Short review and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. For more photos, click on the link below

The foursome that is JB and The Moonshine Band creates more sounds than most other 5- or 6-piece bands, and those sounds come out in a tightly-blended mix of vocals and instrumentation, on-stage energy, and down-to-earth attitude.

This band played to a sold-out crowd at Gilley’s in Durant (Choctaw Casino) Saturday night. Well, it would have been considered a sold-out crowd, except that Gilley’s never charges for its performances. So, maybe it would be called a packed house. Boots scooted across the dance floor, made smaller because of all the fans who got up close and personal with JB Patterson, Gabe Guevara, Hayden McMullen, and Chris Flores. (vocals, drums, guitar and bass, respectively). For a solid 90 minutes, JB and the guys wowed that approving crowd with their numerous Texas chart-topping hits and with some newer songs. They also spent much of their ‘tween-song time tossing out merchandise, mainly caps, and occasionally told the bartenders to buy a specific fan a specific drink.

Rock-solid show from this Tyler Texas-alternative-country band.

Gilley’s will be bringing more Texas and regional favorites to the Gilley’s stage, including Saturday, Jan. 24, when Kevin Fowler takes the stage. Then, on Saturday, Jan. 31 and following the Tesla concert in the Choctaw Event Center, Uncle Lucius will take the Gilley’s stage.

Mickey Gilley once asked, on the day he opened this stage bearing his great name, only that all the bands who play there honor the name “Gilley’s.” This reporter has been glad to tell him in person: “Mr. Gilley, be assured — they do!”

Click here for more photos from Saturday night.

Click here for more about JB and The Moonshine Band

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. For more photos, click here

He’s gone country. Aaron Lewis, the lead singer with former rock band Staind, set the pace for his performance Saturday night (Dec. 6, 2014) at Choctaw’s Event Center by getting the crowd to rise and, hands over hearts, recite the Pledge of Allegiance with him.

He then proceeded by breaking into his warship “Country Boy,” and many of the 3,500 fans joined him in singing “I’ve been known to smoke a little weed.” If that were all to the lyrics, it could discourage a straight-laced listener, but the song goes on to say, “Now two flags fly above my land
, that really sum up how I feel
. One is the colors that fly high and proud -
The red, the white, the blue. The other one’s got a rattlesnake
 with a simple statement made
. “Don’t tread on me” is what it says. 
And I’ll take that to my grave.”

Resources say that Staind took its leave in 2012, and that’s when Lewis released his second country-style CD project, this time a solo, The Road, and set out on his newly-chosen musical path. His first independently-styled endeavor came out a year earlier, Town Line, which featured help from Charlie Daniels and others.

He had a full band on the Choctaw Event Center stage, but the overall feel was that of an acoustic set. Lewis’ voice effortlessly hit more than one octave with the strength of that snake on the centuries-old flag. It’s a voice that gives honor to any lyrics crossing his lips.

Keeping it in perspective, too, was the masterful use of lights and sound, not overdone (as especially stage lighting can be) and the tasteful talents of musicians on electric, slide, steel, bass, and dobro guitars, and drums.

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer

Don Williams

Two greats, emissaries from another era of country music, played to a sold-out house, Choctaw Event Center in Durant, Saturday night, (Nov. 15). The gentle giant, Don Williams, returning from health problems, and Gene Watson, who had his own minor health problems that night – a sore throat – were mellow/manly crowd pleasers.

The creamy-voiced Williams sat behind his mic stand, a table with water beside him, as he sang hit after hit, including “If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey, I Still Do).” and “Tulsa Time.” He does have a new album out, called And So It Goes, and Williams presented a song or two from that, as well.

Watson — a Texan — maybe the most famous for his “Love in the Hot Afternoon” hit song of 1975, sang it, his signature song “Farewell Party,” plus numerous others from his decades on the music charts. His first album, Love In The Hot Afternoon, earned him four charted songs; his last highly-placed song on charts was in 1997, “Change Her Mind.” And, he said, his last CD, A Taste of the Truth, featured duets with Trace Adkins and Rhonda Vincent and was released in 2009.  Gene sang songs from all those decades in between.

It was when he sang his famous “You Gave Me A Mountain” that 4,500 sets of ears held their

Gene Watson

respective breaths across the event center, waiting for that challenging, strong conclusion. And Gene Watson pulled it off, beautifully, in spite of that tacky, aching throat.

For many area music fans, it was a treat again to see Chad Phillips on stage, playing guitar in Gene Watson’s Band. Phillips formerly was with the Chase Sanford Band and put down some harmonies on the upcoming Chase Sanford Band’s EP.

Here’s a YouTube video of Gene Watson singing that same song a year ago, and he laughs afterward saying, “I got that tough part over with.”

You Gave Me A Mountain.

Watch Choctaw Casino’s Website (Click here) for future shows, or keep coming back to Scene In Town’s Live Music Calendar (Click here).

For more Gene Watson photos, click here

For more Don Williams photos, click here

Moe Bandy

On Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, two Nashville, national giants of country music graced the Choctaw Casinos Event Center in Durant.

Texan Moe Bandy opened with stories and songs from his decades of creating chart-busting hits, such as his first, “Bandy The Rodeo Clown,” and continued through his version of the  Kevin Welch classic “Til I’m Too Old To Die Young.”

For Moe Bandy photos, click here

Next up, Mel Tillis, who always puts on a classic show, helped this time as he was a few months ago when he appeared at the Choctaw in Grant, Okla., by his son, Sonny Boy, or Mel Jr. He also brought a full band that included two fiddles, lead and steel guitars, keyboards, and others. And came out asking if it was all right how he asked his band to dress… all in similar suits and boots, without one pair of torn jeans on the stage.

Mel Tillis

This country music icon also presented a well-pleased audience with hit after hit of his own, such as “Coca-Cola Cowboy” and “Life Turned Her That Way.” And, he told the tales of how many of those songs came into being.

For Mel Tillis photos, click here

Another quality activity from both these artists — they held off on backstage meet-and-greets for a select few, opting instead to attend their own merch tables and make themselves available to every fan who wanted to just say something, or get an autograph, or have a photo made with them. And they stayed ready, smiling and obviously enjoying those who had enjoyed them when on stage, until the last one had been greeted.

Photos by Mary Jane Farmer