Off the Record

Photo by Jay West

Smoke Signals

A grass fire in a parking area at the inaugural Big State Festival, hosted by C3 Presents this past weekend in Bryan-College Station, spread to more than 15 vehicles. No injuries were reported. Like Austin City Limits '07, the remainder of the festival went off without a hitch. Notable sightings included the father-son team of Jimmie Dale and Colin Gilmore defeating Robert Earl Keen in an A&M vs. Texas Tech cook-off, a wall of replicas of the state's largest bass, and Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty's stock cars, which drew as many fans as actual performances. See "Texas Platters" for a full review.