A 18 Island Moon December 14, 2011

By Ronnie Narmour

ronnienarmour@gmail.com

Three Chords and the Truth

Live Music

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Wednesday. Dec. 14th

Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge Forrest Wayne Allen @ Dr. RockitsThursday, Dec. 15th

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House Max Bemis/ Sherri Dupree @ House of Rock Fortunate Youth @ Executive Surf Club JB & the Moonshine Band/ Brian Burke @ Brewster Street Ice House John Cortez @ Dr. Rockits Blake Sparks @ Scuttlebutt’sFriday, Dec. 16th

Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Nethermedia presents “Toys for Tots” @ House of Rock Another Level @ Brewster Street Ice House Justin Estes @ Scuttlebutt’sSaturday, Dec. 17th

Slaid Cleaves @ Third Coast Theater Junior High Jinx/ Windchester/ This Years Fashion @ House of Rock Metal Shop @ Brewster Street Ice House Chris Watson @ Dr. Rockits Fabian Rivera @ Scuttlebutt’sSunday, Dec. 18th

Open Electric Jam w/ Rockin’ Ricke @ Tarpon Ice House Sunglasses & Mushrooms @ Dr. RockitsMonday, Dec. 19th

Acoustic Jam w/ Pake Rossi @ House of Rock Antone Perez Open Jam @ Dr. Rockits Kurt Grein @ Scuttlebutt’sTuesday, Dec. 20th

Open Mic w/ Rev. Matt Martinez @ House of Rock Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club Antone & Atomic Blues Band @ Dr. Rockits Clarissa Serna @ Revolution Bar and Grill Jason Phillips @ Scuttlebutt’sWednesday. Dec. 21st

Jared Pena @ House of Rock Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge Blindfold @ Dr. Rockits Destiny @ Scuttlebutt’sThursday, Dec. 22nd

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House Ballabajoomba Poetry Slam @ House of Rock John Cortez @ Dr. Rockits Fabian Rivera @ Scuttlebutt’s

Friday, Dec. 23rd

Cody Angel Band @ Hooks Bar-B-Q Ray T & the City Crew @

Flats Lounge Justin Storms @ House

of Rock Middle of the Road @

Brewster Street Ice House Another Level @ Dr.

Rockits Justin Estes @

Scuttlebutt’sSaturday, Dec. 24th

Cody Angel Band @ Hooks Bar-B-Q

7th Annual Tamale Dinner @ House of Rock

The Groove @ Dr. RockitsSunday, CHRISTMAS DAY

Open Electric Jam w/ Rockin’ Ricke @ Tarpon Ice House

10th Annual Equilize Christmas Show @ House of Rock

Steven James & the Shakedown @ Dr. RockitsMonday, Dec. 26th

Acoustic Night w. Ty Dietz @ House of Rock

Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Dr. RockitsTuesday, Dec. 27th

Open Mic w/ Rev Matt Martinez @ House of

Rock Jason Phillips @

Scuttlebutt’sWednesday. Dec. 28th

HOBO @ House of Rock Open Jam w/ Wolf Jaw @ Flats Lounge

Bad Chords @ Dr. Rockits Fabian Rivera @ Scuttlebutt’s

Thursday, Dec. 29th

Free Beer @ Tarpon Ice House Cody Johnson/ Curtis

Grimes @ Brewster Street Ice House

John Cortez @ Dr. Rockits Blake Sparks @

Scuttlebutt’sFriday, Dec. 30th

Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge

Bright Light Social Hour @ House of Rock

Five Card Draw @ Brewster Street Ice House

Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones @ Dr. Rockits

Jeff Wood @ Scuttlebutt’sSaturday, NEW YEAR’S EVE

Transistordale @ Tarpon Ice House Todd Dorn and the Sea Drifters @ Coast Club

Ray T and the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Jim Dugan @ Wild Horse

Richard Lockhart Band @ Hooks Bar-B-Q

Spazmatics @ Brewster Street

Makeshift New Year’s Dance Party @ House of

Rock Ruben V @ Dr. Rockits

Kurt Grein Band @ Scuttlebutt’s

It’s finally here. This is the final installment of 3C&T for 2011. You won’t get any “Top Ten Shows” or “Top Ten Bands” of 2011 out of me in this column. But, you will get a moment of sentiment and brief reflection. I appreciate all the people who have encouraged me to keep knocking out this column fortnight after fortnight. Believe me, I understand I’m not changing the course of human evolution here but being the only game in town has it’s advantages. I’m just happy that South Jetty stud, Dan Parker, doesn’t write about music or I’d be in trouble. I only hope that he stays content to cover city council meetings while I’m hanging out at the Back Porch judging doggie costume.

Thanks For a Great Year!It’s time to thank some folks. I want to

give a BIG shout out to the advertisers who have sponsored my column and not only stayed with me all year (and the year before) but more than did their part to support live music. Thank you Susan Powell (Back Porch), Paul Fain (Tarpon Ice House), Kip Shannon (Gaff), Big John & Lynda Coward (Flats Lounge), and Clyde & Laura Smith (Hooks BBQ)...you are the good guys and our music loving community is in your debt (as am I and I promise to pay my tab next week). Also, thanks to my boss, Dale Rankin. He is the one real pro amongst us hacks and his friendship and guidance are priceless.

The fact that Dale plays a pretty terrible harmonica is forgiven. And, let’s not forget our matriarch, Jan Rankin, who has the endless job of keeping this dog and pony show together. Without her, we got nothing. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t forgive Dale for his terrible harmonica playing and I encourage her to keep hiding them. Also, I want to thank Moon photographer Miles Merwin for accompanying me to a kazillion shows this year and always making me look good. Oh, and don’t forget my pal Mary Craft. Always our shining star, she’s a dedicated Moon Monkey and it wouldn’t be half the fun without her . And finally, thanks to Riley P. Dog for cleaning up every single morsel of food I dropped the entire year. Because of Riley, we have a cleaner planet and I don’t need to own a vacuum cleaner. He’s also the only canine friend of my grumpy wiener dog, Snarlin’ Peanut, and does a fine job of keeping her food bowls spotless.

I sincerely wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope Santa is good to you and that you are surrounded by the people you love. 2012 is only a blink away. Everyone be safe on New Year’s Eve (it’s amateur night with nothing but cops and drunks out there). Rest assured, I’ll be back next year to let you know what’s hot and what’s not. So, for the last last time in 2011 (drum roll please): Time’s a wasting, let’s roll...

Asleep at the WheelNine time Grammy recipient, Ray Benson

(Austin, TX), brought his world famous Western swing outfit, Asleep at the

Wheel, to the Brewster Street Ice House on December 3rd. The adorable Trishas (Austin, TX) did a fine job of opening the show. I hadn’t seen the Wheel in many years and jumped at the chance. When it comes to keeping the Bob Wills flame alive, no one has ever done it better than Asleep at the Wheel.

The 60 year old Philadelphia native, Benson actually formed the band in Paw Paw, WV in 1970. The band gained early recognition in Washington, D.C. opening shows for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna. Soon after they moved to Oakland, CA at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Their big break came when Van Morrison mentioned the band in a Rolling Stone interview which landed them a record deal with United Artist. They relocated to Austin in 1974 at the suggestion of Willie Nelson and the rest is history. Though the band’s line-up has morphed in the last 40 years, with a turnover of more than 90 musicians, Benson has always been the front man and driving force with over 20 studio albums to his credit.

The show at Brewster was classic Wheel. They ran through a tried and true set list with such gems as Boogie Back to Texas, Miles and Miles of Texas, Route 66, Way Down Texas Way, House of Blue Lights and Hot Rod Lincoln. I swelled with pride when the band broke into Cotton Eyed Joe/The Schottische and the line dancers filled the floor. I really had a great time watching the fabulous swing dancers all night long. The whole night had the feel of a real Texas dance hall and I easily envisioned the same setting at Gruene Hall or Luckenbach. The air was filled with fiddles and pedal steel and had the crowd of about 300 jumping. This was truly a fun show and really took me back to my early days in Austin and many a memorable night at the Split Rail, The Armadillo and Soap Creek Saloon.

DO NOT MISS LIST

New Year’s Eve in Port AHaving worked in bars for more years than I

care to remember has jaded my relationship with New Year’s Eve. Basically, I see it as knuckleheads on parade. At one point in my life, I could claim 14 straight New Year’s Eves where I found myself behind some bar at midnight, popping bottles for everyone else’s champagne toast and maybe getting a quick kiss on the cheek from a couple of waitresses. It was always a night for amateurs to over imbibe and put lamp shades on their heads. I even worked a bar in Austin (The South 40) that threw a New Year’s Eve party EVERY Thursday night. The idea was that at midnight on Thursday it became the weekend and that was reason enough to break out the bubbly, silly hats and noise makers. We did the whole deal up big EVERY single

week complete with countdown, balloon drops and confetti guns. They even made me jump around in a monkey suit spraying everyone with silly string. In short, when the clock strikes midnight and Prince starts whining about partying like it’s 1999, know that I’m so over it. But hey, don’t let me stop you. Party like rock stars but just take some good advice from an old pro, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!!! And since you probably will be drinking (if only to excess) your options are simple: either have a sober designated driver, walk (carefully), cab it, rent a limo, astral project or have Betty Bail Bond on speed dial.

If you plan to be in Port A for New Year’s, here’s what’s whoopin’ in the bars:

The Tarpon Ice House has the great band, Transistordale (San Antonio, TX) playing two nights...Saturday for New Years Eve and then again for the the weekly jam on Sunday. This is cool...very, very cool.

The Flat’s has Ray T and the City Crew (Aransas Pass, TX). This one will be guaranteed carnage. With Ray T on stage and Howie and Scotty behind the bar, life as we know it could become quite distorted. Be sure to wear closed toe shoes (and maybe shoulder pads).

Island fave, Todd Dorn and the Sea Drifters (San Antonio, TX) are playing the Coast Club, where the martini crowd gathers. They will also be having their annual High Heel Shoe Contest where they get a bunch of hotties up on the bar and “look at their shoes”...riiight. With a free

champagne toast at midnight, no cover and Todd Dorn, this could be really good.

Hook’s has the Richard Lockhart Band (Beeville, TX) This could be the safe bet for good music and big fun with minimal collateral damage. The Wild Horse has local songster Jim Dugan playing.

When I asked The Gaff if they were doing anything for New Year’s Eve, Kip’s reply was, “Hell no, that’s amateur night”...he’s also another jaded one. They will be having their annual Blackeyed Pea-Off on New Year’s Day, though. Judging starts around 4 PM. Neptunes is also keeping it low key with little fanfare.

Bernie’s and Sharkeys will be the places to be if you’re into traditional meat market bedlam for your New Year’s celebration. It will most likely be a tragically hip DJ spinning deafening guerilla dance music to a sea of frothing singles rapidly shooting Jager Bombs in hopes of getting lucky with anyone wearing beer goggles. A vision of “Charlie Sheen meets Amy Whinehouse at a disco in Sodom” comes to mind...you know, like Spring Break.

The Salty Dog will do what they do best...karaoke. I’m sure New Years Eve Karaoke at the Dog will be fairly hilarious, if not ridiculous, with all the big karaoke heavyweights (like Amy Meyers) in attendance. Lovett’s will also have karaoke with Russell Edge.

And that’s the truth!

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Tonight

The inner circle of Moon Monkeys: (L-R) Ronnie Narmour, Mary Craft, Dale Rankin, Jan Rankin, Miles Merwin, Snarlin’ Peanut and Riley P. Dog.

Photo by Jeff Craft

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

And to all a safe night!

New Year’s with Transistordale Saturday Night & Sunday321 N Alister * (361) 749-2337

New Year’s Day Lunch with

Transistordale & Friends

Come Join The Jam

Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel played Brewster Street Ice House on Dec. 3rd