If you’ve ever seen Josh Ritter live, he’ll periodically introduce this song with a warning to other songwriters. I’ll paraphrase: always think about how you’ll perform a song live when you write one filled with rapid fire lyrics. Here’s Ritter spitting out the lyrics of “Getting Ready to Get Down”.
Monday Morning Video – Roy Orbison
Hat tip to NPR and their current fundraising drive for reminding me of Roy Orbison’s greatness. Just take a look at the artists who came together to honor Orbison back in 1988. The background vocalists included Bonnie Raitt, kd lang, and J.D. Souther. The band included Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and T Bone […]
Monday Morning Video – John R. Miller
I caught John R. Miller and his band live a few weeks ago when they passed through NYC. It was my first time seeing him and he sure didn’t disappoint with a mighty fine mix of country and rock. This song – “Nobody Has to Know Your Mind” from 2023’s Heat Comes Down – was […]
Bonus Monday Morning Video – Wait, There’s Another Dallas Show?!
What’s better than one show in Dallas? How about two! Yup, before we gather in the back yard on April 28th, we’re gonna meet up at Double Wide, a Dallas institution, on the 24th for a big ol’ rock show. Tickets and info here. How’s this for a line-up: Here’s a video playlist to get […]
Monday Morning Video – Preview Our Upcoming Dallas House Show
Twangville invites you to join us for the next edition of our backyard concert series in Dallas, TX on 28 April. Details and RSVP here. Yeah, we’re biased – but it’s a great one. We’ve got three incredible artists converging on our stage in Dallas to swap songs and stories. It will be something special. […]
Monday Morning Video – Etta James, Dr. John, & Allen Toussaint
While picking out last week’s Allen Toussaint videos I stumbled across one with Toussaint, Dr. John, and Etta James. That led me to this unbelievable performance by James and Dr. John. The raw emotion from James is just… wow.
Monday Morning Video – Three from Allen Toussaint
I got sucked down the Toussaint rabbit hole this weekend. And what a rabbit hole it is. The legendary New Orleans songwriter, producer, and musician has influenced so many during his illustrious career. Here are a trio of Toussaint compositions that became staples for other artists: “What Do You Want the Girl to Do” (Bonnie […]
SXSW 2024 – Say What?!
One of my favorite things about SXSW (well, after the music) are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from SXSW 2024. Concert, hit play. Matthew Caws kicking off his set a few minutes early That’s how I do the requests. I just wait for someone to […]
SXSW 2024: The Sounds, Part 3
The Lottery Winners My last official SXSW set was delivered by one of my fave new artist discoveries – England’s The Lottery Winners. The band’s energy, combined with the positivity of their songs, made for a cathartic experience. Ben Kweller Kweller treated a Friday night crowd to a set filled with rockin’ fan favorites. Power […]
SXSW 2024: The Sounds, Part 2
Alejandro Escovedo I’d like to say that Escovedo is the elder statesman of SXSW, which he undoubtedly is, but it really doesn’t do him justice. He rocked SXSW as hard, arguably harder, than musicians a fraction of his age. I caught him three times through the week, each appearance unique. The stand-out was a small […]