stoneposts

Upcoming Shows

2009-07-31T09:29:00.070-05:00

08/01 - The Tontons @ Cactus Music (free in-store)
08/01 - Houston International Jazz Festival @ Discovery Green
08/01 - Counting Crows @ The Showgrounds
08/01 - William Fitzsimmons @ Mango's
08/01 - Guy Forsyth @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
08/01 - Charlie Daniels Band @ Woodlands Pavilion
08/01 - Beausoleil @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
08/01 - Shake Russell @ The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe (Galveston)
08/02 - Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson/John Mellencamp @ Woodlands Pavilion
08/04 - The Legendary Shack Shakers/Bobby Bare Jr. @ Rudyard's
08/04 - Billy Joe Shaver @ Dosey Doe's
08/04 - Jon Hogan @ Last Concert Cafe
08/05 - Jason Boland @ Firehouse Saloon
08/05 - Adam Carroll @ Puffabellys
08/07 - Two Tons of Steel @ Firehouse Saloon
08/07 - Bonnie Bishop @ the Mucky Duck
08/08-08/09 - Free Press Summer Fest @ Eleanor Tinsley Park
08/08 - Franz Ferdinand @ Toyota Center
08/08 - Chris Isaak @ Verizon Theater
08/08 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
08/08 - Bob Schneider/T-Bird & the Breaks @ Warehouse Live
08/09 - Hamilton Loomis @ the Mucky Duck
08/11 - Lise Liddell/Lance Smith/Mike Stinson/Teresa Kolo @ the Mucky Duck
08/12 - Gary P. Nunn @ Puffabellys
08/14 - Stoney LaRue @ Firehouse Saloon
08/14 - Toni Price @ the Mucky Duck
08/14 - Adam Carroll/Matt Harlan @ the Old Quarter
08/15 - Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
08/15 - Bonnie Bishop @ Dosey Doe's
08/15 - Jesse Dayton @ the Old Quarter
08/16 - Texas Johnny Boy/Milton Hopkins @ the Mucky Duck
08/16 - Two Star Symphony @ Super Happy Fun Land
08/19 - Country Jim Sloan @ Dosey Doe's
08/21 - Rebirth Brass Band @ Warehouse Live
08/21 - Yvonne Washington @ Houston Museum of Natural Science
08/21 - Soul Rebels Brass Band @ Meridian
08/21 - Sean Reefer @ Fitzgerald's
08/21 - Hamilton Loomis @ Last Concert Cafe
08/22 - Leon Russell/Danny Schmidt @ Dosey Doe's
08/22 - The Gougers @ the Mucky Duck
08/23 - Blondie @ Arena Theater
08/25 - Paul Thorn @ the Mucky Duck
08/25 - Danny Schmidt/Betty Soo @ Dosey Doe's
08/26 - Cory Morrow @ Dosey Doe's
08/27 - Bleu Edmondson @ House of Blues
08/28 - Crosby, Stills & Nash @ Woodlands Pavilion
08/28 - Ray Bonneville @ Anderson Fair
08/28 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
08/29 - Ray Wylie Hubbard @ the Mucky Duck
08/29 - Across the Water @ Anderson Fair
08/29 - Dale Watson @ Dosey Doe's
08/30 - Depeche Mode @ Woodlands Pavilion
08/30 - Crystal Gayle @ Dosey Doe's
08/30 - Danny O'Flaherty @ the Mucky Duck

Upcoming Shows

2009-06-30T22:26:00.026-05:00

07/01 - Sisters Morales @ Puffabellys (Spring)
07/02 - Sideshow Tramps @ The Corner Pub (Conroe)
07/03 - Bill Cade @ The Old Quarter (Galveston)
07/03 - The Derailers @ Armadillo Palace
07/03 - Hamilton Loomis @ Dan Electros
07/03 - The Belleville Outfit @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
07/04 - Dertybird/Miss Leslie @ the Continental Club
07/06 - The Octanes @ Continental Club
07/07 - The Umbrella Man @ Continental Club
07/07 - Jon Hogan @ Last Concert Cafe
07/07 - Betty Soo @ the Mucky Duck
07/10 - LL Cooper @ Continental Club
07/10 - Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
07/10 - The Band of Heathens @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
07/10 - The Gougers @ Dosey Doe's
07/11 - Dan Dyer @ the Mucky Duck
07/12 - The Swingfield Playboys @ the Mucky Duck
07/14 - Willis Alan Ramsey @ the Mucky Duck
07/16 - Gary P. Nunn @ Dosey Doe's
07/17 - David Garza @ Continental Club
07/17 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
07/18 - Bruce Robison @ Armadillo Palace
07/18 - Owen Temple @ Cactus Music (free show)
07/18 - Miss Leslie @ Continental Club (free afternoon show)
07/18 - Shake Russell @ the Mucky Duck
07/18 - Los Skarnales/Flaco Jimenez/Brave Combo @ Fitzgerald's
07/18 - Cross Canadian Ragweed @ The Showgrounds
07/19 - Reckless Kelly @ the Mucky Duck
07/23 - Max Stalling @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
07/23 - Jon Dee Graham @ Continental Club
07/24 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
07/25 - The Fray @ Woodlands Pavilion
07/25 - Katie Stuckey @ Firehouse Saloon
07/25 - 23rd Annual Watermelon Festival @ Last Concert Cafe
07/25 - Terry Allen @ the Mucky Duck
07/26 - Trout Fishing in America @ the Mucky Duck
07/28 - Will Sexton's Wine & Nut Tour @ the Mucky Duck
07/30 - Asleep at the Wheel @ Dosey Doe's
07/31 - The Hollisters @ Blanco's
07/31 - Cory Morrow @ Warehouse Live
07/31 - Randy Weeks @ the Mucky Duck

Upcoming Shows

2009-05-31T11:38:00.119-05:00

06/01 - The Octanes @ The Continental Club
06/02 - The Umbrella Man @ Continental Club
06/03 - Al Stewart @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
06/04 - Merle Haggard @ Stafford Centre
06/04 - Bonnie Prince Billy @ Walter's on Washington
06/04 - Brian McNeill/Ed Miller @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
06/04 - Del Castillo @ Discovery Green
06/04 - New York Dolls/Black Joe Lewis @ House of Blues
06/04 - Micky & The Motorcars @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
06/05 - Max Stalling @ the Mucky Duck
06/05 - Matt the Electrician/Southpaw Jones @ Anderson Fair
06/05 - The McKenzies @ Mango's
06/05 - Austin Lounge Lizards @ Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
06/05 - The Gougers @ The Corner Pub (Conroe)
06/06 - The Flatlanders @ Cactus Music (free in-store)
06/06 - The Flatlanders/Ryan Bingham @ Crighton Theatre
06/06 - Asylum Street Spankers @ the Mucky Duck
06/06 - Jesse Dayton/John Evans @ the Continental Club
06/06 - Better Than Ezra @ Cactus (free in-store)
06/06 - Better Than Ezra @ House of Blues
06/06 - Two High String Band @ Anderson Fair
06/06 - 6th Annual Thanks Bob Celebration @ Dan Electro's
06/07 - Danny O'Flaherty @ the Mucky Duck
06/07 - H.A.A.M. @ Discovery Green
06/07 - Petesimple @ Discovery Green (free show)
06/08 - Matisyahu/Les Claypool/Dub Trio @ House of Blues
06/09 - Gomez @ Warehouse Live
06/10 - John Egan @ Under the Volcano (free show)
06/11 - Gaelic Storm @ Warehouse Live
06/11 - The McKay Brothers @ Blanco's
06/13 - Monte Montgomery @ the Mucky Duck
06/13 - The Tontons @ Mango's
06/13 - Benefit for the Old Quarter @ The Orange Show
06/13 - Blaggards @ the Continental Club
06/13 - He Wears Black (Johnny Cash Tribute) @ House of Blues
06/13 - Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers @ the Continental Club
06/13 - Two Tons of Steel/Katy Stuckey @ Firehouse Saloon
06/14 - Hamilton Loomis @ the Mucky Duck
06/14 - David Allan Coe/Resin Valley Boys @ House of Blues
06/15 - David Byrne @ Jones Hall
06/15 - Joe Cocker @ Arena Theater
06/17 - Gypsy Kings @ Arena Theater
06/18 - Steve Earle @ the Crighton Theater (Conroe)
06/18 - Liz Dannemiller @ the Mucky Duck
06/19 - Scott Miller @ the Mucky Duck
06/19 - Craig Kinsey/Sideshow Tramps @ the Continental Club
06/19 - Jimmie Vaughan @ Warehouse Live
06/19 - Carrie Elkin/Karen Mal @ Anderson Fair
06/19 - Cory Morrow @ Big Texas (Spring)
06/19 - Gary P. Nunn @ Blanco's
06/20 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
06/20 - Reverend Horton Heat @ House of Blues
06/20 - Shake Russell @ Anderson Fair
06/20 - The Hudsons @ the Old Quarter (Galveston)
06/20 - porterdavis @ Corner Pub (Conroe)
06/21 - The Gypsies @ Discovery Green (free show)
06/24 - Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood @ Toyota Center
06/24 - Roky Erickson @ the Continental Club
06/25 - Joe Ely @ the Mucky Duck
06/25 - Ben Kweller @ Cactus Music (free in-store)
06/25 - Ben Kweller @ House of Blues
06/25 - Jon Dee Graham @ the Continental Club
06/26 - Randy Travis @ Arena Theater
06/26 - Stoney Larue @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
06/26 - James Hand @ Blanco's
06/26 - Jon Hogan @ the Old Quarter (Galveston)
06/27 - Carolyn Wonderland @ the Mucky Duck
06/27 - Bleu Edmondson @ Firehouse Saloon
06/27 - Ray Bonneville @ the Old Quarter (Galveston)
06/28 - Texas Johnny Boy @ Discovery Green
06/28 - Texas Johnny Boy/Milton Hopkins @ the Mucky Duck
06/30 - Michael O'Connor @ the Mucky Duck

Upcoming Shows

2009-04-30T21:15:00.030-05:00

05/01 - Over The Rhine/Lucy Wainwright Roche @ Warehouse Live
05/01 - Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers @ Blanco's
05/01 - Tito and Tarantula @ The Continental Club
05/01 - Drop Trio @ Avant Garden
05/01 - Li'l Ed & The Blues Imperials @ The Meridian
05/01 - Patrice Pike @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
05/01 – Lise Liddell @ Dosey Doe’s
05/03 - MV + EE/Jandek @ DiverseWorks
05/06 – Max Stalling @ Puffabelly’s (Spring)
05/06 - Black Joe Lewis @ Cactus Music (In-Store)
05/07 - Old Crow Medicine Show/Justin Townes Earle @ Warehouse
05/08 - Bruce Robison @ the Mucky Duck
05/08 - T Bird and the Breaks/Greyhounds @ Warehouse Live
05/08 - John Evans @ Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe (Galveston)
05/08 – Gary P. Nunn @ Blanco’s
05/08 – Eliza Gilkyson @ Dosey Doe’s
05/09 – Guy Clark/Jubal Lee Young @ Crighton Theatre (Conroe)
05/09 - Slaid Cleaves @ the Mucky Duck
05/09 - Dustin Welch @ Cactus Music
05/09 – Dustin Welch/Mark Germino/The Gougers @ Continental
05/09 – Ann Armstrong & Steve Hughes @ Anderson Fair
05/09 – Sisters Morales @ The Old Quarter
05/10 – Slaid Cleaves @ Cactus Music
05/13 – Jubal Lee Young @ Under the Volcano
05/14 - Bonnie Raitt @ Verizon Theater
05/15 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
05/15 – Jason Boland & The Stragglers @ Big Texas (Spring)
05/15 – John Gorka @ Dosey Doe’s
05/16 - Steve Earle @ Cactus Music
05/16 - James Taylor @ Verizon
05/16 – The Gourds @ Dosey Doe’s
05/21 – Jon Dee Graham @ Continental Club
05/22 – Shake Russell @ the Mucky Duck
05/23 - Band of Heathens @ the Mucky Duck
05/23 – “Third Annual Bob Dylan Birthday Bash” @ the Old Quarter
05/28 – The Belleville Outfit @ Cactus Music
05/28 – The Belleville Outfit @ the Mucky Duck
05/28 – Ray Wylie Hubbard @ Dosey Doe’s
05/28 – Mando Saenz @ the Continental
05/29 – Blaze Foley Documentary @ the Old Quarter
05/29 - B.B. King @ Arena Theater
05/29 - Cordero @ Cactus Music
05/29 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
05/29 – Dale Watson @ Blanco’s
05/29 – Jack Ingram @ Big Texas (Spring)
05/29 – Tish Hinojosa @ Dosey Doe’s
05/29 – Two Tons of Steel @ Continental Club
05/30 - Stingaree Music Festival @ Bolivar Peninsula
05/30 - King's X @ The Meridian
05/30 – Gurf Morlix @ Anderson Fair
05/30 – Guy Forsyth @ the Mucky Duck
05/30 – Sean Reefer @ the Continental Club

Upcoming Shows

2009-03-31T23:15:00.033-05:00

04/01 - Jubal Lee Young @ Puffabellys
04/02 - Kevin Welch @ McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
04/02 - Carrie Rodriguez/Jubal Lee Young @ Heritage Place
04/03 - Shotgun Party @ Last Concert Cafe
04/03 - Two Hoots & a Holler @ the Continental Club
04/03 - Front Porch Society @ the Mucky Duck
04/03 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
04/03 - Pocket Full of Soul @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/03 - Wade Bowen/Band of Heathens @ House of Blues
04/03 - Gary P. Nunn @ Blanco’s
04/04 - Yonder Mountain String Band/Todd Snider @ HOB
04/04 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
04/04 - Porterdavis @ Anderson Fair
04/04 - Two Star Symphony/Chiara String Quartet @ AvantGarden
04/04 - Guy Forsyth @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
04/04 - Matt Harlan/Brad Boyer @ JP Hops House
04/05 - Jandek @ Rudyards
04/06 - The Octanes @ the Continental
04/07 - The Umbrella Man @ the Continental
04/07 - Will Sexton & friends @ the Mucky Duck
04/08 - Jubal Lee Young @ Under the Volcano
04/08 - Bruce Springsteen @ Toyota Center
04/09 - John Evans @ the Mucky Duck
04/09 - T-Bird & The Breaks @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/10 - The Gougers @ the Mucky Duck
04/10 - Shake Russell @ Anderson Fair
04/10 - Dale Watson @ Blanco’s
04/10 - Bleu Edmondson @ Firehouse Saloon
04/10 - Matt Harlan @ Bohemeo's
04/11 - Texas Johnny Boy & Milton Hopkins @ the Mucky Duck
04/11 - Johnny Bush/Tommy Alverson @ Dosey Doe’s
04/11 - Morrissey @ Jones Hall
04/11 - Two Star Symphony @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/11 - The Stone Coyotes @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/11 - Wayne Hancock @ Armadillo Palace
04/14 - Lise Liddell/Ben Mallott/Teresa Kolo @ the Mucky Duck
04/14 - The Magpies @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/15 - Dertybird @ the Continental
04/15 - Michael Hearne @ Dosey Doe’s
04/16 - Gurf Morlix @ the Mucky Duck
04/16 - Fred Eaglesmith @ Dosey Doe’s
04/16 - Country Jim Sloan @ Blanco’s
04/16 - Gurf Morlix @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/17 - Carolyn Wonderland @ Last Concert Cafe
04/17 - Kevin Burke @ the Mucky Duck
04/17 - Michael Fracasso @ Anderson Fair
04/18 - The Stone Coyotes @ the Mucky Duck
04/18 - Mike McClure/Stephen Pointer @ Firehouse Saloon
04/18 - The McKenzies @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/18 - The Octanes @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/19 - Mavis Staples @ ifest
04/20 - The Faint/Ladytron @ Warehouse Live
04/21 - Beoga @ the Mucky Duck
04/22 - Michael Martin Murphy @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/22 - John Egan @ Under the Volcano
04/22 - Jon Hogan @ JP Hops House
04/23 - Michael Martin Murphy @ Dosey Doe’s
04/23 - Iris DeMent @ the Mucky Duck
04/23 - Seth Walker @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/23 - John Lee Hooker, Jr. @ House of Blues
04/23 - Rupa & the April Fishes @ Under the Volcano
04/24 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
04/24 - Paul Minor @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/24 - The Hudsons @ The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
04/25 - South Memphis String Band @ the Continental
04/25 - Randy Weeks @ the Mucky Duck
04/25 - Two Tons of Steel @ Dosey Doe’s
04/25 - Vince Bell @ Anderson Fair
04/25 - Lise Liddell @ Cactus Music (in-store)
04/25 - James Hand @ iFest
04/25 - Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings @ Meridian
04/26 - Cheryl Wheeler @ the Mucky Duck
04/26 - Cherish the Ladies @ iFest
04/26 - Los Tres Reyes @ iFest
04/26 - Los Lobos @ iFest
04/28 - Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses @ Warehouse Live
04/29 - The Black Kids/Mates of State @ Warehouse Live
04/30 - Dan Dyer @ the Mucky Duck
04/30 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ House of Blues

Mother of All Funk Chords

2009-03-16T20:09:00.008-05:00

Ok, I know this video from Kutiman is blowing up everywhere...but I feel obligated to post it here. I first saw this over at the listenerd (my favorite blog at the moment). This is probably the best YouTube video I've ever seen. It's easily the best video mashup I've seen. As one YouTube commenter put it: "Watching this makes me happy in about 5 different ways."

This is art. Arguably the finest masterpiece in a newly emerging art form.

More amazing examples of where the future of music and technology are heading can be found at ThruYou.

Documentary on Russian Orthodox community in Houston

2009-03-14T09:15:00.010-05:00

Photos

Here is a very interesting article (from the Houston Chronicle) on a documentary filmed for Russian television on St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church in Houston.

Upcoming Shows

2009-03-01T21:37:00.038-06:00

03/02 - William Elliott Whitmore/Samantha Crain @ Walters
03/02 – The Octanes @ the Continental Club
03/03 – Battlefield Band @ the Mucky Duck
03/03 – Ben Sollee @ Cactus Music (free in-store performance)
03/03 – Ben Sollee @ House of Blues
03/04 – Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers @ Under the Volcano
03/05-08 – Asleep at the Wheel @ Grand 1894 Opera House
03/06 – Alejandro Escovedo @ Nia Moves
03/06 – Little River Band @ Warehouse Live
03/06 – Bruce Robison @ the Mucky Duck
03/06 – Rick Broussard @ Cactus Music (free in-store performance)
03/06 – Dokken @ Scout Bar (Clear Lake)
03/06 – Opie Hendrix @ Last Concert Cafe
03/07 – Brave Combo @ the Mucky Duck
03/07 – Jenny Wolfe @ Cactus Music (free in-store performance)
03/07 – Texas Independence Day Festival @ Heritage Place (Conroe)
03/07 – Billy Joe Shaver @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
03/08 – Subdudes @ the Mucky Duck
03/08 – Danny Schmidt/Carrie Elkin @ Anderson Fair
03/08 – Little Joe Washington’s 70th B-day Party @ the Continental
03/08 – Afro Cuban All Stars @ Warehouse Live
03/10 – The Umbrella Man @ the Continental Club
03/10 – Cadillac Sky @ the Mucky Duck
03/11 – Patrice Pike @ the Mucky Duck
03/13 – Jonathan Coulton @ House of Blues
03/13 – Rebirth Brass Band @ Warehouse Live
03/13 – LL Cooper @ Last Concert Cafe
03/13 – Ian McLagan @ Cactus Music (free in-store performance)
03/13 – Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
03/14 – Benefit for the Old Quarter @ The Orange Show
03/14 – Eric Taylor @ Anderson Fair
03/14 – Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters @ House of Blues
03/14 – Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
03/14 – Gary P. Nunn @ Armadillo Palace
03/14 – Ian Moore @ the Continental Club
03/15 – KPFT's 39TH Birthday Party @ the Mucky Duck
03/16 – Hugo @ Cactus Music (free in-store performance)
03/17 – St. Patrick’s Day Festival @ the Mucky Duck
03/17 – Deer Tick @ Cactus Music (free in-store performance)
03/19 – The Mathletes @ Sound Exchange (free)
03/19 – John Evans @ the Mucky Duck
03/19 – Elton John/Billy Joel @ the Toyota Center
03/19 – The McKay Brothers @ Blanco’s
03/20 – Kinky Friedman @ the Mucky Duck
03/20 – Max Stalling @ the Firehouse Saloon
03/20 – The Derailers @ Armadillo Palace
03/20 – Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys @ the Continental Club
03/21 – Andrew Bird @ House of Blues
03/21 – Ray Wylie Hubbard @ the Mucky Duck
03/21 – Roy Hargrove Quintet @ Cullen Theater
03/21 – Ann Armstrong & Steve Hughes @ Anderson Fair
03/22 – ZZ Top @ Reliant Stadium
03/22 – Justin Townes Earle/Amy Lavere @ the Mucky Duck
03/23 – Nicholas Tremulis @ Cactus Music (free)
03/24 – Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh @ Dosey Doe’s
03/26 – The Belleville Outfit @ the Mucky Duck
03/26 – The Sideshow Tramps @ Rudyard’s
03/26 – Amber Digby @ Blanco’s
03/26 – Band of Heathens @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
03/27 – Carolyn Wonderland @ the Mucky Duck
03/27 – Buddy Mondlock @ Anderson Fair
03/27 – James Hand @ Blanco’s
03/27 – Jason Boland @ Firehouse Saloon
03/28 – Free Press Houston Westheimer Block Party
03/28 – Asylum Street Spankers @ the Mucky Duck
03/28 – Monte Montgomery @ Dosey Doe’s
03/28 – Chris Knight/Mark Germino @ Crighton Theatre (Conroe)

January Shows

2009-02-27T19:24:00.038-06:00

Lots of good shows last month. Probably the most concerts I've ever attended in one month.

First was the Twelfth Annual Townes Van Zandt Wake at the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston, Texas. What an incredible experience! I can't believe I have never been before...I have really been missing out on an amazing event. There were over 100 people crammed into that small bar. People were everywhere...standing outside, in rows at the bar and anywhere they could find a space. It got so crowded they started letting people stand behind the bar. I just could not believe there were that many Townes Van Zandt fans all in one place at one time. It was a sight that I will never forget. Here's a clip of Jon Hogan (along with Gary Ragan and Maria Moss) performing his version of Townes' song "Lungs":

Next up was the final fundraiser for the Old Quarter, which sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Ike, held at Anderson Fair. The lineup for this benefit concert consisted of: Danny Everitt, Bill Cade, Ann Armstrong & Steve Hughes, Carrie Elkin, Danny Schmidt and The Hudsons. A great night of music for a great cause. I even won free tickets to the Old Quarter for correctly answering a door-prize question: What year was the album Live at the Old Quarter recorded? Answer: 1973...I thought everyone knew that. Here is a video of Danny Everitt performing one of his songs:

and here is Carrie Elkin performing her song "Roots & Wings":

Here's a clip of the amazing Danny Schmidt (more on him below) performing his song "This Too Shall Pass":

and finally here are The Hudsons performing one of their infamous "folk rap" songs "Green Man":

Next I saw Idgy Vaughn, Amy Speace and Danny Schmidt in a Songwriters night at the Mucky Duck. Good concert and an interesting pairing of singers. Here's a clip of Idgy introducing and performing her song "Small Town Girls":

This show was the first time I had seen Amy Speace and I was very impressed. Here is Amy playing her song "The Killer In Me":

Once again I was able to see the very talented Danny Schmidt perform. He is definitely an artist to keep an eye on. Here's a clip of Danny performing a song that may well be his masterpiece..."Stained Glass":

....yeah, he's that good...here is one more clip of Danny performing "Guilty By Association Blues" (a song obviously written prior to January 20, 2009):

Next up was the Junior Brown show at the Mucky Duck. A great show! It was so good my friends and I (who had seats for the first show) bought standing-room only tickets for the 2nd show as well. The only negative was that Junior did not bring any cds or merchandise with him and didn't come out to greet anyone after the shows. Here's a clip of Junior playing his perennial hit "My Wife Thinks You're Dead":

I also saw Eliza Gilkyson at the Mucky Duck. Eliza's show was a lot of fun and she has a great voice. Unfortunately that night she had some kind of bug and had to stop the first set early to recover her voice. She returned to the stage, however, and continued the first set and even did a full second set. I thought that was admirable when many performers would undoubtedly have cut the evening short. Here's a video of Eliza performing the song "Runaway Train" from her newest cd:

Lots of good shows at the Duck in January...next on my schedule there was Greg Trooper. I had been meaning to see Greg for a long time but always had conflict with his last few appearances in Houston. Another good show and he had a great band with him. Like Fred Eaglesmith, I have to admire a performer who isn't afraid to heckle his audience. Here's Greg playing his song "Hummingbird":

Then there was the sold-out Hayes Carll shows at the Duck. I went to the second show which always features a rowdier crowd. Hayes brought along his band the Gulf Coast Orchestra. I thought it was a great concert with one exception...Hayes' voice really sounded strained on a few songs. I know Hayes keeps a very demanding touring schedule but I honestly think it's time for him to shut it down for awhile and rest his voice. Here's Hayes in better form performing "Little Rock":

As a bonus...after the Hayes' show...I was able to catch the end of Dale Watson's show at Armadillo Palace. I only heard a few songs from Dale but I was impressed with his voice...and his wardrobe! Here's a video of Dale and his band performing "Nashville Rash":

Then it was back to the Duck to see one of my favorite bands The Gougers. Great show from the Gougers as always. Here's Jamie and the gang doing "Everybody Knows":

The next show on my schedule was supposed to be Bruce & Charlie Robison playing together at the Mucky Duck. That show had to be cancelled due to Bruce coming up sick. Fortunately, Hayes Carll and John Evans (aka The Ego Brothers) were able to come to the rescue. Here are the brothers themselves doing their one and only song "Ain't Enough Of Me To Go Around":

Next up was a songwriters round over at Anderson Fair with Ken Gaines, Wayne Wilkerson, Jim Patton, Sherry Brokus and Jon Hogan. Here's a clip of Ken Gaines and Karen Mal performing Ken's song "Catfish Moon":

Finally, I made the drive down to Galveston to catch the legendary Richard Dobson at the Old Quarter. It was a great concert...with the exception of the loud drunk girl who laughed incessantly throughout the show. It was a great pleasure to get to meet Richard and have him autograph of copy of his book Gulf Coast Boys. Here's a clip of Richard (and Jerry Douglas?) performing his song "Hard By The Highway" from the Heartworn Highways documentary:

Icon Exhibit Presentation

2009-02-23T16:34:00.013-06:00

Here are videos of iconographer John Lickwar's presentation entitled "The Icons of Annunciation and of the Myrrh-bearing Women". This presentation was given at the Icon Exhibit held recently at St. Jonah Orthodox Church.

The video of the presentation is available in 5 parts:

Special thanks to Torsten for assisting with the presentation and making these videos available on YouTube.

Uncle Seymour

2009-02-23T12:02:00.012-06:00

Some words of wisdom from Uncle Seymour Washington...and one of Townes Van Zandt's first songs. Scenes are from the documentary Heartworn Highways.

More Podcasts

2009-02-22T22:25:00.010-06:00

Photo Source

A series of podcasts of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah's talk on preparing for Great Lent are available on the Orthodox Christian Network's "Special Moments in Orthodoxy" podcast page.

Metropolitan Jonah's talk can be heard in three parts here, here and here.

Icon Exhibit Podcasts

2009-02-22T20:37:00.009-06:00

A series of podcasts recorded at the Icon Exhibit (held last weekend at St. Jonah Orthodox Church) are available on the podcast page of the Orthodox Houston website.

The podcasts related to the Icon Exhibit include:

Fr. James Early's talk on his pilgrimage to Orthodoxy entitled "From Baptist to Bosnia to Byzantium"

Fr. John Whiteford's talk on "Why Do We Venerate the Saints";

and a selection of hymns from the Church year sung by the St. Jonah Choir.

"Tecumseh Valley"

2009-02-20T00:54:00.005-06:00

Townes Van Zandt sings "Tecumseh Valley" at a Holiday Inn hotel room in Houston, Texas in 1988. (h/t Arthur's Musical Journey). More info on the video from this private concert can be found here.

Icon Exhibit

2009-02-14T10:17:00.008-06:00

Holy Images, an exhibit of Russian Orthodox icons dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, is being held this weekend at St. Jonah Orthodox Church in Spring. Admission is free.

The schedule for the lectures and presentations can be viewed here.

Directions to St. Jonah's can be found here.

I will be at the exhibit throughout the weekend. Come by to see the exhibit and say "Hello".

Enthronement of Patriarch Kirill I

2009-02-02T22:22:00.012-06:00

Photo Sources here, here and here

The enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill I occurred yesterday at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

More information on the enthronement can be found in this post from the official web site of the Moscow Patriarchate.

A lengthy video featuring excerpts from the service (with commentary in English) can be found here.

More photos from the service can be viewed here.

Upcoming Shows

2009-01-31T12:16:00.075-06:00

02/01 – Greg Brown @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck (sold out)
02/01 – Hayes Carll @ the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe (Galveston)
02/02 – The Octanes @ the Continental Club
02/03 – The Umbrella Man @ the Continental Club
02/05 – Johnny Falstaff @ Armadillo Palace
02/05 – Dr. John & The Neville Brothers @ House of Blues
02/05 – Craig Kinsey @ the Big Top
02/06 – Susan Tedeschi @ House of Blues
02/06 – Randy Weeks @ the Mucky Duck
02/06 – Bill Cade @ Anderson Fair
02/06 – Cross Canadian Ragweed @ Big Texas (Spring)
02/07 – Gov’t Mule @ House of Blues
02/07 – Tom Russell @ the Mucky Duck
02/07 – Randy Weeks @ Cactus Music (in-store)
02/07 – Denice Franke/Clive Gregson @ Cactus Music (in-store)
02/07 – Denice Franke/Clive Gregson @ Anderson Fair
02/07 – Jesse Dayton/John Evans @ the Continental Club
02/08 – Tesla @ House of Blues
02/08 – Swingfield Playboys @ the Mucky Duck
02/09 – Devotchka @ Warehouse Live
02/09 – Howe Squire White of Yes @ House of Blues
02/10 – Fred Eaglesmith @ the Mucky Duck
02/11 – Chris Knight @ the Continental Club
02/12 – Ian Moore @ the Mucky Duck
02/12 – Paula Nelson @ Dosey Doe’s
02/13 – Danny Schmidt/Idgy Vaughn/Will Sexton @ the Old Quarter
02/13 – Radney Foster @ Dosey Doe’s
02/13 – Dana Cooper @ Anderson Fair
02/13 – Stoney Larue @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
02/13 - Macon Greyson @ Armadillo Palace
02/14 – Shake Russell @ the Mucky Duck
02/14 – Carrie Elkin/Sam Baker/Aimee Bobruk @ Anderson Fair
02/14 – Jerry Jeff Walker @ Dosey Doe’s
02/14 - Micky & the Motorcars @ Firehouse Saloon
02/15 - Notorious @ the Mucky Duck
02/17 – Hank III @ the Meridian
02/18 – Robin Williams @ Verizon Theater
02/19 – Joe Ely/Joel Guzman @ Dosey Doe’s
02/19 – Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
02/20 – Austin Lounge Lizards @ the Mucky Duck
02/20 – The Hudsons @ the Old Quarter
02/21 – Lucinda Williams @ Warehouse Live
02/21 – Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
02/21 – Matt the Electrician/Southpaw Jones @ Anderson Fair
02/21 – Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys @ the Continental Club
02/22 – Brennen Leigh @ the Mucky Duck
02/24 – Son Volt @ the Continental Club
02/25 – Mary Gauthier @ the Mucky Duck
02/25 – The Chieftains @ Jones Hall
02/26 – California Guitar Trio @ the Mucky Duck
02/27 – Two Tons of Steel @ the Armadillo Palace
02/27 – Jonny Lang @ House of Blues
02/27 – Adam Carroll/Michael O’Connor @ Anderson Fair
02/27 – James McMurtry @ the Continental Club
02/28 – The Pretenders @ House of Blues
02/28 – Patrice Pike @ the Mucky Duck
02/28 – Band of Heathens @ Dosey Doe’s

Russian Church monasteries increased thirty-six fold, parishes and clergy – more than fourfold under Alexy II

2009-01-31T10:33:00.025-06:00

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Original article at Interfax-Religion published on Jan. 27th:

Russian Church monasteries increased thirty-six fold, parishes and clergy – more than fourfold under Alexy II

Moscow, January 27, Interfax – The number of the Moscow Patriarchate monasteries has increased thirty-six fold and a half - from 22 to 804.

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Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Kirill has cited this data in his report at the Local Council in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Tuesday.

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Russia has opened 234 monasteries and 244 nunneries, the CIS-countries and Baltic States – 142 monasteries and 153 nunneries, other foreign countries – three monasteries and three nunneries. Besides, the Russian Church Outside of Russia supervises over 16 monasteries and nine nunneries. There are 203 monastery representations and 65 hermitages.

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The number of parishes increased fourfold for 20 years (from 6 893 to 29 263 parishes), the number of dioceses - twofold (from 76 to 157), clergy - more than fourfold (from 7 397 to 30 670) and the number of bishops increased almost thrice (from 74 to 203).

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The number of acting churches in Moscow has increased twenty-two fold - from 40 to 872. The city had only one monastery acting before 1990, now there eight monasteries, 16 monastery representations, three seminaries, two Orthodox higher education establishments.

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Icon starts streaming myrrh at Cathedral of Christ the Savior

2009-01-31T10:01:00.009-06:00

Excerpt from this article from Interfax-Religion:

Icon starts streaming myrrh at Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Moscow, January 27, Interfax - The Softener of Evil Hearts Mother of God Icon at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow has started streaming myrrh.

Vesti television channel reported citing evidence of numerous churchgoers that the icon was "streaming myrrh very intensively."

In line with a long-standing church tradition, the icon has been specially brought to the Church Council meeting currently being held in Moscow, at which over 700 of its participants earlier cast their ballots to elect a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

More information on the "Softener of Evil Hearts" icon can be found here.

Epistle of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church

2009-01-31T09:40:00.006-06:00

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MOSCOW: January 28, 2009

Epistle of the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church

Dear in the Lord Pastors, Divinely-Wise Monks and Nuns, Beloved Brothers and Sisters, faithful children of our Holy Church!

The Local Council [Pomestny Sobor], held on January 27-28, 2009, at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, addresses you with the words of the Apostle: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all" (2 Corinthians 13:14).

The Council has deemed worthy the fruits which, by the mercy of God, our Church has brought to the Lord over these last eighteen years since the last Local Council. At that Council, by the will of the Holy Spirit, the Hierarchy and the people of God chose His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia of blessed memory. This Council approved the works of the Councils of Bishops from 1990-2009, and the ecclesiastical efforts in various areas made during the Patriarchal service of His Holiness the late Patriarch. Expressing due gratitude to him for all his labors and cares, we appeal to our pastors and children of our Church to prayerfully remember our late Patriarch. His Holiness strove tirelessly to preserve the unity of the Church, protecting her from schisms and divisions, uniting people of various nationalities, generations and social strata. The main deed achieved by His Holiness the Patriarch, together with the late Metropolitan Laurus of blessed memory, was the reestablishment of the unity of the Russian Church Abroad and the Church in the Fatherland. And today, remembering the legacy of our late Patriarch, we must preserve and strengthen church unity, not allowing anyone to sow the seeds of discord among us.

Keeping "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3) is a sign of the presence of Christ Himself in the community of His followers. Even as we preserve unity in the main thing—the Holy Orthodox Faith—we can have differences in individual questions relating to the life of the Church or society. But these differences must not lay the foundation for enmity, division and unfair accusations. The Local Council supports the document of the Holy Council of Bishops of 2008 "On the Unity of the Church" and calls upon the Fullness of the Church to follow it.

On January 27 of this year, by the will of the Holy Spirit, the Council elected His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad as the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

We ask the entire Church flock to fervently pray that our Chief Pastor, the Lord Jesus Christ, bountifully pours forth His mercies on the service of the new, sixteenth Patriach of Moscow and All Russia, that He grant him undiminished help in all his efforts, strengthen his spiritual and physical powers towards service to the Holy Church, that the Patriarchal labors of His Holiness Vladyka, our Father, the newly-elected Patriarch Kirill, bring fruits blessed by God.

During the last century, our Church passed through the furnace of tribulations, preserving faith and devotion to Christ. Today, new possibilities arise before her: missionary work, which we must actively pursue, for the Christian mission is the direct legacy of the Savior. The Resurrected Christ calls upon His disciples to follow Him and preach Divine Truth. The Lord came to save, but, in the words of the Apostle, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14). May we all be servants and preachers of Christ the Savior, "by whom we have received grace and apostleship" (Romans 1:5).

The pastoral word and the example of Christian good works must reach the hearts of those who call themselves Orthodox Christians, but do not live a churchly life. For they are also a part of our Church, called by the Lord towards salvation. Rejoicing at the growing number of churches and priests, we must remember that it is the condition of the souls of men, their participation in the Mysteries and divine services, their moral and spiritual image that are the essential criteria of the efforts of the Church. We are called upon to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel of Christ, "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). We must declare that only by following the eternal and unchanging moral values granted by Divine Revelation will we be able to overcome internal individual crises, the disintegration of the family and social problems. The Church carries this testimony to the entire world, to all people, especially children and youth. This is precisely why we must take the opportunity today to boldly turn to the young generation through preaching, through school, through the mass media.

Service to the church has always been yoked to care for people, those who need help and sympathy. Our duty is to feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, defend the unfairly injured, help the elderly, support the lonely, lighten the burden of the ailing, console those in despair.

The Local Council calls upon all the devoted flock of our Church to strengthen their unity in the name of Christ under the omophorion of our new Primate, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. Through unified effort we must "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) and participate in the spiritual education of those near and far. "Pray," said the Apostle, "that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified" (2 Thessalonians 3:1). The most important thing is that we abide in the love of Christ, which supersedes state borders, national or other divisions, that we may fulfill the testament of the Savior, Who prayed his Heavenly Father for those who believe in Him: "that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17:21).

May the Lord God, glorified in the Holy Trinity, through the intercession of the Most-Pure Mother of God, by the prayers of the New Martyrs and Confessors and all the saints of our land, have mercy upon us and save us, through His grace and love for mankind. Amen.

Press Service of the Local Council

More info on the Archbishops and Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church can be found here (in Russian).

Metropolitan Kirill Elected as Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church

2009-01-27T19:46:00.015-06:00

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His Eminence Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad has been elected Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

More details can be found in this article from Interfax-Religion.

Photos from the election of the new Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia can be viewed here, here and here.

May God Grant His Holiness Kirill I Many Years! Axios! Axios! Axios!

"Snowin' On Raton"

2009-01-25T16:08:00.006-06:00

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Townes Van Zandt sings about Raton Pass along the Colorado and New Mexico border (h/t PTLDME).

Executive Orders

2009-01-24T19:42:00.004-06:00

The Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda signed (thus far) by President Obama can be viewed here.

A historical overview of Presidential Executive Orders can be viewed here.

Sola Scriptura Debunked

2009-01-19T22:01:00.006-06:00

Fr. John Whiteford gives a masterful discourse on the fallacy of Sola Scriptura (the Protestant doctrine of scripture as the final authority of Christian doctrine) here.

This talk is part of The Illumined Heart podcast series available on Ancient Faith Radio.

An article by Fr. John on Sola Scriptura can also be read here.

Songbird

2009-01-12T22:06:00.015-06:00

I realize that this video has been available on youtube for over two years...but I just discovered it today.

It is one of the rare videos featuring a live performance by the incomparable Eva Cassidy.

Forgive me if you have seen this video a number of times already. If you have, it is worth watching again. If you haven’t, you really should take 5 minutes and 30 seconds to watch this sublime performance.

For those who don't know, Eva Cassidy died at the age of 33 of skin cancer. Eva and her music were not widely known during her lifetime but interest in both has increased dramatically since her death.

To this day, the Nightline story on her life and death remains the show's most popular episode ever. You can view that episode in three parts below:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You can view more videos of Eva Cassidy's live performances here.

December Shows

2009-01-10T20:13:00.013-06:00

It's been awhile since I've posted a recap of the concerts I've attended recently. I've been recovering from a surgery and work has kept me busy. I did manage, however, to make it out to a few shows in December.

The first show I attended was Michael Fracasso at Anderson Fair. I was not familiar with Michael or his music. I have to thank my friend Christi for inviting me to come out and see this show. Michael has a wonderful high tenor voice that is reminiscent of Roy Orbison or Don Everly of the Everly Brothers. Michael is an accomplished musician with a lot of poise...which became evident when he broke a guitar string on the very first song. He didn't miss a beat, however, and finished the song by singing a capella and alternating with some fine harmonica playing. He played a number of great songs but one song, in particular, made quite an impression. His song "Red, White & Blue" from his newest cd may well be his masterpiece. You can watch a video of Michael performing this song here.

Here's a video of Michael performing his song "1962" with Patty Griffin:

Next up was the Mike McClure and Scott Miller show at the Mucky Duck. Both artists performed solo acoustic sets. Mike opened up the show and was then followed by Scott. Here's a clip of Mike McClure playing his song "Haunt Me No More":

Here's another clip of Mike performing his cover version of Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic":

Scott Miller hails from Virginia. His songs are often humorous and he has many songs that deal with historical events.

Here is a video that features one of Scott's "historical" songs "The Rain" (sorry, there aren't many "clean versions" of Scott's songs):

Here is another clip that features Scott's humorous side with his song "Eight Miles Per Gallon" (once again not a "clean version"):

Then I saw the phenomenal Justin Townes Earle perform at Cactus Music and the Mucky Duck.Justin first performed a free in-store appearance at Cactus and then did a full show at the Duck with Samantha Crain opening.

Here is a clip of Samantha Crain performing her song "Traipsing Through the Aisles":

I had seen Justin perform once before at a very sparsely attended concert at another venue over the summer. His performance at the Mucky Duck was far superior and has to rank as one of the best concerts I saw in 2008. The well known music blog This Mornin' I am Born Again featured a great post on this very concert.

Here's a music video of Justin's song "The Good Life" which is the title track from his newest cd:

Here's a clip of Justin performing two songs by Townes Van Zandt..."Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold" and "Rex's Blues":

Here's another clip of Justin playing one of his dad's songs "Tom Ames' Prayer":

Next up was the Band of Heathens and Hayes Carll show at Warehouse Live. This show was very well-attended and was close to a sellout crowd. Local musician John Evans opened the show.

Here is a clip of John Evans performing his song "Goin' Down Loud":

The Band of Heathens took the stage next. Here's a clip of the Heathens playing their song "This I Know":

Finally, the always terrific Hayes Carll took the stage to close out the show. Hayes and his band played a loud and raucous set in front of an equally boisterous crowd. Here's a video of Hayes performing his song "Highway 87" (which was written about his experiences while living in Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula):

Here's another clip of Hayes performing his song "Beaumont" live on a British television show:

The last concert of the year I made was Clandestine at the Mucky Duck. Clandestine is a local Celtic band that has been playing together for several years. Here’s a clip of them playing the tune “Craig Gallagher’s” composed by E.J. Jones:

Nativity Epistle of Metropolitan Volodymyr

2009-01-07T23:38:00.004-06:00

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Nativity Epistle of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr to Reverend Archpastors, pastors, monastics and all faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Make merry, O heaven and earth, as the Prophets foretold! Celebrate in the spirit, O Angels and men! God is born from the Virgin and appears in the flesh to those who sit in darkness and shadow.

Sticheron at Litiya

Beloved in the Lord Archpastors, reverend pastors, honourable monastics of Christ, God-loving laymen, brothers and sisters!

Sharing with each of you the joy of the great feast, I greet you from all my heart on this wonderful triumph of the Heavens and the earth - on the Nativity of our God - the Lord and the Savior Jesus Christ!

The Son of God is now on the earth together with us! "Today Christ is born, Today the Unoriginate appears, the heavenly hosts rejoice, and all men and the earth rejoice..." (Sticheron of Nativity). The whole world has bated the breath on these holy days, since again the angelic glorifying chant comes from the sky down on the earth. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2: 14). We believe that this jubilation of the heavenly host echoes in every Christian heart, since the blessed peace, brought by the born God, also enlightens our souls today. Christ has reconciled the humanity with Himself, not imputing to men their transgressions, and committed to them the word of reconciliation (cf.: 2 Corinthians. 5: 19). Together with the angels we praise God in the highest, since it is in the incarnation of the Son of God that all the depth of God's Wisdom has revealed itself, redeeming the lost, restoring the falling, renewing the rotten. Celebrating the Nativity of Christ, we extend our gratitude to God, who has not left man, but has loved the world so much that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16). We testify that Jesus Christ is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity... And came and preached peace." (Ephesians 2: 14-15, 17).

Today, when our society is preoccupied with the daily, earthbound matters, overtaken by anxiety, and is fully busy looking for the better tomorrow, we perceive by our whole being the extreme need of listening to the voice of the Saviour, Who has come to the world, calling: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28). Everything in the soul of man that rises above vanity and troubles of the everyday life, everything that is not created for the momentary needs, but works for eternity - all that is the result of the Christ's peace. As never before, man needs to discover in his heart that almost childish joy and blessed peace that came down to the souls of the shepherds, who heard the good news from the sky of Bethlehem (Luke 2: 8-14).

Infant Christ was born in poverty, simplicity and deep humility. The Son of God shared with us our human nature to relieve Adam from the former damnation and to reconcile us with God.

Holy Evangelist John tells us that "the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5). The Orthodox people, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, hold this light in their hearts. Therefore, in spite of the darkness of the world around us we cannot but rejoice. This light enlightens the way of our new life, the life in Christ, and the festive jubilation comes from our lips: "Christ is born! Glorify Him!"

Last year we have prayerfully celebrated the prominent date - the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. The Primates and the representatives of all the Orthodox churches of the world, having gathered for the joint prayer in the ancient Kyiv - the mother of all Russian cities -have witnessed their brotherly love and support. It was not only the common history that we have recollected due to the celebration of the anniversary of the Baptism of our people. Having gathered at the banks of the Dnieper, our common baptismal font, where the great orthodox soul of our nation was born, we have experienced together the firmness of our brotherly bonds, the spirit of unity in Christ, which has united all of us. It is important for us to preserve this feeling of brotherly unity today, not to lose that spiritual bestowal that our ancestors obtained from the font of the Dnieper.

The past year also brought mournful event to all of us. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia had passed away to the Lord. All his life was dedicated to the selfless service to high Christian ideals, love of God and neighbour. He had given himself totally to the service to the Holy Church; he had truly become good pastor to all his numerous flock. The response of the God's people to the death of their Primate proved that the service of His Holiness had touched every Christian heart, leaving no one indifferent. Truly has the words of the Apostle fulfilled: "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6: 22).

Let's now turn away from the worldly concerns and worries and listen to the voices of Angels, proclaiming the true unheard-of joy to the world. This good news has brought the greatest spiritual joy to all creation, since today we are given the fulfillment of salvation, expected for ages by many generations of the forefathers, foretold by the prophets and longed to be seen by the righteous. What joy it is for us, and what jubilation it should be for us! Celebrating this day, the Holy Church calls us: "Come and rejoice unto the Lord, telling the true mystery!" (Sticheron of the feast).

Rejoicing with the whole world, with the angels of glory, bowing to the God-infant with the magi, let's rejoice with the holy joy of the Nativity! I wish to the God-loving children of the Holy Orthodox Church peace and joy in the Lord! The angel proclaimed us now "the good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2, 10-11). Amen.

Nativity of Christ

2008 / 2009

Kyiv

† Volodymyr,

Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine,

Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Nativity Encyclical of the Serbian Orthodox Church

2009-01-07T22:57:00.014-06:00

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The Serbian Orthodox Church

to her spiritual children at Christmas, 2008

PAVLE

By the Grace of God

Orthodox Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, with all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters of our Holy Church: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Christmas greeting:

Peace from God! Christ is Born!

Every year, dear spiritual children, and so it is this year as well, we anticipate and welcome Christmas, the birthday of the Son of God, with joy, faith, hope and love. Why? Because it is in this event that the "fullness of time" was fulfilled, and so God the Father, "gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This event is the fulfillment of all cosmological and historical events: everything that had happened in God's creation and mankind's history received in that day "which the Lord had made" its fulfillment and realization. The entry of God into the innermost part of life represents, also, a fulfillment of all of mankind's deepest yearnings as attested and proclaimed in all earthly nations before the birth of Christ. With His birth, the light of the knowledge of God shone forth. In that Divine light the meaning of the world, nature, and the ultimate goal of man's existence and the existence of all creatures, both visible and invisible, was revealed to us.

In Christ God, Whom we in the Creed confess as "the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made; being of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made, Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and became man..." - the victory has been realized once and for all over imperfection, sin and death. With the manifestation of the fullness of His Divinity and His unification with human nature, man's fullness and perfection has also been realized. Without mingling or change, the undivided unity and community of the divine and human natures in the God-man Jesus Christ bestows upon the world and man humanity, through the indestructible truth and the eternal, Divine-human community which is God's Church.

From the day of Christ's birth the world is not nor can it ever be that which it was before. Man's nature and the world, filled with the yeast of eternal Life, received the potential to be a new man, a new heaven and a new earth, a new eternal mankind. This is why Christ was the only one Who could say these words: "Behold, I create everything new" (cf. Rev. 21:5). He, as "the Only new under the sun," eternally renews everything that exists; His Light enlightens everyone and everything, enlightening every man that comes into the world (cf. John 1:9).

As such, Christ is the "fullness of the Law and Prophets" as He Himself said: "I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it." (Matthew 5:17) This word - "to fulfill" - has dual meaning: to accomplish, on the one hand, and to give to the world fullness and perfection, on the other hand, so that we humans and the world may be filled and grow in Him until, as the divinely wise Apostle Paul says: "we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

It is on this all encompassing truth about the Person Christ, as the beginning and the endlessness of all that exists, that everyday life is founded, and which enlightens man's way of life and behavior. This is why we always come back to the Nativity of the God-child, His Theanthropic work, with which we enlighten our own works and our relationship with each other, with God and with His creation.

With His birth as a man, the holiness of every birth and of all life is affirmed. It is fearful to imagine - let alone to accept and legalize as something normal - that defiling attitude towards the sanctity of life which would allow that even the Mother of God could be a child killer, just as are many contemporary women who kill their offspring in their wombs. Those mothers who kill their children become not only child murderers, but also God murderers, since every human being is a God-bearer and Christ-bearer. We will mention only one distressing and sad example of one mother who gave birth to a few daughters, and together with her husband wanted to have a son. When she conceived again, because the doctor wrongly determined that she was carrying another girl, she underwent an abortion, despite the pleas of her husband and others. It was discovered after the fact-oh, how heartrending-that she was carrying two boys, twins! What then, can comfort and heal this unfortunate mother's deep wound?! May our Lord have mercy upon her and all other child destroying mothers who, in their selfishness or some similar reason, sacrifice their most holy gift from God. Don't they turn the mother's womb - that workshop of life - into a shop of death and nothingness!

The selfishness and self-indulgence of man, such as that cited above, leads to the endangerment and misuse of the very nature into which we are born and live. As man lives and breathes with love, likewise all creatures and all nature's elements need mercy, love and goodness: the water which we drink, the air that we breathe, the flowers and trees in the field, the fish in the sea, the beasts in the mountains, the domestic animals - all yearn for mercy, love and goodness. If we misuse any part of creation or infect and pollute it - it becomes alienated, falls apart and disintegrates, and retaliates against its abusers. In this way the God-given order is broken : water loses its healthiness, and so does the earth, and with it the earthly fruits are polluted, and in turn they contaminate those who consume them - man and other living beings. The climate is changing, the ice is melting in the North Pole, the change of seasons is diminishing; the rising heat is preparing the globe to be one day, God forbid, consumed in fire.

Together with this, contemporary man, in conquering with his technology far-flung territories, imperils the living space of numerous other beings. Instead of turning to the inner spiritual dimensions which are limitless and conquering those territories which endanger no one, but rather which give fullness to all things, opening up inexpressible horizons of growth and perfection - instead, man turns to that which is by it's very nature limited and transient, and thus himself becomes limited and crippled. The real and true fullness of all things is precisely the Theanthropic Person of Christ in Whom is the "plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God" (Ephesians 3:9). When "Christ enters into our hearts through faith," only then can we be "rooted and grounded in love...comprehending with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Aside from this, today's mankind is very concerned with the beginning of a severe economic crisis. More frequently than not, it is overlooked that the crisis is not only economic, but rather its nature is more complex and deeper. Is it no wonder that it is manifested first of all among the wealthiest: the most frightened are those who are the most affluent. Their unquenchable greed for money and enjoyment, their over-consumption of natural and material goods, produces an imbalance in human relationships - the relationship towards the deepest mysteries of life and the relationship towards the entire creation. This means that behind the economic crisis is hidden a spiritual and moral crisis, and with that a crisis of all of mankind. It has been rightly stated that the economic crisis is connected with political calamity; as is the disregard for international rights and the ignoring of the United Nations Charter on human rights - as well as the extinguishing of justice in general, engenders a political crisis, and this in turn engenders economic and financial chaos. The law and justice, both God's and man's, are ignored because of lust for power and economic interest. The consequences of placing the economic and global interests of the world's mighty ones above justice and human rights are best seen in the tragic situation of our country and of the Serbian people, as well as other countries and peoples in the modern world.

The new hedonistic-utilitarian myths, today placed on the pedestal of divinity and propagated with all the modern means, are endangering most of all those most innocent and least able to repel them: children and youth. Drugs and immorality, the narrowing of life to instinct and the satisfaction of carnal lusts, the desire of the eye and of vanity (cf. 1 John 2:16), are the fruit of these ancient myths dressed in new and eye-catching clothing.

In the midst of all this we Christians, as before and as always, "wait for Christ, and not better times" (St. Nicholai of Zicha); we wait for Him Who is "the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow." We always go back to Him - "to a Young Child, the pre-eternal God," as the absolute measure and criterion of everything that happened and happens in all of human history. In Him as God's Son and Man's Son, as perfect God and perfect man "we have known and believed the love that God has for us" (1 John 4:16). Since God appeared to us with His Birth and lived with us, we know that "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this..." (1 John 4:16-17), and with "this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also" (1 John 4:21).

In the name of such a God Who is Love, and in the name of such a Love to which all peoples and nations are called, we greet you all, dear spiritual children - most especially you in the suffering Kosovo and Metohija and throughout the world, with the greeting of God's truth, justice and eternal love:

PEACE FROM GOD - CHRIST IS BORN!

And may the crown of the goodness of the new year of our Lord be blessed!

Given at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, at Christmas, 2008.

Your prayerful intercessors before the Divine Christ-Child:

Archbishop of Pec,

Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and

Serbian Patriarch PAVLE

Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana JOVAN

Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands AMPHILOHIJE

Metropolitan of Midwestern America CHRISTOPHER

Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosna NIKOLAJ

Bishop of Sabac-Valjevo LAVRENTIJE

Bishop of Nis IRINEJ

Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla VASILIJE

Bishop of Srem VASILIJE

Bishop of Banja Luka JEFREM

Bishop of Budim LUKIJAN

Bishop of Canada GEORGIJE

Bishop of Banat NIKANOR

Bishop for America and Canada (New Gracanica Metropolitanate) LONGIN

Bishop of Eastern America MITROPHAN

Bishop of Zica CHRYSOSTOM

Bishop of Backa IRINEJ

Bishop of Great Britain and Scandinavia DOSITEJ

Bishop of Ras and Prizren ARTEMIJE

Retired Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina ATANASIJE

Bishop of Bihac and Petrovac CHRYSOSTOM

Bishop of Osijek and Baranja LUKIJAN

Bishop of Central Europe CONSTANTINE

Bishop of Western Europe LUKA

Bishop of Timok JUSTIN

Bishop of Vranje PAHOMIJE

Bishop of Sumadija JOVAN

Bishop of Slavonia SAVA

Bishop of Branicevo IGNATIJE

Bishop of Milesevo FILARET

Bishop of Dalmatia FOTIJE

Bishop of Budimlje and Niksic JOANIKIJE

Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina GRIGORIJE

Bishop of Valjevo MILUTIN

Bishop of Western America MAXIM

Bishop of Gornji Karlovci GERASIM

Bishop of Australia and New Zealand IRINEJ

Vicar Bishop of Hvostno ATANASIJE

Vicar Bishop of Jegar PORFIRIJE

Vicar Bishop of Lipljan TEODOSIJE

Vicar Bishop of Dioclea JOVAN

Vicar Bishop of Moravica ANTONIJE

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID

Archbishop of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje JOVAN

Bishop of Polos and Kumanovo JOAKIM

Bishop of Bregal and locum tenens of the Diocese of Bitolj MARKO
Vicar Bishop of Stobija DAVID

Russian Orthodox Christmas in Houston

2009-01-07T13:27:00.006-06:00

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Here is a small gallery of pictures from the Christmas Vigil service at St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas. The photos are courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.

Christmas Epistle of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

2009-01-06T16:51:00.007-06:00

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NEW YORK: January 2, 2009
Christmas Epistle of the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Most Reverend brother Archpastors, Reverend Fathers, beloved brothers, sisters and children in Christ!

I address with heartfelt greetings the fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia for the first time. For the new and lofty ministry which has been placed upon me I am in need of God's great mercy which completes that which is wanting. I ask for your prayers that the Lord will strengthen me in this new and responsible obedience.

During these holy days I congratulate you with the great feast of the Nativity of Christ from the distant city of Sydney, the cathedral see of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese. It is my prayer that we may all partake of that sublime and inalienable peace, of which the angels sang on that holy night above the town of Bethlehem, when "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14).

With the Nativity of Christ there comes also a new year. Time races by, year after year, day after day. It is not revealed to us what will come to pass with us in the course of a year. We know that all that transpires is for the good of a person. If one were to know beforehand what fortune lies in store for him, he would be in danger of becoming inactive; on the other hand, to know what inescapable sufferings are approaching us would be too difficult and unbearable. It is probably for this reason that the Lord conceals future events from us and teaches us in this way to have hope in His merciful Providence, faith and humility.

At the beginning of this past year Metropolitan Laurus, our Abba who was beloved by all, reposed in the Lord, while at the end of the year - our kind Great Lord and Father, His Holiness Patriarch Alexis of Moscow and All Russia. Both will go into history as unifiers who healed the church divisions within the Local Russian Church. We all know how easy it is to cause division, for which no special effort is needed; but to unite and help sinners to make peace demands patience, tremendous inner strength, a loving heart, magnanimity and immeasurable faith in God's mercy. Let us all honor their memory not only with ardent prayer, but also by actively following their example of service to God and to people.

With the repose of His Holiness, Patriarch Alexis, a Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church is being convened in Moscow to deal with "church needs which have arisen" (Canon 20, Council of Antioch). Delegates from the Russian Church Abroad will take part in the election of a new Patriarch for the first time. For this reason we appeal to our delegates to address the matter of this election reverently and responsibly, for it is Christ Himself, the Head of the Church, Who beckons each of us to participate in the work of the Council.

May we all beseech the Lord with heartfelt prayer that the forthcoming Church Council will proceed in accordance with His salvific will which wisely directs all things towards good. May the participants of the Council become a vibrant power, able to bring joy to the hearts of all the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church with the election of a new Patriarch.

Once again I greet you all with the saving and joy-filled feast of the Birth in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Church, the New Year and the approaching feast of the Lord's Baptism. I hope that you will spend these holy days in a radiant, pious and joyous manner. May the heart of each one of us become a manger for the Divine Christ Child to illumine with His grace, so that in our eyes and in our life people will be able to see reflected the light of the Star of Bethlehem, a light of hope for all of humanity.

I believe that celebrating the feast in this manner will be the best way to witness Orthodoxy to those around us who are not yet members of the Holy Church. I hope that in this radiant manner we will likewise approach the work of the Local Council.

Amen.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America & New York,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church
Outside of Russia
Nativity of Christ, 2008/2009

Christmas Message from Metropolitan Kirill

2009-01-06T10:38:00.007-06:00

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Christmas Message of the Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad to the Archpastors, Pastors, Monastics and All Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church

Beloved in the Lord my brethren archpastors, honourable presbyters, pious deacons, God-loving monks and nuns and all faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church. ‘Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied’ (Jude 1:2).

It is in these days that we recall how the Son of God came down to men so that each of us may be united with him. Yet so that this opportunity may become a reality, there is required of each of us a response worthy of the divine love – our love, a love which is actual and sacrificial, a love which ‘vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil’ (1 Cor 13:4-5).

An example of this love was revealed to us in the life of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy, whom we recently accompanied on his final journey from this earthly life. Like the good shepherd of the Gospel, he ‘gave his life for the sheep’ (Jn 10:11), entrusted to his care by the Сhief Shepherd Christ. An undoubted merit of the late Patriarch is the preservation of Church unity granted by God and which no attempts to bring schism and division into Church life could sway. The celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia in Moscow, Kiev and Minsk demonstrated clearly the will of the people of the Church for unity. Many thousands of people have again bore testimony that it is in the one Church, that it is in the fullness of the Body of Christ that the truth abides.

With the demise of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy a most important period of the history of our Church has come to a close, a time of great social change. Today we live in a completely different society, dissimilar to the society that emerged from the period of godlessness which was imposed upon us.

At the same time today the peoples who are spiritually nourished by the Russian Church are encountering difficulties in the economic and social sphere that have befallen them externally. Many people have been deprived of work and are enduring material hardship. The Church embraces with compassion all those who are now finding it hard. May the Lord strengthen and bring wisdom to all – those in power, entrepreneurs and simple workers – so that we, through the common labour of accord, mutual aid and the search for proper solutions, are able to help each other to overcome the current difficulties and emerge from them, preserving ourselves and our beloved ones, and preserving peace and harmony in our communities.

Today our Church is going through a special time: we are all drawing closer to the Local Council, at which by the will of the Holy Spirit a new primate – His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia - will be elected. In preparing for the coming election, let us remember that love alone creates true conciliarity. ‘Love unites the many into the one body and makes their souls abodes of the Holy Spirit, for it is not in division among ourselves but in souls united that the Spirit of God abides,’ St. John Chrysostom teaches us. St. Paul warns us, ‘Look diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled’ (Heb 12:15). This root is sin; and the root of all sin is pride. There is no room for love in a proud heart. It is only when we leave no room in our souls for hatred, envy and rivalry, but when we open our hearts to love and unity that divine grace will be effective in our lives. It heals our infirmities and compensates for the paucity of our efforts. It grants to us boldness, strength and wisdom, leading the Church by the way of Christ who according to his promise abides with us ‘always, even unto the end of the world’ (Mt 28:20).

On this joyful day I congratulate you from the depths of my heart on the great and world-saving feast of the Nativity of Christ and the New Year of 2009. May it be beneficent and successful, and may we be accompanied on our pathways through life by ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost’ (2 Cor 13:13).

+Kirill, Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad

Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne

Nativity of Christ 2008/2009 AD, Moscow

Translation: DECR MP

Benefit Concert for the Old Quarter

2009-01-02T23:54:00.006-06:00

Here is a nice article from the Galveston County Daily News on the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe and the benefit concert to be held tomorrow night at Anderson Fair.

Townes

2009-01-01T17:17:00.009-06:00

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“What I do is between me and the Lord, to examine and possibly alter the state of grace in which I live, and thereby the state of grace of anybody who listens.” - Townes Van Zandt (as quoted in this excellent article)

Townes Van Zandt died on January 1st, 1997. Tonight the 12th Annual Townes Van Zandt Wake will be held at the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston.

There are two books on Townes that have recently been released: To Live's To Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt and A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt.

There is also a wonderful documentary of his life available on DVD titled: Be Here to Love Me.

Here is the trailer for the film:

Here is a tribute video with Lyle Lovett performing his version of Townes' song "Flyin' Shoes":

R.I.P. Townes...

Upcoming Shows

2008-12-30T09:35:00.043-06:00

01/01 - The 12th Annual Townes Van Zandt Wake @ the Old Quarter
01/02 - The Band of Heathens @ the Old Quarter
01/02 - Reckless Kelly/The Gougers @ House of Blues
01/02 - John Evans @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
01/03 - Fundraiser for the Old Quarter @ Anderson Fair
01/03 - Two Tons of Steel/Miss Leslie @ the Continental Club
01/03 - Monte Montgomery @ the Mucky Duck
01/03 - Jerry Jeff Walker @ The Grand 1894 Opera House
01/03 - Texas High Life @ Firehouse Saloon
01/04 - Hamilton Loomis @ the Mucky Duck
01/05 - The Octanes @ the Continental Club
01/06 - The Umbrella Man @ the Continental Club
01/07 - Sideshow Tramps/The Magpies @ the Continental Club
01/08 - Idgy Vaughn/Amy Speace/Danny Schmidt @ the Mucky Duck
01/08 - Michael Hardie/Milton Hopkins @ the Continental Club
01/09 - The Gourds @ the Continental Club
01/09 - Katie Stuckey @ Firehouse Saloon
01/09 - Junior Brown @ the Mucky Duck
01/10 - Shake Russell @ the Old Quarter
01/10 - Kristine Mills @ the Mucky Duck
01/10 - Wayne Hancock @ Armadillo Palace
01/10 - Opie Hendrix/Carrie Ann Buchanan @ Last Concert Cafe
01/11 - The Gypsies @ the Continental Club
01/13 - Eliza Gilkyson @ the Mucky Duck
01/16 - Greg Trooper @ the Mucky Duck
01/16 - Brandon Rhyder @ Firehouse Saloon
01/16 - Gary P. Nunn @ Blanco's
01/16 - Dana Cooper @ Dosey Doe's
01/17 - Guy Forsyth @ the Mucky Duck
01/17 - Sisters Morales @ the Old Quarter
01/17 - Randy Weeks @ Almost Austin House Concerts
01/20 - Pinto Bennett/Mary Cutrufello @ the Mucky Duck
01/22 - Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
01/23 - Hayes Carll @ the Mucky Duck
01/23 - Dale Watson @ Armadillo Palace
01/23 - Mark Stuart/Stacey Earle @ Anderson Fair
01/24 - The Gougers @ the Mucky Duck
01/27 - Bruce Robison/Charlie Robison @ the Mucky Duck
01/27 - Sunny Sweeney @ Dosey Doe's
01/29 - Jon Hogan/Edge City @Anderson Fair
01/30 - Drop Trio @ Avant Garden
01/30 - The Hudsons @ Anderson Fair
01/30 - Cory Morrow @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
01/30 - Stoney Larue @ Big Texas (Spring)
01/30 - Max Stalling @ Firehouse Saloon
01/31 - Richard Dobson @ Anderson Fair
01/31 - Carolyn Wonderland @ Last Concert Cafe
01/31 - Hayes Carll @ the Old Quarter
01/31 - Greg Brown @ the Mucky Duck

Nesterov

2008-12-22T22:37:00.006-06:00

I recently stumbled across this beautiful clip featuring paintings of Mikhail Nesterov and the music of Henryk Gorecki. Nesterov has always been my favorite Russian painter and I've loved Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 since I first heard it on a radio broadcast a few years before it achieved mass popularity.

Russian Orthodox Church Continues to Grow

2008-12-17T19:01:00.038-06:00

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Original Article from Interfax:

Over 20 new Orthodox churches has opened in Moscow this year

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Moscow, December 12, Interfax – The number of churches and chapels acting in Moscow has increased from 851 to 872 since December 2007, Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutistsy and Kolomna told a meeting of the capital’s clergy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

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He also cited the data saying that about 1838 clergymen are working in the capital today (last year their number equaled to 1770). The Russian Orthodox Church has 157 dioceses (compared to 142 last year), 203 bishops including 149 ruling bishops and 48 vicar bishops. The total number of clergy in the Russian Church equals to 30 670.

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The number of Sunday schools in the dioceses increased by one thousand – from 10 141 to 11 051 while the number of parishes has grown from 27 942 to 29 268.

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Today the Russian Orthodox Church has 804 monasteries, including 142 monasteries and 153 nunneries in the CIS-countries and three monasteries and three nunneries in foreign countries. Also acting are 203 representations and 65 hermitages.

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Besides, there are 25 stauropegial monasteries (under direct subordination to the patriarch).

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The Russian Church Abroad has 16 monasteries and 9 nunneries.

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The number of Russian Orthodox theological schools equals to 87.

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Funeral of Patriarch Alexei II

2008-12-09T22:57:00.006-06:00

The funeral for His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow was held today at Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Here is a video with excerpts from the funeral service:

The burial service was held at Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow. Here is a video with excerpts from the burial service:

Here is a news report from Russia with commentary on the funeral:

Patriarch Alexei II Reposes

2008-12-05T10:18:00.004-06:00

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His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow died this morning. More details can be found here.

May his memory be eternal!

Upcoming Shows

2008-11-30T19:44:00.044-06:00

12/01 - The Eagles @ Toyota Center
12/02 - Noise for Toys @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
12/03 - J.D. Souther @ the Mucky Duck
12/03 - Owen Temple @ Puffabelly's
12/04 - The Belleville Outfit @ the Mucky Duck
12/04 - Craig Kinsey @ the Big Top
12/05 - Buddy Guy @ House of Blues
12/05 - Ray Price @ Stafford Centre
12/05 - Michael Fracasso @ Anderson Fair
12/05 - Asleep at the Wheel - Dosey Doe Coffee House
12/05 - Carolyn Wonderland @ the Mucky Duck
12/05 - Jason Boland @ Firehouse Saloon
12/06 - porterdavis @ Anderson Fair
12/06 - Flaco Jimenez @ the Continental Club
12/06 - Kelly Willis/Bruce Robison @ the Mucky Duck
12/06 - Micky & the Motorcars @ Firehouse Saloon
12/09 - Lise Liddell/Dan Crump/Teresa Kolo @ the Mucky Duck
12/10 - Tressie Seegers @ the Continental Club
12/11 - Scott Miller/Mike McClure @ the Mucky Duck
12/11 - South Austin Jug Band @ the Continental Club
12/12 - Randy Weeks @ the Mucky Duck
12/12 - David Allan Coe - Firehouse Saloon
12/13 - Radney Foster @ the Mucky Duck
12/13 - Two Tons of Steel @ Firehouse Saloon
12/14 - Blaggards @ the Continental Club
12/16 - Justin Townes Earle @ Cactus Music (in-store)
12/16 - Justin Townes Earle/Samantha Crain @ the Mucky Duck
12/16 - Shelley King/Idgy Vaughn/Georgia Middleman @ Dosey Doe's
12/17 - Raul Malo @ House of Blues
12/17 - Kelly Willis/Bruce Robison @ the Mucky Duck
12/19 - Charlie Robison - Tumbleweed's
12/19 - Gary P. Nunn @ Blanco's
12/20 - Two Star Symphony @ Rudyard's
12/20 - Stoney Larue @ House of Blues
12/21 - The Swingfield Playboys @ the Mucky Duck
12/26 - Hayes Carll/Adam Carroll/Band of Heathens @ Warehouse Live
12/26 - Bob Schneider @ House of Blues
12/26 - Dale Watson @ Blanco's
12/26 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
12/26 - LL Cooper @ Rudyard's
12/27 - Asylum Street Spankers @ the Mucky Duck
12/27 - Bleu Edmondson @ Firehouse Saloon
12/28 - The Old 97's @ Warehouse Live
12/28 - Robert Earl Keen @ House of Blues
12/29 - Jack Ingram @ House of Blues
12/30 - Hayes Carll @ Dosey Doe's
12/30 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
12/30 - Reverend Horton Heat @ House of Blues
12/31 - Shake Russell @ Anderson Fair
12/31 - Guy Forsyth/Sideshow Tramps @ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar

still here

2008-11-29T14:40:00.015-06:00

So I'm still here. I haven't posted much for awhile. I've been recovering from a minor surgery and my job has kept me very busy lately. I did manage to make it to a few shows earlier this month before my surgery.

First up was The Red Elvises (your favorite band!) at the Mucky Duck. They are a Russian-American band, based in Santa Monica, who always put on an energetic and entertaining show. Here's a clip of the band playing "Ticket to Japan" in San Francisco featuring the lovely and talented Elena Shemankova:

The next show was Rodney Crowell at the Mucky Duck. Rodney played two nights at the Duck. I caught the first night's performance. Rodney was joined on stage by Jenny Scheinman and Jedd Hughes. This was easily one of the best shows I've seen all year. So many great songs and such a high level of musicianship on display! It was also nice to see such a good turnout (both shows were sold-out). Rodney grew up in Houston and there were many in attendance from the neighborhoods where he used to live. Here's a clip of the "Houston Kid" reminiscing on his childhood and performing "The Rock of My Soul":

Here's a recent clip of Rodney performing "Moving Work of Art" with Will Kimbrough and Jenny Scheinman:

Here is a video of Jedd Hughes performing his song "Big Blue Sky":

...and here are two clips of Jenny Scheinman peforming her songs "Newspaper Angels" and "Run, Run, Run" with Will Kimbrough:

Finally, for something a little different, I went to the Chanticleer concert at Stude Concert Hall at Rice University. Chanticleer (based in San Francisco) is considered by many to be the world's leading male chorus. It was a great performance with some particuliarly fine singing from the altos and counter-tenors. Here is a clip of Chanticleer performing the traditional Irish folk song "Dulaman" in an arrangement by Michael McGlynn:

Here is an excerpt from the group's newest dvd Mission Road featuring performances filmed at several historic California Missions:

Finally, here is a video of Chanticleer performing a setting of "Ave Maria" by composer Franz Biebl:

Metropolitan Jonah

2008-11-17T19:45:00.017-06:00

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Last week the Orthodox Church in America held its 15th All-American Council. At the Council a new Metropolitan was elected as primate of the OCA.

His Grace, Bishop Jonah (Paffhausen) of Fort Worth, was elected by the Holy Synod of Bishops as the new Metropolitan for the OCA. He was consecrated a Bishop on November 1, 2008 at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas to serve as the auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of the South. Prior to that he served for many years as Abbot of the Monastery of St. John of San Francisco.

Ancient Faith Radio has posted audio excerpts of the Council sessions here. There are many interesting interviews and speeches that have been compiled.

A reading of the greeting from Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia can be heard here.

Perhaps the most important speech of the Council was Bishop Jonah's address on Tuesday evening in regards to questions and concerns that had been submitted to the Synod of Bishops. His address can be heard here and is required listening. Many believe that Bishop Jonah was elected as Metropolitan largely due to the impact that this address had.

Another excellent speech from Metropolitan Jonah on his vision for the future of the OCA can be heard here.

A video of the election process for the new Metropolitan can be seen here.

Axios! Many Years!

Election Day

2008-11-04T07:56:00.005-06:00

I think Over The Rhine is on to something here...if only a song could be president...

So, in that spirit, I believe I will support the Pancho/Lefty ticket:

...although Wilco does offer a pretty convincing argument for the ultimate third-party candidate...

: )

Modern Day Hermits

2008-11-03T22:02:00.004-06:00

Here is a very interesting video on some modern day hermits from Romania:

Upcoming Shows

2008-10-31T19:13:00.043-05:00

11/01 - Willie Nelson @ House of Blues
11/01 - Jerry Jeff Walker/The Flatlanders @ Miller Outdoor Theater
11/01 - Texas Johnny Boy & Milton Hopkins @ the Mucky Duck
11/02 - South Austin Jug Band @ the Mucky Duck
11/02 - Sideshow Tramps @ Rudyard's
11/02 - Celtic Ceili @ Miller Outdoor Theater
11/03 - Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys @ Boondocks
11/06 - The Red Elvises @ the Mucky Duck
11/06 - Craig Kinsey @ the Big Top
11/07 - Buckethead @ Meridian
11/07 - The Waybacks @ the Mucky Duck
11/07 - Shake Russell/Michael Hearne @ Anderson Fair
11/07 - Billy Joe Shaver @ Firehouse Saloon
11/08 - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ Warehouse Live
11/08 - Slaid Cleaves @ the Mucky Duck
11/08 - Caroline Herring @ Anderson Fair
11/10 - Matisyahu @ House of Blues
11/10-11 - Rodney Crowell @ the Mucky Duck
11/13 - Clay Farmer @ Blanco's
11/13 - Michael Hearne @ Dosey Doe Coffee House (Woodlands)
11/14 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
11/14 - Cadillac Sky @ Dosey Doe's
11/14 - Stoney Larue @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
11/15 - Eric Taylor @ Anderson Fair
11/15 - Two Star Symphony @ Rudyard's
11/15 - Ray Wylie Hubbard @ the Mucky Duck
11/15 - Johnny Falstaff @ Cactus Music (in-store)
11/16 - Fundraiser for Wrecks Bell & The Old Quarter @ Dan Electro's
11/18 - Coldplay @ Toyota Center
11/18 - Dave Alvin @ the Mucky Duck
11/20 - Gary P. Nunn @ Dosey Doe's
11/21 - George Jones @ Arena Theater
11/21-22 - B.B. King @ House of Blues
11/21 - Dale Watson @ Blanco's
11/22 - The Gougers @ the Mucky Duck
11/22 - Guy Forsyth @ Dosey Doe's
11/22 - Opie Hendrix @ Dan Electro's
11/25 - Wine & Alchemy @ the Mucky Duck
11/28 - Band of Heathens @ the Mucky Duck
11/28 - James Hand @ Blanco's
11/28 - Cory Morrow @ Firehouse Saloon
11/28 - Carolyn Wonderland @ Dan Electro's
11/29 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
11/30 - Saint Andrew's Day Celebration @ the Mucky Duck

More Shows

2008-10-24T18:45:00.034-05:00

I managed to make a few more shows this month...

First up was The Gougers over at Dosey Doe Coffee House in the Woodlands. It was my first visit to Dosey Doe's and also a pleasant surprise due to a free ticket offer...thanks Christi! It's a nice place to see a show with some good food as well. Here's a clip from that show (nice job Kim!):

The next day I caught the Wine and Alchemy show at the Mucky Duck. A really fun group complete with belly dancing and exotic instruments. Fans of E Muzeki will also enjoy this group. Here's a clip of them performing at the Texas Renaissance Festival...can anyone name that tune? : )

Then there was the Fred Eaglesmith show at the Duck. You always know you're going to have a great time at an Eaglesmith show. The jokes and between-songs-banter are worth the price of admission alone. You also have to love a performer who's not afraid to heckle his audience! Since this show was just a few days after the huge bailout of the U.S. financial system I just knew Fred was going to take note. Sure enough, his opening words on taking the stage were: "Sure is nice to be in another Socialist country. I'm from Canada where we just have socialized medicine...but you Americans even have socialized banks!". Here's a clip featuring both the lighter and more serious side of Fred:

Next up was Jubal Lee Young and his return to Under the Volcano (a great bar which really needs a proper website!). Here's a video of a song Jubal Lee wrote a few years ago which is now more timely than ever:

Then it was back to the Duck to see a true music legend: Charlie Louvin. Charlie is the surviving half of the pioneering country music duo The Louvin Brothers. I didn't really know what to expect from this show...but I was completely blown away by the spirit of this 81 year old living legend. Here is a rare video of the Louvin Brothers from 1956:

...and here is a heartfelt and moving tribute by Charlie for his departed brother Ira:

...and finally I was able to see Ray LaMontagne in concert last night at Verizon Theater. What a great show. What an incredible voice! He brings a truly unique intensity to his performances. Definitely one of the most important and talented singer-songwriters working today. It was a pity that some in the audience behaved so boorishly...which just serves to reinforce the negative stereotype towards Houston audiences among indie musicians. I'm still pretty new to Ray's music but I plan on picking up all of his recordings now. Here is an extended video of two beautifully crafted songs...that illustrates perfectly why you must go see Ray if he plays anywhere near your town:

Ok, I just can't resist, here's some more Ray. Here is a clip of "Let It Be Me" from his new cd. This one really struck a chord with me. Great song, terrific talent:

Tenth Anniversary

2008-10-18T22:24:00.006-05:00

Photo Source

Photos from the visit of Bishop Peter to Houston to mark the Tenth Anniversary of St. Jonah Orthodox Church can be viewed here.

The Old Quarter

2008-10-18T17:42:00.008-05:00

The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston, Texas sustained severe damage from Hurricane Ike.

Rex "Wrecks" Bell (Texas music legend and owner of the Old Quarter) has decided to rebuild.

He is going to need a lot of help to pull it off. Fortunately, efforts to help out Rex and the Old Quarter are already under way. Rex is accepting donations through the Old Quarter website.

Benefit concerts are already planned in Akron, Ohio, Dan Electro's Guitar Bar in Houston and Lukenbach, Texas.

Artists and bands who are involved include: The Band of Heathens, Hayes Carll, Adam Carroll, Jesse Dayton, Jason Eady, Ken Gaines, Susan Gibson, The Gougers, Quincy Harper, Opie Hendrix, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The McKay Brothers, Gary P. Nunn, Shake Russell, Sisters Morales, Owen Temple and J.T. Van Zandt.

Upcoming Shows

2008-09-30T19:02:00.025-05:00

10/01 - The Belleville Outfit @ The Continental Club
10/02 - Craig Kinsey @ The Big Top
10/03 - James McMurtry/Dustin Welch @ Continental Club
10/03 - Ryan Bingham @ Warehouse Live
10/03 - Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers @ Blanco's
10/03 - Carolyn Wonderland @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
10/04 - John Gorka @ the Mucky Duck
10/04 - The Gougers @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
10/04 - Opie Hendrix @ Last Concert Cafe
10/04 - Ziegenbock Music Festival @ Sam Houston Race Park
10/05 - Wine & Alchemy @ the Mucky Duck
10/07 - Fred Eaglesmith @ the Mucky Duck
10/09 - Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
10/10 - Hayes Carll @ Conroe Catfish Festival (full lineup here)
10/10 - Jubal Lee Young @ Cactus Music
10/10 - Fred Eaglesmith @ Dosey Doe
10/10 - Sideshow Tramps @ Continental Club
10/10 - Laurie Anderson @ Cullen Theater
10/11 - John Evans @ the Mucky Duck
10/11 - Westheimer Block Party
10/11 - John Hammond, Jr. @ Anderson Fair
10/14 - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals @ Verizon Theater
10/16 - Charlie Louvin @ the Mucky Duck
10/17 - Greg Trooper @ the Mucky Duck
10/17 - Abi Tapia/Betty Soo @ Anderson Fair
10/17 - Rev. Horton Heat/Asleep at the Wheel @ House of Blues
10/17 - Cory Morrow @ Big Texas (Spring)
10/17 - Dana Cooper @ Main Street Crossing (Tomball)
10/18 - Two High String Band @ Anderson Fair
10/19 - Hamilton Loomis @ the Mucky Duck
10/20 - The Tontons @ Boondock's
10/23 - Ray LaMontagne @ Verizon Theater
10/23 - Butthole Surfers @ Meridian
10/24 - Ben Folds @ Warehouse Live
10/24 - Jesse Dayton/Brennen Leigh @ the Mucky Duck
10/24 - The Hudsons @ Anderson Fair
10/25 - Guy Forsyth @ the Mucky Duck
10/25 - Sean Reefer @ Continental Club
10/25 - Clay Farmer @ Dosey Doe
10/25 - L.L. Cooper @ Last Concert Cafe
10/28 - Chris Knight @ the Mucky Duck
10/29 - Chris Knight @ the Mucky Duck
10/30 - Los Lonely Boys/Alejandro Escovedo @ House of Blues
10/30 - Max Stalling @ the Mucky Duck
10/31 - Willie Nelson @ House of Blues
10/31 - Houston Marchman @ Anderson Fair
10/31 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck

Shows

2008-09-27T14:29:00.017-05:00

I haven't been to as many concerts lately thanks to Hurricane Ike and its aftermath. I had tickets to the Nanci Griffith/Guy Clark concert and the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss show...both of which were canceled. I was disappointed that the Plant/Krauss show was canceled...but after seeing the damage to the Woodlands Pavilion I can understand why. The roof was almost completely destroyed.

I also had to miss the Kelly Joe Phelps concert at Anderson Fair as I was busy preparing for the approaching hurricane.

One show I managed to make prior to Ike was Teribus (a pipe and drum band) at the Mucky Duck.

Here's a video from that show:

The other "pre-Ike" show I made was Brennen Leigh and Shotgun Party also at the Mucky Duck. Really fun show with two great bands. Here's a video of Brennen singing "Waitin' Out the Rain" which seems appropriate:

Here is a clip of Shotgun Party doing two of their songs at Sam's in San Antonio:

The first show I was able to see after the hurricane featured a performance by the Duck's own Liz Dannemiller. It was a great show and offered some much needed entertainment as I was still without power at home. Here is a clip of Liz performing at Boheme Cafe:

On Wednesday I was able to see the Drive-By Truckers in concert at the Meridian. I was also able to see singer Patterson Hood and drummer Brad Morgan play an in-store performance at Cactus Music. The show at the Meridian was one of the hardest rockin' shows I have ever heard. It took hours for my hearing to fully recover...as I was standing in the first row right next to the speakers. An enthusiastic review of the concert from the Houston Press can be found here (in which the back of my head appears in one of the accompanying photos). Here's a clip of the Truckers ripping through "Look Out Mountain" which gives a good idea of their powerful sound:

Finally, I saw Spiritualized last night at the Meridian. Another great show! Really interesting band with a unique sound and meaningful lyrics. Here is a video of them performing "Shine a Light":

ACL Blues

2008-09-25T22:08:00.003-05:00

For those of us who can't make it to the Austin City Limits Music Festival...all is not lost.

The AT&T Blue Room will be featuring live broadcasts via the internet.

You can check out their broadcast schedule here.

You can also hear audio broadcasts from XM Radio. That schedule can be seen here.

I know I'll be tuning in.

Having just seen the Drive-By Truckers' amazing Houston show last night, I would recommend checking out the broadcast of their show at 3:30pm ET on Saturday the 27th.

Ike

2008-09-21T19:58:00.014-05:00

Photo Source

I'm just now getting back online after Hurricane Ike. It's been a hectic and stressful past week and a half.

When the storm first formed I had a bad feeling that it was going to be trouble. With a name like "Ike" you just knew it was going to be a problem. On September 10th I woke up with a certainty that it was going to hit the Galveston/Houston area. On September 11th my family and I evacuated to Tyler, Texas.

This evacuation went far smoother than the debacle that was the evacuation for Hurricane Rita. We only encountered a few pockets of heavy traffic on our way out of Houston and then again between Lufkin and Tyler. The one big problem we encountered was on Highway 69 just outside of Lufkin when we met up with all of the traffic evacuating from the Beaumont area. It was then, during the heavy traffic, that our truck's fan belt and water pump started to go out. I was getting more than a little bit concerned, since it was night, and we were in a "dead zone" area where none of our cell phones worked. Fortunately, the truck was able to hold up until we made it into Tyler.

We stayed with relatives in Tyler for four days. My profound gratitude and thanks to John and Judy Idrogo for graciously putting us up...and for putting up with our dog Sam. They also knew a good mechanic who was able to fix our truck. Even 250 miles inland in Tyler we experienced high winds and some heavy rain.

On September 14th we drove back into Houston. Along the way power was out pretty much from just outside Tyler all the way back home. There were only a few gas stations open and there were already long lines forming. Most of the traffic signals were also out from Lufkin all the way to Houston.

Our house escaped any serious damage but we do have a fence down in the backyard. There was also a lot of fallen trees and limbs in our neighborhood. Our front yard had a fair amount of branches and other storm debris scattered about when we returned. We were also without electricity until two days ago.

On September 15th I ventured into downtown Houston since my office was open and at least had air conditioning and power. Downtown was still a real mess. None of the traffic signals worked and several streets were closed to traffic. The area around the Chase Tower was very heavily damaged. The pictures of the damage to the building don't do it justice. I walked by to get a better look and had to cross streets filled with shards of broken glass. For about the first 30 floors, every window on one side of the building had been blown out. At the main entrance the revolving doors had been twisted beyond recognition and were frozen shut. I've never seen that level of destruction in person before. Most of the rest of downtown was empty and there were only a handful of restaurants that were open.

Things slowly but surely began to return to normal throughout the rest of the week. Gas remained in short supply and there were long lines at gas stations for the first few days. By midweek more gas stations, restaurants and stores began to open. Things are mostly back to normal now, though many people are still without power and a curfew is still in effect.

Galveston Island was very heavily damaged from the storm surge. Even though the hurricane was only a category 2, when it made landfall it produced a category 4 storm surge. Both Orthodox parishes in Galveston sustained significant damage. Fr. Serge Veselinovich of Sts. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church has set up a blog for the Galveston Orthodox community with updates and pictures of the damage.

Galveston also lost one of its most famous landmarks the Balinese Room. The famous nightclub was located on a pier that was completely destroyed. The Balinese Room was once a well known hot spot that hosted Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, George Burns and other famous performers. The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe was also heavily damaged but is already planning to reopen as soon as possible. Houston also lost Brennan's one of its best restaurants and a midtown landmark.

I was also disappointed that a number of concerts I had planned to attend were canceled including: Nanci Griffith with Guy Clark and the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss show.

Prayers are requested for all those still dealing with the aftermath and destruction caused by Hurricane Ike. One of my cousins sustained very severe damage to his home in Bridge City and he and his family will have to rebuild once again. His home was also damaged during Hurricane Rita. Many others in Southeast Texas face the same situation.

Donations for Hurricane Ike relief efforts can be made to the Red Cross and the International Orthodox Christian Charities.

Upcoming Shows

2008-08-31T21:44:00.012-05:00

09/02 - Teribus @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
09/03 - The Del McCoury Band @ Dosey Doe Coffee House
09/04 - The Belleville Outfit @ the Mucky Duck
09/04 - porterdavis @ The Corner Pub (Conroe)
09/04 - The McKay Brothers @ Blanco's
09/05 - Bruce Robison (in-store) @ Cactus Music
09/05 - Bruce Robison @ the Mucky Duck
09/05 - Jack Ingram & Shooter Jennings @ The Showgrounds
09/05 - Cory Morrow @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
09/05 - Band of Heathens @ Continental Club
09/06 - Blaggards @ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
09/06 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
09/09 - Brennen Leigh/Shotgun Party @ the Mucky Duck
09/09 - 09/11 - The Eagles @ Toyota Center
09/10 - Kelly Joe Phelps @ Anderson Fair
09/11 - Dustin Welch @ Continental Club
09/12 - Randy Weeks @ the Mucky Duck
09/12 - Mark Stuart & Stacey Earle @ Anderson Fair
09/12 - Tish Hinojosa @ Dosey Doe's
09/12 - Hamilton Loomis @ Last Concert Cafe
09/12 - Miss Leslie & Brennen Leigh @ Main Street Crossing
09/13 - Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
09/13 - Jesse Dayton @ Armadillo Palace
09/13 - Lisa Novak @ The Big Top
09/13 - Clay Farmer @ Dosey Doe's
09/14 - Dertybird @ Rudyard's
09/16 - Ramblin' Jack Elliott @ the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
09/17 - Nanci Griffith w/ Guy Clark @ Verizon Theater
09/18 - Joel Stein w/ Liz Dannemiller @ the Mucky Duck
09/19 - Gary P. Nunn @ Dosey Doe's
09/20 - John Evans @ the Mucky Duck
09/20 - Paul Geremia @ Anderson Fair
09/20 - Flaco Jimenez @ Continental Club
09/20 - Santana @ the Woodlands Pavilion
09/20 - Billy Joe Shaver @ Dosey Doe's
09/21 - Amos Lee @ Meridian
09/21 - Robert Cray @ Warehouse Live
09/24 - The Drive-By Truckers (in-store) @ Cactus Music
09/24 - The Drive-By Truckers @ Meridian
09/25 - Paula Nelson @ Armadillo Palace
09/25 - Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys @ Blanco's
09/25 - Flogging Molly @ Verizon Theater
09/26 - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss @ the Woodlands Pavilion
09/26 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
09/26 - Spiritualized @ Meridian
09/26 - Shake Russell @ Anderson Fair
09/26 - Ian Moore @ Continental Club
09/26 - The Hudsons @ Dosey Doe's
09/26 - Jason Boland @ the Firehouse Saloon
09/27 - Opie Hendrix @ Continental Club
09/27 - Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet @ Dosey Doe's
09/30 - The Black Keys @ Meridian
09/30 - Mary Cutrufello @ the Mucky Duck

still here

2008-08-31T19:53:00.006-05:00

So I'm still here. I haven't posted much for awhile. My job has kept me pretty busy of late. I did manage to make a few more shows in the last month including: Wild Sweet Orange, Dustin Welch, Kevin Welch, Lyle Lovett, and Corb Lund.

I don't have the time or inclination to post any reviews of these shows right now...but here are a few YouTube clips to give an idea of what these artists sound like:

Wild Sweet Orange on Letterman:

Dustin Welch and friends play "Green Badge":

Dustin's dad Kevin Welch and Kieran Kane performing "Anna Lise Please":

Lyle Lovett wishes he had a boat (among other things):

Corb Lund pays homage to the eternal spirit of the horse soldier:

Jubal Lee Young

2008-08-09T20:44:00.011-05:00

Photo Source

"Open Letter to Steve Young: Hey man, your boy rocks!"- Kevin Welch

...and Kevin Welch, as the father of Dustin Welch, knows something about having a boy who rocks...

I caught Jubal Lee Young at his first ever Houston appearance last Wednesday night at Under the Volcano.

It was a small (but very enthusiastic) crowd that turned out for the show. I think the regular bar patrons outnumbered the handful of us that actually showed up to hear him play. It didn't matter though because Jubal Lee won over everyone that stayed to listen.

The Houston Press music blog was also represented in the small crowd. They were impressed as well...as can be seen in their post on the show.

I can't really add much more other than to say it was a great show. The highlights for me were the Jubal Lee Young originals: "Greed is the Creed" ,"Greedy Old Men With Fountain Pens", "Streets of Caen", "The Window Song" and his excellent covers of David Olney's "The Way I Am" and his dad's song "East Virginia".

You can check out more of Jubal Lee Young's music here and here.

Here is a video of Jubal Lee Young performing David Olney's "The Way I Am" from a recent European tour:

Funeral of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

2008-08-07T22:27:00.008-05:00

Photo Source

Funeral services for Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn were held this week at the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow.

Thousands of Russians came to pay their respects both at the public viewing held at the Russian Academy of Sciences as well as at the funeral and burial services at the Donskoy Monastery.

Excerpts from a letter of condolence of Patriarch Alexei II can be read here.

A letter of condolence from Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia can be read here.

Photos of the funeral and burial services can be seen here.

A video with scenes from the funeral and burial services can be found here.

A video of the complete burial service can be viewed here.

Scruggs Reports to Prison

2008-08-04T19:46:00.002-05:00

From the Associated Press:

ASHLAND, Ky. — Anti-tobacco lawyer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has reported to a federal prison in eastern Kentucky.

Prison spokesman Larry Whitman says Scruggs entered a federal prison in Ashland this morning. He is beginning a five-year sentence for conspiring to bribe a judge with $50,000.

Scruggs was one of two people to plead guilty to the charge. Prosecutors say Scruggs wanted a favorable ruling in a dispute over $26.5 million in legal fees from a settlement of Hurricane Katrina insurance cases.

In the 1990s, Scruggs used a corporate insider to take on tobacco companies in lawsuits that resulted in a $206 billion settlement. That case was portrayed in the 1999 film "The Insider" that starred Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008)

2008-08-03T23:16:00.013-05:00

Photo Source

"We have placed too much hope in political and social reforms, only to find out that we were being deprived of our most precious possession: our spiritual life." - Solzhenitsyn's Harvard Address (1978)

"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" - The Gulag Archipelago - Part I, The Prison Industry, Ch. 4 "The Bluecaps"

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died today at the age of 89.

An obituary from the New York Times can be read here.

Solzhenitsyn was a famed Russian novelist and historian who wrote a number of critically acclaimed works.

He was also one of the most important dissidents of the Soviet Union. He was sentenced to the Gulag prison system beginning in 1945. He was imprisoned in various hard labor camps for ten years. After he was released from prison he was forced to live in internal exile for the remainder of his years in the Soviet Union. His experiences in the Gulag led him to write his greatest work: The Gulag Archipelago, which is one of the most important historical writings of the 20th Century.

Other important Russian artists and writers (including Mstislav Rostropovich and Yevgeny Yevtushenko) attempted to aid and defend Solzhenitsyn from the persecutions of the Soviet government. They, in turn, were persecuted as well.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970.

He was formally stripped of his citizenship and exiled from the Soviet Union in 1974. He settled in Vermont and lived there quietly for almost twenty years as he continued writing.

He returned to Russia in 1994. He was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation for his lifetime of humanitarian work in 2007 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

May his memory be eternal!

Upcoming Shows

2008-07-31T19:17:00.028-05:00

08/01 - Sugar Bayou with Mary Cutrufello @ the Mucky Duck
08/01 - The Tontons/Two Star Symphony @ Fitzgerald's
08/01 - Brandon Rhyder @ Big Texas (Spring)
08/01 - Opie Hendrix/Carrie Ann Buchanan @ JP Hops House
08/02 - Tony Joe White @ Cactus Music (In-store)
08/02 - Tony Joe White @ the Continental Club
08/02 - Sisters Morales @ the Mucky Duck
08/02 - Denice Franke @ Anderson Fair
08/03 - Cory Morrow/John Evans @ Firehouse Saloon
08/05 - Jason Eady/Adam Carroll/Owen Temple @ the Mucky Duck
08/06 - Jubal Lee Young @ Under the Volcano
08/08 - Jimmy LaFave @ the Mucky Duck
08/08 - Hayes Carll @ Cactus Music (In-store)
08/08 - Hayes Carll @ The Showgrounds
08/08 - Billy Joe Shaver @ Firehouse Saloon
08/08 - Jubal Lee Young @ the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
08/09 - Asylum Street Spankers @ the Mucky Duck
08/09 - Two Tons of Steel @ Armadillo Palace
08/09 - Mark Zeus @ Mojo Risin'
08/10 - Hamilton Loomis @ the Mucky Duck
08/11 - Wild Sweet Orange @ Warehouse Live
08/14 - L.L. Cooper @ Rudyard's
08/14 - Kevin Welch @ the Mucky Duck
08/14 - Joe Ely/Joel Guzman @ Dosey Doe
08/15 - Max Stalling @ the Mucky Duck
08/15 - Gary P. Nunn @ Blanco's
08/15 - dedringers @ the Big Top (next to the Continental Club)
08/15 - Band of Heathens @ the Old Quarter
08/15 - Heybale @ the Continental Club
08/16 - Nine Inch Nails @ Toyota Center
08/16 - The Gougers @ Cactus Music (In-store)
08/16 - The Gougers @ the Mucky Duck
08/16 - Bleu Edmondson @ Firehouse Saloon
08/16 - The Mighty Orq @ Mojo Risin'
08/17 - Lyle Lovett @ the Woodlands Pavilion
08/17 - Texas High Life @ the Mucky Duck
08/21 - Dustin Welch @ the Mucky Duck
08/22 - Fahl & Folk/Lisa Novak @ Dan Electro's Guitar Bar
08/22 - The Bluegrass Solution @ Anderson Fair
08/22 - Clay Farmer @ Armadillo Palace
08/22 - Dale Watson @ Blanco's
08/23 - Texas Johnny Boy/Milton Hopkins @ the Mucky Duck
08/23 - Across the Water @ Anderson Fair
08/23 - Jesse Dayton @ the Continental Club
08/23 - Charlie Robison @ Firehouse Saloon
08/23 - Dana Cooper @ the Old Quarter
08/24 - Matt Pryor @ Warehouse Live
08/26 - Corb Lund @ the Mucky Duck
08/29 - Radney Foster @ the Mucky Duck
08/29 - Reckless Kelly @ the Woodlands Pavilion
08/29 - Rock the Bayou @ a field where Astroworld used to be
08/30 - Carolyn Wonderland @ Dan Electro's
08/30 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
08/30 - Shake Russell @ the Old Quarter
08/30 - Gipsy Kings @ the Woodlands Pavilion

Russia Remembers

2008-07-20T18:01:00.011-05:00

Photo Sources here, here, here and here

Last week Russia marked the 90th anniversary of the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and the rest of the royal family.

Nicholas, along with his wife Alexandra, and their five children: Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, Maria and the Crown-Prince Alexei were executed by firing squad on July 17, 1918 in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Tens of thousands of people made a pilgrimage to the Cathedral "On The Blood" (built on the spot of the old Ipatiev house where the Romanov family was executed) and the nearby area where their bodies were originally disposed of.

The remains of Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia were discovered in 1991 and were reburied in Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The remains of Maria and Alexei were discovered last summer in a location not far from where the other remains were found.

In 1981 the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia canonized all of the family members as martyrs and in 2000 the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the family as Royal Passion-Bearers.

This article from the International Herald Tribune has more details on the anniversary observances.

A video clip featuring footage of some of the services marking the anniversary can be seen here.

An Epistle from Patriarch Alexei II on the anniversary can be read here.

More information on the Romanov family can be found here and here.

Willie's Family Picnic

2008-07-06T20:52:00.017-05:00

Photo Source

Saturday I was able to attend Willie Nelson's Family Picnic at the new Showgrounds venue at Sam Houston Race Park. The all day event was a lot of fun but came with a few disappointments.

The show began at 1:00pm and continued to around 11pm. I arrived early but not early enough to catch the first half of Asleep At The Wheel's opening set. It would have been nice if the promoters had released a schedule prior to the event. It also would have been nice for them to make some kind of announcement that Merle Haggard would not be performing as advertised. I managed to find my seat and catch the last few songs by Asleep At The Wheel which included "House of Blue Lights", "Boogie Back To Texas" and "Miles and Miles of Texas". The band finished just before a thunderstorm blew through releasing a deluge of rain. Many in the crowd sought cover inside the race park lounge for around 30 minutes or so until the rain dissipated.

Once the thunderstorm passed the temperature cooled off somewhat and after a moderate delay Ray Wylie Hubbard took the stage. Ray was joined by his teenage son Lucas on lead guitar who is becoming quite a skilled player. Ray, Lucas and the rest of his band played a rocking set that included: "Snake Farm", "Screw You, We're From Texas", "Wanna Rock and Roll", "Drunken Poet's Dream" (a song Ray co-wrote with Hayes Carll) and a raucous sing along version of "Redneck Mother".

Ray and his band were then followed by the legendary honky-tonk hero Billy Joe Shaver. The set by the 68 year old Shaver was one of the highlights of the day. He still has a commanding stage presence and offered full-throated versions of many of his hits including: "Georgia on a Fast Train", "Try and Try Again", "That's What She Said Last Night", "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Chunk of Coal", "The Tough Get Going", the theologically suspect but contagiously fun "If You Don't Love Jesus Go To Hell" and his signature anthem "Live Forever".

Next up was David Allan Coe, the sometimes controversial singer-songwriter, who is also 68 years old. He was a sight to behold with his flowing long hair, braided beard, tattoo-covered arms and his rebel flag guitar. While the years have taken their toll on his voice he offered a relatively short but entertaining set consisting of songs from throughout his long career which included : "Please Come to Boston", "Me and Bobby McGee", "Take This Job and Shove It", "The Ride", and "If That Ain't Country".

David Allan Coe was followed by Los Lonely Boys. Their set was truly a family affair (not just among the sibling band mates) due to the presence of a few of their young children playing on the side of the stage. I hope they had earplugs because the band delivered a smoking set of their trademark road-house rock sound. They played a number of songs from their new cd as well as some of their most popular hits including: "I'm a Man", "Staying With Me", "Forgiven", "Heart Won't Tell a Lie" and "Heaven".

Next up was the legendary Ray Price. The 82 year old singer-songwriter was probably the biggest highlight of the entire day. He still looks very fit for his age and sounds almost as good as he did 30 years ago. He and his band, complete with a small violin section, offered a number of songs Price has written over the past several decades. Ray sang a memorable set in his characteristically crooning style that included such classics as: "Release Me", "Crazy Arms", "Heartaches By The Number", "For the Good Times", "Night Life", "Make the World Go Away", "Spanish Eyes", "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "I Wish I was Eighteen Again".

What followed next was one of the few disappointments of the night. Merle Haggard was originally scheduled to perform before Willie but he had to cancel the morning of the show. That is understandable but the fact that no announcement was ever made to the crowd was not. So instead of Merle's set, and instead of the Ray Price and Willie set that was printed on the schedule (which was only handed out after one entered the grounds) the crowd was treated to the music of 40 Points led by Willie's son Lukas Nelson. Again this rescheduling would have been understandable if anyone would have bothered to announce it to the crowd. But no one did and the crowd was left to wonder who was this band that was playing when Merle or Ray or Willie should have been on stage. It wasn't until a few songs into Willie's set that Lukas was formally introduced to the crowd.

Finally, after nearly nine hours, Willie Nelson took the stage. A huge roar went up from the crowd as Willie took the stage and launched into "Whiskey River". I have to admit I was a little dubious going into the show over how well he would sound at this stage of his career. The 75 year old Willie left little doubt however that he still has plenty of voice left. He was in great form and sounded (if not as great as he did 20 years ago) quite good. Nothing to complain about at all.

He also delivered a very generous set. With very few commentaries or introductions he launched into blockbuster hit after blockbuster hit that left the crowd standing and cheering throughout. The band also lived up to the "Family Picnic" description as it featured Willie's sister Bobbie on piano, his son Lukas on guitar, as well as Paul English on drums, Mickey Raphael on harmonica and young Ruby Jane on fiddle. The set included so many classic songs and hits that I can't recall them all. Some of the highlights that I can remember included: "Whiskey River" (his opening and concluding song), "On the Road Again", "Always On My Mind", "Superman" (one of his newer songs), "Good Hearted Woman", "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys", "Georgia On My Mind", "Stay All Night, Stay A Little Longer", "I'd Have To Be Crazy", "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground", "Beer For My Horses", as well as a few gospel tunes sprinkled in such as "I'll Fly Away", "I Saw the Light" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken".

He played a memorable set but there was one final personal disappointment to the day. No Merle Haggard meant no "Pancho and Lefty". I had been waiting all day for that song and thought it would be the likely final song of the evening.

It was a real thrill, however, to finally see a Texas legend such as Willie. It made up for all the heat, rain, long lines, and ridiculously over-priced beer and food I had to endure.

I hope Willie comes back to Houston soon and I hope Merle can make it next time.

Scruggs Sentenced

2008-07-03T22:51:00.004-05:00

Within the past week three prominent attorneys in the Scruggs judicial bribery scandal were sentenced to prison terms.

Richard "Dickie" Scruggs was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.

His son Zachary Scruggs was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Sidney Backstrom was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Detailed coverage on the sentencing hearings can be found here and here.

The sentencing hearing transcripts can be found here (h/t Folo).

Valaam Monastery Needs Volunteers

2008-07-02T22:33:00.007-05:00

Photo by Sergey Kompaniychenko (Photo Source)

Valaam Monastery in Russia is in need of volunteers.

This incredibly picturesque monastery is located on an island archipelago in beautiful Lake Ladoga in the Karelia region of northwestern Russia.

The monastery is looking for volunteers willing to work at the monastery in exchange for free room and board for two weeks.

This article from ABCNews has more details.

Upcoming Shows

2008-06-30T20:33:00.009-05:00

7/01 - Elizabeth Wills @ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
7/03 - Bruce Robison @ the Mucky Duck
7/03 - Stoney Larue @ Big Texas (Spring)
7/03 - Sideshow Tramps @ Corner Pub (Conroe)
7/04 - Monte Montgomery @ the Mucky Duck
7/05 - Willie Nelson's Family Picnic @ The Showgrounds
7/05 - Clandestine @ the Mucky Duck
7/05 - Shake Russell @ Dosey Doe Coffee House (Woodlands)
7/06 - Zac Brown @ the Mucky Duck
7/08 - Dana Cooper @ Dosey Doe Coffee House (Woodlands)
7/08 - Beppe Gambetta @ the Mucky Duck
7/10 - Peter Murphy @ Meridian
7/11 - Randy Weeks @ the Mucky Duck
7/11 - James Hand @ Blanco's
7/11 - The Derailers @ Armadillo Palace
7/11 - Opie Hendrix @ Last Concert Cafe
7/12 - Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh @ the Mucky Duck
7/13 - Wine and Alchemy @ the Mucky Duck
7/17 - The McKay Brothers @ Blanco's
7/17 - Brandon Rhyder @ Dosey Doe Coffee House (Woodlands)
7/17 - Bob Schneider @ the Mucky Duck
7/18 - Sean Reefer @ the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe
7/18 - Hamilton Loomis @ Last Concert Cafe
7/18 - Austin Lounge Lizards @ the Mucky Duck
7/19 - Jack Saunders @ the Mucky Duck
7/19 - Ian Moore @ The Continental Club
7/20 - Joshua Radin @ Warehouse Live
7/21 - Todd Rundgren @ Warehouse Live
7/23 - Phantom Planet @ Warehouse Live
7/24 - Two Tons of Steel @ Big Texas (Clear Lake)
7/24 - Clay Farmer @ Blanco's
7/25 - Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers @ Blanco's
7/25 - Cross Canadian Ragweed @ The Showgrounds
7/26 - Houston Marchman @ Armadillo Palace
7/27 - Texas Johnny Boy & Milton Hopkins @ the Mucky Duck
7/28 - Dear and the Headlights @ Warehouse Live
7/29 - Arthur Yoria @ the Mucky Duck
7/31 - South Austin Jug Band @ the Mucky Duck
7/31 - The Texas Sapphires @ Armadillo Palace
7/31 - Micky & the Motorcars @ Firehouse Saloon

"Tom Traubert's Blues" - Tom Waits

2008-06-25T23:04:00.006-05:00

Here is a video of Tom Waits performing "Tom Traubert's Blues (aka Waltzing Matilda)" at Jones Hall in Houston, Texas on June 22nd, 2008. The song is preceded by a monologue featuring Tom's typically offbeat sense of humor.

(Update - This is a better quality video than the one originally posted and really highlights his facial expressions during the performance.)

Tom Waits at Jones Hall

2008-06-25T19:44:00.021-05:00

Photo by Mark C. Austin (Photo Source)

Last Sunday night I was fortunate enough to see Tom Waits in concert at Jones Hall.

A Tom Waits tour is rare enough but a tour stop in Houston is an exceedingly rare event. He last played here 27 years ago! As one would expect this show sold out shortly after the tickets went on sale over a month ago.

I knew I was in for a big event but I didn't realize just how big until I arrived at Jones Hall. I arrived two hours early for the show and even then the line to get in was almost a quarter of the way around the building. An up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Austin (whose Houston shows I have attended on occasion) was waiting in line a few places behind me. Even other performers have to make a Tom Waits show!

The people-watching aspect alone was hugely entertaining. There were plenty of "hats and tatts" to be seen as another local blogger has mentioned. The audience featured more beards, hats and tattoos than I have ever seen in one place before. There were also a number of heavily tattooed (and revealingly dressed) ladies in the audience. There were even a few guys who were "Tom Waits lookalikes" who were decked out in three-piece suits complete with Tom's trademark bowler hat.

Once inside I joined another long line for the merch table which featured: cds, a printed chapbook edition of Tom interviewing himself, as well as tour shirts based on photographs of an oil-stain on a Houston sidewalk that Tom took back in 1989. The lines at the bars were also quite long as everyone seemed to be doing their best to get a little hammered before the show.

I then found my way to my seat (which was a pretty good one) in the mezzanine section. This was followed by one of the few minor disappointments of the night. The concert start time was billed as 8pm but the show did not actually start until almost 9pm. This delay resulted in scores of audience members continuously having to leave for the restrooms throughout the show. I was sitting near one of the lobby doors and it was distracting.

I was amazed at how far people had traveled to see this concert. Many people in the audience had driven in from Austin. The couple sitting next to me (who graciously loaned me their binoculars for one song) drove in from San Antonio, the couple next to them had flown in from Canada and the guy sitting in front of me had flown in from Scotland.

When the show finally did start the crowd let out one of the biggest roars I have ever heard at a concert. Here is the set list for the Houston show (courtesy of the Houston Chronicle):

Lucinda

Way Down in the Hole

Falling Down

November

Dead and Lovely

Lie to Me

Day After Tomorrow

Hoist That Rag

Get Behind the Mule

Cemetery Polka

Trampled Rose

Jesus Gonna Be Here

Lucky Day

Tom Traubert's Blues

House Where Nobody Lives

Innocent When You Dream

Make It Rain

Murder in the Red Barn

Come On Up To the House

Dirt in the Ground

Eyeball Kid

encore

Going Out West

All the World Is Green

I've never been a huge Tom Waits fan though I've enjoyed a number of his songs. My first exposure to his music were his Bone Machine and The Black Rider cds. I have only occasionally listened to his later albums. After seeing him perform live, however, I can see why he has such die-hard fans. Tom, who is approaching his sixties, performed an energetic set stomping up clouds of smoke from the stage floor and employing all of his unique vocal stylings. His band for this tour is comprised of: Larry Taylor on upright bass, Patrick Warren on keyboards, Omar Torrez on guitars, Vincent Henry on woodwinds and Casey Waits (Tom's son) on drums. Tom played guitar as well as piano on a few numbers. Vincent Henry in particular stood out as he was frequently playing with two saxophones strapped across his body.

The highlight and surprise of the night had to be Tom's performance of "Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Mathilda)". I've heard that he almost never plays this song these days. Many in the audience were moved by the performance. One of the persons sitting next to me nearly hyperventilated and then began to softly cry as Tom bellowed out the opening lyrics "Wasted and wounded, it ain't what the moon did, I've got what I paid for now". By the end of the song I was getting a little teary-eyed myself. Unfortunately, the highlight of the show for many was also the occasion for the one major disappointment of the night. Some drunk idiot in the balcony decided to shout out something incoherent during the last verse of the song. Fortunately it was only a short scream and Tom was able to quickly recover and complete the song...but it managed to break the magical spell that had fallen over Jones Hall up to that point.

Another highlight came during "Eyeball Kid" when Tom donned a "mirror-ball" bowler hat. He then turned around a few times which resulted in a lighting display that had laser-like beams of light shooting out from his hat into the audience.

There were a few other minor disappointments. I thought Tom stretched out a few of the songs too long by just simply repeating the chorus over and over and over again. I had the urge to look at my watch once or twice. He's Tom Waits though and he can do whatever he wants...and usually get away with it.

Another disappointment was the continued boorish behaviour of some in the audience. Shouting out requests to the stage to "play some Skynyrd" is a very tired and very unfunny joke...especially when it is directed towards an artist of Wait's caliber.

My personal highlights of the show were: "Lucinda", "November", "Cemetery Polka", "Tom Traubert's Blues", "Innocent When You Dream" (complete with a Tom-led sing-a-long) and "Come On Up To The House".

All in all I thought it was an incredible concert. Probably the best I have been to this year. Hopefully I won't have to wait another 27 years for Tom to come back to Houston again.

Matt the Electrician & Southpaw Jones At Anderson Fair

2008-06-23T18:54:00.011-05:00

Photo Sources here and here

Last Friday night I went to hear Matt the Electrician and Southpaw Jones perform over at Anderson Fair.

Both songwriters are based out of Austin and have a gift for writing humorous and witty songs.

They often perform together and make an entertaining duo playing off each others' jokes and observations.

They also are known to encourage audience participation in submitting ideas or titles for songs. In this case they each presented a song especially written for a couple in the audience who had requested that songs be written about them the last time the two singers played at Anderson Fair.

They each played a number of songs from their individual recordings alternating in a song-swap fashion.

Southpaw Jones added the occasional harmonica and keytar accompaniment while Matt played banjo, ukulele and even euphonium on a few songs. You have to love songwriters who mix some "low brass" instruments into their repertoire.

Some of the highlights of their set were: "My Dog", "Hot is Hot", "Change the Subject", "Black Blackness", "Moon Whore", "Army of Kittens" and "Everyman".

You can sample some of the music from their recordings here and here.

Southpaw Jones' website in particular is worth a visit as it's pretty much updated daily with his clever and humorous observations.

Metropolitan Philip Meets With Metropolitan Hilarion

2008-06-21T23:35:00.005-05:00

Photo Source

Recently Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America received Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia at the headquarters of the Antiochian Archdiocese in Englewood, New Jersey.

The two hierarchs exchanged greetings and gifts and held a discussion on inter-orthodox Church relations in North America.

More information and photos from the meeting can be found here.

Justin Townes Earle Plays Townes Van Zandt

2008-06-19T22:55:00.003-05:00

Here is a video of Justin Townes Earle performing two Townes Van Zandt songs.