Red Dirt Revolution, the first of many to come, 2011

Mary Jane Farmer | September 27, 2011

Chis Gunn

Story by Mary Jane Farmer, Pix by Mary Jane Farmer and Mark Bickham

PARIS (No, not that one in France, silly. Paris Texas, where music is red dirt) — It has come and gone, but not without notice. Three weeks ago, bands from Texoma and beyond took the stage at the first Red Dirt Revolution, the first of more to come, fans already are hoping. RDR was held on a ranch in Deport, about 10 miles south of Paris. The first people to get festival goers set the pace of a friendly and helpful staff, one which obviously had one goal in mind — to help the festival goer have a good time.

Music started at noon with Shutdown Town setting a high bar for each of the following bands. And each of the following bands raised that bar a bit higher, until the momemtum kept rising throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Shutdown Town pix

It was the last performance for Whiskey Roadshow as it was with those band members. The band is restructuring and moving on, and some of the band members have started another band which has begun to play around the area. More on that later on. Whiskey Roadshow pix

Merrol Ray and his band highlighted their set with a new, serious song complete with deep emotions, but which this reporter doesn’t know the name of.

Merrol Ray & The Regulators pix

Songwriter Zane Williams provided a surprise performance. He stopped by on his way to a gig later in the evening, and, as he always is, was willing to share his music in a short set.

Zane Williams pix

Another acoustic set came from David Grace, who producer said was also playing his wedding the next week. Let’s hope this songwriter returns with a full band next year. Greatness!

David Grace pix

A new highlight for this reporter was the Cody Riley Band. Cody is as animated on stage as Tyler Bryant, who followed him. This reporter is already planning to listen to this band again in November. Cody Riley Band pix

Tyler, who I will probably always call Tyler Dow Bryant, having followed him through the years by his full name, returned to the area for the first time in a while. Fans got a good mix of the old-time blues he learned from his local mentor Roosevelt Twitty, and the newer rock music he coaxed out of his guitar. The Honey Grove resident can only go up, he’s that good. Tyler Bryant pix

Johnny Cooper sat enthralled through Tyler’s set, before stepping onto the stage himself. Coop said he has known Tyler from the days when they both were young teenagers breaking into the business and both with supportive families. Johnny Cooper pix

After Coop and his band completed their set, another surprise was that Tyler got back on stage with Coop and his band, and the performance was electrifying.

Tyler and Johnny pix

Jason Boland closed out the night with the same versitility of style that he’s so known for.

Jason Boland pix

The producer, Chris Gunn, reported there were more than 2,000 people in attendance, not bad for a first effort. Many of those came with ATVs and spent the day listening to the music while mudding in a special pit into which thousands of gallons of water had been hauled in. As the evening closed, those muddy fans sidled up to the stage, still energetic and appreciative.

Just a suggestion, but a real one. Watch for notification of the 2012 Red Dirt Revolution, then get ready to have your faces melted off by the music that has made Texas music a household word

Category: Earlier Posts