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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

INsite Recommends - Weekend of 10/22

There are a plethora of great shows happening this weekend. INsite thought we'd let you know about three we recommend. A rock show, a freak show, and a ballpark festival. Hope you make it to one.
- Sean Claes (owner, INsite)


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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
INSITE NIGHT @ Emo's (603 Red River Austin, TX 78701)
Link to Event on Facebook

Look for the $2 off cards all over Red River before the show or ask a band member for one.

Line-up:
12:30-1:30 Trashy and the Kid
11:10-12:10 Squint- CD release show
10:10-10:50 Waiting for August
9:10-9:50 Matches for Memories
8:10-8:50 Radio Fallout





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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23

The inaugural FREAK SHOW FESTIVAL is coming up Saturday. This outdoor festival (happening at 400 E. 7th Street which is between Trinity & Neches downtown) will combine PURE Cirkus, fantastic freaks (list of "freaks" here)
and music (Rev Horton Heat, HorrorPops, The Creepshow, Koffin Kats, Devil Rose).

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LIVE AT THE BALLPARK @ DELL DIAMOND IN ROUNDROCK TEXAS


"Live In The Ballpark presents an incredible line-up with three back-to-back platinum recording artists and two solid gold hit makers."


Friday Charity VIP Event
Multi-platinum artist John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting will take the stage acoustic on the pitcher's mound to perform his hit songs "Superman," "100 Years," his new hit "Slice" and more for a very private and exclusive dinner benefiting the City of Hope. This event will feature premium Napa Wineries pouring tastings of their famous wines from familiar names like Silver Oak, Trefethen, Trinchero, Miner, Faust, and many more. The evening will showcase three celebrity chefs on Home Plate, First and Third base as they send out delectable foods from their Kitchen Aid special grilling stations for the lucky ticket holders. Tickets for Friday night can be purchased separately by calling (512) 238-2285.


SATURDAY - ALL DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Tonic: 9pm – 9:45pm
Collective Soul:
8pm – 8:45pm
Five For Fighting: 7pm – 7:45pm
Gin Blossoms: 6pm – 6:45pm
Green River Ordinance
: 5pm – 5:45pm

DIRECTIONS:
The Dell Diamond is located on Highway 79 at 3400 East Palm Valley, Round Rock, Texas 78665. (For directions go here: http://www.liveintheballpark.com/venue/default/#directions)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Emo's - 10/23 - INsite Night

OCTOBER'S INSITE NIGHT

@ Emo's Austin
Trashy and the Kid/ Squint (CD Release) / Waiting for August / Matches for Memories / Radio Fallout

Click poster to buy tickets.



$10 at the door.
See videos from each band here.

CD Reviews

Paula Held

Drive

The debut release by Paula Held is a long time coming. It seems she’s been dabbling in music her whole life, but it wasn’t until she moved to Austin that she assembled a world-class group of players to lay down Drive. What she’s released is an adult contemporary jazzy record the likes of Joni Mitchell or Norah Jones.

“I Need To Drive” begins the album with a song that would be perfect for an easy cruise down one of Central Texas’ backroads. The second track, “Shoop Ta Sho” sounds like it could double musically for Rickie Lee Jones’ “Chuck E's In Love.” I love the descriptive wordplay of “Watermelon Moon Eye.”

My favorite track on Drive has got to be “Tumbleweed Heart.” It reminds me of “Sweet Butterfly” by Stanley Smith. It’s one of those unexpected love songs. “He had a tumbleweed heart, across the desert he whirled, and he spun like a top till all at once he stopped for a sagebrush girl.”

The entire album is certainly a departure from what I’m used to hearing from Austin bands. A welcome one. I’d place this more in the “timeless folk” arena. Held’s music seems it should be played in a listening room, like the Cactus Café (where her CD release show occurred recently).

Also, The cast of players on the Stephen Doster produced Drive is pretty impressive. It includes local players the likes of Doster (guitar), Chris Maresh (double bass), Red Young (keys), Ephraim Owens (trumpet), Dennis Ludiker (strings) and J.J. Johnson (drums).

Held is donating 10% of all CD sales to local charity Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM). For more information on Paula Held, visit her website http://www.paulaheld.com/.

The Mother Truckers

Van Tour

World Records

Any album that begins with an old-school sounding rocker celebrating the end of the world would fit into the category of interestingly different in my book. But then you add that it’s a release from the good-time blues and country-twinged dual-vocalist group The Mother Truckers and it all makes sense.

If you’re a fan of Austin music you’ve heard of these folks. They’ve been in town for the last five years (transplants from California) and in that time they’ve built quite the following. In fact their official fan club is called “Go Truck Yourself!) I first caught them at Scholz Beer Garten in 2007 during a party hosted by Texas Music Magazine. Their live performance is as interesting as the fantastic lyrics and vocals of husband and wife team Teal Collins and Josh Zee. And while you can’t bottle a live show, they did a pretty good job of capturing the feeling on tape with Van Tour.

As mentioned, “Alien Girl” kicks Van Tour off with a bang. Collins’ sexy powerhouse vocals almost make you forget she’s talking about blowing up the world… well… at least she’s taking us with her. They slow the rock down for “Keep It Simple,” which evokes a classic blues jam. A science lesson is given in “Size of the Sun.” Speaking of sun, the fun-in-the-sun memories of California come out in “Summer of Love.” And anyone who’s been in a band will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek rocker “Van Tour”

The key to The Mother Trucker’s sound is the fantastic guitar playing of Zee. That, along with the backing of bassist (and Austin music veteran) Danny G and drums by Pete “The Beat” Langhans, make for a full sound.

My favorite track is “Break-Up Sex” where Zee comes on like a carnival barker bekoning Collins’ sultry singing. “You know you make me crazy, and I know I make you crazy. But, you know I love you.” Incidentally, this song is part of an online poll if you’d like to hear and vote. http://www.austinmusiccity.com/poll)

The album ends with a sweet little ditty called “Half The Time” which pretty much sums life up with the lyrics “Half the time I don’t know what I’m doing and the other half I don’t care.”

If you’ve not heard The Mother Truckers yet, Van Tour is a nice introduction, but I really recommend you catching them live. For more information on The Mother Truckers, visit their Website - themothertruckers.com.

Trashy and the Kid

Songs In The Key of Blow Me

Immoral Records

Unapologetic, somewhat vulgar, angry, and self-deprecating… these are a few words that would describe the Austin-based punk band Trashy and the Kid (TATK). But that should be pretty apparent when considering the name of the album… Songs in the Key of Blow Me.

For those who know the band… you’re aware above description is actually a compliment. With their first full-length album, TATK presents eleven tracks of Alice Cooper meets Guns and Roses meets Iggy Pop punk rock and roll. Five of the songs on this album are revamped versions of songs from their Run For Your Life EP. I’m glad they included them because the band members are vastly different then those on the EP and a quality studio production really fleshes out the songs well.

The album kicks off with “Poledancer’s Circus” where they welcome their “wicked children.” Other titles which have titles as interesting as the songs are “Rampant Sex on the Hell Train” and “Little Dirty Daughter,” both improved tracks from their first EP. The other three from the EP that appear here are “Kid,” “Dar Al Harb,” and “Run For Your Life.”

The funny-to-me “Cult Next Door” reminds that no matter how bad you think someone is… they’re likely better than someone else’s neighbor. If you’ve ever wondered what serial killers may be thinking perhaps “Lara” is the song for you. “Hands are Tied” explores an S&M relationship. “I Don’t Give A F@#$” sounds oddly like Golden Earring’s “Radar Love.” They also do a rocked-out Dresden Doll cover with “Half Jack.”

Although “Cult Next Door” is pretty fantastic, my favorite track on this album (and live for that matter) remains “Dar Al Harb.” It begins with a Winston Churchill’s words of hope from December 24, 1941. But the sing-along worthy lyrics are what captured me from the beginning.

“General Custard was a hell of a man. He walked into the bar with his soul in his hand / And sure I believe that it will all go to plan / I built this house why make me burn it down?”

For me, “Dar Al Harb” took special meaning when, at their CD release party, a fan dressed in his military uniform was screaming word for word and ended up on stage with the band.

TATK’s bio on MySpace mentions they conceived this band after hearing just how bad “Cold” by Crossfade was. Trashy and the Kid is coming to save rock and roll… or perhaps keep it from being “saved” and making sure it continues to survive in the hearts of the fans and fears of the parents.

Find out more about Trashy and the Kid on their Website (http://www.trashyandthekid.com/).

Alejandro Escovedo

Street Songs of Love

Released on June 29, Alejandro Escovedo’s new offering is everything a fan could hope for and much more. Twelve fantastic Escovedo-penned tracks with that signature Tom Petty-meets-Ray Wylie Hubbard feel to it. It’s rock and roll with a punk vibe to it.

Austinites may already be familiar with these tunes, as Escovedo and his band The Sensitive Boys worked them out during a two-month residency at Continental Club in late 2009.

He has been touted as one of music’s “best kept secrets.” I always thought that was a foolish phrase. Nobody wants to be a musical secret. There are no secrets, just bands you’ve not been introduced to as of yet. Escovedo is ten albums deep into his career that has spanned 40 years. Those who know good music know him. Be it from his family lineage (he’s Uncle to Sheila E. and brothers Coke and Pete are amazing percussionists), his previous bands The Nuns (1970s), Rank and File (1980s), or the fact that in 1998 he was named “artist of the decade” in No Depression magazine. If you’ve never heard of him, consider this review to be an open invitation.

Best-kept-secrets aside, Escovedo is well known and respected in the music community. This becomes pretty apparent when considering the guest vocalists on Street Songs of Love. The Boss himself (Bruce Springsteen) lends vocals on the fun jam “Faith.” Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) helps with powerful love song “Down In The Bowery.” He also taps local up-and-comer Nakia Reynoso to do some background vocals.

Street Songs of Love begins with “Anchor,” a catchy love song with a nice chugga-chugga rhythem to it. “This Bed is Getting Crowded” is an in-your-face infidelity song. The title track is probably my favorite song lyrically. The aforementioned “Down In The Bowery” sounds like the Rolling Stones could have cut it. The trippy “Tula” has a snakelike charm to it. The album ends with a wonderful instrumental entitled “Fort Worth Blue.”

The track that really caught my ear is “Tender Heart.” The lyrics are infectious and the music hit me like the first time I heard “Everybody Wants You” by Billy Squier. “I got a tender heart / you want my tender heart? / I got nothing you need / and everything you want.” Incidentally, upon first listen, when this song came on my three year-old yelled from the back seat “Turn it up, this is my favorite song.”

If you don’t listen to me, listen to my daughter… she knows good music.

You can pick up Street Songs of Love pretty much anywhere in the world but it you go to his Website you can pick up a digital version plus physical CD for just $13.99. Learn more about Alejandro Escovedo at http://www.alejandroescovedo.com/.

Ugly Elephant

Ugly Elephant

In 2008 a jazz-meets-funk instrumental band called Ugly Elephant formed after a conversation between musicians at Austin’s Eeyore’s Birthday Party. The five piece band has been playing around town at venues like Ruta Maya, Headhunters, and Red Eyed Fly. On Thursday August 5 they will be heading into their three-night at three-venue CD release party.

I’m not really a jazz enthusiast. My knowledge of jazz is pretty much confined to The Cosby Show and the times I wander into the Elephant Room. That is to say, I enjoy the genre, but I’m not the guy who can pick apart a freestyle jam. I do appreciate the collective sound it produces. I’m a dabbler.

Ugly Elephant’s debut self-titled CD is something I could truly get into. I’d call it “accessible jazz.” It’s more jam band music that happens when musicians who truly have an extreme knowledge of their instruments and craft get together and let loose.

The first track, “Africa” kicks in with a nice baseline before the wa-wa guitar and horn fills it out. “Dorkus Rex” features my favorite moment on this CD when it breaks the freeform jam to play about 30 seconds of a 1960s sock-hop groove. “Whole Lotta Nasty” features a killer guitar jam. The final track, “The Metal Song” comes in full force, but then pulls back into a flute and keyboard driven track that would make Ray Manzarek smile.

If you’re into fun free-form funk and jazz fusion you’ll dig Ugly Elephant. The band is made up of Dave “DJ” Johnson (drums), Chris Hart (guitar), Tim Girardot (keys), Austin Simmons (bass) and Mitch Quintanilla (saxophone).

The CD Release weekend bengins Thursday August 5 when at 10p they’ll have a listening party at Nomad. Friday they’ll play Headhunters and Saturday Ruta Maya is where they’ll be. See more on their MySpace Page - http://www.myspace.com/uglyelephantband


August 2010

August 2010 INsite - Download here:


august 2010 - cover: tee double



August 2010: Download JPG Here
Cover Story - TEE DOUBLE / 30 Austin-Only Businesses /

Cover Story - Scott Solomon's Monsters

Creepy Collection Keeps Former Cop Company

By Veronica Garcia
Photos by Sean Claes

It isn’t 1313 Mockingbird Lane; just a quiet, shady cul de sac in South Austin. But the minute you open the door of Scott Solomon’s two-story house, you feel like you’ve entered the set of “The Munster’s” or a fantasy world of gore and horror where it’s Halloween year round.

Solomon, a 23-year semi-retired veteran of the Austin Police Department, has a unique collection that could turn anyone green with envy and fright. Throughout the year’s he’s amassed 500 masks and 10 full-size figures including the alien from “Predator,” Freddy Krueger and Hannibal Lecter, to name a few. Everywhere you turn, there’s another hauntingly familiar face looking back at you.

Solomon grew up in Brooklyn and spent much of his youth on Coney Island.

“My mother would take me down there and I used to go to the spook houses and the creepshow rides,” he said. “That got me into the monsters. And of course I would watch the old black and white Dracula movies, Frankenstein and Mummy and all that.”

He also fell in love with such classics as the Wolf Man, Godzilla, and of course, the Exorcist.

He recalls a day when he was about 13-years-old and a friend of his mother came over with a couple of monster masks.

“I wish I had kept them because they’re probably worth a fortune nowadays,” he said. “Those were the only two masks I had as a kid, but I would buy these Aurora monster model kits. I would put those together and collect them.”

Then one day, in the early 1980s, he went into Atomic City in downtown Austin and saw some masks that caught his attention. He bought three or four of them then.

“Back in the ’80s these masks were considered state-of-the-art because they weren’t the mass-produced versions made in China,” he said. “They were sculpted in studios by artists.”

Solomon then got hold of a Jeff Death catalog and started collecting more masks through the mail. Soon he started buying online from the Halloween Mask Association, other collectors and sellers, and from movie sets.

“My Predator is actually pulled from [special effects artist] Stan Winston’s mold,” he said. “And Pumpkinhead is also one of Stan’s. It’s irreplaceable.”

“People I could buy a $300 mask from in 1995, can’t touch it now for less than $800-$1,200,” he said. “Every time I sell a mask, I always make a profit.”

His most recent acquisitions include a mechanical exorcist doll that rolls its eyes back while its head spins around.

“It would be my dream to have a museum where I could show these off and put a couple of scares in there,” he said. “It would be wonderful.”

It’s touching to see the amount of affection Solomon has for his house full of creatures, and to see how his face lights up when he tells the history behind each one.

He’s built shelves and displays to give them homes. They occupy the bedrooms, living rooms and kitchen.

But they aren’t always at home - Solomon’s pulled a few pranks with his masks. Like the time he took his sea dragon mask and scuba gear to Town Lake and had a good laugh when the creature’s head broke the surface for a few seconds.

I could hear people screaming,” he says with a grin. “I saw all these feet kicking, and there must have been 30 to 50 people on the edge looking scared. That was a great prank.”

“I’m actually hoping to do a good scare with a Bigfoot costume I had commissioned,” he added. “I advertised on Craigslist if anyone wants me to scare their friends, I’m available for hire.”

Collecting has also taken Solomon around the country to conventions for likeminded folks, including Monsterpalooza in LA and Transworld in Vegas.

“We all have dinner together and talk masks,” he said. “It’s really a good place to buy some good masks.”

Solomon very rarely sells his masks unless he has more than one of certain type or he’s looking to buy something new.

“The rarest masks are from the Halloween Society,” he said. “A group of collectors would all chip in and commission a sculptor to make a certain mask. They only made 14 different masks. They’re the most sought after masks on the planet. Out of the 14, I have accumulated 12.”

He plans to keep looking for the two missing pieces to that collection. He also plans to keep expanding his entire assortment of memorabilia.

Alicia Havlick and Wayne Salzmann rent a home from Solomon next door. The first day they met him, he gave them a tour of his collection.

“We were shocked and impressed at how extensive and diverse his collection was,” Havlik said. “I was most afraid of the full-size replica of Hannibal Lecter in a straight jacket. His eyes look so realistic that it seems like he could jump out at you any second.”

Havlik and Salzmann bring friends and visitors over to see Solomon’s place when they find out about the masks.

“Most people love to see all the masks and hear the stories behind each one,” she said. “Scott is actually the best landlord we’ve ever had.”

Havlik and Salzmann even house sit for Solomon when he’s out of town.

“It is definitely scarier in the dark,” Havlik said.

Solomon admits he’s scared himself before.

“I used to have a full-size Exorcist in my bed,” he said. “Sometimes, I’d walk past that bedroom, forget that she was in there and it would startle me.”

He also got a start from accidentally setting off the motion-activated monster baby under the hallway table as he was ending our tour. Nicely done.





Music: NO JUSTICE

NO JUSTICE
Second Avenue Brings Next-Level Success

By: Andrew McElwee

If there’s one thing No Justice prides itself on, it’s taking things to new heights. With their latest studio release, Second Avenue, the country/alt-rock quintet may have finally reached that breakthrough step every band dreams of, and few seldom find.

In every way, this record’s an upgrade. The sound’s more refined, due the engineering mastery of Dexter Green, and a new lead guitarist with unspeakable talent. The lyrics are weightier, and the performances hit a bit harder. Heck, the album cover’s even gotten a makeover.

And unlike previous records, Second Avenue is officially No Justice’s first national release, distributed by Sony.

“I think this is the best representation of what No Justice actually is and intended to be in the first place,” said Steve Rice, the group’s front man.

Well, if the swelling crowds and publicity are an indication, their new “representation” is catching on like a summer grassfire. The title song, “Second Avenue”, is scheduled to be released to mainstream rock stations in September 2010. Even better, the “Love Song” single maintained its spot on the Texas Music Charts for seven weeks straight, and shows no signs of going away.

The band has also expanded its fan base via the gaming world. “Love Song” is included on the track list for the console game Rock Band 3. So, if you hear an alternative rock piece, laden with country hooks, piping forth from your X-Box, it’s probably No Justice.

Despite all the mainstream rock influences and mega-marketing tools, No Justice still hasn’t lost its sense of self. But they have definitely grown as a band, and Second Avenue reflects that.

“We didn’t really water it down with a bunch of extra things,” said Rice. “We just all got better. I think it’s just exploring our sound and who we really wanted to be.”

One move that clearly worked in the band’s favor was hiring on lead guitarist, Cody Patton, back in March 2010. It wasn’t just an improvement; it redefined the group’s sound altogether.

Considering how the Cody’s riffs echo a younger Don Felder from the Eagles, that’s to be expected. No wonder Steve touts him as the group’s “musical glue”.

Landing the deal with Carved Records was another crucial step in the band’s success. CEO Tim Porter strategically formed the Dallas-based company as a purely independent outfit—but with all the connections of a mainstream label. From that point, he compiled a who’s who list in the indie rock genre. Naturally, No Justice was one of the first two acts that Carved signed.

So next time you see a No Justice show, the crowd may be larger, the venue more glamorous, and a celebrity TV host or two just might be present. Not to worry. They’re still the same Red Dirt boys from Stillwater, albeit with a brand new bag.

“It’s almost like Second Avenue’s a representation of a second opportunity,” commented Rice. “It doesn’t mean we’re selling out—we’re just going to be able to reach more people with it.”





Don't Call It Table Tennis - PONG ROCK

Austin's New Ping Pong Sensation - PONG ROCK


By Rob Greenamyer

"Don't cheat, or we'll kick you in the face."

Thus sayeth the rules page of pongrock.com. Well, can't say you weren't warned.

Make no mistake -- this isn't "table tennis." Drink-you-under-the-table tennis might be more accurate. But to Dustin Maxey and Richard Panter, founders of Pong Rock, it's just "ping pong."

What's the difference, anyway?


"If you call it 'table tennis,'" Maxey explains as he munches spinach dip on a pita, "you should probably join the ATTA [Austin Table Tennis Association] because we'll get mad at you for beating us."

It's the day after a match, and Maxey's and Panter's appetizers and beers share the table with a styrofoam cup full of ping pong balls from last night. The genial duo fished them out of the hedges at the Belmont, a swank happy-hour joint on West 6th that plays unlikely host to what Maxey describes as a "beer-drinking league." They do this partially to be respectful and clean up after their event, and partially because they don't want to have to spend perfectly good beer money on new balls

By day, Maxey is a marketing coordinator. Panter is in media sales for a tech recruiter. Both are musicians, Maxey formerly the vocalist of Naked Empire, while Panter plays drums for John-Michael Hamman and other projects.

But at the table, paddle in hand, Maxey becomes "Pong Master D." Panter goes by the handle "Tricky Dick."

Sitting at the Belmont, Maxey and Panter ruefully recall the inspiration for this $50-to-register tournament -- getting shellacked at a charity event by members of the ATTA.

"Richard and I met randomly in Spain while studying abround," 27-year-old Maxey recalls. "They had a table in the dorm we stayed in. We came back and GirlStart [an Austin-based charity promoting girls' excellence in math and science] was having a tournament. They actually had some table tennis professionals from ATTA come out. We had a table at home; we thought we were pretty good. We were wrong. They destroyed us. We couldn't even score on them and we were really angry."

The hard feelings didn't last, though. "We love those guys, they're great," Panter, 26, says with an easy smile. "There just at a different level than us."

One of the Belmont co-owners, Ron, stops at their table to say hi. "They're crazy, man," he warns of Maxey and Panter. "Don't turn your back on them."

It's a different level of festivity, that's for sure. Beer flows freely at special prices for attendees, while sponsoring booze companies dole out shots. Live bands like Strangelove provide entertainment to a rowdy crowd of players and lookey-loos.

The wacky and whimsical nicknames help the raucous atmosphere prevail.

"My all-time favorite," grins Panter, "is [Strangelove guitarist] Zack Arington, aka Sgt. Paddles!"

Close to fifty players and accompanying spectators now converge on the Belmont every Wednesday at 7pm to smack featherweight plastic balls when Pong Rock is in season. And if you're expecting a sausage fest, contain your disappointment.

"There are lots of girl players," Maxey says. "I was surprised. I thought it would be mostly guys."

It is Friday, September 10 -- the final round of Pong Rock's second six-week season (the third kicks off Friday, October 22). The upstairs patio of the Belmont, dominated by three tables, thrums with activity and excitement. Maxey and Panter irrepresibly flirt, schmooze, and glad-hand their way through a crowd lubed up by free booze.

Tonight's winner on the Expert table is a tall, unassuming IT employee named Justin -- aka "Funk Ambassador." By coincidence, his opponent in the final heat, a jovial rake with Scots-Irish complexion named Ben, goes by the moniker "Vanilla Funk." Their final funk-off kicks off in V-Funk's favor, as he exploits favorable gusts of wind and deftly puts away one match in the two-out-of-three heat. But then the Funk Ambassador gets brutal. He finds a sweet spot on the table from which V-Funk cannot seem to return a serve, and he smacks down the next two games with no-prisoners efficiency.

"Ben played tough," the victor lauds. In a few minutes, he will square off in a three-way drawing with the winners of the Beginner and Intermediate tables for the grand prize -- a brand-new ping-pong table -- and consolation prizes -- Best Buy gift certificates. "It was like he had been spending a week and a half practicing."

Funk Ambassador played the game about "four beers in." He speculates that his opponent had "a few more."

At the drawing, Funk Ambassador wins the prize table. Maxey, who lost the original drawing tickets, writes the contenders' names on bar napkins and draws them out of a hat. His responsibility discharged, Pong Master D queus up another beer. The season is over, the prizes discharged, but no one is done yet. People line up to hit ping pong balls back and forth for the sheer fun of it. Watching the fans of their brainchild talk boozey trash, Maxey and Panter ponder with excitement the October season. "Rain is no match for Pong Rock!" Maxey declares.

For more info, go to www.pongrock.com

Monday, October 11, 2010

A (Re)Discovery - LOS TEXAS WRANGLERS

Making Conjunto News
Los Texas Wranglers


What do Los Texas Wranglers, The Discovery Channel, and Will Ferrell have in common?

By Sean Claes
About 5 years ago I wandered down to the Austin City Hall to catch a Conjunto band play a free lunchtime show. The band was Los Texas Wranglers. They are out of Austin. I took the above photo and it ran in the June 2005 INsite Magazine as an INsite Hindsite.

Fast forward to last night. I was looking for a band to play a Dia De Los Muertos show in my hometown and I posted to my Facebook page for help. My friend Gino Gamez, whom I met at Adult Kickball, mentioned his cousin had a band... Los Texas Wranglers.

Long story short.. it didn't work out for the show (hopefully they'll play next year) but when I talked to Julian L. Fernandez from the band he let me know of a couple of really cool things that are happening to Los Texas Wranglers right now... so I thought I'd share.

1. Today (10/11/10) Los Texas Wranglers are being filmed in San Antonio for a documentary on the Texas Tejano/Conjunto music culture that will be aired on The Discovery Channel. The filming is happening at Ruben's Place in Selma (just north of San Antonio.. here's a little write up on Ruben's Place from mysanantonio.com) from 4:00p - 7:00p. All are invited who would like to celebrate and dance... and maybe be on film. There's going to be a special guest playing with the band too... but you have to be there to see (or wait until it airs).

2. They also recently received word that one of Fernandez's originals has been tapped to be used in a major motion picture. The new Will Ferrell and Laura Dern flick, Everything Must Go uses the song "El Amor Que Soñe" during a dinner scene. Neat. You can go to the Free Download page on their Website to hear and download it.

FYI.. here's a little rundown of a few of the accomplishments of Los Texas Wranglers.




Los Texas Wranglers (Press Photo)

  • Inducted to the South Texas Conjunto Associations "2006 Conjunto Hall of Fame"
  • Winners of Tejano Magazine's "2007 Conjunto of the Year”
  • Austin Music Awards “Best Latin Traditional” 2008-2010

I can't wait to see them again. For a list of upcoming shows, visit their calendar.