January 2011
Austin Lounge Lizards
Austin Lounge Lizards
Cactus Café
Austin, Texas
With a song catalogue somewhere in the triple digits and a recent 30th anniversary under their belt, the Austin Lounge Lizards have made a name for themselves in satirical bluegrass. Not that it’s a very large or competitive field, but if it were, word on the street is that they’d still be on top. As the name implies, the Lizards made their start in Austin, and with Hank Card and Conrad Deisler--two of the three founding members-- being University of Texas alumni, the Cactus Café is a familiar place for the band.
The tone was familiar in the Cactus as the band leisurely took turns tuning their instruments, chatting, and sipping beers before the show began. When it was time, they made their way up to the stage, all clad in Hawaiian shirts printed with lizards, and got right down to it with “Highway Café of the Damned.” It quickly became apparent just how dedicated their fan base is, as even in the first song, perfectly timed hoots and hollers could be heard coming from the crowd. Audience participation continued throughout the show, from sing-alongs like “Phlugerville,” a tongue twister of a tune, to enthusiastic howling in lieu of applause after “The Dogs, They Really Miss You,” which the band suggested they try the next day at the Austin City Limits festival.
Parts of the show were more theatrical than others, though all of it straightforward and yet decidedly tongue-in-cheek. When it’s declared that the show is about to turn a bit religious in nature, the Lizards lead into a “gospel” tune entitled “Jesus Loves Me But He Can’t Stand You,” all about the nature of hypocrisy commonly found alongside religion. After a vignette about how the band was invited, in all likelihood mistakenly, to a Canadian folk music festival, and that the spirit of Leonard Cohen came to save them from the oncoming disaster, banjo player Tom Pittman emerged in a black turtleneck to deliver a deadpan performance of “Leonard Cohen’s Day Job.” It’s touches like these that raise the level of performance from funny to enlightened and hilarious, all while leaving their fans bobbing their heads and swinging their feet.
The level of insight seems to come as second nature to the Austin Lounge Lizards, but so does musicality. Each member sings, and does it well, as evidenced by the two tunes executed a capella, including their second encore. What’s more, fiddle, banjo, and guitar solos were just as common as the wisecracks delivered onstage. At one point, the band noted how they have been trying all these years to get away with being a bluegrass band that doesn’t actually play any bluegrass. Instead, the ensemble cranks out foot tappers that tie up Texas culture and pokes a finger at the ridiculous current events the state and the country get themselves into. Never was their act serious, and it was a complete delight.
by Marie Meyers
Cactus Café
Austin, Texas
With a song catalogue somewhere in the triple digits and a recent 30th anniversary under their belt, the Austin Lounge Lizards have made a name for themselves in satirical bluegrass. Not that it’s a very large or competitive field, but if it were, word on the street is that they’d still be on top. As the name implies, the Lizards made their start in Austin, and with Hank Card and Conrad Deisler--two of the three founding members-- being University of Texas alumni, the Cactus Café is a familiar place for the band.
The tone was familiar in the Cactus as the band leisurely took turns tuning their instruments, chatting, and sipping beers before the show began. When it was time, they made their way up to the stage, all clad in Hawaiian shirts printed with lizards, and got right down to it with “Highway Café of the Damned.” It quickly became apparent just how dedicated their fan base is, as even in the first song, perfectly timed hoots and hollers could be heard coming from the crowd. Audience participation continued throughout the show, from sing-alongs like “Phlugerville,” a tongue twister of a tune, to enthusiastic howling in lieu of applause after “The Dogs, They Really Miss You,” which the band suggested they try the next day at the Austin City Limits festival.
Parts of the show were more theatrical than others, though all of it straightforward and yet decidedly tongue-in-cheek. When it’s declared that the show is about to turn a bit religious in nature, the Lizards lead into a “gospel” tune entitled “Jesus Loves Me But He Can’t Stand You,” all about the nature of hypocrisy commonly found alongside religion. After a vignette about how the band was invited, in all likelihood mistakenly, to a Canadian folk music festival, and that the spirit of Leonard Cohen came to save them from the oncoming disaster, banjo player Tom Pittman emerged in a black turtleneck to deliver a deadpan performance of “Leonard Cohen’s Day Job.” It’s touches like these that raise the level of performance from funny to enlightened and hilarious, all while leaving their fans bobbing their heads and swinging their feet.
The level of insight seems to come as second nature to the Austin Lounge Lizards, but so does musicality. Each member sings, and does it well, as evidenced by the two tunes executed a capella, including their second encore. What’s more, fiddle, banjo, and guitar solos were just as common as the wisecracks delivered onstage. At one point, the band noted how they have been trying all these years to get away with being a bluegrass band that doesn’t actually play any bluegrass. Instead, the ensemble cranks out foot tappers that tie up Texas culture and pokes a finger at the ridiculous current events the state and the country get themselves into. Never was their act serious, and it was a complete delight.
by Marie Meyers
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Paramount Theatre
Austin, Texas
Joanna Newsom is one of those artists that is hard to place. Is she “freak folk”? Is she classical? Is she pop? Your guess is as good as anyone else’s. But what makes Newsom such a treat to listen to is how dynamic her music is. One song can have so many melodies and rhythms that it can seem like a daunting task to keep up. And, she plays the harp, which isn’t exactly common in the music mainstream nowadays. However, Newsom has proved herself to be a musician that does not rely on what has preceded her to make something innovative and strong. Newsom proved with her second album, Ys, that she was intent on not being grouped into a particular genre. Newsom also exhibited to her audience that she does not fret about playing especial long structures, notably on the track, “Only Skin,” which, sadly, she did not perform. For the Austin show, Newsom also recruited drummer Neal Morgan, who did all the percussion arrangements on her newest record, Have One On Me, and Ryan Francesconi, who also arranged and conducted the album.
Before her set, it was clear that the setting was perfect. Each row rose higher and higher toward the back of the theatre, giving every member of the audience a clear view of the show. Newsom opened with fan-favorite “The Book of Right-On,” but changed it up by adding percussion and banjo rather than staying with her harp-and-voice formula. Her voice was in top shape considering that in 2009, she contracted vocal cord nodes, and she was unable to sing/talk/cry for two months. The result: her voice lost some of its range but gained a softer, more eloquent tone. This was audible particularly on the song, “Sawdust and Diamonds,” which she played last after the band exited the stage. Her aforementioned voice-and-harp combination ended the show perfectly, and Newsom used her voice splendidly, showing that she has adjusted to her new range.
Newsom played a variety of songs ranging from her first album, The Milk-Eyed Mender, to her latest release, the two-hour, three-disc LP, Have One On Me. Her set, just inching over two hours, was like a spiritual, emotional journey. Each song takes you to a different place. Where exactly? It depends on the person. However, when Newsom plays, everything around her slowly disappears, and it seems as if she is playing a private show for the listener alone. On the song, “Go Long,” from her most recent release, it seemed as if everyone in the room disappeared. As she sang, “Who made you this way? Who made you this way? Who is going to bear your children?” it was almost like she was calling out to each member of the audience to re-examine their choices and seek absolution.
It’s not an overstatement to say that a Joanna Newsom show is anything less than an emotional experience. As people exited the venue, grown men and women were seen wiping away their tears. It’s just as well, considering that Newsom rarely tours, and rarely plays Austin. The last time she played in Austin was in 2006. But with a rare appearance comes a rare opportunity to see one of music’s most original acts today.
by Mark Lopez
Paramount Theatre
Austin, Texas
Before her set, it was clear that the setting was perfect. Each row rose higher and higher toward the back of the theatre, giving every member of the audience a clear view of the show. Newsom opened with fan-favorite “The Book of Right-On,” but changed it up by adding percussion and banjo rather than staying with her harp-and-voice formula. Her voice was in top shape considering that in 2009, she contracted vocal cord nodes, and she was unable to sing/talk/cry for two months. The result: her voice lost some of its range but gained a softer, more eloquent tone. This was audible particularly on the song, “Sawdust and Diamonds,” which she played last after the band exited the stage. Her aforementioned voice-and-harp combination ended the show perfectly, and Newsom used her voice splendidly, showing that she has adjusted to her new range.
Newsom played a variety of songs ranging from her first album, The Milk-Eyed Mender, to her latest release, the two-hour, three-disc LP, Have One On Me. Her set, just inching over two hours, was like a spiritual, emotional journey. Each song takes you to a different place. Where exactly? It depends on the person. However, when Newsom plays, everything around her slowly disappears, and it seems as if she is playing a private show for the listener alone. On the song, “Go Long,” from her most recent release, it seemed as if everyone in the room disappeared. As she sang, “Who made you this way? Who made you this way? Who is going to bear your children?” it was almost like she was calling out to each member of the audience to re-examine their choices and seek absolution.
It’s not an overstatement to say that a Joanna Newsom show is anything less than an emotional experience. As people exited the venue, grown men and women were seen wiping away their tears. It’s just as well, considering that Newsom rarely tours, and rarely plays Austin. The last time she played in Austin was in 2006. But with a rare appearance comes a rare opportunity to see one of music’s most original acts today.
by Mark Lopez
Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked
Cactus Café
Austin, Texas
Michelle Shocked is an East Texas native, as evidenced by the extremely high turnout, which left a line of Texans stretching far beyond the café doors before the show. Shocked indeed seemed at home with the crowd, and after a quick thanksgiving and a proclamation of how good it felt to be back at the Cactus, she began the night with a warning; her performances are sprinkled with interjections, and each tune has a story that should be delivered with it. She hoped her talking wouldn’t be too much for the audience. In fact it creates a connectedness to the music that was palpable throughout the evening.
Shocked first gave the stage over to her father’s bluegrass band Dollars, Taxes, of which her brother is also a part. They started the evening off with a Texas waltz and a few classic fiddle tunes. Her father, “Dollar Bill” Johnston, lead the group on mandolin and vocals, noting halfway through the set that both he and his daughter create much of their music by inventing lyrics for classic songs that have been played in the south for years, some of them, such as Shocked’s “Blackberry Blossom” and “Shaking Hands (Soldier’s Joy),” which the band would play mid-show.
Back on the stage after Dollars, Taxes, Shocked began with her classic, “When I Grow Up.” From the get-go, she revealed her dynamic stage presence. Armed with screams, howls, and chesty high notes, Shocked engaged her listeners and successfully entreated them to join her, the women with screams, and the men with bluesy grunts. The audience continued singing along right through to the intermission, with the likes of “Memories of East Texas,” and “Graffiti Limbo.” Before the break, however, Dollars, Taxes joined Shocked on stage to return to their collective bluegrass roots, backing her on several tunes including her hit “Prodigal Daughter,” during which she asked the packed house to dance, in their chairs if need be.
After a brief interlude which Shocked called “American Idle,” which included speakers from the Worker’s Defense Project and a tune from Louisiana artist Johanna Divine, Shocked came back for more. The show took a more personal turn, if that’s possible after the vignettes about prom, growing up, and personal experiences regarding social justice (or a lack thereof). Rather, Shocked wound up a packed evening with an analysis of her craft by way of a few good metaphors and a call to her “sweetheart,” artist David Willardson, to whom she sang a jazzy a capella song belonging to their joint project on indelible women, and a bout of dancing among the audience. As Shocked left the stage, the energy was palpable, and as intimate as the evening itself was.
by Marie Meyers
Cactus Café
Austin, Texas
Shocked first gave the stage over to her father’s bluegrass band Dollars, Taxes, of which her brother is also a part. They started the evening off with a Texas waltz and a few classic fiddle tunes. Her father, “Dollar Bill” Johnston, lead the group on mandolin and vocals, noting halfway through the set that both he and his daughter create much of their music by inventing lyrics for classic songs that have been played in the south for years, some of them, such as Shocked’s “Blackberry Blossom” and “Shaking Hands (Soldier’s Joy),” which the band would play mid-show.
Back on the stage after Dollars, Taxes, Shocked began with her classic, “When I Grow Up.” From the get-go, she revealed her dynamic stage presence. Armed with screams, howls, and chesty high notes, Shocked engaged her listeners and successfully entreated them to join her, the women with screams, and the men with bluesy grunts. The audience continued singing along right through to the intermission, with the likes of “Memories of East Texas,” and “Graffiti Limbo.” Before the break, however, Dollars, Taxes joined Shocked on stage to return to their collective bluegrass roots, backing her on several tunes including her hit “Prodigal Daughter,” during which she asked the packed house to dance, in their chairs if need be.
After a brief interlude which Shocked called “American Idle,” which included speakers from the Worker’s Defense Project and a tune from Louisiana artist Johanna Divine, Shocked came back for more. The show took a more personal turn, if that’s possible after the vignettes about prom, growing up, and personal experiences regarding social justice (or a lack thereof). Rather, Shocked wound up a packed evening with an analysis of her craft by way of a few good metaphors and a call to her “sweetheart,” artist David Willardson, to whom she sang a jazzy a capella song belonging to their joint project on indelible women, and a bout of dancing among the audience. As Shocked left the stage, the energy was palpable, and as intimate as the evening itself was.
by Marie Meyers
