Backyard, Saturday 2
Shawn Colvin’s sweet, soothing voice, and the lone accompaniment of her
acoustic, are the only gentle stirrings on the re-issue of a 1988 concert in
Somerville, MA – Live ’88, out now on Plump. No word yet whether Colvin will have a
backing band for her first live Austin gig since the spring, but having been in
the studio working on a new album, she’ll no doubt have more than a few
surprises up her sleeveless. Timbuk 3 open.
LATINAS Y MUSICA
Scholz Garten, Friday 1
A good season for Isla Mujeres Productions, who round out their season with
one last “Latinas y Musica” show, this one featuring the talents of UT doctoral
candidate and traditional Spanish music archivist Rachel Cruz, and
cumbias, banderas, and harangas by Brenda Hidalgo with
expert backing by Henry Galarza y Los Romanticos. Baila!
JAMES POLK
Cedar Street, Friday 1
Every time I go to the Elephant Room with Jay Trachtenberg, I invariably find
myself asking the jazz maestro and longtime Chronicle writer “who’s
that?” The answer always comes back the same: “He’s one of Polk’s students.”
See for yourself why this pianist and Southwest Texas State University
professor is the guru of Austin’s jazz scene. Play it, brother James.
LABOR DAY BLUES REVUE
Victory Grill, Friday 1- Sunday
3
Since the passing of Erbie Bowser, seems as though T.D. Bell’s Blues
Specialists are playing around Austin more, which is good, since many locals
still have the blues over Bowser’s passing. And blues is just what you can
expect on this three-day stand, which features Marvin Crowe and Chicago’s
Charles Wilson in addition to Bell’s weeping guitar.
THE GOURDS, THE BARBERS
Flipnotics, Saturday 2
The tag around town for the Gourds is “Austin’s version of The Band,” and who
am I to argue – especially after listening to their KUT “Live Set” over and over. Someone tell
Garth Hudson that Richard Manuel is back, and the two of ’em are apparently in
this fast-rising rootsy-acoustic local band. Barbers open.
TEDDY & THE TALLTOPS
Jovita’s, Saturday 2
Elvis has left the building. But fret not, his good friend Ted Roddy has come
through the back door with his new Hightone release in hand, Full
Circle. Just the deep-voiced, roots-rockabilly we’ve come to expect from
this Naughty One, the new album gets a run- through at this favorite South
Austin Mexican eatery, with Dancing Room Only on the tables.
SUSANNA SHARPE BRAZILIAN TRIO
Manuel’s, Sunday 3
Conventional wisdom sez that Susanna Sharpe’s Brazilian Independence Day
party
at Liberty Lunch on Thursday 7 is the way to go as far as seeing the chanteuse
before her maternity leave puts her out of commission for a while. Damn
convention! I’m opting for an easy-going Sunday brunch at Manuels with Sharpe’s
swinging little alter trio. Bring kids and an appetite.
TRIO BLANC
Elephant Room, Sunday 3
Gentle gypsy jazz from this Dallas-based trio, who mix Django with Astrud
Gilberto and Gershwin. Smoky, Euro-cafe Thirties music with a taste for gin and
romance. Beatniks and poets, take note.
RITES OF STRING
Backyard, Monday 4
For your Labor Day off we prescribe a generous helping of Al Dimeola’s
smoking
fusion guitar, a dollop of Stanley Clarke’s bubbling bass, and three miles of
string from Jean-Luc Ponty’s violin.
CHRISTINE ALBERT
Regents Plaza, Tuesday 5
The Downtown Management Organization’s free noontime concert series re-fires
its engines with Christine Albert, whose recent release Underneath the Lone
Star Sky might have been forgotten in the rush for records by Betty Elders,
Abra Moore, and Toni Price, which would be a shame since this C&W singer
can land a lariat around your heart quicker than you can say “high lonesome.”
Look for W.C. Clark (9/12), Texana Dames (9/19), and Extreme Heat (9/26) to
round out September’s Tuesdays.
THE TOPP TWINS
Cactus Cafe, Thursday 7
Hard to believe that Lynda and Jools Topp (identical twins) have never been
to
the land of Texas. After all, these two New Zealanders showcase a mighty love
for country music, and yodeling – someone be sure to lead them to the temple of Don Walser. And with these two
weaving harmony lines with a familial telepathy reminiscent of Nashville’s
Delevantes (brothers there), could be that perhaps Gram Parsons and Emmylou
Harris were brother and sister without anyone knowing it.
A NIGHT OF RECKONING
Continental Club, Thursday 7
Last week, Lee Nichols profiled alternative country upstart Kevin Welch in
these pages, and the Nashville singer-songwriter’s new label, Dead Reckoning.
This week, we get the actual label at the Continental. Featuring Welch and
label signees Kieran Kane, with his blugrass rock & roll, and
fiddler/mandoliner Tammy Rogers’ Texas folk, this roster showcase will indeed
be a night of reckoning for anyone enamored of the same ol’ C&W/roots
thang.
LOW, COMET
Emo’s, Thursday 7
Now this is alternative – to Emo’s at least. Even more somber than Codeine (the group, not the drug) or
lithium (the drug, not the group), and infinitely more Nico & Velvets than
Mazzy Star, Low’s Alan Sparhawk, and Mimi Parker (from Minnesota) define the
word minimalist with their Vernan Yard release Long Division, prompting
me to think that plenty of candles are in order here. Denton’s Comet open. ALSO PLAYING
Friday: Robert Earl Keen, Backyard; Collective Soul,
Rusty, Liberty Lunch; Dale Watson, Broken Spoke
Saturday: Omar & the Howlers, Antone’s
Sunday: Fuck Emos, Tallboy, Electric Lounge
Monday: Danny Gatton Guitar-a-Thon, Continental Club
Tuesday: Troy & Scrappy, Hole in the Wall
Wednesday: Velvet Hammer, White Rabbit
Thursday: Billy Eli & Lost in America, Trophy’s
This article appears in September 1 • 1995 and September 1 • 1995 (Cover).