Category Archives: – Contests

White Elephant Saloon contest, Rd 1 Wk 4

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Big Joe Walker 1

Big Joe Walker Band

Click on the links below for many photos

After having been iced out and postponed the previous week, the White Elephant Saloon Texas Music Showdown finalized its first round this Wednesday (3.11.15) with three judges selecting Big Joe Walker and his big band to move into Round 2.

This contest was between Big Joe’s band, the Keith Owens Band, and the Molotov Dogs. Three powerful bands, all of which brought their No. 1 game to the contest.

Each band had three original songs and one cover song to perform for grading, plus they got a full song as a sound check. Usually, these songs get the judges’ attention, too, although they don’t score anything on it.

Judges this week were James Dunning, who leads the Lost Immigrants band; Frank Jackson with Smith Music; and KHYI’s Brett Dillon, who also organizes the contest for the White Elephant Saloon. After each band’s songs, the judges offered some words of constructive critique. Then, when all three had performed, they adjourned to deliberate and make their selection.

Keith Owens Band

Keith Owens Band

The Keith Owens Band opened up. Their sound check song was a good execution of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” and their cover was a Keith Whitley hit. At critique, Dillon said he liked the band from the sound check. Dunning commented he especially liked an AC/DC riff in t he band’s last original song, and Jackson mentioned that he really liked their original songs and said, “you are a musically really tight band.”

Members of the Keith Owens Band are: Owens on lead vocals and guitar; “Captain” Kirk Richardson on bass; Trace Bivens on lead guitar and backup vocals; Dwayne “Gummi Bear” Berry on drums; and Kim Danforth on harmony and backup vocals.

Next up were the Molotov Dogs, led by Blake Brownlee on vocals and guitar. Others in this group are Matt Hall on bass; Lucas Albano on drums; Poppy Xander on keyboard; and Jesse Thompson on electric banjo. At critique, Dillon gave the Zoolander Award to

Molotov Dogs

Molotov Dogs

Thompson, and commented that musicians Mark Shelton and Big Joe were really jammin’ to the band. Their cover song was Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.” Shelton said later, “That was one of the most original covers of that (heavy metal) song I’ve ever heard.” Judge Dunning liked it to, plus, he said, he liked the variety of instrumentation. “It was a great balance, even when the guitar crapped out on you in the end. The band went on and carried the song.”

Jackson commented on that little snag, too. “It was a good move, not to focus on it and just keep going.” He added good comments about Xander’s keyboard work.

Big Joe Walker band covered George Strait’s “Run.” With Big Joe, who plays both guitar and keyboards, were Chris Johnson on drums and background vocals; Adam Carrillo on bass and background vocals; Casey Green on lead guitar; and Michael Poole on fiddle.

Judges reversed their deliveries, with Jackson starting the critique by saying, “Your songs are strong, your smile is so infectious, and it all sounds so good.”

Dunning commented on the band’s dynamics and diverse song selection, plus their musicianship. And Dillon added “You are hit-maker band. You come alive on the keys, Big Joe.” He closed it off saying, “This is a competition and all these bands are amazing.”

Blake Brownlee, Keith Owens, and Big Joe Walker sharing a song

Blake Brownlee, Keith Owens, and Big Joe Walker sharing a song

Big Joe, after the announcement, and his band performed two more songs for the crowd. The first was a Zac Brown cover. On the second, he invited Brownlee and Owens back onto the stage to sing along with his band, and that was a great conclusion to the night’s events, with everyone remaining friends and admirers of one another’s music.

This next Wednesday (March 18), Round 2 begins with Josh Halverson Band taking on Twisted Pistols. Then, on March 25, it will be the Matt Nix Band against Big Joe Walker. Until, finally, on April 1, it will come to a close with the winners of those two weeks coming together for the grand prizes. Music starts at 8 p.m., and singer/songwriter Brad Hines performs solo each night from 7-8 and again after the night’s contest ends. No cover charge.

Big Joe Walker photos, click here

Molotov Dogs photos, click here

The Keith Owens Band photos, click here

For other photos, click here

 

 

White Elephant Saloon contest, Rd 1, Wk 3

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Rachel Stacy, Deryl Dodd, and his mentor, Butch

Rachel Stacy, Deryl Dodd, and his mentor, Butch Giddens

For more photos, click on the links below.

The White Elephant Saloon is the perfect host and perfect sponsor its 10th year of the Texas Music Showdown… good food, good friendly service, great sound man in Ted, and all-around good people everywhere. And, after the contest this past Wednesday, there was a special surprise, short performance before Brad Hines closed out the night in his unique song style.

This year’s contest completed its third week of Round 1 Wednesday (Feb. 25) with two bands competing: The Matt Nix Band, fronted by Matt Nix, and Blood Moon Bandits, fronted by Will Hancock. The third band which had been accepted to compete had to bow out at the last minute for personal reasons. At the end of the night, the judges selected The Matt Nix Band to move into Round 2, where they will be joined by previous Round 1 winners, Josh Halverson Band and The Twisted Pistols, plus the winner of the final Round 1 night next Wednesday, March 4.

Matt Nix and Emily Webb

Matt Nix and Emily Webb

Judges for the night were Brett Dillon, KHYI on-air personality and contest organizer; and singers/songwriters Deryl Dodd and Rachel Stacy.

Blood Moon Bandits opened with a saxophone player, an electric guitarist, a drummer, and Will Hancock on acoustic guitar. They opened with Hancock’s original, very folky and almost solo song, with only slight musical arrangements behind his lyrics. The judges’ favorite of their originals was one Hancock had penned about the White Elephant during a recent tornado time. He told the tale of that experience. Their one required cover song was that of Shakey Graves’ Dearly Departed.

Matt Nix Band, a 6-piece consisting of fiddle, guitars, bass, drums, and vocals by Matt and Emily Webb. Nix writes and sings of lessons in life. One of the judges’ comments, a real compliment, was that sometimes when there are six people on a stage, they don’t

Will Hancock, Blood Moon Bandits

Will Hancock, Blood Moon Bandits

always know what each other is doing. But with this band, it was obvious they each knew exactly what their parts were and they never stepped on each other. Their cover was of the Bob McDill-penned “Louisiana Saturday Night,” and dandily emphasized the fiddle.

The special surprise? Deryl Dodd’s musical mentor and musician, Butch Giddens, drove up from Waco to spend the evening with Dodd. They both explained that Butch and his family had taken Deryl under their musical wings before he went to Nashville. Deryl has been back from Tennessee for about 11 years now, living in the Metroplex, and he and Butch have not had many chances to get together.

Firstly, Deryl and Rachel did one song together. Then, Butch got up and, together, he and Deryl sang the Merle Haggard hit, “Working Man’s Blues.” Now, no offense intended toward anyone’s voices that night — they were all good, nay, incredible —  but when Butch opened his mouth to sing, well — he showed all of them just how classic country music is done! ‘nuf said!

The final 3 bands in Round 1, to compete March 4, are The Molotov Dogs, Big Joe Walker, and Zach Seth Band. Music starts at 8 p.m., and there’s no cover charge for these Wednesdays.

For Matt Nix Band photos, click here

For Blood Moon Bandits photos, click here

For a few other photos click here

Rusty Wier contest finals, 2.22.15

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Photo by Ginger Romero Ekstein

Photo by Ginger Romero Ekstein

For all photos, click on the link below.

There’s a new plaque that will be hanging inside Love & War in Texas‘ Plano restaurant. It’ll take a couple of days, because owners Tye and Tory Phelps have to add a 5th name to those already on it. It’s the plaque listing all the winners of the annual Rusty Wier Singer/Songwriter Contest.

Mick Tinsley

Mick Tinsley

The new name to be added is that of this year’s winner, Mick Tinsley, who took top prize Sunday night (Feb. 22, 2015) after squeaking by seven others who had also made it to the finals.

Those seven others were no slouches in the singer/songwriter/performer arenas. In order of appearance, they were Mike Schikora, Josh Halverson, Saille Branch, David Byboth, (Tinsley), Town Walsh, Matt Johnston, and James Dunning.

The 2014 winner, Scott Sean White, opened the night with a few of his songs, and musicians Jake Bays and his sweet lady, Natalie Womack, kept the crowd entertained while the judges compared their scores for the final announcement.

Here’s the Scene In Town awards for this week:

The “Best Adaptation of Rusty Wier Songs” award went to Josh Halverson for his slow, bluesy version of “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance” and to Matt Johnston for his unique adaptation of “Lay The Guitar Down.”

Tye Phelps

Tye Phelps

The “Best Good Sport” award goes to Tye Phelps. Cold rain poured through several leaks in the Rusty Wier patio roof all afternoon. Tye reacted twice with humor and concern. First was when he handed his thermal vest to a shaking-cold lady (me!) and went without its warmth himself; and secondly, when he stood underneath an umbrella beneath one of those leaks, smiling all the while. That was when Bays sang to Tye that it was only raining beer.

And a special “Best Good Sport” award goes to all of the dozens of contestants. The eight standing on stage while names were called were oh-so enthusiastic in all their attaboys for Tinsley and each other. Plus, the room was packed with others who had participated up to that night and who braved the weather in order to be there for this final night. What a brotherhood it is.

Just some of the great food served at Love & War in Texas

Great food served at Love & War in Texas

One more award: Trisha Aker (Rusty Wier’s lady) gets the “Good Friend” award for her generosity in giving Brett Dillon an actual Rusty Wier pearl-snap shirt, one that Rusty owned and wore many times.. She also brought Rusty’s signature black hat for Brett to wear through the night. The smile on his face was unmistakable — this had to have been among the best gifts he’s ever received. And, check out the comparative photos (in the photos linked below) of Brett and Rusty in the same hat.

Each performer sang one Rusty Wier song. In addition to those two which won S.I.T. awards, those songs included “I Stood Up,” “Trouble,” “High Road,” “Daytime Drinking.”

For photos, click here — and please note there are a few comments included with some of them.

White Elephant contest, Rd 1 Wk 2, 2/18/15

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Judges were Nick Verzosa, Brett Dillon, Bodie Powell

Judges were Nick Verzosa, Brett Dillon, Bodie Powell

Well, time’s a’wastin’, to quote the great American cartoon character, Snuffy Smith. Thus, this is now a VERY SHORT report, but with all the photographs from the night.

Round 1, Week 2 of the White Elephant Saloon’s 10th yearly Texas Music Showdown was Wednesday, Feb. 18, and included the front-line duo of Larry Sumpter and Dan Schwein from the LDJ Band, Mark Shelton & The Greater Good, and Twisted Pistols. All made excellent showings.

Judges were Brett Dillon, KHYI and the contest organizer; Nick Verzosa, singer/songwriter; and Bodie Powell, also singer/songwriter. After each band performed their three originals and one cover song (plus a full song as a sound check and without points), the judges selected Twisted Pistols to move

Members of all three bands gathering together

Members of all three bands gathering together

on into Round 2.

This Wednesday (Feb. 25), the contest will include the Matt Nix Band, Phil Wallace & The Big Band, and Blue Moon Bandits. Music starts at 8 p.m., the White Elephant is at 106 E Exchange Ave. in Fort Worth.

For Twisted Pistols photos, click here.

For Mark Shelton & The Greater Good photos, click here

For the LDJ Band photos, click here.

For a few other photos, click here

Rusty Wier contest, Semi-finals Wk 2

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For more photos, click on the link below

Rusty Wier, 2005

Rusty Wier, 2005

The second group of eight singers and songwriters competing to go into the 5th Annual Rusty Wier competition Sunday (Feb. 16) brought their best to the Love & War in Texas (Plano) stage — actually on the Rusty Wier pavilion — Sunday, and had the crowd eating out of their guitar-string-calloused hands.

Playing song-swap style in groups of twos were Andrew Delaney, Matt Grigsby, James Dunning, Ty Young, Matt Johnston, Mike Schikora, Josh Halverson, and Joe Austin. These eight artists were not competing only against each other, but against those who performed the previous Sunday. Each performer presented three original songs and one Rusty Wier cover song in this round, and will do so again in the finals next Sunday.

Several people acted as judges, one of them being Rusty Wier’s love for the time before his death, Trisha Aker. At close of competition, organizer Brett Dillon tallied up all the scores and announced the names of the eight moving into the finals (and listed below.)

Dillon, when he first took the stage to open the day’s event up, commented, “This is more of a camaraderie than a competition.” Musicians have been saying that all through the event, too. And proof of it comes in the form of those musicians who returned again this week to root their musical buddies on. At one time, there were at least 10 there who either had been eliminated or who remain in the contest, giving their support to all the others.

The primary Scene In Town award for these two past Sundays has to go to Trisha Aker. Let’s

Trisha Askers

Trisha Aker

call it the “Gorilla Glue Award” for the way she holds it together as musician after musician sings the variety of songs that Rusty himself wrote. More than once, Trisha reached for a tissue to blot away the moisture spilling from her eyes. And whether the Sunday renditions were exact arrangements of the way that Rusty did them himself, or whether they were made more personal by the particular performers, she was enthusiastic about each and every one. As an example, two people sang Rusty’s “Running With The Wrong Crowd.” They came out as different as the musicians themselves were, and yet the amazing woman appreciated and enjoyed both the same.

Tho all eight were outstanding in their unique styles, Ty Young earned the “Best Crowd Response Award” for his last song, a cover of one of Rusty’s tunes. However, it might be that a second “Best Crowd Response Award” may have to be created… because when Matt Johnston and Mike Schikora teamed up for their song-swap, they definitively earned that same award. So, two awards or one?

This next Sunday (Feb. 22) is the final night in this year’s Rusty Wier singer/songwriter challenge. It will begin earlier, at 2 p.m., and still at sponsors Love & War in Texas, which is at the NE corner of Plano Parkway and U.S. 75.

Those in this final round are David Byboth, Saille Branch, James Dunning, Josh Halverson, Matt Johnston, Mike Schikora, Mick Tinsley, and Town Walsh.

For more photos of the performers, click here