11 Hat Tricks

Mary Jane Farmer | August 14, 2011

The judges table

Story and pictures by Mary Jane Farmer

To view videos from this week, and all weeks, go to www.roguetv.net. The producer also sells DVDs of each night’s performance on scene.

Shiner Rising Star for 2011 plays on, with the most recent contest having played out at Hat Ticks in Lewisville, Texas, Thursday night (Aug.11). This week brought together three bands different in styles, and with energy and talent in common. Jake Bays Band, Kerry Davis Jr. Band, and Jeremy Phifer & The Texas Badwater Band. At 9 a.m. Friday morning, KHYI’s Chuck Taylor announced the Texoma-based Jeremy Phifer band as the one moving on to Round 2.

The Texas Badwater Band hails from east Fannin and Lamar counties, with Jeremy and his dad coming from the same hometown as the leader of a former SRS winner, Merrol Ray, whose band Miles From Nowhere won a few years back. The town? Blossom, Texas

Like Merrol, Jeremy is a lead guitarist who is also the lead singer and songwriter with his band. He led those guys through a series of upbeat and solid self-penned songs, accented with their cover of the Prince song, “Purple Rain.” When his energy spilled outward, he joined it from the top of an audience table. Band members were Duane Torres on bass and back-up vocals; Jerry Phifer on steel guitar; Carl Cullum on rhythm guitar and back-up vocals; and Trey Wolf on drums.

When it came critique time, Phifer took some hits from the judges, all KHYI personalities: Brett Dillon, Chuck Taylor, and Big Gus Samuelson. Brett began by saying that Jeremy looks like “our boss” Joshua Jones, KHYI general manager, and that brought a smile to Jeremy’s mouth. This writer things Jeremy has a bit of the early Waylon look and feel about him, too. Brett added that he could tell that Jerry on the steel is Jeremy’s dad, from their interaction on stage. Of Jeremy’s songwriting, Dillon saidhe recognized in it a Steve Earle style. He gave the Prince cover a thumbs up.

“I love you guys, awesome, everything you did,” Dillon said as he handed the microphone to Big Gus.

“You remind me of a Hill Country band. It’s kind of Oklahoma, but as far as Texas music goes, the Texas Hill Country is what you remind me of,” Big Gus said. “I didn’t much like the Purple Rain song myself, I didn’t think it was necessary.” What Big Gus did like, he said, were “your oiginals and the flow of what you wee doing — your own sound. You are a diamond in the rough ight now. Whatever you did, keep doing it.”

Big Gus also commented on the father/song dynamics of the band. His criticism, constructive, was that the band should slow down and pick things apart. And to stop and tune the guitar, even during the set.

Chuck Taylor, who in the past had said he wasn’t a Prince fan, told Jeremy and the guys, “You converted me on that song. It was a good country version, and I liked that version.” Taylor gave the band points, he said, for jumping on the table and added, “out of the bands, you guys had the most stage presence.”

On the critique side, Taylor said that the band’s back-ups were a little “pitchy” and that they could have takena advantage of the extra six minutes they forfeited by doing one more tune.

Jeremy Phifer pix

Jake Bays and his band opened up the 3-band set, eagerly awaiting the busload of fans that didn’t arrive until the music had kicked off. But they did arrive, packing the already-full Hat Tricks quarter-moon shaped restauant/bar. Jake kicked it off with his song, “Mr. Wright (Mr. Wrong)” and moved from rapidly from into another original, mixing his one cover among them.

Bays told the tale of how Neil Diamond came to write “Sweet Caroline” in the 1970s, saying it was written about Caroline Kennedy after Diamond saw her picture on the cover of a national magazine. The whole audience joined into this classic.

Jake smiles almost all the time he sings, smiles like he has a secret he’d love to share, but doesn’t. His band consisted of Russ Sherefield on bass, J.P. Evans on dums, Natalie Womack on vocals, and Cody Wilson on lead guitar. Jake himself plays acoustic guitar while singing.

Taylor led off with the critique, asking where the “little pitchy” sounds came from, but saying it was a good job. He especially liked the cover “Sweet Caroline,” saying it was a “great cover song.”

Dillon’s favorite song, he said, was Bays’ “It Takes A Little Forgiveness.” He said he recognized that it’s always hard to start the competition each night, but commended this band on how well they did with that honor.

Big Gus asked how long the band has been together, and Jake made them laugh when he said something about three hours before showtime. Bays’ voice, songwriting talent, charisma, and professionalism in front of a mic impressed Big Gus, he said. “They are very literal, quality songs. There’s not a bad one in the bunch. ”

Jake Bays pix

It was a return trip for Kerry Davis Jr., who not only competed in 2010, but also competed at Hat Tricks. A difference between the band last year and this is that it took on more of an American feel than last’s year’s bluegrass-roots orientation. Bass was electric this year, played by Matt Riley who bought a stand-up bass in 2010; Ray Williams returned on the mandolin; Pat York bought his harmonica and tambouines, along with his harmonies; and added to the band was Aaron Bucklin on the drums (not used in 2010) and Lucas Albano on guitar. Kerry chose to cover the Brandon Jenkins’ song, “Finger On The Trigger” He also filled the stage with his presence and interaction with others in the band.

Brett remembered the jug band feel from last year, without lead guitar or drums. He said his favorite tune was one about being on the freeway.

Brett said he liked the cover,but would not have dropped the “F-Bomb” in it. For claification, for the one read who doesn’t know Brandon Jenkins, there’s a line in the song saying, “Can’t get a job, I’m too (F-bomb)ed up…” which some performers change to say “I’m too messed up.”

Taylor agreed, saying, “I would not have done the F word in it. You are in a radio competition, and weon’t play the F bomb or the S bomb on the air. As KHYI program director, you lost me on that one. There are kids present. We are looking for radio-friendly.”

Big Gus disagreed. “I am a fan of the F bomb. I use it quite often, and anyone who has heard Brandon Jenkins has heard the word.” Samuelson added that between Thursday night and last year, and said, Between that time and now, there’s been a whole movement of Americana music, a lot of bands like that. It’s cutting edge.” He also told the band that he liked that they sang in unison, not in harmony “It’s like Irish heritage in clubs.”

Kerry Davis Band pix

Next week will be the first time that two Texoma bands have competed against one another. This will be at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St, Dallas, (214) 748-5105. Competing are Pearl Street Riot, Stone Roosevelt, and the Jeff Whitehead band. Music starts at 8 p.m.

Bands are competing for a CD recording contract complete with professional artwork, distribution, and promotion; new musicial instruments, the opening slot on 2012 Texas Music Revolution, and more, all sponsored by Shiner Beer, Shiner Records, and Dallas-based radio station KHYI.