We played to a packed-to-the-gills, sweaty Burke’s Pub for our Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards Showcase.  It became so crowded that it required a "one in, one out" policy. It was so amazingly fun!  Mostly because of all of you.

As always, we really appreciate everyone supporting not only us, but Omaha music, in general.  Kudos to Marq Manner for organizing this swell event!  And also to all the venues in Benson.  It was a really great weekend of music.

So, while we have your attention (presumably), you can vote for us in the “Country/Americana/Roots, etc., etc.” category.  Also, please feel free to place “Paying For Your Pleasure” in the “Album of the Year" category.  You have until Sept. 7.

http://www.oea-awards.com/

Thanks a million,

XOXO

--B.S.

On Sat. we headed into Austin to just hang out, and maybe have a pup put into Tim’s new mando--no such luck.  We walked the around 6^th St. area for a bit, and went into Waterloo Records.  Then we headed to the Warehouse District for lunch, but there was NOTHING open.  We finally found a neat little place called Annie’s.  As we ate there was a great debate about what to do next.  We headed down to South Congress.  BY now it was getting very warm.  We walked around, did some shopping, and we found a vendor selling cold drinks, and we enjoyed them in the shade of the truck’s awning. We fuelled up, got some ice, beer, and headed to the venue.  Roadhouse Rags was a cool, funky place.  Kate described it like this: “Imagine if your hippie aunt turned her backyard into a stage & recording studio, put on BYOB shows, and sold vintage clothes out of the house.”  That pretty much hits the nail on the head.  It was sweltering heat and high humidity, and K + K and Travis took to cool, intoxicating drinks early on in the evening.  Travis even took the cooler full of Lone Stars up to the stage with him.  There was a interesting opening band comprised of 50-something ladies.  The music was pretty raw, and was sort of garage-y, girl-group stuff.  The performance area was sheltered from the breeze that was blowing, so it was stifling.  Once or twice we caught a breeze and it was like the breath of an angel!  Thanks to Matt and Rebecca Tulis for coming, and Rebecca managed to get $20 in the tip jar for us—we owe you Bex!  We packed up, said our “good byes” to Kelli and Clay, and Tim drove us about 90 miles to Waco.

We headed for Tulsa on Sun. morning.  The café Kate wanted to eat at in Ft. Worth was not open on Sundays, so we got to an overcrowded IHOP.  A guy out front with the smokers said “GO across the street to Scotty’s diner.”  So we did.  Breakfast was great, and by the end of our meal our CD was being played on the diner jukebox.  

Going up I-35 we made a pit stop at the strangest place we could have found somewhere between Pauls Valley and Purcell, OK.  It was a tiny Shamrock station with exorbitant gas, nonfunctioning bathrooms, and evidently they sold things like wigs.  Not kidding! 

We made our way to Tulsey-town, with only one missed interchange.  Several of Travis’s family drove about 100 miles to see him, and a pair of local family came, too.  There were not many patrons other than this.  Nonetheless, Dixie Tavern staff treated us really well buying some drinks, and paying us a little bit.  We got to the hotel, and Tim decided to retire.  The others went to the nearby Village Inn for late night eats and pie.  We arrived at the room to no A/C.  It was a hotbox.  Kate finagled two rooms out of them.  Travis and Kat got the room with a jacuzzi.  Someone else was jealous.  It was amazing to soak and have the jets massage us.  All we needed to complete the scene was a bottle of Cristal and groupies, lots of hot groupies.

It was an early morning on Mon., as everyone was ready to be home.  We took US-75 straight north for about seven hours.  We arrived around 4:30, unloaded everything, and waited on rides.  All-in-all it was a good your.  We made some contacts, played for folks who otherwise would’ve never heard us, and learned a bit about booking our own tours, and each other.

Black Squirrels "Paying for Your Pleasure" (Nectar & Venom Records, 2008)

Have they hidden any tasty nuts?

With black squirrels now attacking grey squirrels in the UK and grey squirrels having all but killed off our native reds the question is: should we be welcoming any black squirrels into our lives? Well they do make a strong first impression. The sleeve is lovingly tooled and illustrated. The first song "30 Miles" instantly reminds me of the Walkabouts and the Handsome Family with its dark compelling folky sound. It's a good start, a very favourable first impression. They look a little like the Handsome Family too (well if you add another couple into the mix). They blend together traditional styles and instrumentation but unlike the Handsomes they don't add a twist of their own. The harmony, melody and structure of the country lament "I Took Your Name in Vain" is straight down the line. It is beautifully constructed and equally well performed.

The songs fly past like a revival meeting for the Bluegrass Society of Middle America. They have a middle class intellectualised air even though they seem to engage with the music. I can't help thinking there is a critical distance between concept and performance. I'm not sure why I think this and "After I Left" begins to dispel most of the nagging doubts. It's a deft song about parting and it is as melancholy as it is pretty and maybe I'd embrace it wholeheartedly if it wasn't for some unnecessary clarinet. I'm not convinced either by the alcohol fuelled "Whiskey Perfume". Kat Smith and Kate Williams seem to me to be the type of people who would be locking alcohol into a credenza maybe after a quick sherry rather than throwing whiskey down their throats.

Date review added:  Thursday, December 04, 2008
Reviewer:  David Cowling
Reviewers Rating: