Shiner Rising Star, KHYI, 2013, Rd 1 Wk 2
Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer
Three dynamite bands (to borrow from one of the bands’ name) gave the Shiner Rising Star judges reason to pay close attention before marking down scores. It was Round 1 Week 2 of the 2013 Shiner Rising Star competition, Thursday (Aug. 8) at Dodie’s Place in Frisco, and it followed the Thursday night “Lone Star Legends” KHYI radio show hosted by Brett Dillon and Donnie Nelson. Those two remained as judges and were joined by singer-songwriter Ronnie Fauss.
Fishing with Dynamite, The Matt Nix Band, and Buffalo Ruckus were those three bands, in that order on stage. They each had 30 minutes to get on stage, plug in and tune up, perform their songs, and leave the stage exactly as they found it. And each had to perform original songs, plus one cover song of their choosing.
Fishing With Dynamite, a trio, received quite a bit of judges’ admiration. Fauss said, “If you were playing down the street from me on a Saturday night, I’d go see you.”
Nelson spent quite a bit more time talking with each band during critique time, and extracted from Fishing With Dynamite that one of his favorites, ‘Blue,’ was the very first song they wrote, and that they were inspired, in part, by Gram Parsons. “Your energy is off the hook,” Nelson said. “You did Rockwall proud tonight.”
The Matt Nix Band put twice as many musicians on stage, except that the bass player, having the usual instrumentations of bass, drums,
acoustic and electric guitars, and also a fiddler and a backup singer. The bass player wandered out into the room for a little closer contact with the fans.
Dillon had Nix, a high school coach and teacher, introduce the other coaches in the band, and then that there were some others in Dodie’s Place, also.
Nix covered the Mel McDaniel’s song, Louisiana Saturday Night, a good choice for Dodie’s Place, which serves Cajun food. Dillon commented that his being a teach could account for his great songwriting.
Fauss said, during critique, that he loved “the asthetics of what was going on… an electric guitar and fiddle combination,” and added, “You were having fun, and when the band is having fun, that’s good for the people out front.”
Nelson started out by asking about ‘Summertime.’ Nix said they wrote that in January, “when we had some down time, as a tribute to the students we teach every day.”
Nelson summed up the Matt Nix Band’s music as “funability.”
Buffalo Ruckus played last, four members with the lead guitar switching off onto mandolin. They covered an Allman Brothers song.
Dillon asked about the band and was told the concept came together in February before the lead singer arrived in Texas, which was in April. They had their first band practice two weeks prior to the contest, and their first public gig the week before. Dillon responded by saying, “You guys played like you had been together for (a while.) I’m very impressed, and with your funkability.”
Fauss continued the easy dialogue between bands and judges when he asked “How you write those songs?” The response, “Pen and paper, usually. “
Nelson asked how they picked their style and was told, “We could do any genre, any style, and if people don’t like us, well, that’s great, too.”
“You came out of the gate like a house on fire, and you didn’t stop,” Nelson commented.
The winning band is always announced the following Friday morning, at 9 a.m., on KHYI, 95.3. This week, it was Buffalo Ruckus who will be moving on into Round Two.
Next Thursday (Aug. 15), the contest continues at Hat Tricks in Lewisville, with Green Light Pistol, Hard Country, and Shannon Rose & The Whiskey Rebellion competing. Music kicks off at 8 p.m., and there’s never a cover charge to be in the crowd.
For Buffalo Ruckus pix, click here
For Matt Dunn Band pix, click here
For Fishing With Dynamite pix, click here
For a few other photos, click here
Category: 2013