Sky Smeed @ Shorty’s Cruise Control @ Back Porch Jim Dugan @ The Gaff Open Jam @ Handsome Sailor Tiki Bar Spazmatics @ Brewster Street Ice House Rreno Perez @ Vino Mio Social Club Fabian Rivera (6-10) @ Mikel Mays Out of Bounds, Ruben V @ Buc Days Ink Slingers Ball w/ Blind Owls @ House of Rock Pickle Fish Planet @ Executive Surf Club Flatbroke @ Rockit’s Jody Booth & the East Texas Ramblers @ South Texas Ice House Saturday, May 2 Toman Brothers @ Giggity’s Carol Elliott, Janet McLaughlin @ Shorty’s Jake Ward @ Back Porch Russell Edge, Hank Reeves @ The Gaff Rich Lockhart (6-9) @ Drop Anchor Wings Over Society @ Handsome Sailor Tiki Bar Aaron Lewis @ Brewster Street Ice House Rock-It Television @ Rockits Steven James @ Vino Mio Social Club Duke E. Brown @ Executive Surf Club Quiet Company, Rocketboys, Piqued Jacks, Hydra Melody @ House of Rock Ruben & the Rolling J’s, Hard Wired, Darkest Energy @ Buc Days Sunday, May 3 Antone & the All Stars @ Giggity’s ZZ Top, Jeff Beck @ Concrete Street
Cruise Control
May 1
Jake Ward
May 2
Thomas Michael Riley
May 8
Randy McAllister
May 9
Scarecrow People
May 14
The Bellfurries
May 15
Jesse Dayton
May 16
132 W. Cotter St. Port A On the Waterfront
Sunday, May 3 continued Scott Sandel (3-7) @ Mikel Mays Swinging Utters, Bomb Pops, Noah & Beyonders @ House of Rock Grupo Afinque, La Keazion, Beto Ramon, Latin Talk @ Buc Days Monday, May 4 Open Jam w/ Selfie @ Giggity’s Tuesday, May 5 Paul Taylor Band @ Giggity’s Open Mic @ House of Rock
Joe Mack & Sky Smeed May 1 Carol Elliott & Janet McLaughlin May 2 Selfie May 8 Billy Snipes May 9 Jim Dugan May 15 Ty Dietz Band May 16 OPEN Till 2am • 823 Tarpon St. Port Aransas
Wednesday, May 6 Ty Dietz & Tony Saracene @ Giggity’s
Full Bar & Grill
Friday, May 8 Beau Walker @ Giggity’s Thomas Michael Riley @ Back Porch Selfie @ Shorty’s Mark Wilks @ The Gaff Lyrical Binge @ Executive Surf Club Avenue Rockers, Knockouts, Shadow of the Giant, Shayna Sands @ House of Rock S.A. Lights (Tribute to Journey) @ Brewster Street Ice House New Town Groove @ Vino Mio Social Club
Rich Lockhart (6-9) May 2 361-945-9595, 118 Cut Off Rd., Port Aransas www.dropanchorportaransas.com
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(361)290-7143 314 E. Ave. G www.bronsbeachcarts.com
The Gaff Beer ● Pizza ● Belt Sander Races (361) 749-5970
Thursday, May 7 Free Beer Band @ Giggity’s Devon Allman, Cathouse @ House of Rock Uncle Lucius @ South Texas Ice House William Clark Green, Shane Smith @ Brewster Street Ice House
Saturday, May 9 Mike Milligan & Texiana Bluez @ Giggity’s Randy McAllister @ Back Porch Billy Snipes @ Shorty’s Shattered Sun @ House of Rock Tom Doran & Jim Beaver @ Handsome Sailor Tiki Bar Belt Sander Races, Uncle Willie, Russell Edge @ The Gaff 2nd Saturday Sing-Along Piano Show @ Brewster Street Ice House Starlite & the Moonbeams @ Vino Mio Social Club