SRS2014, Rd 1 Wk 8, 9.25.14 Love & War in Texas, Grapevine

Mary Jane Farmer | September 27, 2014 | Reply

Brianna Fletcher

For more photos, click on the links below.

It was shorter than most weeks of this year’s Shiner Rising Star, Thursday night’s Week 8 contest at Love & War in Texas, Grapevine; but the music was just as sweet as every other night. (Nov. 25, 2014)

It was also the third time this year that a band dropped out at the last minute. The Denton-based Tyler Roberts Band opted out the contest. Brianna Fletcher and Bryan Adam Joyner brought their bands and both were allowed a 45-minute set because of the vacated time slot.

Judges for the night, KHYI’s Chuck Taylor, singer/songwriter Phil Hamilton, and Overdrive Entertainment’s Tip Jones, chose the Brianna Fletcher band to move on into Round 2.

It was the first time that Fletcher’s band had played together, they told the judges during critique. Her band consisted of herself on vocals, Zack Mackenzie on drums, Jonny Gallegos on guitar, and Matt Valtierra on bass. Fletcher sang two acoustic songs, in addition to the full band sounds, and covered the Maddie and Tae country song, “Girl in a Country Song.” After breaking down and clearing the stage, the judges, as is usual, critiqued the band.

Jones talked about her “nice voice, pretty falsetto,” He said that the band could have been a little tighter, and suggested “the band could focus less on the fills and more on the grooves. Play every weekend, even if it is for free. Also, look more at and feed off each other. Good timing comes from that.” He also suggested they only have one acoustic song in a set.

Hamilton also commented on a great job done, but added they, to be a tighter group, “Keep practicing. Do you guys all play in church together? Be careful the set doesn’t sound like church songs on every song you do. I got my start playing in church, too.” Also, he commented the cover song should always be something that “those out front will all know and be familiar with. You don’t want to sound just like the original, but keep it familiar.” He agreed with Jones that the set would have been better with only one acoustic solo song.

Taylor commented on “the flow of the set. You need to know when to come up and need to go down. Save your acoustic song to the end of the set, so the band can actually leave the stage.” About the cover, “Know your audience, and know your radio stations, and you know this radio station doesn’t play main stream country. Overall, it was a good job.”

The Brianna Fletcher Band crowd, band members, and lead singer left the venue, most before the second band got on stage and all by the time Bryan Adam Joyner Band kicked off its 4^th song..

Bryan Adam Joyner

Adam Joyner, who usually fronts the Hard Country Band, changed his style up a bit for this contest, following the recent release of his solo CD. The band members were the same, Greg Deans on backup vocals and bass and John Joyner on drums, but missing the band’s 4th player. Deans switched over from his usual lead-guitar duties to play the bass for this set.

Joyner said from the stage as he took advantage of the extra 15 minutes in his set, “We learned a valuable lesson (SRS 2013), and that is to make sure we can hear ourselves up here, too.” After being certain that the sound was right, they kicked off with “I Drink Whiskey All The Time,” and moved into an original waltz. The set’s songs seemed auto-biographical, and a listener could feel the intense pain of the lyrics also in his voice.

At critique, Jones said it was obvious that they missed a lead guitar picker. The band introduction sheet given to the judges had listed a lead guitar picker too, and he noted that Deans had switched over for this set. “That’s hard to do, and my hat is off to you.” The harmonies were good, and the cover song (Vancouver’s ‘Reckless) was good, Jones said.

Hamilton commented also on the cover song, “That was really good.” On the originals, he added, “Work on the cadences and arrangements a little more. There are a lot of great lyrics there, I can tell you are passionate about a lot of things in your life.”

Taylor said he agreed with the comments from both Jones and Hamilton, adding, “I was hearing some pitch problems, too. Vancouver was a good choice for a cover. You can work a little bit on stage presence. Overall, a good job.”

DB Music’s Marcus Rasor provided the basic music equipment, and sound was provided by L&W’s staff. The contest is sponsored each year by Dallas station KHYI 95.3, Shiner Beer, and Shiner Records.

Next Thursday (Oct. 2) is a night off, with Round 2 kicking off Thursday, Oct. 9, at Hat Tricks in Lewisville, for the remaining four weeks in October, with two of the eight remaining bands having 45-minute sets each night. The complete line-up and other venues will be posted soon on KHYI.com. OR — just stay in touch with the Live Music Calendar here on Scene In town.

Those moving forward are, in order of their having competed in Round 1, Parallel Play, Straw Hat Society, The Whiskey Prophets, Andrew Delaney & The Horse You Rode In On, Cole Risner, Derek Anthony, The Tyler Rogers Band and Brianna Fletcher.

For more photos Of Brianna Fletcher band, click here

For more photos of Bryan Adam Joyner band, click here

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