http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7rVkLex-XA

I debated all day about going to Saluté tonight. I really wanted to. Steve was playing, of course. I hadn't seen Steve play for several months now, and I really needed a fix. Especially considering his condition these days. On the other hand, my lazy nature prefers for me to sit at home watching movies or listening to music.

In the end, my love of music won out and I dragged my lazy ass over to N. St. Mary's Street just in time to greet Steve and the boys in the parking lot and wish them the best. And the best is what they gave the crowd.

Those who have never seen Steve play may not really understand this. Those lucky few who have, well, you should have been there.

Steve (Esteban) Jordan is 70 years old now, and battling cancer. He is in constant pain. He spends most of his time resting these days. If he had his way, he'd be over at The Coast fishing every day of the week. But every Friday he returns to Saluté and does what he was born to do. He plays the accordion. He sings, too, and puts on a hell of a show.

I've been following Steve Jordan for several years now, and had the pleasure of seeing him perform at his peak. But do you know what? His performances these days are no less electifying, no less astounding. While I may have always marveled at his speed and energy, I now marvel at his musicality, his genius. What he has lost in dexterity and endurance he has made up for in creativity and spontaneity. Instead of wondering, "How does he do that?," I now wonder "How does he come up with that?"

The genre is one that many do not know or understand, Tejano Conjunto. I happened to grow up with this music, so I get it. But Steve is so much more than Tejano that music lovers of all stripes have come to love and admire his music.

I'm glad I dragged myself over to Saluté tonight. Anyone from within spitting distance of San Antonio should make it a point to do the same one Friday fairly soon. I really don't know how many more of these shows we will have the honor of having.

Last night marked the triumphant return of Fastball to their home turf after their month-long tour following the release of "Little White Lies."

I'd been to The Parish Room once before, during SXSW earlier this year. The band playing then sucked so I didn't stick around much. It's a large, open space on the second floor, easy to miss from 6th street as the street front is only a door. My brother, my sister-in-law and I met up with Wisefish, an old Small Stars friend. Amazingly, she had never seen Fastball live before, but decided (after listening to "Little White Lies") to make the trip to Austin to catch them. We all got there in time to catch the opening band, which was a mistake. It was a local metal band that obviously had their amps turned up to 11. Luckily, I had ear plugs in my camera bag, enough to pass around among our group. Fortunately, they only played 45 minutes. Then it was time for the main act.

By then the crowd was pretty big. We also noticed a few other Fastball regulars had arrived. Shelly was there, along with her family (the website did say "all ages"). Blogger Cindy Royal (onthatnote.com) was there, too. Surprisingly, Nese appeared to be M.I.A.

Fastball came on around 10:15. They wasted no time getting down to business, immediately launching into "Little White Lies." The Parish sound system is really good and Fastball's sound guy Allan was on the job, so needless to say the sound was excellent. From "Little White Lies" they segued into "Fire Escape." Then Miles entertained the crowd with a story.

It was obvious the guys were glad to be home. Although the band was tight, the guys were loose. There was lots of banter between the band and the audience. Everyone was having a great time. There were some truly hilarious moments, some of which were captured on camera. Miles joked about driving in the beltway and about having the Swine Flu (he did have a cold). Tony asked the crowd to be quiet during the piano intro to "The Way" only to find out... Well, you'll have to see it for yourself. Classic Tony moment.

Highlights included "Angelie" (my new favorite Fastball song), "Little White Lies" (powerful song), and "Whatever Gets You On" (don't hear that one live too often).

There were no broken strings last night*, but at the end of the regular set, Miles apparently blew out his amp. They closed with "Always Never" and Miles did his usual crazy jumping around at the end, leaving his guitar leaning on his amp making a feedback sound. When they came back on for the encore, it was dead. He had to use Tony's amp and Tony went to the keyboard and they played "You're An Ocean" and finally Supergrass's "Alright." We saw the setlist afterwards and they had intended to play "Are You Ready For The Fallout." Damn. I really wanted to hear that one. Oh, well, maybe next time.

I had my gear and recorded the show, but sadly something happened and only the left channel got recorded, so the recording is mono (except for "Fire Escape", which for some reason turned out fine). I also shot video of most of the show (three songs were left out due to arm fatigue). I'll start posting video clips on YouTube soon, but for now everyone should check out Cindy Royal's post with a few photos and some video clips.

Fastball
May 23, 2009
The Parish Room
Austin

Miles Zuniga - Vocals, guitar
Tony Scalzo - Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Joey Shuffield - Drums
Cory Glaeser - Bass, vocals

01 Little White Lies >
02 Fire Escape
03 She's Got The Rain
04 Vampires
05 Out Of My Head
05 Sooner Or Later
06 Lou-ee Lou-ee
07 The Malcontent
08 Whatever Gets You On
09 All I Was Looking For Was You
10 'Til I Get It Right
11 Angelie
12 Soul Radio
13 The Way
14 Always Never
[encore]
15 You're An Ocean
16 Alright (Supergrass)

* I was later corrected on this point. Miles did break a string, during "Fire Escape." It's clearly visible on the video I shot. I just failed to notice it. He switched from the Les Paul to the SG after that, but I thought it was just because he preferred it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddAyQno5eAs

Is this a fantasy? From Musica, Akron, Ohio on 5/05/2009.

Most people know that I was in Austin this past week. I was imposing myself on my brother and his family (hey, what are brothers for?) and getting into SXSW. I saw more music acts than I can remember.

I didn't have a real camera with me. I had my iPhone.

I tried to document every show I saw with my iPhone camera. I missed a few, most notably Billy Harvey. But here are the ones I did capture. Most of the photos are pretty crappy. Still, I think they're worth looking at. If you do so, I suggest you do it in order.

Oh, it's a Picasa Web Album. Which means you have to leave MySpace and go to Google. It's o.k. They already know all about you.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jasalinas/SXSW2009FromAnIPhone#

Hit "slideshow" or you can scroll through them.

You can see it as a video, with a soundtrack, but no individual photo identifications, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80xPRVLwWPg

You should do both.

2006 was the year of The Small Stars.

For those unfamiliar with the story, The Small Stars were actually formed in late 2004 by singer, songwriter and guitarist Miles Zuniga (of Fastball) and his long-time friend Jeff Groves. The band has been described as a virtual Austin all-star lineup. It included guitar virtuoso Landis Armstrong (El Orbits, Paula Nelson Band); bassist Jeff Johnston (Li'l Cap'n Travis); drummer John Bush (New Bohemians); multi-instrumentalist Matt Hubbard (Willie Nelson Family) and vocalist Nakia.  Their early shows were truly unique and really difficult to describe. They didn't just play music, they put on a show. "Rock 'n roll vaudeville" is what it's been called, I guess for lack of a better description. It was a show within a show; the band was supposedly from Reno, on the lam for some mysterious reason, managed by a really shady character. Each of the band members assumed a fictional identity and dressed and acted the part. The songs almost exclusively dealt with sleazy topics from drinking to gambling to infidelity. Their shows often featured special guests, like the bendable girls, Bubble & Squeek, or the sultry singer Cella Blue. They regularly had a comedian, Vinnie Lombardi, and a magician, Magic Mike, performing during the intermission. Sadly, I only became aware of the Small Stars in late 2005 and only got to experience a handful of these shows.

As time went on and The Small Stars became more of a regional act than a local one, the show inevitably changed. After all, you can't very well tour with 10 or 11 people. They became more of a rock 'n roll band with a humorous back story than a Vegas-style vaudeville lounge act. And I think that's when they really gelled as a band.

I got my first video camera in late 2006 and began recording their shows whenever I could. I've put a few clips from these early shows up on YouTube before, but there is a fair amount of footage that has never gotten a proper treatment. Until now.

I've just finished working on my recording of The Small Stars' short set at Gruene Hall on December 30, 2006, when they opened for Joe Ely and Double Trouble. The set was just under an hour long and showcased several of the new songs that would be featured on their new record, "Tijuana Dreams" released a few months later. This was the new Small Stars, a leaner, meaner, tighter outfit. Manager Vic Odin (Nakia) was gone. Father Max Dolby (Matt Hubbard) had been replaced by Red Rojas (Justin Sherburn). But the spirit of The Small Stars, the irreverence and humor and love for the music, was as strong as ever.

The crowd at Gruene Hall was mostly there for Texas legends Joe Ely and Double Trouble. But Guy Fantasy and the boys had no trouble at all getting them worked up and getting them to appreciate their unique brand of music. Following a somewhat tentative reception (Who are these guys?) the crowd was genuinely enthusiastic for the entire set. I remember fairly brisk action at the Small Stars merch table after their set. Quite a few new Small Stars fans were made that night.

So here it is. The Small Stars at Gruene Hall, December 30, 2006. I've embedded the first clip below. Here is the link for the rest of the set. Enjoy.

http://www.vimeo.com/album/43385


The Small Stars @ Gruene Hall - 01 "Let's Hit The Town" from Jose A Salinas on Vimeo.

It seems that I have been assigned the task of reporting on this past weekend at the South Padre Island International Music Festival. So I guess I'll give it a go.

Some weeks back we learned that Fastball would be playing the Second Annual SPI Music Fest. Several fans started making plans for meeting down there for a weekend of music and fun. In the end, Erik, Shinobiman, QGirl and I all made it. It's always wonderful to see QGirl, who made it down from New York. As usual, it was a blast being around her. It was great to see Tyler again, too, whom I think I had last seen back in March at the very short Sholz Garten show. This was the first time I'd met Eric, who made it all the way from North Carolina. It was good to finally put a face (and voice) to the name. It was really cool hanging out with all of them.

South Padre Island is, well, South. Really, really south. In fact, it's pretty much the furthest south you can go in Texas and still be in the US. It's a small beach resort community on a long, thin barrier island just off the Gulf Coast. The place is packed during Spring Break and the Summer high season, but it was pretty quiet this fall weekend.

As we checked into our hotel Friday afternoon, we were surprised to see Miles walking down the hall. Turns out the band members and their families (and pets) were all staying there, too. We ran into them off and on throughout the weekend, which made things fun and interesting. It seemed there was always a surprise whenever the elevator doors opened.

The festival was a three day event. That first evening we went out to see the Paula Neslon Band (http://www.myspace.com/paulanelsonband). Paula is Willie Nelson's daughter and a great singer in her own right. Her band features Landis Armstrong (of The Small Stars) on lead guitar. The music was really good (if you like country music) but the venue was crowded and it was hard to get a good vantage point. From there we went to the big stage to see Ghostland Observatory. I think we all agreed that their electronic dance stuff was not our cup of tea, but their laser light show was pretty cool.

Saturday was the big day, of course. Eric & I decided to check out a few of the early shows. First up was Suzanna Choffel (http://www.myspace.com/suzannachoffel). I loved her quirky jazzy vocal style and the truly unique sound of her band. The band includes the amazing Laura Scarborough on vibes, keyboards and accordion and Brad Houser on baritone sax. Really cool stuff.

Next up was Del Castillo, a Latin-flavored rock band featuring twin acoustic classical guitars (http://www.myspace.com/delcastillo). They were pretty amazing, too, but we had to leave a bit early to catch up with the others.

We all met back up for a bite to eat then split up again. I went to check out Alejandro Escovedo for some awesome all-out rock 'n roll (http://www.myspace.com/alejandroescovedo). The others went to see Blue Öyster Cult. More cowbell, baby.

I then went on to Club Pelican West, the venue Fastball would be playing at. The club is modern, clean and roomy, and has a really good sound system. I got there in time to catch most of Nakia's act (http://www.myspace.com/nakia). Nakia is another former Small Star, having portrayed Vic Odin, vocalist and money-hungry manager for the band. He has since gone out on his own and started a band he calls Nakia And His Southern Cousins. He's an outstanding singer, with a soulful, bluesy, gospel sound that's unmistakable. They did a fantastic rendition of The Beatles' A Little Help From My Friends, the Joe Cocker arrangement.

Then it was time for Fastball. By this time, the club, which had been slowly filling up, was pretty packed. The band came on stage a bit after 10. Right off the bat, Miles urged those present, who were sitting at tables or standing around the bar in back, to fill in the space up front. Slowly, people drifted up there and before long the floor was crowded with people standing, swaying, dancing to the music.

They started off with a bang, launching into 'Til I Get It Right, then went right into Little White Lies and Fire Escape. The band was tight and the sound was good. The crowd was loving it, too. Tony and Miles both sounded great on vocals and guitar. Joey played his usual solid set. Bruce was great, too, again adding those cool harmony vocals. Kevin Lovejoy joined them ..boards for the fifth number, The Modern World. The crowd really got into it when they went into You're An Ocean. Other crowd favorites, of course, were Out Of My Head and The Way. It was funny to hear someone behind me commenting, "They play this one?" when they got into Out Of My Head. And it's always cool to see the crowd react to The Way. I think the number of people on the floor doubled during that one.

The setlist had its share of surprises, too. Besides the expected hits and the selection of new songs, they pulled out Wind Me Up and Time from The Harsh Light Of Day. Both of these numbers absolutely rocked. And then, when they came back for an encore, they started with the seldom-played Rampart Street. As the final guitar chord faded away, Joey launched into the unmistakable drum beat of Red Light. I had never heard Fastball do that one before. (I have seen The Small Stars do it, though.) The band were clearly enjoying themselves with this one, which got Tony back ..boards and had Kevin playing melodica for the horn parts. It was really cool.

The entire set was just over an hour in length, too short for me. Still, it was one of the best Fastball shows I remember seeing. Maybe it was because it had been two months since I'd seen them play (I know, I shouldn't complain). Maybe it was because of the fun time I had experiencing the show with Annie, Tyler and Eric. Maybe it was simply because they kicked some serious ass. Judging by the reactions of those around us, the rest of the SPI Music Fest crowd seemed to think so, too.

We left the island reluctantly Sunday morning. However, the long drive back to San Antonio seemed much shorter than usual, largely due to the great company. We reminisced about the weekend and other Fastball shows past, and agreed we would have to get together again in the very near future.

Fastball
November 1, 2008
Club Pelican West
South Padre Island International Music Festival
South Padre Island, Texas

Miles Zuniga - Vocals, guitar
Tony Scalzo - Vocals, guitar, keyboard
Joey Shuffield - Drums
Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals
Kevin Lovejoy - Keyboards, melodica

01 'Til I Get It Right
02 Little White Lies >
03 Fire Escape
04 Mono To Stereo
05 The Modern World
06 She's Got The Rain
07 You're An Ocean
08 Don't Give Up On Me
09 Lou-ee Lou-ee
10 All I Was Looking For Was You
11 Wind Me Up
12 Out Of My Head
13 Time
14 The Way
15 Always Never
16 Rampart Street
17 Red Light

Yesterday I visited a place I had never been, saw something I had never seen and heard something I had never heard.

Lakeway is a community on the shore of Lake Travis, west of Austin. Basically built around a golf course, there isn't a straight piece of road in the place. Lakeway Resort is on a hillside overlooking the lake, which means you have to negotiate all the hilly, curvy streets to get there. Good thing I had a GPS with me, or I would never have found the place.

The resort is beautiful, of course. The centerpiece, and the place where the show was held, is the large three-tiered swimming pool. Imagine three long, rectangular pools stacked one on top of the other, overlooking the lake. The stage was set up between the pools and the lake, making it quite an interesting sight.

I got there fairly early; early enough to see the band setting up on the little stage next to the hot tub. The idea of Fastball playing next to the Hot Tub made me chuckle (a joke only hardcore Small Stars fans will get). As the band went through their sound check, I noticed Miles playing a few licks from "Wind Me Up." I thought that was interesting. They then ran through "Always Never" without the bass (Bruce's bass hadn't arrived yet). I also noticed that Miles and Tony were wearing swimming trunks. Sure enough, as soon as the sound check was done, they took a quick dip in the pool to cool off.

Bruce's bass arrived just in time for a quick tuning, then the band came on to start the show. By this time, the weather, which had been hot, muggy and overcast, turned into hot, muggy and rainy. Thankfully, the shower was light and brief, and didn't affect the start of the show.

By showtime, the pools were pretty crowded. I wonder if the guys had ever played in front of a couple of hundred "half-naked people" as Tony commented. Those of us not in the water were relegated to a few rows of chairs set up along the side of the stage (across from the hot tub). Surprisingly, despite the strange angle, the sound was pretty good. I was seated stage left, and since the majority of the people were toward that direction, the main speakers were pointed in my direction. Hey, I didn't complain.

This was one of the most enjoyable Fastball shows I've been to, and I wasn't even drinking. Everywhere you looked, people were relaxing, beach balls were bouncing and kids were running around. This was clearly a party atmosphere. The guys were loose and having a good time, too. But that doesn't mean the music suffered. In fact, this was one of the best played shows I've seen. Rather, it seems that they felt free to improvise more, turning some songs into all-out jams and throwing us a curve every now and then.

The first curve ball came just four songs into the set, when they launched into "Wind Me Up," with its unmistakable intro. So that's why Miles was playing it during the sound check! That was something I had never heard before. It's a tricky number, with all those time changes, and Tony did get caught once. They quickly recovered, though, and I think they did a great job on it.

Later during the show I heard bits of "I've Got A Feeling," "Electric Avenue," "Tequila" and even "Gypsies Tramps And Thieves."

Tony broke a string during "Always Never." Fortunately, he had another guitar handy, so it only took him a few minutes to get the replacement. It interrupted the flow, though, and threw Miles off for just a bit. So naturally he improvised with a whole new guitar solo. It was great. When Tony got back, they just picked up where they had left off.

Even "The Way" took on a new life, as Tony decided to prolong the silence after the first guitar solo, taking a sip of his Dos Equis while the crowd cheered. Miles started a new guitar riff, and eventually they picked up the song and finished it off.

And everywhere, it seemed, the guitar solos were longer and more interesting.

During "The Keys To Your Heart" the wind picked up, the sky grew dark, and drops started falling. By the time they had finished the song, it was pretty clear the clouds were about to burst. Sadly, the show had to end. They hurried off the stage as the crew covered up the equipment. I hauled ass to my car just in time to avoid getting soaked.

I smiled all the way home. This is why I love this band.

Fastball
August 17, 2008
Lakeway Resort & Spa
Lakeway, TX

Tony Scalzo - Lead vocals, guitar
Miles Zuniga - Lead vocals, guitar
Joey Shuffield - Drums
Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals

01 All I Was Looking For Was You
02 Little White Lies >
03 Fire Escape
04 Wind Me Up
05 She's Got The Rain
06 You're An Ocean
07 Vampires
08 'Til I Get It Right
09 We'll Always Have Paris
10 Out Of My Head
11 Always Never
12 The Modern World
13 Don't Let Me Down
14 The Way
15 The Keys To Your Heart (The 101ers)

An audio recording of the last (so far) Small Stars show is now available at the Live Music Archive. You can stream it or download it in mp3, flac or other formats.

www.archive.org/details/SmallStars2008-06-14.flac16

This is my first ever soundboard/audience matrix recording. I patched into the soundboard for one recording and used my Core Sound High End Binaural microphones for the other. I then mixed the two. It sounds really good.

Look for a three camera video soon. We're still tweaking it. When it's ready we'll probably put it up on Vimeo, maybe YouTube. And there will be a DVD.

Also, the audio recording of Fastball's White Rabbit set is available.

http://www.archive.org/details/fastball2008-06-27.flac16

San Antonio really is lame. Yes, I live here, and believe me I wish it weren't true. That's why I spend so much time in Austin. I'm not making excuses for my fellow San Antonians. But it does explain a lot about last night's Fastball show at The White Rabbit.

The whole idea of Fastball playing a show at The White Rabbit seemed a bit incongruous. The White Rabbit used to be a haven for up-and-coming indie rock bands but over the last several years it's become a hangout for young punk metalheads. The bands that play there are usually second-rate local metal bands. Still, I did see Spoon there a couple of years ago, so they occasionally have good music.

The night began strangely when, as Nese and I approached the gate, a guy standing outside asked us, almost in a whisper, if we had a pack of Camel Cigarettes. Were we supposed to know a secret password or something? We, of course, said "no" and he directed us to the ticket booth. Once in the courtyard, there were Camel Cigarette ads and booths set up all around. Turns out the concert was sponsored by Camel. Who knew?

We got there late enough that we missed the first opening band, and only had to endure half of the second one's set. The third opener was actually not terrible. Still, I was glad I had earplugs on me (and an extra set for Miles when he walked in).

Fastball came on stage around 11:15, as Led Zeppelin's "In The Light" played on the PA. As the overhead music faded, Bruce went right into the bass intro to "Little White Lies." The sound was boomy and bassy, as might be expected from a place like The White Rabbit. Still, the sound guy did a great job of balancing things out. From there they went straight into "Fire Escape," which brought a round of applause from the audience once they recognized the song. The rest of the set was a nice mix of old hits and new songs. Highlights were a rousing rendition of "She's Got The Rain," a great guitar duo on "Don't Give Up On Me," and really great versions of "Always Never" and "Mono To Stereo." I really like those two new songs.

I sound like a broken record here, but I can't say enough about Bruce Hughes' contribution to this band. His bass playing is impeccable and his vocals are amazing. Sometimes he just fills out the sound, and other times he expands it and enhances it. He has truly been a great addition.

This show was definitely one of the more interesting Fastball shows I've seen. There was more improvisation and ad libbing from the band than usual. "The Modern World" started with Miles on vocals solo for the first verse, Tony joining in on the second. Even "The Way" was given a new twist with an extended guitar intro. It's always interesting to see the crowd reaction when they start playing this one. It usually takes them a while to realize what it is; as recognition sets in, people suddenly start clapping and cheering. In this case, one couple even started dancing in the middle of the floor.

Near the end of the set, Miles announced that he really didn't feel like putting his guitar down, going off stage and then coming back to do an encore. Instead, they would assume we wanted an encore and just play through. The pseudo-encore started with "Soul Radio," which sounded really good. The set list showed "Get Yourself Together" and "Crawling From The Wreckage" after that, but some kid came up to the stage and requested "Freebird." Miles refused to play it, but much to everybody's surprise, instead launched into Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The rest of the band followed suit and they pulled it off. It actually sounded great. Afterwards, Miles told me had had heard the song on the way down to SA and, although he loves the song, he hates the arrangement, and had always wanted to do it himself.

So, why was it lame? First off, the crowd was rather small. A small crowd can still be a good crowd, but San Antonio crowds are notoriously quiet and unresponsive. With the exception of a few die-hard fans, who were up against the stage, dancing and clearly enjoying themselves, most of those present were standing around or wandering in and out of the place. It's a shame, really. It's hard enough to get good music in San Antonio. When we do get a kick-ass band like Fastball to come do a show, and they get the reception they do, it further cements our reputation as a musical dead zone. It's not very likely Fastball will be playing The White Rabbit again any time soon.

Oh, well. At least Austin is only 80 miles away.

Fastball
June 27, 2008
The White Rabbit
San Antonio

Tony Scalzo - Vocals, guitar
Miles Zuniga - Vocals, guitar
Joey Shuffield - Drums
Bruce Hughes - Bass, vocals

01 intro (In The Light recording)
02 Little White Lies >
03 Fire Escape
04 She's Got The Rain
05 You're An Ocean
06 Vampires
07 Rampart Street
08 All I Was Looking For Was You
09 Out Of My Head
10 Lou-ee Lou-ee
11 Don't Give Up On Me
12 The Modern World
13 Always Never
14 'Til I Get It Right
15 The Way
16 Mono To Stereo
17 White Noise
[pseudo-encore]
18 Soul Radio
19 Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen)