Reid Perry

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. Click on the link here to see all photos, and feel free to download any of them. No charge. Just enjoy.

Flickr.com/photos/102233188@N08/albums/72157690569982813

The Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest is now a memory, an echo of all the new and more familiar songs that multitude of songwriters brought to the Love & War in Texas stage. And yes, even the Rusty Wier songs that each performer had to cover in the final two rounds. Such a good way to keep Rusty’s dynamic and touching music alive and especially in newcomers.

This year’s winner is Reid Perry, and his prizes include an opening spot at an upcoming Shiner Sunday, a 3-song EP recorded at  WarRoom Studios in Princeton, and a feature in an upcoming issue of Buddy Magazine.

The finalists alongside Perry were Zach Pohl, Stacey Shope, Larry Martin, James Lann, Jared Mitchell, Harley Dale Brown, Dave Thomas, Byron Dowd. Very tough decision for judges Brett Dillon (who also coordinates the contest), Ginger Ekstein, John Ekstein, Aubrey Lynn Hendricks, Dustin Hendrix, and Mary Jane Farmer. All of these know and appreciate the honor of having been chosen for this task, and the responsibilities involved.

And while the judges were out, musician Mark David Manders played, as did a Love & War in Texas waiter( whose name I didn’t get, but did get back in time to snap a photo of him), and maybe some others, but this judge/person/fan/writer was not present to see who else.

Music fan Kelly McFadin had a special cake made for this occasion, featuring a photo of Rusty and the names of all nine finalists. Reid’s first ‘official’ act as this year’s winner was to cut the cake. And it was amazing to watch all eight other musicians as they congratulated Reid Perry, by shaking hands, patting back, hugging, and doing the guy-thing shoulder bump.

Rusty Wier, just to recap a short bit of his music and life (though probably in that category of ‘nice but not necessary’) was a songwriter who helped catapult Texas music to national infamy in its ‘progressive country’ or ‘redneck rock’ stage in the 1970s. Rusty’s most well-known song, most likely is “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance,” and that title is burned, artistically, into a wooden banner displayed above the L&W stage. Rusty never just sang his songs, he lived them on stage, with his enthusiasm, sparkle, and either had or created a connection with absolutely everyone in his audience.

Rusty passed away in November 2007, and the Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest kicked off four years later and begins in November each year.

Dillon announced from the stage, when he revealed the winner’s name, that the decision was tough, there were so many good songs performed, and the winner earned top spot based on his own Rusty Wier-similar energy and animation.

This was the 9^th year of this prestigious contest. Previous winners were, in order, 2011 Michael Prysock, 2012 Guthrie Kennard, 2013 Mark Shelton, 2014 Scott Sean White, 2015 Mick Tinsley, 2016 Wesley Joe Malone, 2017 Michael O’Neal, and 2018 Justin Pickard.

Love & War in Texas is making sure that Rusty Wier and his music live on in people’s hearts while enhancing today’s musicians careers.

Aubrey Lynn and Dustin Hendricks

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. Feel free to click on and download any of the photos, no charge. Link to photos

Well, it’s coming down to hay-baling time. The 2019 Rusty Wier Singer/Songwriter contest completed it’s second week of the semi-finals Sunday (March 9, 2019) and the finalists have been chosen and announced, based upon the combined scores of all five judges.

Finishing up this semi-final round, in its second week, were Larry Martin, Dave Thomas, James Lann, Stacey Shope, Jared Thomas, and Harley Dale Brown, who played Sunday at the host venue, Love and War in Texas, in Plano. They song-swapped, in pairs, and each musician brought three original songs and one Rusty Wier cover song to the patio stage.

And at the end of the night, judges Aubrey Lynn and Dustin Hendrix sang a couple of songs, with Aubrey Lynn inviting Harley Dale on stage to play harmonica with her on the first song. Then, Dustin took the lead vocal on the second song.

A second treat was when the 2018 Rusty Wier winner, Justin Pickard also sang a couple of songs for the spellbound audience.

Now, these six are all moving into the finals, along with Reid Perry, Zach Pohl, and Byron Dowd, who competed in the semi-finals round the week before. So, instead of six finalists, there are nine, and that’s because that’s what the combined scores added up to. Tie-votes abound.

This coming Sunday, March 17, the final round begins at 4 pm, at Love & War in Texas, which sets at the NE corner of U.S. 75 and Plano Parkway in Plano. There’s no cover charge for this show, as there hasn’t been all this year.

The winner gets studio time with Dustin Hendricks’ WarRoom Studios, a feature in Buddy Magazine, and this week, Love & War’s Red ByBoth added another prize, which is an opening spot at one of the upcoming Shiner Sunday concerts, which begins April 28 when Wade Bowen takes the L&W stage. Two others already announced to play Shiner Sundays are Joe King Carrasco and Larry Joe Taylor.

Wesley Joe Malone, 2017 Rusty Wier challenge winner

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer — Click here to view all the photos from this round, and feel free to download any (no charge).

Round 3 of the 2019 Rusty Wier singer/songwriter challenge kicked off with incredible music from the first six of the 12 remaining musicians — Parker Twomey, Byron Dowd, Reid Perry, Kevin Edwards, Zach Pohl, and Justin Cashion.

Love & War in Texas in Plano hosts and sponsors this contest each year. They have added an opening gig at one of this upcoming season’s Shiner Sunday concerts as another prize the winner can claim. The winner also will get a 3-song EP, from recording to finished product, from WarRoom Studios of Princeton, and a feature article in an upcoming issue of Buddy Magazine.

In this round, and again in the final round, March 17, each person performs three originals and cover a Rusty Wier song.

And everyone was treated to a surprise concert from the 2017 winner, Wesley Joe Malone, who was actually there to root his Paris, Texas, buddy, Justin Cashion on, and ended up borrowing Justin’s guitar for his songs.

This coming Sunday, March 10, is Round 3 Week 2, with Larry Martin, Dave Thomas, James Lann, Stacey Shope, Jared Thomas, and Harley Dale Brown.

And six of these 12 will go into the finals.

No cover charge for these concerts.

Oh, yeah — It was hot-dang cold on the patio with temperatures dipping down to 30 degrees. New Plano laws won’t let the venue use its propane heat any longer, but they kept every overhead heater in the place turned on. Those helped a lot! Musicians on stage took advantage, between their songs, to warm their guitar-pickin’ fingers on the space heater placed on stage for them.

Brett Dillon, Larry Martin, and Jared Thomas in a hat exchange.

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. Click here to view and download any photos, no charge. Just click on the bottom right arrow to download.

Love & War in Texas’ 2019 Rusty Wier singer/songwriter challenge finished up its Round 2 with pizzazz that only Texas songwriters can accomplish and that Texas music fans can 100 percent appreciate.

March 24 marked that third and final week of Round 2, with James Lann, Harley Dale Brown, Saille Branch, Nick Flint, Jared Thomas, and Larry Martin sharing four of their original songs, song-swap style. They were not just competing against one another, but also against all those in Weeks 1 and 2 of this round, with all their total scores from the six music-expert judges combined and listed in order from highest score to determine which of these 18 musicians would move into the semi-finals.

All musicians enter and move through this contest each year with a “let’s win” attitude, or more of a “let’s be friends” frame of mind. Some have entered it every year since its inception in 2011.

The ultimate winner receives a 3-song EP recorded, mixed and mastered at WarHorse Studios in Princeton and a feature article in a future issue of Buddy Magazine.

“Will The Circle Be Unbroken?”

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. There are more photos, Click here to upload photos desired at a good resolution. No charge whatsoever.

Round Two, Week Two of this 2019 Rusty Weir singer/songwriter contest has come and gone, leaving in its wake lots of good music, smiles, and memories.

Kevin Edwards

The contest is held at and sponsored by Love & War in Texas, with KHYI on-air personality Brett Dillon coordinating it this year, and each previous year’s, details since its inception in 2011. Each singer/songwriter is rated on lyrics, musicianship, fan base, and the Rusty factor. Rusty Wier was well known for his love not only for music, but for each and every person listening to his music, and that quite often translated into considerable and direct

Stacey Shope

interaction with the crowds.

This Round 2 Week 2 Sunday, February 17, had Stacy Shope song-swapping with Town Walsh, followed by Kevin Edwards, Parker Twomey, and Zach Pohl in a 3-man song-swap. Each delivered four original songs. The sixth person to have performed, Harley Dale Brown, will be in the contest this coming Sunday instead, as he had a bout of the crud that has struck so many people this past Sunday.

Town Walsh

Another sickie this week was Aubrey Lynn, who is both a musician and a contest judge. She and her guitar-pickin’ husband, Dustin Hendricks, usually add a few songs after the competition portion is over. So, in their stead, Dillon talked the contestants and all other musicians — and

Zach Pohl

there were many — in the crowd to join each other on stage for a rendition of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” Rousing rendition it was, with everyone singing along on the chorus, but no one really knowing the verses after the first one. Someone was heard on stage laughing and saying,  “We need someone to save us up here.” Afterward, Nick Flint sang a couple of his songs.

These five songwriters were not just vying against each other, but against the other 13 still playing in this round.

Parker Twomey

Next Sunday, February 24, will have Harley Dale Brown, James Lann, Saille Branch, Nick Flint, Jared Thomas, Larry Martin, and Mitchell Ferguson on the Love & War in Texas stage, also in songswap style.These start at 4 pm, and there’s no cover charge to attend.

After this following Sunday, all the songwriters’ scores will be tallied up to determine who will move into Round 3, aka The Semi-Finals.

And just another announcement, but worthy of mention — Shiner Sunday 4 pm concerts at Love & War in Texas begin on April 28. Who is playing that date is only described now as a “biggie” and promises to be just that — a biggie…