Category Archives: Hank’s Texas Grill

Chase and Cody, two great bands on the same night

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Ben Shaw, Chris Booth, Cody Shaw

Ben Shaw, Chris Booth, Cody Shaw

It becomes instantly good music and good times anytime that these two bands get together for a night of music. Such a night was Thursday, (Feb. 20) at Hank’s Texas Grill in McKinney.

The Chase Sanford band kicked off the night. Chase on vocals, harmonica, and rhythm guitar; Jason (Fuzzy) Smith on bass and backup vocals;  Corbett Potter on drums and smiles; and Garry Moore on lead guitar and a few lead vocals as well. And they all make it fun, because they are all having fun all the while.

Cody Shaw & The Rhythm Boys strutted — with Cody that’s a quite literal statement — their stuff next, in front of a room full of fans and friends. Cody on rhythm guitar and lead vocals; Ben Shaw on lead guitar and backup vocals; Nick Ghanbari on keyboard, steel and sometimes guitar; Randy Burch on drums, and Chris Booth on bass and backup vocals. These guys’ music cannot be put in a box, except maybe one marked “Unique” on top of it. They swerve from hillbilly to hispanic beats and can throw in some hip-hop if the mood strikes. They play show-tune-style originals, country, rockabilly, and throw in some melancholy.

Watch the Scene In Town calendar for these two bands’ future shows.

Chase Sanford Band pix, click here

Cody Shaw & The Rhythm Boys band, click here

Tyler Rogers Band, Katie Lamb

Tyler Rogers

Tyler Rogers

NOTE: I found this short story from 9 months ago had not been ‘published.’ 

Hank’s Texas Grill offers the best of the newer and more-rarely-seen-in-the-area musicians on its Thursday night line-ups, bringing in each weekend’s incredible line-ups. The McKinney bar and grill is a true friend of Texas and Americana music, no questions asked!

That said, this past Thursday night (Feb. 28) was no exception. Katie Lamb, with her guitar accompanist David Mathews, opened the night up with a variety of original and cover tunes. Katie’s voice was perfect on Sugarland’s “Why Don’t You Stay?” including the interjection of all the emotion the song requires for an honest delivery. David, who is proficient not only on guitar but also on other instruments, offered background and lead licks completely complimentary to every song.

The Tyler Rogers Band jumped on stage next, delivering a full set of original music. With Tyler is Tiago Mauro on lead guitar, RJ Medrano on drums, and Chris Medrano on bass.

For more photos, click here:

Hank’s Open Mic contest, Dec. 2K13

Host Tyler Rogers

Host Tyler Rogers

Photos by Mary Jane Farmer

Hank’s Texas Grill in McKinney is again hosting its yearly Open Mic competition. This one is unique from so many contests in that it’s not necessarily about  songwsriting, but is more about the performance and the crowd reactions. Two preliminary weeks, Dec. 4 and 11; semi-finals Dec. 18; and since Christmas Day falls on Wednesday, the finals will be on Thursday, Dec. 26.

Participating in Week 1 were the trio of Rocho, Bryan, and Tippa; Danny Zagotta; Crystal White; Tony Ramey; David Aguirre; Joseph Bradshaw; and Dextin Wheeler. Tyler Rogers will be the host each week, helping Hank’s get this contest together every night with all the minute details such an endeavor requires.

For all Week 1 photos, click here   (Sorry, didn’t get any good shots of Joseph Bradshaw this week.)

Come on out and hear the good music, 3 songs from each musician or group, and not a cover charge for this. Starts about 8 p.m. each night, more or less.

Songs for Survivors, Fundraiser at Hank’s Texas Grill

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John David Kent

John David Kent

Sunday (June 16) found Hank’s Texas Grill in McKinney hosting a fundraiser to help those in Oklahoma, where tornados took homes and lives last month. There were a total of 10 bands, singers, and songwriters who contributed their talents to the cause. These were:  Zane Williams, Tyler Rogers, Jeff Hopson, Dustin Perkins, Saille Branch, Randy Brown, John David Kent, Blacktop Outlaw, The Dirty Pesos, and Sean Franks. Plus a few friends who joined them on stage from time to time.

Some of the highlights were: Zane Williams coming in to join the music, even though he had to duck out asap to go to another gig that same day; Dustin Perkins and Tyler Rogers both taking two full sets, instead of one; the silent auction that included a guitar, a Fred Eaglesmith-style hat, a Blacktop Outlaw crafted bracelet, and Bart Crow merchandise, among other things (which this writer ended up purchasing all the items, but if the guy who wanted the hat contacts me, he can still have it. He was gone at day’s end.), and seeing Hank’s owner David Reynolds up on the stage at the end of the night, joining in the melodies.

Not much more to say, except that I hope those Okies who will be reaping the benefits of this incredible 10-hour day will someday understand just how much love, enthusiasm, and pure joy went into the planning (led by Chaka Aiken, by the way), and throughout the day. Friends, some old and some who met that day and became friends, seemed to be having as much fun as the musicians on stage did.

For photos, click here

Cody Shaw, Tyler Rogers Band at Hank’s Texas Grill

Hank’s Texas Grill in McKinney was alive with a large variety of music sounds Thursday night (March 28,2013), and those myriad sounds came from only two bands.

Ben Shaw, Cody Shaw

Ben Shaw, Cody Shaw

Opening was The Tyler Rogers Band, rockin’ Texas country rather like Whiskey Myers and Casey Donahew rock out, but with an approximate 95-5 mix of Tyler Rogers originals and — actually 2 — covers songs. He and lead guitarist Tiago Mauro swap electric licks while brothers R.J. and Chris Medrano, on drums and bass respectively, keep the pulse alive.

Tyler Rogers

Tyler Rogers

Cody Shaw & The Rhythm Boys include his dad, Ben Shaw, on lead guitar, Nick Ghanbari on keyboard and steel, Chris on bass and Randy on drums. (Sorry, don’t know their last names — yet!) Cody does most of the lead singing, but not all. He said, as he introduced Ben Shaw to the Hank’s crowd, that the band’s name reflects the third generation of Shaws actively performing in bands.

This band moved from classic and original-classic-sounding country to rockabilly to salsa licks to soft ballads and moved on beyond that, maintaining mostly a country feel.

For more Cody Shaw band pix, click here

For more Tyler Rogers band pix, click here