Liz goes country

Our friend Liz Morphis was singing her heart out the other night at a fundraiser for Dress for Success. As you can see, it had a country theme.

Braving the cold to sing

These gents were crooning some country tunes at the Farmers Market on a recent Saturday.

Great band!

Our friends Chris Gage, Christine Albert and Ernie Durawa were rocking out the other night at Donn's Depot. Ernie is in the Texas Music Hall of Fame and Christine is the former Chair of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Recording Artists. Chris has played with house bands for TV shows.

Mystery Monday concert

Here you see Christine Albert and Jimmie Dale Gilmore singing at El Mercado on a Monday. Christine has been putting together these great concerts for a long time.

Dale Watson Entertains

Local talent Dale Watson and his band played for the crowd at Wooldridge Square Park's recent reopening.

Kicking off the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar

Every year there is an event (now held in the Palmer Events Center) that is near and dear to my heart. Why? Because it is a Christmas event but starts at a respectable distance into the season. It features unique artists and purveyors with something a little different than your malls. And they have several musical acts a day. Oh, and they serve alcohol. It's the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

We noticed that Ruby Jane and her band were kicking off the festivities yesterday. So we walked over to Palmer at noon and caught both their sets. That's Ruby Jane fiddling and the wonderful Trevor LaBonte playing lead guitar. The fun goes on 11 A.M. until 11 P.M. right up to Christmas Eve I think. You can buy handmade belts, vintage event posters, art, toys, geegaws, jewelry and other stuff while listening to music and, if you like, having a nip of Christmas cheer.

Sinner's Brunch

Last Sunday we caught the Sinner's Brunch group at Jo's Hot Coffee on South Congress. I think you can catch Jo's house band every Sunday. I would call it Country Rock. See pedal steel player on right. Tina Rose singing. We have to get down there again. Maybe today. Says on Jo's facebook that the band will be fronted by Greg Izor today. 

Willie

Second Street has another 'honorary name' and that honoree is Willie Nelson. Here he is speaking on April 20th at the dedication of a statue of him near the Austin City Limits Theater. Thanks to Jackie for a series of pictures we'll be showing for a few days.

New Street

No one has to change their stationery...the PO and everyone else will still recognize 2nd Street but the street is now honorarily Willie Nelson Blvd. (It sounded better as Boulevard, I guess, but it is not a boulevard in the true sense unless you count the trees in the sidewalk planted as part of the Great Streets program.) Since the Austin City Limits studio will be on Second now (in the W Hotel complex we've been seeing pictures of recently) this street was chosen to honor Willie.

Out of the Blue

One of the coolest things about the Farmers' Market that happens on Saturdays a block from our condo tower is the inclusion of a band concert. Here is the group which appeared last Saturday-- "Out of the Blue." (Referring, I suppose, to their modality of stretching the limits of bluegrass.) They were playing some really nice tunes and had the crowd in a good mood.

Donn's Depot

At first glance it does look like a train depot with some cars on a siding, but the whole complex is a bar that has live music and dance floors. You saw the interior here. Donn's is on West Fifth.

After all The Hoopla...We Declare it Open!

To make it feel like we had celebrated sufficiently to declare the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts, The Michael and Susan Dell Hall, The Debra and Kevin Rollins Studio Theater and the City Terrace outside the center open for business the party continued last night.

There was barbecue. There were libations. (Thanks, Twin Liquors for amazing choices befitting all the occasions of the last few weeks! Real champagne to toast the Notable Women plaque Thursday! Shiner Black last night! And on and on.)

Then the unruly crowd filed into Dell Hall. Michael and Susan were in their hall Friday night, but I didn't see them last night. But most of the movers and shakers were there along with people who had ponied up just to see the show (and have some of the aforementioned libations). Ray Benson (and Asleep at the Wheel) played some great stuff and supervised the stage and brought on Lyle Lovett, Willie (needs no last name to be introduced), Ricky Trevino and Flaco Jimenez — and all-Texan line-up to send the center off on its venture with opera, ballet, symphony, musical theater, plays, Rock, Jazz, Country and anything the eclectic denizens of the Capital City desire. At the end, with everyone on the stage singing "On the Road Again" we were muttering "this is a band you will never see all together again!"

We managed to get outside in time to stand on the City Terrace and see the magnificent fireworks display. (The Men's Room line was longer than the Ladies! YES!) I tried the fireworks setting on my old point and shoot digital. This won't win any awards, but take the time to blow it up with a click and look in the bottom right corner. That is our building, our home in a few months, dutifully reflecting the fireworks...it looked like colored lights were racing up and down its spine. And the 'ring' of the City Terrace illuminated Long Center purple here, saved from the old Palmer Auditorium, will surely become an icon to Austin. It's great how they can project light on it.

Did I mention there was boot scooting music in the tent with the barbecue before the concert? After the concert there were Frito Pies, libations (thanks again Twin Liquors!) and more two stepping and such. (We didn't have boots, but we scooted.)

If this entry seems a little like a booster piece for Austin, the Long Center, Austin Arts, downtown development etc. well, so be it. I'm a booster I guess. It will be possible, one day, for me to walk to this lovely venue! [It would be a shorter trip if I had a boat to go across Lady Bird Lake.]