Category Archives: Other venues

Tanner Young at Chrystal Opry House

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From press release

Tanner Young

Tanner Young

The Chrystal Opry House welcomes Tanner Young back to its stage Saturday, April 2, at 7 p.m.. Tanner has been on our radar for several years and has been busy competing and earning awards. He was named “Rising Legend” by the National Traditional Country Music Association and also won the National Guitar Contest. His gospel CD was recently awarded “Gospel CD of the Year” from the Rural Roots Music Commission.

The venue’s first Saturday Jam will begin at 5:00 pm. Take your instrument (s) and join in the fun. Listeners adored. Donations will be accepted to defray expenses.

Admission to the concert is $8 per adult with children under 12 admitted free of charge. Concessions include  brisket sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, candy, ice cream, coffee, water, sodas, and popcorn and will be available beginning at 6 p.m. when the doors open.

Please mark your calendar for these nationally known bands. Saturday, April 16th. Goldwing Express will perform and Tuesday, June 14th. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will grace our stage. You won’t want to miss these performances.

The Chrystal Opry House is located at 1977 White Mound Road, Tom/Beean Sherman, Texas which is 1.5 miles west of Tom Bean or 6 miles east of Howe on FM 902 and a half mile south on White Mound Road. No alcohol is permitted and there is no smoking inside the building. Seating is provided. For more information, including how to have your band perform in this intimate setting, call 903-546-6893 or http://www.chrystalopryhouse.com.

(“Like” us on Facebook — chrystalopryhouse and at the Website linked above.

Texas Music Showdown, Rd 2 Wk 1

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Hillrise

Hillrise

Photos by Mary Jane Farmer — Click on the links below for more photos

Two bands, Hillrise and Gander Slu, met on the White Elephant Saloon to kick off Round 2 of this 11th annual Texas Music Showdown. Judges Brett Dillon, Dustin Hendricks, Scott Copeland and Aubrey Lynn England selected, after both bands gave it their all during their 30-minute sets. Hillrise to move  into the finals.

Gander Slu

Gander Slu

Gander Slu is a 5-piece band based primarily in Denton and features Jordan Barta on lead vocals, Eric Stark on lead guitar, Ladd Temple on bass, Stefan Wright on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Sammy Lawson on drums. Barta’s voice has the same strength that Aubrey Lynn England is blessed with. The band chose as its one cover song “Nobody’s Baby,” by Reckless Kelly.  Their next-to-last song came as acoustic, without bass or drums behind the three vocals of Barta, Stark, and Wright, a crowd and judge favorite. 

Hillrise was without its lead guitar player this time, as it was without a bass player in Round 1. However, this contest allows for such variation. Those playing were Steve Valenzuela on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; Mike Box on drums; and Clayton Edwards on bass. They chose Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” as their cover song. Valenzuela was the only one on vocals, and it was England who mentioned during the critique that she missed hearing harmonies.

Two more unique qualities of this White Elephant Saloon-sponsored contest is (1) Singer/songwriter Brad Hines opens and closes every night — always a treat, and (2) the talent buyer, Jason Tighe, for the venue is in attendance and hears the bands. This is an attribute the bands appreciate and one which is often missing in other venue-sponsored contests.

all musicians and brettThis coming Wednesday, March 23, will have Tin & Tonic evenly matched against Big Town Rodeo. Brad plays at 7 p.m., the bands compete beginning at 8 p.m., and there’s no cover charge. White Elephant Saloon is at 106 E Exchange Ave. in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

For Gander Slu photos, click here

For Hillrise photos, click here.

For other photos, click here

Texas Music Showdown, Round 1

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Round 1, Week 3, March 2, 2016

Tin & Tonic

Tin & Tonic

Round 1, Week 4, March 9, 2016

This avid music fan wasn’t able to attend Weeks 1 and 2 of this 11th yearly Texas Music Showdown. Winners of those two nights and moving into Round 2 were Hillrise and Gander Slu, and they will challenge each other on Wednesday, March 16.

Winners of Weeks 3 and 4 were Big Town Rodeo and Tin & Tonic, who will challenge one another on March 23.

The final night, featuring the two winners of these four Round 2 bands, will be on

Big Town Rodeo

Big Town Rodeo

Wednesday, March 30.

This yearly contest is sponsored by White Elephant Saloon in the Fort Worth Stockyards, with a slew of other sponsors including radio station KHYI and SceneInTown.com.

Call the White Elephant Saloon at (817) 624-8273 for more information, or go Online for their 7-days-a-week live music line-up.

 

Blue Valley III at Chrystal Opry House

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From press releaseBlue Valley III toss

The Chrystal Opry House (Tom Bean, Texas,) welcomes Blue Valley III back to its stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5. This band, based in Rowlett, Texas,  includes Buzz Busby on the upright bass, Joe Morrow on the banjo, and Pam Dahl on the mandolin and guitar. This will be an entertaining evening.

The venue’s first Saturday Jam of 2016 will begin at 5 p.m. the same Saturday. Bring your instruments and join in the fun. Listeners adored. Donations will be accepted to defray expenses

Please mark your calendar for April 2 and April 16. On April 2, Tanner Young will perform and April 16 brings Goldwing Express to perform. You won’t want to miss these performances.

Concessions will be available beginning at 6 p.m., when the doors open, with brisket sandwiches, hot dogs, candy, ice cream, coffee, water, sodas, and popcorn.

The Chrystal Opry House is located at 1977 White Mound Road, which is 1.5 miles west of Tom Bean or 6 miles east of Howe on FM 902 and then a half mile south on White Mound Road. No alcohol is permitted and there is no smoking inside the building. Seating is provided. Anyone interested in performing at the Chrystal Opry House should contact Bill Hayes at 903-546-6893 or Online at http://www.chrystalopryhouse.com.

New Band in Town

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Story by Billy Keith Bucher, Photos by Raina GannBri 1 color

Road trip — I headed out to the Moore’s Store to catch a set by Jopi Drew, the club’s sound man and resident singer/songwriter. To my delight, Jopi turned the tables and presented a dynamic new duo with Bri Conrado and Landon Jett. I had first heard them when they were doing a competition, and I think they had walked away with the prize and, if they didn’t, they certainly cheered up a crowd hungry for music.

Bri is a solid, strong and animated singer who has a forceful demure, an addiction to the beat, animated in her presentation and clear in her vocals. Landon, it turned out, is also a drummer, who has appeared around the Ben Wheeler scene with the Wayland Hicks band and Chase McClanahan. Landon and Bri are a group so young they don’t even have a proper name yet. But, they are working on it.Bri 2 bw

They are so relaxed in their performance that you would think that they had been on the road for a while. Conrado, with her striking green hair, grew up in the Canton area and is a fan of Joan Jett, PINK, and Haylee Williams. Jett is a really good straight-forward drummer and the same holds true to the rhythms that come out of his guitar work. They present a nice selection of covers and originals and Bri really can belt out a song while Landon shuffles out the guitars chords with a sly smile on his face.

All in all a good time was had by all.