Category Archives: – Venues

TT and CC on the same stage

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Short story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer

For Turnpike Troubadours photos, click here

For Charley Crockett photos, click here

Now in their 10th year together, the Turnpike Troubadours are playing more gigs and playing those gigs farther away from their native Oklahoma than they were even three years ago.

They handle fame well, still being grateful for their fans — their smiles at Meet n Greets show that — and continually bringing new and unique songs to those fans.

The Turnpike Troubadours are made up of RC Edwards on bass, Kyle Nix on fiddle, Ryan Engleman on guitar, Evan Felker on lead vocals, Gabriel Pearson on drums, and Hank Early on keyboards and accordion. And they all kick in with vocals.

The Troubadours played the Event Center at Grand Theater in late December, to a sold-out crowd. They covered many of their older tunes, but many off the new CD, A Long Way From Your Heart, of which the first release “Housefire” has already reached No. 1 spot on numerous charts.

Opening was Charley Crockett and his band. A real treat to watch and to listen to, definitely worth a trip to a Charley Crockett concert if you haven’t already seen one. If you have, you know exactly what I’m talking about!

Colter Wall, Uniqueness in Songwriter and Singer

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Colter Wall

Story and photo by Axton Deary

Image it is the 1870s and you are standing at the corner of Commerce Street and Ross Avenue in Dallas, Texas. An incoming train has just arrived from Denison, Texas, on the Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad, full of cotton, lumber, and passengers. There is a young, tall, slim, out-of-towner standing by his lonesome. The young man with light red hair, untrimmed mustache, and thick, dark red beard has seen it all on his trek from Canada; drug abuse, finding love, murder – even if by his own hand, contemplation of suicide, and prison.

Fast forward one hundred and forty-some odd years to 2017 – the same young man has reemerged to Howell Street and North Central Expressway at The Rustic. Colter Wall is the twenty-something and he played to a crowd of 100 interested patrons of The Rustic while a hundreds more halfway listed to him. Wall is peculiar in every sense of his existence. Wall, from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, booms a hollow, baritone voice that is strangely attractive (it’s as if Colter was standing on that corner smoking cigarettes since 1870 to 2017), it’s something you rarely hear, especially coming from a twenty year old.

Wall began the show by playing stripped down ballads acoustically before having three others join him on stage. Wall played original ballads and played covers from Marty Robbins to Townes Van Zandt. Many artists claim they are influenced by TVZ, but rarely do they ever capture the essence of bare quality which TVZ embodied – Wall embellishes the same simplistic sound that Townes did years ago. Wall moved in to his own ballads, which had concert-goers tapping to the beat and attempting to go deep with their own voices and match Wall’s depth.

Wall played ‘Kate McCannon’ from his 2017 self-titled album, Colter Wall. “Kate McCannon” is a love ballad gone wrong by the hand of the song’s narrator. The song begins ominous with a raven paying a visit to the narrator’s jail cell. The narrator goes in-depth about how he ended up in a jail. He met the town’s most beautiful young woman and began courting her, he then quits his old ways, straightens up, and begins to save for an engagement ring. One day, he comes home to find his beloved missing and eventually finds her with another man. The song ends with Kate McCannon dead in this dark, gritty ballad.

Wall closed with “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” a tune from his 2015 LP, Imaginary Appalachia and ended with the crowd singing every word to the catchy song.

In review, musicians like Colter Wall rarely come out of nowhere, nor do they exist. Colter Wall goes against the grain when Music Row is still “singing” about riverbeds and trucks – Wall sings about murder. Because of this, Wall drew interested Dallasites looking for something new – something worth listening too and Wall surpassed what they were looking at. Wall encompasses the natural sound production, a great song-writing ability, and a deep, gravelly voice and it makes something new and exciting.

Pick up a copy of Colter Wall today and dwells in old stories told by a young man. Wall continues to play in the United States until the end of the year before he tours in Europe.

Colter Wall’s tour schedule and more information is available on his Website, ColterWall.com

 

Turnpike Troubadours come Full Circle with newest CD

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Turnpike Troubadours at
WoodyFest 2017

Story by Axton Deary, Photos by Mary Jane Farmer. First appeared in the November issue of Buddy Magazine.

Turnpike Troubadours released their 5th album, A Long Way From Your Heart, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Lead singer of Turnpike Troubadours, Evan Felker, is easily one of our generation’s greatest songwriters and makes it seem like a Sunday breeze with relative ease. The songs, like many Turnpike albums, is based in or around Southeastern Oklahoma. The album intertwines previous albums and characters together — creating this sensation that listeners are living in Felker’s own world he created, which spans from the Ouachitia Mountains across McCurtain County, Oklahoma to Bryan County, Oklahoma. A Long Way From Your Heart features many influences ranging from The Old 97’s (“Pipe Bomb Dream”), Alabama (“Something To Hold On To”), and paying homage to Woody Guthrie with a striped down love or lust song (“Oklahoma Stars”). Felker hones his ability to pen instances in life that we can all relate to.

The easy-on-the-ears album begins with “The House Fire.” “The House Fire” sets the tone of the general state of mind where Felker is currently at — maturity. The opening track opens to a familiar character of the past —Lorrie. Lorrie appears initially in “Good Lord Lorrie” and then “The Mercury.” In the song, Lorrie has matured as she has birthed a child and simultaneously escaped tragedy. There are a few other references in the songs which tiee the narrator of “The House Fire” to other Turnpike songs, coming full circle.

Jump ahead to track number 7. “The Hard Way” reverts to introspect of an old way for Felker. He visits his hometown, and “Well, [he] just hit town. You know the old routine; try to tear it down…” but he realizes whenever he visits town,

Evan Felkner, Turnpike Troubadours at
Grand Theater, Durant 2017

he drinks an alarmingly rife amount of alcohol and wears his welcome out and then secludes himself in a cabin outside of town and concludes that maybe it was best he never stayed to become the hometown hero, as it could have ended badly.

Track number 8 — “Old Time Feeling (Like Before)” is the best song on the album, lyrically and production-wise. The song encompasses life on the road, a long-distant past lover, and a babe, give me one more chance knowing that it may never work out, but I’ll be damned if I don’t give it my best. The song goes in depth of the narrator knowing that it’s not going to work out as Felker writes, “play me like a violin, knock all the wind out of my chest. I don’t mind you playing me, just keep it in a major key.” The lengths the character would go to show his love are immeasurable, but in the end, he keeps getting let on.

Jaime Linn Wilson of The Trishas, John Fullbright, Jonny Burke, Kevin Russell of Shinyribs, and Turnpike Troubadour Bassist, R.C. Edwards contributed lyrics to Turnpike’s barn-burner of an album.

Turnpike Troubadours have come a long way since playing the Red Barn Saloon in Durant, Oklahoma. Evan Felker continuously impresses listeners with each album he pens. All the tracks on the album deserve much dissection to truly understand the lyrical genius that is Evan Felker –a poet considered by many. Make no light, Felker could not be as successful without the rest of the group that makes up Turnpike. Kyle Nix, R.C. Edwards, Ryan Engleman and others. In less than 24 hours, Turnpike’s A Long Way From Your Heart reached number 3 on iTunes. Do yourself a favor and download the album and dive in to great production, great riffs, and even greater songwriting. You will be impressed with these Southeastern sons of Oklahoma.

The Turnpike Troubadours, currently on national tour, will be at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth on Dec. 16 and at the Event Center, Choctaw Casino, Grant, Okla., on Dec. 28. They are also scheduled to appear on Austin City Limits in early 2018, and will record the session for that on December 5 at ACL Live at the Moody in Austin. 

Ellis Paul rocks the (Harmony) House

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Ellis Paul

He played to two open rooms, combined by a short wall, giving those listeners in each room his undivided attention. Ellis Paul is just that kinda pro, one who appreciates every single one of his fans and gives each one his best.

Ellis played Sunday (Aug. 13, 2017) as part of the on-going Harmony House concert series in the Bonham area. It had been five years since Ellis had appeared in this series, and it was apparent that the crowd want him back sooner than another five years.

Ellis Paul is a folk singer from the northeast U.S., one who, since the 1980s, has played on nearly every major stage ever built. It’s the listening rooms he likes the best. And, he said early in the concert, that the Harmony House is the best of all house concerts.

Faye Wedell and Scott Lipsett own Wildscape Acres, and have moved and restored an historic Bonham house to its original, rustic charm. They have been

Charming roadway

hosting house concerts there for oh-these-many-years. The road to the house, a walk around on the porches, and the opulent garden and lawn make everyone feel so welcome. Sunday, there were deer playing at the edge of the lawn, just outside the wooded area.

Ellis told stories about his songs and about his life. And he teased with his audience. And he got that same audience to singing along to his songs. Just imagine, 75 people singing along to “Kick Out The Lights — Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash,

Johnny Cash.” A great song to the great, late man in black. And Ellis Paul wrote it. And to honor his ultimate influence, Woody Guthrie, Ellis had

Ellis Paul

people singing along with him on “This Land is Your Land.”

Ellis ended the evening by going to the piano in the back of Room 1 and playing a couple of songs, with everyone from Room 2 standing and crowding into Room 1.

Check out Harmony House Concerts on Facebook, to get a glimpse of the land and house that

Wildscape Acres yard and garden. Deer played occasionally along that back wooded line

music lovers become a part of when they attend Wildscape Acres. And go to their Website, WildscapeAcres.com , click on “Harmony House Concerts, for the upcoming schedule. The next one will be on September 16 or 17, (that’s to be determined soon), and features Andrew Hardin and Jeannie Burns of Wimberley, Texas. An acoustic duo guaranteed to fill those two rooms with perfect harmony.

Ellis Paul at Woody Fest, in his signature particular post and microphone use, seen several times at Harmony House

 

 

Ellis Paul coming to Harmony House Concerts

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Ellis Paul

Press release. Mary Jane’s note:  I first heard Ellis Paul at Woody Fest in Okemah, Okla., and instantly became a fan. Even if you haven’t heard him, trust those who have and don’t miss this special concert! Long story – read it all, please.  Ticket info at bottom of this article.

On Sunday, August 13, 2017, 4-6 pm, the sublime music and songs of Ellis Paul will fill the air and touch the hearts of those who make reservations for his show at Harmony House Concerts.  See Information below on pre-registering and such.

Paul last played at Harmony House in 2012 on his way to play for the 100th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s Birthday at Woody Fest.  This “little house on the prairie” was packed and filled with his one-of-a-kind voice singing both his originals and some of Woody’s compositions.

Hostess Faye Waddell said: On a personal note, we became familiar with Paul’s music by attending Woody Fest almost annually. After hearing one of his headliner concerts onstage, I was sold heart and soul to this gifted artist and kind man.  Each year, when I’d get in line to have his new CDs autographed, I’d mention our Harmony House Concert venue to him.  He would tell me to contact his agent.  When that produced no results, he finally, in 2012, put me in touch with his manager.  Within a week, we had him booked.  Last year, we ran into Paul and another singer-songwriter,Don Conoscenti, in a little coffee shop prior to his headliner show.  He remembered us and Harmony House and expressed a desire to return.  Then, he and Don excused themselves to go visit Woody’s gravesite and bring back a few rocks to put under the stage, so Woody’s spirit would be embodied in their show that night.  After months of communicating with first one agent and then another, we have finally made it happen — Ellis Paul returns!

Ellis Paul with Don Conoscenti at Woody Fest 2017. Proof that Ellis plays well with others!

Paul will play two 45-minute sets with a 30-minute intermission for guests to enjoy gabbing, grazing off the munchies & filling bottomless cups of coffee, tea, or punches provided by us, your hosts, Faye & Scott!  Of course, this is an excellent time to meet Ellis and purchase his fantastic CDs.  There will be a basket on the breakfast room table for optional $1 cash donations to help defray our costs.

After the show, there will be an old-fashioned Potluck Picnic on the grounds for those who opt to stay.  Please indicate your intent when making reservations.  I (Faye) try to balance the menu, so that we don’t have 20 varieties of potato salad, so if you know what you’d like to contribute to the table, please let me know.  If folks want to stay around after dinner and circle up inside for a Song Fest, we welcome anyone to participate — either by bringing your own instrument of choice, your voice, or just listening ears.

Brief Bio of Ellis Paul:

It’s hard to be brief about Ellis Paul, because there’s just so much to say — so many accolades and testimonials about his contributions to the music world and to this world, in general, as he sees it, feels it, senses it, and experiences it before he puts it into a story or a song.  Here are just a few highlights I (Faye) picked out from his bio online:

“Despite his success and sense of history, Mr. Paul remains an artist with his eye on the future and an interest in discovering the transformative potential in his music.” ~ The New York Times

Some artists document their lives through their music. Others chronicle their times. It’s a rare artist who can do both, telling their own story through songs that also encapsulate the essence of people and places who have helped define their era overall. Ellis Paul is one of those gifted singer/songwriters. Though some may refer to him as a folksinger. He is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing. The exhilaration of the open road. A celebration of heroes. The hope for redemption. Descriptions of those things that are both near and dear. The sharing of love . . . , intimate, passionate and enduring. Paul has a sense of roots, of connectedness to the whole history of folk music; he sees the thread that runs through all the generations of this music.”

Paul became infatuated with the music of Woody Guthrie, drawn to Woody’s social

Ellis Paul

consciousness and the humanitarian streak that ran through his work. He even had a tattoo of Guthrie imprinted on his right shoulder, referring to it as “a badge of who he was.” His commitment to Guthrie’s legacy eventually led to his inclusion in a ten-day celebration of Woody’s work held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in September 1996, an event that included such notables as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, the Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco and which was presided over by Guthrie’s daughter Nora. Later, when Guthrie’s hometown of Okemah, hosted the first Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in July, 1998, Paul was tapped as one of the headliners. He has since made this an annual part of his touring schedule, garnering the honor of being named an honorary citizen of Okemah in the process. The connection with Guthrie continued into the new millennium when Nora Guthrie invited him to put music to a set of her father’s lyrics. He later participated in the “Ribbon of Highway” tour, a communal salute featuring such luminaries as Arlo Guthrie, Marty Stuart, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark and Janis Ian, among others.

There’s likely no greater evidence of how Guthrie’s insights and humanity have rubbed off on Paul than in this particularly telling tribute from Nora Guthrie. “A singer songwriter is only as good as the times he reflects,” she said in praising Paul. “In times like these, when so many nuts are running the show, it’s comforting to know that Ellis Paul is actually holding our sanity on his own stage! Wise, tender, brilliant and biting, Ellis is one of our best human compasses, marking in melodies and poems where we’ve been and where we might go if we so choose to. Personally Ellis, I’m goin’ where you’re goin’!”

Paul is an observer, a philosopher, and an astute storyteller who shares with his listeners the life lessons he’s learned and, in turn, life lessons they ought to heed as well. By affirming and defining who he is, Ellis Paul affirms and uncovers the essence of us all.

Ellis Paul accompanied by Radoslav Lorkovic at Woody Fest 2017

To learn more about Ellis, visit his website, www.ellispaul.com.  You can watch YouTube videos and hear songs from his latest album (he’s made more than nineteen now) and read about his fascinating journeys.  More below in a brief ‘bio’!

Reservations for this concert are $25 per person with all proceeds going to the artist.  To prepay, please send checks — made out to Ellis Paul — to Faye Wedell; P.O. Box 812; Bonham, TX 75418, to be received by Wednesday, August 9th.  Refunds will also be made to anyone cancelling by that same date.  You may pay at the door by cash or check.  However, if you make a reservation, please be respectful and show up or cancel in a timely way.  Seating is limited to about “50-ish”, and there will likely be a waiting list for this show.

To learn more about Harmony House Concerts, visit www.WildscapeAcres.com (click on the Harmony House link for more info; click on the concert date when hot to view a .pdf flier about this event, which you can print or send to friends who might want to attend).  Let’s just say that we will do whatever it takes to make you feel at home. Some folks feel like they’ve gone back in time to their grandparents’ home, since ours is a reclaimed vintage moved into these natural surroundings.