STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music volume 1 issue 12 March 2013

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Iss ue 12

South Texas Entertainment Art Music

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Magazine

The Homestead Inn New Features+Interviews

So Tx Music Walk of Fame

Gilbert Cantu

Featuring

Bobby Galvan

SxSW Seattle Showcase Critical Sun Recordings

Live Entertainment Every Fri & Sat Pool Tournaments Mon & Tues featuring Dan Spitz of Anthrax

2 of Corpus’ Best Sports Bars!

Daily Drink Specials!

March 7th

Jan 4th w/special guests

March 7th

(361)334-6135 5815-B Weber Rd Sun. 12pm-2am Mon-Sat 11am-2am facebook.com/TheosBilliards

St. DayPaddys B 3/17 ash /13

Karoake Every Thurs-Sat

Dart League (361)334-5585 4522 4528 Weber Rd Open Everyday Noon-2am facebook.com/Jamisons.bar

CORPUS CHRISTI — What does Beach Fest do?

Beach Fest is a music festival we are organizing for Spring Break on Corpus Christi's Bay Front. The festival is free with a food donation, it benefits The Food Bank of Corpus Christi, Bike's For Kid's, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, Relay For Life, Wharwood Family Church, Cross Point Church, El Luz Del Mundo Church, and RCI Homes, more TBA. There are other popular spring break destination like Miami (Ultra Music Festival), Austin (SXSW) and South Padre Island (Ultimate Music Experience) that have very large music and EDM festivals during Spring Break that are extremely successful right now, we are hoping that Beach Fest could potentially grow to put Corpus on the levels of those cities as a spring break destination. EDM Festivals around the world are pulling in crowds of 150,00400,000 and pouring millions into their economy. We hope that this will be the first of many years to come and that we will grow bringing money into our economy and raising large amounts of money for are non-profits.

IF YOU GO What: Corpus Christi Beach Fest Music Festival Where: Cole Park & McGee Beach When: March 15-17 Cost: Free with Food Donation

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> New Braunfels

HOMESTEAD Inn 18 So Tx Music Walk 5

DREAM 16

Rockport Beeville

San Antonio

Orange Grove

Port A Ingleside Austin

Sinton Mustang Island

Corpus Christi

Alice Kingsville Calallen Aransas Pass Robstown

Quick Read 13 CC CLUTCH 27 3rd Coast Foodie 22

Publisher — Rusty Hicks Editor —Tamma Hicks Writers — Mason Shirley, Forrest Lee Jr., Erik Hinz, J Michael Dolan, Rachel Mills, Rusty Hicks, Tamma Hicks, Sue Donahoe & Rick Bowen Photographers — Allene Hicks, Misty Nelson, & Donald Hatch

CALENDAR 8

Isolation Booth 6 SxSW 24 The GALVAN Brothers 10 Drowning Pool 26 Local Tunes 14&15 For Advertising Rates, Specs, And Information : sales steamtx.com Or 361-904-4339

For CD, Book, or Show Reviews : submissions steamtx.com

Steamtx.com Facebook.com/steamtx STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine.

Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries: submissions@steamtx.com

By Sue Donahoe Steam Magazine is a proud supporter of the South Texas Music Walk of Fame. With the season approaching for inducting the newest stars, we asked Sue Donahoe to contribute a series of articles for us. The second installment in the history of the South Texas Music Walk of Fame covers the years 2007, 2008 and 2009.

2007 - 2009 The events of 2007 were largely driven by the plans for the new exhibit in the Texas Surf Museum - “Surfin’ in the ‘70s”. It was a decade in which our state’s surfers won championship after championship and the world was forced to look at our very different waves and at the special skills required to master those waves. As it turned out – those who could surf well in Texas - could very frequently surf the board shorts off of nearly everyone else alive. `In the 1970’s one of the world’s biggest names in music was Christopher Cross; the San Antonio born legend took Grammy awards for several songs and even an Oscar for the theme song to the hit movie, “Arthur”. He agreed to perform and before I broke my New Year’s Resolutions – Manny had the contract in hand. Michael Nesmith - songwriter, video inventor, philanthropist and member of The Monkees was inducted along with the late Armando Marroquin, founder of the first Hispanic owned record label in Texas (maybe in the entire country), and Jennifer Pena who, still in her early 20/s, was winning awards like I was gaining weight. A star went to Al “Beto” Garcia; who answered the phone call that started the Texas Jazz Festival (more on this in 2008.) And fans by the dozens campaigned for Corpus Christi born Rusty Wier. So our six stars were set, representing the past and present, including Rock, Tejano, Jazz and Country music. Rusty was booked for Friday night and Chris for Saturday. We were done.

Until I got a phone call from a friend in Austin who said, “I’ve been all up and down Water Street and I don’t see any stars.”

They were all in the Executive Surf Club courtyard. We knew the stars would eventually wind through both courtyards, but it was obvious that the public hadn’t learned to Michael Nesmith read our minds. It was a long way from the Sunny & the Sunliners’ star to the front of the WaterStreet Oyster Bar too long. We designed an “establishing star” as an anchor…but it still was too far. The nominating committee met and chose a seventh star – the B B King of Corpus Christi, Rocky Benton. There’s a great archive photo of Rocky and Beto laughing and another of Rusty, standing on his star, saying he was going to “come back here and just sleep on it.”

The rest of that “phone call / Jazz festival” story goes as follows. Young Joe Gallardo, as a student at Del Mar, wanted to get his band mates and friends together and start a Jazz Festival. None of them really knew where to begin, however, so Joe called his very hip, jazz playing uncle and said “Uncle Beto…” The Texas Jazz Festival is now 53 years old.

Joe has been living in Germany for at least 3 decades and is part of two very important Jazz projects there. Rarely is he able to get home. For the 2008 awards, however, he

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could make it. We awarded a star to Eddie Olivares, Sr. as well and turned the Executive Surf Club over to a Sunday Jazz Brunch that is still talked about today. Long gone but eternally praised Chelo Silva took a space in the courtyard and we booked a night to please any fan of Country Songwriters with Pat Grogan and Max Stalling. Then just before we selected the sixth star, Carl Lewis died. This much loved Judge led a cover band with very little fame and absolutely no recordings. That band, Carl Lewis and the Deadbeats, was no touring band, they weren’t known ten feet out of our city limits. Hundreds of nominations poured in, however, so the committee took another look at the history of this popular bunch of legal professionals who played the blues. The band gave all the money from their shows (nearly one million dollars) to children’s charities. That ought to get a star anywhere!

South Texas has made a huge contribution to many music styles and we try to demonstrate that with each year’s Chelo Silva inductees. Everyone expects Tejano and Country to be the biggest group of artists – and they’re right. But just behind those is Rock; even more rock musicians than Jazz come from this area. And within the world of Rock and Roll lies the ever popular Rockabilly style of music and there – my friends and neighbors – South Texas Rules!

2009 was almost totally a Rockabilly year. It needed to happen! The famous “Rockabilly Filly” – Rosie Flores was just back from a tour and Ted Roddy hadn’t left yet for his. The Reverend Horton Heat (Jim Heath) was available- without his band – and the last child of the man who invented Rockabilly in the first place could be here in person to honor her dad, the late Bill Haley. Born in Michigan, Haley’s tune “Rock Around the Clock” is considered to be the Carl Lewis song that created the genre’. Bill spent the last twenty years of his life in Harlingen. He frequently performed there and in Mexico and raised his third family on South Texas soil. Gina Haley was delighted to cut the ribbon in her father’s honor. Rosie, Ted, and “the Rev” performed in the afternoon in the courtyard. Two Tons of Steel and Matt Hole packed the Surf Club that night for an unforgettable Bill Haley Tribute show.

The one act from the 2009 Award Concerts that was not Rockabilly was a performance by Dixieland Jazz legend Charlie Boeckman. He also wrote the book on Jazz – literally! Charlie penned two books that have been used by college music professors for decades and he was the guy who let the Dixieland marches down Chaparral Street in the 1970s and 80s. In 2009 he was still performing – but had been ill and fans were worried. An enormous avalanche of nominations poured in. Although his footsteps were frail, this cat was still a powerful horn player and he owned the WaterStreet courtyard when he performed. He still plays Rosie Flores today. And I’m thinking that when the “Saints come marching in” they’re going to be always be marching to Charlie Boeckman’s horn. ** Turn to page 10 to learn from Bobby Galvan why the Galvan Brothers have a star on the Music Walk of Fame.**

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ISOLATION b o o t h

By Mason Shirley Producer & Recording Engineer

Sound Machine’s Take on “Sound City” Dave Grohl recently released his documentary “Sound City,” which, among many topics, compares the way music used to be made verses how much of it is made nowadays using midi, pre-made loops, and a laptop. When I was a kid, my parents bought me a Sony Walkman tape player, and I would sneak tapes out of my Dad’s tape collection and listen to his favorite bands from the 70’s until the batteries ran out. As I listened to this amazing music from years past, I had a fear that one day there wouldn’t be anymore electric guitars, raspy, imperfect vocals, or booming drums recorded in a huge room. I imagined that by the year 2000 all music would be some type of synthy R2-D2 digital

noise, and the world might give up on music made by imperfect human beings. Well after watching this documentary it excites me to know that many of the top producers, bands, and musicians who ascribe to the “old” way of doing things are inspiring the next generation, myself included, to carry on the tradition of making real music, recorded by real people, using real instruments, in real studios. Other than tempting me to take out a massive loan to buy a Neve console and go into debt for years to come, “Sound City” brought confirmation that there is great hope for the future of music production as long as we keep the humanity in the music.

Review: CD

www.soundmachinestudio.com 361.813.9002

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Steve Dupree & The Delta Flyers

Dr. Dupree’s Love Shop Soulbilly Music Group

By Rick Bowen Who said the blues can’t be fun? Especially when done Texas style. Steve Dupree .aka Dr. Dupree created just that when he took his band The Delta Flyers to Wire Recording studio in Austin Texas for a three day marathon recording session, with owner/engineer Stuart Sullivan at the controls and Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff producing. The band of outstanding players; Travis Stephenson on guitar, Quentin "Q" Calva on bass guitar, and Steve Bundrick on

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drums, where recorded hot off the floor on twelve original tunes penned by Dupree that run the gamut of modern rhythm and blues. But the common thread throughout the album is Dupree’s fun loving lyrical wit and puny rhymes. The Flyers were joined by some great guest players who add flavor to the fine recordings. Marcia Ball jammed out on piano on “First Dance,” giving it an authentic barrelhouse feel. The Texas Horns; Al Gomez, John Mills, and Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff are featured on several tracks including the funkified title track. The Northwest own Alice Stewart also add vocals to “Love Shop,” along with Lisa Tingle, playing the foil against Dupree’s machismo. The swampy stomp of “St Paul’s Bottom,” is spiced up nicely by the fine harp playing from Kaz. The infectious “Soulbilly Music,” mixes just enough cornball fun with a danceable hook and the blazing slide guitar from Stephenson on the double shuffle “Aint Gonna Be Your Dog,” gives it a classic feel. Dr. Dupree only misses the mark on the albums overly schmaltzy ballads, but you can certainly expect a good time if you visit his “Love Shop.” *** http://thedeltaflyers.com

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Things To Do, Places To Go Entertainment

Beach Fest & 5K Run March 15-17 Cole Park & McGee Beach Come join the fun! Music, EDM Concert, Food, Vendors, and More!! See our ad on Page 3!

Corpus Christi Clutch (ABL) March Home Games : 8, 10, 17, & 22 WB Ray High School 1002 Texan Trail, Corpus Christi Doors open 1 hour before game time. Come cheer on Corpus Christi’s newest professional team! For more information www.facebook.com/corpus-christi-clutch Hurricane Alley Water Park Open for Spring Break!

March 9-17 702 E Port Ave, Corpus Christi

breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, girls goat tying, team roping and girls barrel racing.

Information: 361-593-2590 Texas Independence Day Car Show March 2 Warren Theatre, TAMUCC Center for the Arts The Kingsville Auto Club presents Texas Independence Day Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Kingsville, First United Methodist Church and Kleberg Bank parking lots. Cost for car: $25/includes T-shirt and "goodie" bag. Free admission. Awards will be given to the TOP TEN, Club Choice and Bob Neely Memorial Award. Information: 501-766-9880 or 361-5926802.

Rattlesnake Races San Patricio TX March 16-17 World Championships Rattle Snake Races will be held in San Patricio. The event features live music, food, arena games.

Rattlesnake races begin at 1 p.m. and race is $20 to enter.

Information: 361-255-0729 or www.wcrattlesnakeraces.com.

See our ad for more information.

Fulton Oyster Fest March 7-10 Fulton Fulton Oysterfest begins at 5 p.m. March 7 and continues through March 10 in Fulton. The event features arts and crafts, Shman Dura Dancers, decorated oyster contest, Oysterfest parade and music by Charlie Mykals, James Edwards, Purple Sage and Whiskey Bent. Cost: $1/March 7; $3/March 8-10 for ages 12 and older. The carnival opens every day. Information: www.fultonoysterfest.org or 361-463-9955

TAMU-Kingsville Rodeo Team Collegiate Rodeo March 1-2 Equestrian Center at the Richard M. Borchard Fairgrounds in Robstown The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Rodeo Team is hosting a collegiate rodeo. Teams from 10 other colleges and universities in the region are expected to compete. A preliminary round will be held at 7 p.m. March 1 and the finals begin at 2 p.m. March 2. The rodeo will be dedicated to the late Dr. Kay Clayton, former university provost who passed a w a y l a s t m o n t h .

Admission is $5 at the gate, children under 12 are free and Texas A&M-Kingsville students will be admitted free with a valid university identification card. Events at this year’s rodeo include bull riding, bareback riding, tiedown calf roping, girls

Wildlife in Focus Ranch Party & Sporting Clays Shoot March 23 Live Oak Park, 1874 Port Ave, Ingleside This fundraiser will be hosted by Gus and Gail Cargile at their Lagarto Ranch near Sandia. Proceeds will benefit the Kritters 4 Kids education program, which incorporates wildlife photo books into the science curriculum of elementary and middle school classrooms. This is a two-shooter flurry format competition. Prizes include a shotgun and rifle. Entry fee is $250 for twoshooter teams (preregistered) and $300 at the gate. Corporate entry runs are available. Activities before, after and during the skeet competition include silent auction, ongoing snacks, children’s scavenger/photo hunt, hay rides, washer competition and a barbecue dinner. Din-

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ner fee for non-shooters is $25 for adults who preregister ($30 at gate); and $10 for kids 13 and younger. Call Patti Young at 881-9316; email wildlifephoto@sbcglobal.net; Online: www.wildlifeinfocus.org.

Free Bird Walks Saturday Mornings, January-March Hans & Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge, Corpus Christi Meet at the kiosk at 9 a.m. Bring binoculars and birding field guide if you have them. Information: 361443-0744 or www.VisitCorpusChristiTx.org!

U.S.S. Lexington Travel back in time aboard the famous U.S.S. Lexington. One afternoon will provide a humbling glimpse of what it’s like to live and serve aboard this marvel of the sea. www.visitcorpuschristi.com The Texas State Aquarium A day at the aquarium is a surefire way to keep your youngest explorers engaged and excited. www.visitcorpuschristi.com Padre Island National Seashore Be Covering 130,000 acres, this spectacular expanse remains home to the largest remaining natural barrier island in the world. www.visitcorpuschristi.com South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center This 180-acre showcase on Oso Creek offers a unique and varied take on botanical gardens. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For more information: 361852-2100, www.stxbot.org Mustang Island State Park Families enjoy a serene environment at Mustang Island State Park. Fishing, bonfires, building sand castles and birding are popular pastimes at this great spot. Pack the kayak or rent one to enjoy the Mustang Island State Park Paddling Trail. www.visitcorpuschristi.com

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Things To Do, Places To Go art First Friday ArtWalk Friday, March 1 2013, 05:30pm - 09:00pm Downtown Corpus Christi ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of galleries, studios and gallery-for-an-evening venues in Downtown Corpus Christi held the first Friday of every month.

Come join us for art, music, entertainment, refreshments and lots more. The event begins at 5:30 pm at La Retama Park with artist vendors and live mus i c. O v e r 5 0 p a rt ic ip a ti ng ve nu e s! www.artwalkcc.com.

The Art Museum of South Texas 1902 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi VIsionarios Youth Art Exhibition, Sponsored by Flint Hills Resources February 3—March 3 Contemporary Studio Glass from the Haverty Collection of the Mobile Museum of Art January 25—May 5 Art Center of Corpus Christi 100 Shoreline Dr, Corpus Christi Watercolor Society June Ainsworth, Bay Area Art League March 1-28 The opening reception for these shows will be on March 1 from 5-7pm at The Art Center.

For more information, call 884-6406 or www.artcentercc.org Islander Gallery Hamlin Shopping Center on S Staples, Corpus Christi

Floyd Newsom March 22—April 10 Visual Dialogues: Creative Processes by TAMUCC Art Faculty and Students . For more information361.825.3672 or 361.825.3756 TREEHOUSE Art Collective 309 N Water Street, Ste D, Corpus Christi March 1-28 Featuring the fine art work of Debbie Cannatella.

For information, www.treehouseartcc.com

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Artist Cove Gallery 304 Commercial, Aransas Pass March 1-28 Opening Reception, March 6 K Space Contemporary 415 D Starr Street, Corpus Christi Portfolio March 1—April 17 Portfolio is as exhibition of works by artists who live in or near Corpus Christi and were hand-selected by the K Space Exhibition Committee and Director.

Several of the artists have never displayed their work at K Space Contemporary. Each artist is displaying 23 works alongside their Biography and mini-resume, like a small portfolio. .For more information, kspacecontemporary.org/ Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra America the Beautiful March 9 Performing Arts Center, TAMUCC Corpus Christi Heart, imagination, spirit. Celebrate the vibrancy of America and her music with the CCSO! Maestro Giordano welcomes a special guest narrator to the stage for a special performance of Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite contributes an infectious passion for the beauty of the untouched American West, with Ives’ Variations on “America” and Schuman’s New England Triptych rounding out this patriotic program. www.ccsymphony.org Aurora Arts Theatre Five Women Wearing the Same Dress March 1—April 6 5635 Everhart Rd., Corpus Christi During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tennessee, estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below.

As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this wickedly funny, irreverent and touching celebration of the women's spirit. www.auroraartstheatre.com

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Port Aransas Community Theater Red, White, Tuna!

March 1-10 2327 State Hwy 361, Port Aransas Harbor Playhouse Wizard of Oz March 1—April 7 1 Bayfront Park, Corpus Christi Little Dorothy Gale of Kansas, like so many girls her age, dreams of what lies over the rainbow. One day a twister hits her farm and carries her away over the rainbow to another world. Come join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion and Toto as they travel the universe of Dorothy's imagination. http://harborplayhouse.com C orp us C h ri st i PATCH Mixer 402 Peoples St., Ste. 1A, Corpus Christi Join us for a mixer to learn about The Ritz and possibly join our board or campaign leadership team. For more information: www.ccpatch.org Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History Tour the oldest shipwreck that was found nearby in the Gulf of Mexico and share the adventures of early explorers as you stroll among treasures from word-famous shipwrecks.

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Things To Do, Places To Go Backwoods Saloon 1540 Sun Ray Rd, Ingleside, TX Live music every weekend!

As compiled by Tamma Hicks

Blue Marlin Saloon 3006 E Surfside Blvd, Corpus Christi Live music every weekend!

Live music every weekend! Come check us out!

Brewster Street Ice House 1724 N. Tancahua, Corpus Christi Throw down Thursday’s with Badlands FM!

Jamison’s Sports Pub 4528 Weber Rd, Corpus Christi Come watch the Cowboys and the Texans on our big screen TVs!

Cowgirls Saloon 1701 S Brahma Blvd, Kingsville The place to be in Kingsville!

Jack Ash’s Drinkery 4334 S Staples, Corpus Christi Live music every weekend!

Dr Rockit’s Blues Bar 709 N Chaparral, Corpus Christi Featuring Live Music Every Night! Genres include Texas country, rock, reggae, and of course blues! drrockitsbluesbar.com

Los Cabos 9601 South Padre Island Dr. in Flour Bluff, Corpus Christi Live music every weekend!

Elements Lounge & Nightclub 4223 S Alameda St, Corpus Christi Come experience an upscale dual venue that will leave you speechless!!!

Executive Surf Club 309 N. Water Street, Corpus Christi Live music and great food, what more could you ask for?!

Frontier Saloon 9709 Leopard Street Corpus Christi Live Texas Country Every Saturday Night!

Come watch your favorite NFL teams and NASCAR on our big screens!

Garage Bar & Grill 15013 Northwest Blvd, Corpus Christi Thursday night poker; Country and Southern Rock on the weekends!

Gully’s 3029 Laguna Shores, Corpus Christi Karaoke on Wed & Thr! Live Music Sat & Sun! Best little bar on the Madre!

Harrison's Landing 108 Peoples St T Head, Corpus Christi Where Corpus Christi Goes to Unwind!

House of Rock 511 Starr Street, Corpus Christi Great shows all month long!

It’ll Do Saloon 4125 Gollihar Rd, Corpus Christi

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Molly McArdle's Irish Sports Bar 4201 McArdle Rd., Corpus Christi, TX 78411 Karaoke Bar, Sports Bar, Bar !

Outta Bounds Sports Lounge 1402 Rodd Field Rd, Corpus Christi Texas Music Mondays and Fridays Rockin’ Locals!

Football Season! This is the place to go to see your team play!

The Office 1210 South 6th St., Kingsville, TX Live Music, pool, darts, and big screen TVs! Politics Bar 7426 S. Staples, Suite 215, Corpus Christi We're only hard to find the first time! Located behind the Whataburger and CVS near Yorktown and Staple.

South Texas Ice House 6601 Everhart Rd, Corpus Christi We now have live music on Fridays and Saturdays! Best burgers in town – Try one and you’ll see!

Zeros Hard Rock Club 6327 McArdle Rd, Corpus Christi Like us on facebook and never miss a show! Facebook.com/zerosrockclub

Sugar Shack 106 N Fulton Beach Rd, Fulton DJ/Karaoke on Thursdays and Live music on Fridays & Saturdays!

Tarpon Ice House 321 N. Alister, Port Aransas Live Music, 2 bars, pool, darts, big screen TVs, WIFI, and a beer garden!

The Texan 3625 South Staples Street, Corpus Christi Live music is always free to bar patrons and the range of music is diverse, everything from punk to honky-tonk.

Theo’s Billiards 5815 Weber Rd, Corpus Christi Free pool every day until 7 pm!! Don’t miss all the fun on Wild Wednesdays VFW Post 3837 12030 Leopard St in Northwest Corpus Christi Are you looking for a great room for your next event?

Give us a call!

REVO Bar & Grill 3739 E Hwy 44, Alice Brand new and open 4pm to 2am!

Revolution Bar & Grill 2306 Airline Rd, Corpus Christi Featuring Clarissa Serna on Tuesdays!

Roper’s 4653 Everhart Rd, Corpus Christi DJs spinnin’ your favorite tunes all night long!

7 Brothers Saloon Highway 181, Normanna TX Live music! Don’t want to drive home? Stay in our RV Park!

Vick’s Place 7136 FM 666, Mathis Ice cold beer, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and Jam sessions on Sundays!

XS Ultra Lounge 4244 SPID, Corpus Christi Come have the ultimate Spring Break Experience!

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We are introducing you to the South Texas Music Walk of Fame by talking to the people that hold the stars. When Susan Donahoe told us about the Galvan Brothers and how much of a historical footprint they left on Corpus Christi, we had to meet Bobby Galvan. Middle brothers, Eddie and Sam, have passed away and Ralph, the oldest brother, is now in San Antonio. That I was unfortunate enough to sit down and talk to Bobby and learn about the history that the Galvan’s made in Corpus Christi was the highlight of my month... in fact the highlight of 2013 so far! As Bobby and I talked we walked through the music store and looked at pictures.

STEAM I’ve been doing a little bit of history on you and your family but everything I’ve read doesn’t tell me who the youngest is.

BOBBY I am the youngest and there were four boys Ralph, Eddie and Sam and me.

Sam passed away, in 2010, and Eddie just two years ago. I am 83.

STEAM Now, are you the youngest of the whole family or just of the boy’s?

BOBBY I am the youngest of all, there were nine of us.

STEAM Wow nine kids! I remember looking at a picture and thinking my goodness they have a whole basketball team! I understand that your father was not a musician however he decided that you all needed to learn to play.

BOBBY Yes, father hired Barnaby Alvarado to walk us home from school and then give us as a three-hour music lesson every day. This was intended to keep us out of trouble, study, and give us something to do. Our mother, Virginia, played piano but not with us as the orchestra. She could’ve played with us but our father was

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old-fashioned; however, we did have a sister that played with us. We had our own special room in the attic for just music. Here is a picture of the house we grew up in. It’s now located in the center of heritage Park.

STEAM Your family was a very talented group of people.

BOBBY Well, we all really enjoyed it.

Eddie was extremely talented and we all looked up to him for that.

STEAM I read that Ralph was in the Army, was anyone else in the service?

BOBBY Ralph and Sam were in the Army and I went into the Air Force. Eddie had a heart problem and they didn’t accept him. All of us toured with different bands while we were growing up. We also played for the service while we were in.

STEAM Were you all only interested in jazz or did you have any other styles that you are interested in?

BOBBY We were very schooled musicians we could play any style. My brother Eddie played with the Symphony and I

could’ve as well but I was too busy (in school). We are all very schooled and have Masters degrees and taught. But we all liked music and we just enjoyed making sure everyone else enjoyed it as well.

STEAM You said you were teachers. Did you all teach?

BOBBY We all taught music; something to do with music.

At Roy Miller High School they called Eddie “Mr. G” and named the band hall after him.

Roy Miller High School used to be Corpus Christi High School when we went there.

In fact when we went to high school there was only one high school in the city. It was 1949, I think, when they opened WB Ray High School.

Bobby Galvan pointing out pictures (top, left); The Galvan Brothers star on the South Texas Music Walk of Fame (top, center); Bobby Galvan Orchestra poster (top, right); R Galvan Ballroom grand-opening with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra 3/30/50 (middle, right); The R Galvan Ballroom today (bottom, right)

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Port of Corpus Christi Brass 1962 (top, left) . An undated club schedule for the Bobby Galvan Orchestra (top, right).

Bobby Galvan at his desk (bottom).

That was when Corpus really started to grow. Now there are more school districts in the city than there were high schools for a long time.

STEAM Well, I must tell you that walking through the Galvan Music Store is like a history lesson in jazz, bands, and music.

BOBBY I have so many pictures, you know. This is when I was the choir director Lanier High School in San Antonio. This is a picture of me in 1967 playing saxophone. One guy that made it really big from here is Freddy Fender, you might know him. This picture is of Tommy Dorsey and my brothers and this is of them with Duke Ellington; unfortunately I was at the University of Texas when he was here so I didn’t get to play with him.

Both of these men have stars down on the walk and are from Corpus Christi. The clarinet player with Lawrence Welk is Henry Cuesta. The gentleman in the uniform is Ernie Caceres, he was the original saxophone player for the Glenn Miller band.

STEAM When were you in San Antonio?

BOBBY I was in San Antonio from 1950 to 1960; I had an orchestra there. Ralph started the orchestra here in the mid-40s to 50’s, then Eddie took over.

STEAM What year did the ballroom open? And when did the music store open?

BOBBY The ballroom opened March 1950. Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra was our grand-opening band and we were packed wall-to-wall with people, we were turning people away. Here is the original poster with Tommy Dorsey. If you look at this poster of my orchestra – see, we charged $1.50 for men and $.50 for women!

And over on this wall we have more pictures. We opened the music store in 1960. This picture is in July 1961 at the very first Jazz Festival.

STEAM Unfortunately, we weren’t able to attend the festival last October. Actually, that was when we learned Corpus Christi was so big on jazz. Up until that point we didn’t know, in fact we were kind of surprised to say the least. Do you still play?

BOBBY I only play once a year now and that is on the Sunday of the Jazz Festival. It’s just like riding a bike. Once you learn to play, you can always do it. Of course that’s all we used to do was play, you know. We taught, but playing is what we did.

STEAM I was looking at instruments you carry. The accordions in the case are beautiful.

BOBBY Thank you. We sell all lot of accordions. Many conjunto bands come in for accordions and bajo sextos.

STEAM I love looking at your desk all the pictures of family and your typewriter.

BOBBY Oh thank you. These are my brothers, these are of my wife, and this is my son and my granddaughter. My son is a district court judge. He learned to play saxophone and was good, but gave it up after law school and after his daughter was born. But what we didn’t expect is that his wife, who is also an attorney, ran for and became a judge as well.

STEAM That is great! I can see how proud of them you are. How long have you and your wife been

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married?

BOBBY 48 years.

STEAM Wow, that is amazing. Congratulations!

BOBBY I’m going to have Alyssa take you upstairs to see the ballroom. When you come back down will talk more. *** I’ll use this little break as a history lesson for you. - - “Constructed in 1950, the Galvan Ballroom became a popular venue for public and private dances and other social events in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although the ballroom was “home” to the Galvan Orchestra, it also hosted a broad array of local and nationally prominent musicians and bands (such as Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington). The Galvan Orchestra’s repertoire of jazz, swing, and popular “Big Band” music, along with the Galvan family’s desire to bring the “best” jazz and swing bands to South Texas— regardless of their racial or ethnic composition—made the Galvan Ballroom a harbinger of multiculturalism. … As one of those public spaces, the Galvan Ballroom allowed Anglo American and Mexican American audiences to hear African American music, to see professional black musicians, and to experience and appreciate a small segment of their culture…. The four Galvan brothers found inspiration in the rising stars of the 1920s and 1930s. They lived for swing and jazz. Through their performances at the Galvan Ballroom, the brothers shared their passion for music and gave a little bit of African American-influenced culture and New York Citynightlife to Corpus Christi at a difficult and tumultuous time in our nation’s history. … Duke Ellington’s performance at the Galvan Ballroom provides an example of the limits and triumphs of multiculturalism. … On Valentine’s eve of 1952, Ellington played to a sold out audience of 650 people at the Galvan Ballroom, with about eighty percent of those in attendance Anglo Americans and the rest Mexican Americans. At a cost of $3.00 a person for admission, Ellington’s performance provided a once in a lifetime opportunity for many Corpus Christians to enjoy a national music sensation. … Ellington’s Valentine’s Day performance at the Galvan Ballroom demonstrated the hardships that accompanied legal segregation. Ralph Galvan recalled that Ellington roomed in San Antonio and had to charter a private bus for transportation because Corpus Christi lacked accommodations for blacks. Ellington normally rented Pullman rail cars to avoid such complications, using them for not only Continued on Page 12

A view of the ballroom from the stage (right).

The R Galvan Ballroom & Galvan music Store today (below).

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traveling, but also for lodging and dining.” Copyright 2007 by The Journal of South Texas. *** STEAM Do you still rent the ballroom upstairs.

BOBBY Oh yes, we rent it out for dances and parties. They don’t higher groups now like they did before, now they higher DJs because they can provide a complete variety and don’t cost as much. With computers DJs can play anything from big band to country to rock to the old standards.

STEAM I noticed many of the walls (in the stairway and the one with the bandstand) are covered in 1 inch tiles. My mother is an interior decorator and she would love to see that. Are those original from 1950?

BOBBY Yes, of course we’ve replaced broken ones, but that is the original design.

STEAM And the dance floor, is it original?

BOBBY Yes, the floors are original. We take good care of them.

STEAM And the mirrored ball, is that original?

BOBBY Yes, that is the mirrored ball we hung in the center of the room in 1950. We have added lights to shine on it that we didn’t have back then, but it is the original design.

STEAM How many people does the ballroom hold?

BOBBY It holds about 600.

STEAM How many musicians working the orchestra? What was the going rate for an orchestra member?

BOBBY Well, there were typically, 15 which included a female and a male vocalist. The average player would make $10 a night and a leader would typically make double.

STEAM Here is the question I’ve been dying to ask. What do you think of music

now?

BOBBY The only way I can really describe it is: people will buy what is popular. Everyone (musicians) has to go with what sells and it may not be what I like but it sells. We understand that things change. We may not understand all of the new music, but we do like some of it.

Like everything else there is bad and good, but whatever sells is what people want.

The way we played, we had the big bands like the Dorsey’s and Miller, it was beautiful music with wonderful arrangements of jitterbug. Of course jazz is a musician’s music. A lot of people will go hear it but it’s not a public music like it used to be. When we were growing up there were a lot of clubs and the clubs would higher groups to play jazz and people would come in and dance and listen but slowly it faded away.

Everyone has their own taste. For younger kids, they prefer rap. Some of the rock that is out is very good and I enjoy it. But in the end you have to go along with what’s popular. What has really hurt the music field now is the hiring of DJs rather than groups.

STEAM Our goal is to show people the talent that is here in South Texas. Just as we didn’t realize there was so much jazz music here, there are people that don’t realize that there is talent here. You and your brothers are proof!

BOBBY Well, it just takes a little bit of time but I think you’ve got a good thing going.

Bobby Galvan featured on the cover of “YOU… In Corpus Christi” June 1967 (above). The Bobby Galvan Band performing at the first Jazz Festival July 1961 (left).

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Quick Quick Read Read from fromJJMichael MichaelDolan Dolan

STEAM Magazine is proud to have J Michael Dolan as guest feature columnist. He will inspire as well as give you something to think about. His stories maybe short, but we have always found them to be deep.

Commit no pettiness / J. Michael Dolan Are you committed to your art, business, staff, friends, family, health, growing, learning, changing, helping, forgiving, etc.? If so, what’s your definition of commitment?

Here’s mine: “Commitment is finally getting to that place where pettiness is something up with which you will not put.”

Looking for more information and words of wisdom? look no further than…

Www.jmichaeldolan.com

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That Time’ n thang / J. Michael Dolan (0:57) May not be you, or your work or your talent. Could just be that “timing” thing. If you launch, publish, release or ship too soon, you run the risk of no one understanding. If it’s too late, everyone is already on to the next thing. There’s nothing more frustrating than great art at the wrong time. Took Huey Lewis 17-years to become an overnight success. Took the Beatles nearly 10-years of performing before they first landed in the U.S.. Took Jay Z 15, Obama 20, Van Gough 200! Heck, it took me and my partner a good 10-years to get our company to a place where we could finally smile and take a breath—even take a limo once in a while!

Even though you may think others are somehow “luckier” than you, and even though some music bloggers will insist that “if you haven’t made it by now you should just quit,” none-the-less, as a pro A&E, you have something unique to contribute, a distinct talent, something different to offer the world. And the only thing that may be standing in the way of your next big breakthrough is patience and timing.

According to Malcom Gladwell (Outliers), it’s not only the 10,000 hours of hard work you put into achieving success it’s also the year you were born that can make all the difference. Why is Bill Gates a billionaire? He's smart, of course, and he has tremendous ambition.

But he probably wouldn't have started Microsoft if he hadn't been born in 1955. That made Gates old enough to take advantage of the opportunities that opened up with the introduction, in 1975, of the Altair 8800, the first do-it-yourself computer kit. Timing may not have been “everything” but it sure was a huge contributing factor.

Although the notion of “perfect timing” may be out of your control, the opportunity to manifest your best work in the time you have isn’t—ask any drummer.

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Long story short, we interviewed Borderline Band about a week ago only to have the recorder malfunction. Of course we didn’t know that until we were trying to transcribe it. So here we are, at the Calallen VFW #3738 while the guys set up. I guess we’ll just start again from the beginning… introduce yourselves…

MIKE GURLESKI. I’m the lead singer and play lead and rhythm guitar.

UNCLE WALT. I play bass guitar and sing.

SCOTT PLANT. I play fiddle and rhythm guitar.

VIC GODINES. Drummer extraordinaire.

SCOTT We need to go slowly for the IRS (laughter) MIKE We are the Borderline Band and our websites are borderlinebandofcc at Facebook and borderlineband.org.

WALT Borderline Band began as another band. Vic was new to that band and we were meeting at Mike’s house on Wednesday night’s to help him learn the songs. After a while we pulled Scott in, started jamming, and decided that it was time to start our own band so we moved on.

STEAM That was two years ago, right? Who came up with the name?

WALT Yeah, that was just two years ago. Seems longer (laughter) SCOTT Everybody came up with it and we just thought it was a good one.

On Facebook we added “cc” because there’s a lot of other borderline bands and we hadn’t realized that.

STEAM I know you guys gig a lot. Your act VFW right now and this is a regular spot since you started, right?

MIKE Our first gig was River Hills. I remember because we were still looking for cords at the time. VFW was our second gig. I we play here at least once a month; third Friday of every month and fill-in if they need us and we’re open.

STEAM tell me the story about the van, I heard it was pretty funny. And you guys have a lot of PA equipment so you have a have a large van, right?

SCOTT Mike and Walter were taking turns pulling our six-foot trailer and there was only one way to pack it, if you changed anything you had to start over again; everything went in a specific order. We wore out tires and it was only 4 foot tall, so we all smacked our heads a few times.

VIC Scott put pipe insulation on this one spot but we were still hitting it and it still hurt just as bad but there was no blood and no more scars. (laughter) MIKE Scott and I went to San Antonio for a Spurs game and decided to look at trucks. We went to a U-Haul place because the band I had been in had gotten a good deal on a U-Haul van and it was great. We found a

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place that had a van in really good shape, that was nice and the only thing wrong was that there was a transmission problem but only at highway speeds according to the seller.

STEAM When I heard this the first time I didn’t realize you’d already knew that the tranny was bad.

MIKE Yes, even leaving the lot we had to put the accelerator halfway to the floor so it would get into gear and move.

SCOTT But we took it out on the road anyway.

MIKE We quickly decided that wasn’t the best idea because we were in Hill Country so we just figured if it broke down and quit we just jumped out and leave. This was a test drive so we figure they were laughing as we pulled out, we’d laugh too. (laughter) SCOTT We didn’t buy out one; however, the one we did buy… When we took this one out we checked underneath to make sure

there were no leaks and that everything looked good. We took it out for a test drive around San Antonio and back to the lot to sign the paperwork. So we had stopped a few times turned it off and on; we had even stopped in Peggy. We hadn’t had any problems, so we get to Walter’s house and turned it off; when his wife comes out, because she wants to see it, and it won’t start. The starter went out! (laughter) WALT But at least it got us home and the truck’s paid for. This was the first time I’d ever charged a vehicle on my credit card.

SCOTT Heck, Walter’s rich. If I had his money I could burn mine! (laughter), WALT They went down on the price so that’s how I could put it on my card. I lowballed him and he came back just a little bit higher so it was good.

STEAM Have you had any trouble since then?

MIKE Nope, no problems. However, it only gets 10 miles a gallon uphill or downhill but hey it gets us and all our equipment there! (laughter) VIC None of us are teenagers anymore and that ramp now makes all the difference. The only thing left is to get Bertha on wheels. Bertha is the power amp.

STEAM Sponsorship. Are you guys working on that?

WALT We’re working on it. Miller Light is what we’ re going for.

STEAM What is your schedule for this next month?

WALT On the 2nd we’re at 534 Club in Mathis.

MIKE We’ll be at the Rifle Club in Orange Grove on March 9th. It’s a nice big club, big dance floor, and that will probably be the first time we set up all of our gear. Usually we can only set up a smaller PA because of this size of the clubs.

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WALT This is a big round building. Yes, all the shooting is outside so you have to check your gun at the door. (laughter) SCOTT Every club is a little different and that it effects what we play. If it’s an older crowd we played that type of music, if it’s a younger crowd we play to them. The younger crowd likes to dance a little more. Anyway, we’re pretty busy this month, so check out our ad to see where we’re going to be.

STEAM I was reading your bios and saw that you’ve all played in many of the bands around this area like Al Dean & the All Stars Band, Bush Built, Western Palms, Apple, Flashback, Blame it on Texas, and more. So besides being seasoned players you have different backgrounds in music. Scott, I understand you were a fiddle champion and currently in the bluegrass band South Texas Grass Roots?

SCOTT Yes to both. I was the Lone Star Fiddle Association champion in 1993. That year the contest was held in Sinton and it was Halloween weekend. So it was October 31 and it snowed.

STEAM It didn’t snow here in Corpus then did it?

SCOTT No, it was only a little squall and it didn’t make it into Corpus.

What was interesting was that all the fiddle players sounded like they were playing waltzes because it was so cold they could not get warmed up enough to play fast; it was 34, 33° and I was lucky could I could get my hands warm.

STEAM Vic, you were playing in rock bands. Did you have much country experience?

VIC This was really my first serious country band and being so the guys had to take some extra time with country licks. They are a little different than rock licks.

MIKE We’re not serious! (laughter) VIC The rock band I’d been in had tried some country but it just wasn’t the same.

MIKE That’s usually the drummers fault! (laughter) SCOTT I saw a country band try to play Green Day, it wasn’t pretty. We don’t play any, but that is my favorite band. Simple with a full sound. I saw them at the second Woodstock. Someone through a mud ball and hit the guitar right in the middle. The guy never missed a lick and just kept going! For three people they play so full, they’re great.

STEAM One last question… It’s the usual band question… Are you headed to the studio soon?

MIKE About a year ago we went to Green Triangle Studio and recorded 3 songs. Now we’re getting ready to go back and record 6 of our songs for an EP. STEAM Okay, she’s trying to close so we need to get.

BORDERLINE BAND (singing) Take your drunk ass home, take your drunk ass home…

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STEAM INTERVIEW

If you didn’t know Corpus Christi’s first morgue is located in what is now the Hose of Rock’s basement. The members of Flatbroke and I had been trying to meet up for quite a while so that’s how were ended up down there.

It felt a little creepy, but nothing weird – although that would have been cool.

STEAM Flatbroke is Sonny Salinas, Kyle Leon, and Ryan Wilson. How long have you been together and how’d you come up with your name?

KYLE We’ve playing together since about 2005. The band actually had started before that with my brother, my cousin, and me and it was my brother who came up with the name. We were playing this little bar called Joker’s Wild and we had no idea what we were going to call ourselves and he said, Well, we’re always flat broke, so we might as well use it.”

STEAM You guys are a 3-piece, but I heard you were going to 4-piece.

KYLE We’re currently writing new material and we’re going to start pushing it so we can get recorded in the next few months so we’ve been practicing with a trumpet-keyboardist. Our goal is to finish so we can get out and do some small Texas tours and hopefully jump on with a bigger tour.

RYAN Yeah, we’re always having people get up with us and jam, so even though we’re a 3-piece you might see us with 4 or 5 guys on stage.

STEAM Do you have a CD out now?

KYLE A year ago we recorded a 3 song cd and put them on ReverbNation too. I got a text message not too long ago that read, “You guys need a longer cd, I’m just driving to Port A and I’ve already heard it 3 times.” (laughter) STEAM That’s funny and it’s a good sign, right?! So where did you guys record and is that where you plan to go for the full length cd?

KYLE We recorded those at Compass Rose here in CC. Now we have about 19 songs ready to go and a bunch of others that are just waiting to be finished. We plan to do some more recording there and then we’d like to bounce around to other studios. We really want to get this done before summer so we can get out and do some touring. We’ve even thought about recording two albums worth with the plan to release the first, shelf the second and start

working on #3, so we can really concentrate on touring and being out there.

STEAM That’s a lot to do and besides you all have other jobs right?

KYLE and RYAN No, not all. So that’s why we make Sonny do all the website and IT stuff.

STEAM So is he doing a good job with that? No (laughter) STEAM Do you have any sponsors or anyone you want to mention?

KYLE Yeah, Sound Vibrations is great; the guys there have been really helpful. S & G Signs has been awesome, in fact we just got a banner done and they brought us a front sign for the kick drum.

Looks awesome! And since we’re saying thanks to people that have done a lot for us, we need to say a huge thank you to Casey at House of Rock for giving us opportunities to open shows and play here when we can.

STEAM That brings me to my next question. Opening for these different bands and being around them. Who have you opened for and what have you learned from them? Tricks of the trade or ideas?

ALL 3 Well, we’ve opened for have many talented musicians like Passafire, SOJA, Mike Pinto, Pasific Dub, Home Grown Kush, 40oz To Freedom, and there’s more – these just came to mind quickly.

KYLE One thing that I see common in the bigger performers is the artists that treat this as their daily job are very organized. And we’re just hoping that sooner, rather than later, we’re going to be that artist being organized and this is going to be our daily job.

Ryan It’s listening to the guys that tour around and they give you this positive reinforcement. They just want to help you move up and keep going.

STEAM So where can people see catch your show?

KYLE We’re a regular at Hose of Rock, Flanagan’s every Tuesday, Jack Ash’s on the 3rd Thursday of the month, and we’re at Gators on some Fridays. We have a friend in Central Texas that’s helping us so we’re getting calls from all over the region for gigs now.

SONNY But the best and easiest way to find us is on our websites.

FACEBOOK / MYSPACE / REVEBNATION flatbrokedubc

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The Gruene Homestead Inn STEAM We are sitting with Ed Miles the property manager of Gruene Homestead Inn in New Braunfels TX. Ed can you tell me how this whole project started?

ED Well, in 1992 my parents retired from the education service (they were administrators of special education in San Antonio) they bought this house, Faust House, which was across the street but the house was too small. That’s when they met the Hanz’s, Edwin and Anita, and ended up buying the 8 acres here which included the Farmhouse which was built in 1859 and a barn. That building is different because it has Faulk Work Construction, which is cedar beams and handmade bricks. What we did was move the Faust house across the street to this location and renovated it and the Farmhouse and began operating as a bedand-breakfast in 1993.

Basically, once we began renovating the houses and opened as a bed-and-breakfast, the word got out and we were being offered old homes from around the area as people were developing the land. Two of our small duplex houses came from the hospital when they were enlarging their parking lot. They gave us the houses for free however, we had to move them. Once the houses were moved we renovated them.

STEAM That is quite a process. As I was talking to Ed Senior, he said that this house was built in 1905 and this was the second move for it.

ED This house came from downtown in two pieces in 1959. We moved it in one piece from across the street in 1993. We feel this is a good resting place for it. We got the country house, which is about the same age as this house, from a mile down the road. That was given to us also. The Millwood house is one of the only new buildings on the property however it was built with materials that came from and older home that had been flooded and demolished in 1992.

My parents did a lot of research on old houses in this area and that’s where they came up with a lot of their ideas and designs.

STEAM When you look at the property you think it’s a Homestead, compound. That it’s just been this way forever.

ED Good, that’s how we want it to look and feel. They built the main house to appear that way. They live in the front two-thirds and the back third is divided into as three units. The idea was that those three units would pay for the house.

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The tavern itself has been open for almost 10 years now. When we bought it, it was just a pole barn in pretty rough condition. Of course Mr. Hanz never threw anything away, so the barn was just packed with materials. We initially renovated it as our get-together area since the family lived here on the property; that’s why the pool is there – originally it was for the family, it wasn’t part of the Homestead Inn. Then slowly we started using that area. First, we did breakfast there and then we planned to rent it out for events. There were a few weddings but the wedding planner was making all the money, so we renovated building to a restaurant.

We had that for two years with Chef Chris Stonecipher. When that closed we opened it again as an event center. Then Bob Solely approached us and suggested we turn the part into a tavern and after two years we bought him out. And George has been running it successfully since then. It’s a really neat venue and it’s carved a notch for itself. We have a definite place in New Braunfels and many of the local and regional bands have cut their teeth here before moving on to Gruene Hall.

STEAM When we talked with George, your brother who runs Tavern on the Gruene, he said he finished school and then moved here. What is your background, how did you come to the Homestead Inn? ED Well a lot of my work history is in the hospitality field. One of my first jobs after high school was working for La Quinta. I worked at three of their properties and at a Ramada Inn, so I had experience working at nicer places. I had always been interested in hotel and restaurant management by I did not set out for this to be my career. When I returned from serving in the military, my idea was to just do a little bit of work here and move on to the field of computer programming; however, it just happened that the manager and main employee here left for unrelated reasons and at the same time I had been planning to leave for Austin so I was asked to help out for a while and I’m still here.

The first thing I did was convert us to a computer system getting rid of the paperwork and clutter.

I’ve been here for 13 years and I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s

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multifaceted. I work indoors, outdoors; I do the finances as well as landscaping, maintenance, and renovating the houses. I’ve found that I enjoy landscaping a great deal. It’s fun on two levels – one you get to design it by understanding what works in this area and two, you get to do the labor which is just relaxing. The other thing to landscaping that we’ve found is that with the wild animals such as dear, fox, coyotes. We have to watch what we plant so they don’t eat it.

This business is really a family affair. We’ve figured out where each of us shines and we let that family member do just that. My mother for instance has flair for interior decorating; George is great in Tavern on the Gruene.

STEAM The landscaping here is so pleasantly arranged. The old truck in the yard looks like it could have been sitting there for the last hundred years ED It probably has been sitting there for the last hundred years. I like to take what is already there and make it part of the design. I think that’s one of the things I’ve learned that I have an aptitude for and I enjoy it.

STEAM The door hinges and hardware we see are so decorative, are they original?

ED Actually all of the hardware and accessories like that are originals. We don’t throw away so we don’t have to have anything fabricated. We leave the building very close to originals on the outside, rustic.

STEAM Each room is decorated so beautifully and you have some rooms that are just unique to themselves such as the Judge’s Suite, the Root Cellar, the Back Porch, and the Silo. I know that when we’ve remodeled older homes we’ve found interesting things such as old newspapers used as insulation. In moving and renovating these building have you found anything interesting?

ED We have, the root cellar. We only discovered it was a root cellar when we were remodeling the Farmhouse and Mr. Hanz was still around. He mentioned that he thought there was a root cellar there, so we dug around and broke through the cement. We were digging in a root cellar that hadn’t been touched since approximately 1941 and we had to wheelbarrow the dirt out of there. We found potatoes, glass bottles – you know the blue and the green ones, and we found old utensils. As far as finding anything in the walls? Not really the fun things; we found a lot of old wiring and old piping that had to be replaced. But not fun things.

STEAM How many units do you have?

ED There are 10 houses, four of those are standalone units, and a total of 21 rooms. That can fluctuate such as when we close a room for renovation and when we combined two rooms to make the Root Cellar last year. We also had a room in Gruene, however we couldn’t supervise it as well as we’d wanted so we closed it.

STEAM We understand that you’ve been remodeling many of the rooms including changing the size of the bed and the showers. The fact that each room has its own porch just makes the rooms so much more inviting and peaceful. We have to ask about the bed though. It felt like lying down on cloud nine. Do you sell beds on the side?

ED We’ve been upgrading beds to king-size as long as the room can hold them. They seem to be what people are looking for. As for the showers, we’ve seen that more people are requesting standup showers and Jacuzzi tubs so that’s what we are trying to install in the rooms as we remodel them.

We buy each of our beds from New Braunfels Mattress Company and they are heaven, aren’t they?

The thing that we’ve learned over the years was the demographics of not just the area have changed but that we have too. When we first started, we were the romantic bed-and-breakfast place couples wanted to go. Now we have more families and business travelers. With all the families that are now coming we have had to modify and be kid friendly, so we have a field where kids can be kids. There is a game chest that has sports balls, horseshoes, and such and I’m working on adding a hopscotch pad.

STEAM We’re guessing that, being the computer guru you are, you must have had something to do with the wonderful Wi-Fi service here.

ED Well we have 8 acres that we cover and we provide the same type of router service most people have it home. We are trying to make everyone as comfortable as possible and computer service plays an important role.

STEAM Do you have any plans for future growth?

ED We are always open to the idea and we assess everything as it comes along. We have some space where we could put another home or two, however the city has grown so much that we are watching closely as to how we should move forward. We’ve been offered houses however the price of house moving has skyrocketed in the last 15 years. The cost of moving house the size of Rose cottage or Texas House has more than doubled.

STEAM thank you so much for meeting with us and sharing your hospitality.

To make reservations check out their website www.gruenehomesteadinn.com or call them at 800-238 -5534.

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Continued from page 1 7

in my bonsai trees as well; I was part of the bonsai society. So maybe that could be part of it too. In the Japanese society you see yen and yang, and you rarely see an even number, but I believe it’s more of my religious heritage coming through.

STEAM There’s a bonsai society?

GILBERT Oh yeah, Corpus has one of the biggest clubs in Texas. They are very active. I specialize in the smaller trees. There are some people in the club that have these huge trees in their gardens but mine are extremely small. In fact so small you could fifty of mine in this space of one of their large trees. I have been working with one tree for about seven years and the trunk is about 4 inches in diameter, yet it is only 8 inches tall.

STEAM Okay so we have crows, roses, the number three, and now hearts. I see that you use the heart shape like kids would use as well as an anatomical heart. Can you tell me what these shapes represent?

GILBERT It all has to do with love, your soul, and who you are as a person. It’s hard to put in words, but it has to do with love.

STEAM I see that in “walk in the sky” you have used your daughter as the model. I also see there are three trees.

GILBERT Yes, my children enjoy being models. In ”Soul” I used a photograph of my son. A lot of my mixed-media is photographs or pages from books that I see that have meaning to me. I have two sides to my work as well. I either do very realism or very nonsense. The musician and actors series is very realism and my animals are very realism. Then I do others that are very nonsense like Texas Hold ‘Em. Where the pieces don’t really have specific meaning to me but they draw you artistically. One of the great things about art is that you decide what you see.

STEAM Tell me about your musician and film star series. Looking at them, I am in awe. They are so life like. Do you use mixed media, pictures, on those or did you paint those?

GILBERT Music is a huge influence on my art and the people that I have chosen are icons to our society. These are realism pieces that I felt I could make people see in a different light. I use graphite and there is no mixed-media; it’s all me. This is also how I did the Longhorn.

STEAM The next thing I noticed is the drip lines in your painting.

GILBERT I create something that’s very beautiful or nice but I almost feel like I need to get another dimension in to it. That’s why I run the paint.

STEAM Tell me about your butterfly series.

GILBERT I just really hate caterpillars; they just bother me. The butterfly series is basically my tribute to all the caterpillars I have killed, because I know if you kill a caterpillar, you don’t get the beautiful butterfly; and everybody loves butterflies. That’s why when you look at the bodies they look wrapped, like a mummy. This series was done in India ink.

STEAM Have there been any events in your life that have changed/shaped your art?

GILBERT I’ve always wanted to be an artist when I grew up. It’s all I ever wanted to do. I guess the defining moment in my life as an artist happened when I was 6 years old in first grade. It was close to Thanksgiving and I was drawing a turkey on a piece of paper while my teacher was talking to the class about vowels. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow this looks pretty good” when she suddenly grabbed my drawing, crumbled it up and said to me, “Drawing isn’t going to get you anywhere! Paying attention in class will!” After which she proceeded to throw my drawing in the trash. The only thing I could think of is, “She’s wrong! I’ll show her.” Then in third grade I had this teacher who just encouraged me and went to my mom and told her that she needed to make sure I continue with my art and that she saw my talent.

In high school I was always involved with art and worked on the newspaper. In my sophomore year I entered a drawing for the Congressional Art Competition and got fifth place; my junior year I got second; and my senior year I took first place and they showed my work in Washington DC. Up until 2005, I had always created art in black and white. In high school my primary medium was India ink or pencil. My world revolved around creating my ink washes and drawing realism in pencil. I had always been scared of color and seemed to shy away from it. A few years after graduating from the Art Institute of Houston, I attended a seminar on designing with color.

Dream

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ART

Walk In the Sky (above); Dream (left); Soul (bottom, left); Drowning Fish (bottom, right)

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Show at Agora gallery in NYC (top, left); Soon It’s Gonna Rain (top, right); Working on the Longhorn (middle, left); Eternal Passage (middle, right); Mexican Hat (bottom, left); El Toro (bottom, right).

El Toro was recently sold through Agora Gallery, NYC.

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Something changed that day. I have no idea what it was but from that point on, I seemed to look at color from a whole new perspective. Now I can’t imagine my work without color.

STEAM Speaking of color, I know that you paint in a darkened room with just a spotlight and music playing. Is that so that you can feel the color more?

GILBERT Well, I have very vivid dreams. I dream in full color and yet most of my dreams occur at night and many of my paintings are of my dreams, so I just kind of follow through with the theme. So yes, I paint in the dark and mostly at night.

STEAM Who was your biggest influence?

GILBERT My biggest influence I think is Lucas Johnson; did a lot of India ink work. I found his work when I was a junior in high school and he worked in all black and white. I found his art to be very sad and uplifting that the same time and it just pulled me in and that’s when I think I it became such an influence. After high school I moved to Houston where he had a gallery and I told my girlfriend (who is now my wife) that I really would like to meet him one day. We went in to the gallery for an opening reception and I met him. I was just in awe to meet him, but as I told him that he was my influence, I think it’s surprised him and he didn’t expect that. Anyway, he gave me his number and said we should have lunch and discuss our works. About three months later I was in the gallery again and was thinking about calling him, when I was told that he had passed away. So I’d missed the chances of the one-on-one with him, but I did get to meet him.

STEAM What was the most gratifying experience for you as an artist?

GILBERT The first most gratifying experience I’ve had as an artist was the opening night of my very first solo exhibition/art show when I sold 16 of the 20 pieces I had created for the show.

That was in 2006. It took about a week to get the smile off my face. Of course that was until I was accepted into the Agora Gallery in New York City. This had been a dream of mine since 1997 when I first went to NYC for a school trip. I thought, hey it doesn’t get any better than New York. Showing at Agora Gallery in 2012 and having them represent me for year gave me a lot of street credit in the art world.

STEAM Having street credit in the art world is very important. We just learned it you did a mural at the Corpus Christi State Supported Living Center Gymnasium. In fact we used this mural as our cover. Why did you choose a whale with a balloon?

GILBERT I was really honored to be commissioned to do a portion of this mural; on the other side of the gymnasium was my art teacher from high school while I was working on my design.

It was a good feeling to know that my art was being accepted.

The whale is such a large creature and the balloon such a whimsical piece that in my mind it flowed together with the word dream below. This isn’t the largest piece that I have done but it was rather interesting working with other people. As I watched them next to me and across the room; they used rollers and gallon cans, I wasn’t comfortable doing that. So here I was painting this giant mural with my little brush, because it just felt right for me.

STEAM Since you have entered the art world at a professional level how has the art scene changed in Corpus?

GILBERT I feel that in the last two years the art scene has grown and is really pushing for new artists to enter the field.

STEAM Can you explain why you don’t produce prints; why you only have original one-of-akind pieces?

GILBERT Personally, I love the idea of there being only a one and only. If I were an art collector myself, I would want to own the one original piece and not share with others. I actually had a client who bought a piece from me and told me that I wasn’t going to get rich if I’m not selling prints. I’ve always said I want to be in an art and when I grow up I want to be an artist, so selling my art is important however I do this for the love of art, not to be rich… Although, that would be nice.

STEAM Do you have any upcoming shows to talk about?

GILBERT Right now I’m working on some and enjoying myself and my work. You can always find my schedule on my Facebook or my website (they’re listed below). www.facebook.com/artbygilbertcantu, www.gilbertcantu.com, and www.can2creativeco.com

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Katz 21 Steak & Spirits 5702 Spohn Drive , Corpus Christi (361) 884-KATZ (5289) Dining Room: Monday-Thursday 5 pm to 10 pm Friday and Saturday 5 pm to 11 pm 21 Lounge: Monday-Thursday 4 pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday 4 pm to 2 am Reservations accepted online: Www.katz21.com

3rd Co a F o o d i st e

By STEAM

Walking in to Katz 21 for the first time is a unique experience

everyone in Corpus needs to try. The immediate feel is that of a high end steakhouse in New York or Chicago…it just feels like a real steakhouse! The new location in the Southside means your wait for a table is usually shorter than in the past. The dining rooms have an awesome atmosphere while the wait staff provides each table with great attention to detail so that no matter the size of your party, it is all about you.

Be sure to start with the Maryland style crab cakes, crab stuffed mushrooms, or Katz Greek salad with fresh Feta cheese and their own Greek dressing. The tender filet mignon is the house specialty, but you can also try the juicy slow-cooked prime rib, Texas sized shish-kabob, or the stuffed shrimp. Katz 21’s house made pastas are served tender and perfectly seasoned. The entrées are served unadorned, so order a side of creamed spinach or potatoes au gratin or try adding the Oscar style asparagus and crab meat. If you still have room for dessert, the calorie-rich chocolate-mousse with fresh berries is a must.

Begin your evening with a glass of wine or signature cocktail in the 21 Lounge or enjoy the outdoor patio with an imported beer and live music. Katz 21 has one of the best wine cellars in south Texas holding 1,500 bottles of wine and offering an awardwinning list that is sure to please every palate. For a fee, patrons can use a private wine locker to house their favorite purchased at the restaurant. Just see the management for details.

Reservations are not required, however it is definitely recommended. Business casual dress is suggested, although the atmosphere and decor suggest more. If you are looking for a special night out on the town and have the budget, you won’t be disappointed.

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Owner Theodore “Theo” Dimopoulos enjoys talking with his customers

Crab Cakes & Crab Stuffed Mushrooms; Surf & Turf (Lobster and Filet Mignon); Texas Sized Shish Kabbob; Tomato & Onion Salad; Greek Salad with Feta Cheese; Chocolate Mouse with Fresh Berries (clockwise)

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Not really pharr away The

pharr connection

The Pharr Events Center in Pharr, TX. welcomed Stone Sour on Feb. 8, 2013 in support of their album House of Gold and Bones Pt 1. which was released in October 2012 through roadrunner records. Part 2 will be out in April 2013. Along for the ride was supporting acts of Otherwise, and Papa Roach. It was a packed house at the Pharr Events Center, 3000 in attendance had the chance to come together one night and enjoy the sounds of great music. show was filled with ener- Papa Roach gy from start to finish which lasted through the evening, and those that attended would agree. For upcoming events visit www.pharrevents.com - Writer/Photographer - Randy Salazar

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Stone Sour

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Stacy Jones Band

(www.stacyjonesband.com)

SJB continues to blow fans away with their highenergy, genre bending performances. STEAM wants to give a shout out to SJB who wasn’t able to attend this year.

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Drowning Pool

With: Guitarist C.J. Pierce By: Derek Signore, The Sound Magazine

STEAM: A new year, a new singer with Jason Moreno.

What was the transition like with Jason in comparison to those of the past?

DP: to be honest we’re having the most fun with Jason than we’ve had the past few years. It makes me kind of wish that we had jumped on Jason years ago. He’s extremely dedicated and has blown me away with what he has brought to the table. He has already learned the entire catalog and his range is the highest of any singer we’ve ever worked with so far.

DP: Yes I do. He is a singer/songwriter and a great guy to bounce ideas off of. We came into the new record with a lot of material and since recording it in the summer we’ve been on a writing kick. We actually have enough material right now to release a second album this year if we had to. It’s nice to work with someone that is as dedicated and passionate as the rest of the band.

3.28.13 House Of Blues Austin TX with Flyleaf

STEAM INTERVIEW

STEAM: Since ‘Bodies’ put you on the charts a decade ago we’ve only seen a handful of new album releases. Assuming that is closely associated to the flow of lead singers in and out the door, do you feel that with Jason’s addition we might see material churn out on a more frequent basis?

STEAM: Alice In Chains recently announced a new album as well as a Spring Tour. As they really broke the mold as far as an acoustic album for the genre, has the band ever discussed the possibility of releasing one as well?

DP: I’d say the stars are aligning for that now more than ever. I already have a list of songs that I would like to redo with Jason, acoustic-wise. There are a lot of mellow songs that I have put off to the side that would be perfect sure it looks good. for that. I have a big list…it’s really all a matter of getting STEAM: Any interesting tattoo stories? into the studio and doing it.

STEAM: Drowning Pool fans like to flash a lot of ink for DP: I do remember a fan burning his their band. What is it like to come across a fan that wears neck with a lit cigarette to try and make the DP logo. He took it to whole differthe band’s name? ent level. Man, drugs can make you do DP: It’s an unbelievable compliment. I’ve seen a lot of crazy things (laughing). people wearing the DP logo. Funny thing is that I remember signing a few arms back in the day just to come across Website: the same people down the line to find out that they had www.DrowingPool.com tattooed themselves with my signature. I do feel bad Social: though because some of the times I was drunk when I signed those arms. Today I’m more conscious of what Facebook/Twitter state of mind I’m in when signing someone’s arm to make DrowningPool

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Hey, Corpus Christi! Have you heard the news? We have a new professional basketball team! And you won’t believe your eyes when I tell you who the coach is… NBA SA Spurs legend… #00… Yep, JOHNNY MOORE! Here to get you more acquainted with them is the team’s president, Eric Lavergne.

STEAM How did this whole thing come about? How did you get involved with the ABL? ERIC There are a large number of talented athletes that finish their college basketball careers and want to play at the professional level.

Unfortunately, there aren't enough jobs available in the NBA to accommodate the demand. From this realization the idea of the ABL was born. CEO/Founder Steve Haney envisioned a league that would give these talented athletes the resources and development needed to play professionally through FIBA and other basketball federations abroad. The ABL is the first basketball league based in America to play using international rules. This gives the athletes the training needed to understand how the international game of basketball is played and give them the best opportunity to be successful playing overseas.

STEAM How did you and Jay Guerra, the Clutch’s General Manager, come to work together on this project? Do you have sports backgrounds?

ERIC Jay and I have worked together for years, putting together basketball camps and clinics for professional athletes like George Hill, T.J Ford and others. I know Jay to be very knowledgeable of the game of basketball and felt he would be a great asset to what I'm trying to build in Corpus Christi.

STEAM How did you come to choose Corpus Christi?

ERIC Through camps and clinics Jay and I have conducted here in Corpus, we've witnessed firsthand the support that is given to youth sports and sports in general and felt Corpus would be the perfect market for what we are trying to accomplish.

STEAM Why at Ray HS? Have you considered moving to another location? (ABC or TAMUCC) ERIC This being our inaugural season, we wanted to start off with a venue that was both cost effective and easy to fill up. We felt Ray HS was perfect because it is centrally located and it allows us to keep our tickets reasonably priced to provide an affordable entertainment product for all families in the community of Corpus Christi to enjoy.

In the future, we hope to grow to the point of having our own facility here in Corpus Christi.

STEAM We heard that scouts attend all games, is this true? What are they looking for? Does this make the ABL a “farm” league? (Can’t think of a better term, sorry) ERIC Scouts will attend some but not all games. On our website, we post all stats from every game which serve as a great tool for scouts to assess the talent of our league. Scouts are looking for players that play an "all around" game (ie Rebounds, Assists, Blocks as well as scoring). We are structured to be a player feeder system to FIBA and other foreign basketball federations abroad just as the NBADL league is a player feeder system to the NBA. STEAM How many teams are in the ABL? In your division?

ERIC The ABL is made up of 12 teams broken up into 2 divisions, the Loan Star division (Texas) and the Tropics division (Florida). Each division consists of 6 teams that play regional regular season games. The top 2 teams in each division go on to play in a "final four" post season tournament to determine a league champion.

STEAM Info for next season – when are try outs? What are the requirements?

ERIC Next season's try-outs dates will be decided after the season and closer to beginning of next season. Requirements are just people that are trying to get seen to play at the international level.

STEAM Tell us about your new program Clutch the Community. Great idea!!

ERIC Community involvement is big to our organization, especially the youth. Through our Clutch the Community Kids Campaign, we invite all of the Youth organizations in Corpus Christi to come out to the home game of their choice for a free night of entertainment for the kids of their organization. Parents are also invited to attend the game at the children's rate of $5. In the near future, we will also conduct Clutch basketball camps and clinics through our Clutch the Community Kids Campaign that will give young athletes the opportunity to get instruction form our professional athletes.

Come on Corpus Christi! Show this team what a great city they have to play for! See our back page for home game and ticket information!

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Pro Basketball has arrived in Corpus Christi!

March Home Games!

8 Friday @ 7pm 10 Sunday @ 5pm 17 Sunday @ 5pm 22 Friday @ 7pm All Home Games Played At WB Ray High School 1002 Texan Trail, CC 78411

Coached by San Antonio Spurs Legend Johnny Moore!

For Ticket Info! www.facebook.com/pages/Corpus-Christi-Clutch http://corpuschristi-ablhoops.leaguetoolbox.com/team/