The Will Callers, Ryan, Jakeb, Jake

Story by Mary Jane Farmer, pictures by Mary Jane, Mark Bickham, and Jeremy Lee. Links to photos at the end of this short article.

Texas Music Revolution opened with former Shiner Rising Star guitarist Merrol Ray pumping out “The Star Spangled Banner” on his electic guitar. It’s a tradition now, having been the third year in a row for Merrol to open the 15-hour festival, and he keeps excelling every time, almost adding a serious music feel to the tune that started as a British drinking song.

Merrol was the lead singer for Miles From Nowhere, which took the top Shiner Rising Star honor several years ago. He now leads The Regulators, and other Miles From Nowhere members have scattered. Wesley Joe Malone is with Pearl Street Riot, Joe Jordan plays bass with Whiskey Roadshow, and Adam Walker is doing some solo, acoustic gigs around northeast Texas.

The 2009 Rising Star winning band was up next, Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos. Grant, Miles Penhall on lead guitar, David Fiegelman on drums, and Rocky Garza on bass make up the band.

Grant’s got swagger, Miles has grit, David has exhuberance, and Rocky has stability. It’s a quartet that sends its listeners home ready to return for another Pistol Grip Lasso show.

Darryl Lee Rush won the first Shiner Rising Star. I have no idea how long ago that was, but do have several of his CDs produced from that win and since then. The latest one is so close to being released I can almost hear it. It will be better when I actually can hear it, tho. Love this band with its sincerity to its genre, its affection and interaction with fans and audience, and the uniqueness of every song, most of which Darryl Lee writes. Darryl Lee, Andrew, Larry, and Scott

Somebody’s Darlin‘ won, I believe, in 2008, and since has traveled the country. Johnny Cooper and Gary P. Nunn sing about taking Texas to the country, and they do that, and Somebody’s Darlin’ also is in the unique Taking-Texas-To-The-Country club — touring and developing a broader fan bass and coming home to those who have been loyal for years.

The Will Callers picked up the title Rising Star last year, and opened up the big stage at TMR. Jakeb Hall on bass and Ryan Littrell on lead guitar  joined the band after their win, bringing new dimensions to the sounds, and original members Jake Murphy and Daniel Slaton kept up the quality of voice, rhythm guitar, and drums that they laid down during the competition. Littrell has since left the band, and Justin Elliott stepped into that slot.

Merrol Ray

Grant Jones & The Pistol Grip Lassos

Darryl Lee Rush

The Will Callers

Somebody’s Darlin

Spur 503, Johnny, Eric, Chance, Adam, Jared

Spur 503 getting set to play TMR 15

A Grayson County-based band has been around for years with two CDs under their guitar straps, chosen by the public for the “Best Texoma Band” award several years running, and shared billing with Willie Nelson, Jack Ingram, Pat Green, the Randy Rogers Band, Charlie Robison, and a myriad of performers of national and regional renown.

And yet, it’s a band on the threshold of a new season.

Chance Cody

Chance Cody & Spur 503 is working with two new musicians, Johnny Waitt on bass and Jared Mitchell on rhythm guitar; Cody is picking up lead guitar duties; and its fiddle player, Eric Peel, is facing the possibility of relocating because of his day job. Drummer Adam Doty is holding the anchor position through it all, and through it all the band is in the studio recording its third album.

That’s a lot of changes going on at the same time. Any one of those in itself could produce a stress level some bands might not be able to walk through. Spur 503 is more than walking through it — the band is going at it in full force, taking advantage of every change to turn it positive.

Chance said, “Except for Adam and Eric, it’s new for all of us. Johnny and Jared are our newest members, and we hit them with a lot of new songs all at once. And I have started playing lead guitar, which is a totally new beast for me. We’ve been through so many lead guitar players over the years, that I just decided that I’m gonna do it myself.”

Adam Doty

Dustin Perkins, whose band has shared stages with Spur 503 several times in the past year, said about Cody’s newly-developing guitar talent, “He has come so far, I am impressed. I can definitely tell he has been working hard and it’s like he has done it for years.”

Doty described what he’s seeing Waitt and Mitchell  bringing to Spur 503 by saying, “Johnny and Jared have a hunger and desire that is extremely contagious. This is translating to giving us new energy that makes a Spur 503 show more entertaining and more enjoyable for everyone involved.” Doty, a banker by trade, is, like Cody, a Denison native, in fact four of the five band members make their homes in Denison. His drumming is almost lyrical, and he provides harmonies and an occasional lead vocals for the band.

Eric Peel

Peel makes his home in Paris, Texas, and is, in real life, a airline pilot. It’s that airline company that has promoted him to the rank of captain, and thus the reason for his potential professional relocation. Cody said, “Eric became a brother of ours 3 1/2 years ago. He’s a very talented guy in a lot of different areas, and one of those includes flying airplanes. He has been a pilot for as long as I’ve known him, and he just recently was promoted. That puts his future in the band in limbo, because we’re not real sure of his schedule yet, or even where he will be base.

“But as of right now, he makes all the gigs he can, and we have a few fiddle players that we can call in for back-up. We’ll wait on him, though — he’s worth it,” Cody said.

Johnny Waitt

Jared Mitchell

Waitt started playing guitar when he was about 12 ayears old, he said, but switched to bass when he joined a band in high school. “I have kind of switched back and forth between the two ever since,” Johnny said. Since joining Spur 503, he added, “Those guys have taught me a lot. I never really played country music before joining (Spur 503) so it took some adjusting to their style.”

Jared said he began carrying a guitar around when he was about two or three, but didn’t reallys tart to learn anything until he was about six. “My grandpa plays the guitar and sings,” said the youngest member of this band. “He is the reason I first picked up a guitar.” It was in those young years when he also began singing. “I started having a music opinion as well,” Jared, the son of a minister, told one of the stories that has stayed with his family since. “When I was three at church, they asked all the kids in the nursery with me what our favorite songs were. All the kids were saying things like, ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and such. My big sister was next to me telling me to just say what those kids were, but when it got to me I said proudly, ‘That Drunken Ira Hayes’ by the one and only Johnny Cash. Oh yeah and I was the pastor’s son saying that” He added that he didn’t actually start to play and singing front of people at church until he was about 14.

Adam and Chance both play in the church band where Jared’s father serves as pastor, and so, Jared said, “I have been watching them play since I was 4 feet tall. This last year, he, too, joined the church band, and then when Cody asked him to join Spur 503, “I learned all the songs, and here we are.”

There’s a sixth member of Spur 503, Brian Willis, or Lil B as they call him, who has been handling their sound and stage equipment for years. With a background in sound and light design that few his age can touch, Brian puts the polish on the Spur 503 sound.

And that is Spur 503, as it stands now — not standing still, but speeding toward a new future, new sounds. Chance said, “That being said, we really try to focus on playing just our (original) music, and we’re about to add a lot more songs and show elements as we near the completion of our 3rd album.”

It may be those two younger Spur 503 members who are the most excited about playing Texas Music Revolution. Waitt said, “It is probably the most important gig I have ever played. I am looking forward to being able to play our music for so many people that haven’t had the chance to really hear us. At the same time I look at the rest of the bands playing and I am just as thrilled to watch those guys play.:

Jared echoed that feeling. “This will be the first time since I have been playing withSpur that we will be at a show with big names — even though almost anyone we play with is a big name to me.” He added that the nervous part of the approaching gig hasn’t started to sink in yet. “But I’m pretty sure, once the day comes, I’m going to be a little shaky. It’s going to be a good, fun experience.”

Cody, program director at Americana radio station KHYI, which is sponsoring TMR, said it’s a little weird to be playing it. “I didn’t ask to play, I was informed,” he said with that signature chuckle heard most every morning. “It’s a real honor to be playing with such a broad group of talented musicians, and not just introducing them on stage. And yes, I’m very nervous! But that’s what it’s all about.”

www.spur503.com

By Mary Jane Farmer

Love & War in Texas, Plano

Pictures — KHYI has these pictures, and every band who wants them is welcome to email me for 300 dpi resolution pix @ mjfarmer.music@gmail.com. I thank Joshua Jones and KHYI for allowing me to be their photographer for this incredible 3-month contest.

Fans everywhere, so many judges taking up most of the dance floor in front of the stage, and musicians waiting, guitars in hand, on deck,  the Shiner Rising Star came to a close Thursday night with five bands competing for a record contract and the chance to open Texas Music Revolution 2011, being held in March.

Taking top honors were The Will Callers, with The Rock Bottom Ramblers not scoring that far behind them. Also playing, and winners in their own rights, were Saille Branch & The Big Benders, the Chris Miller Band, and Four Left Turns.

The Will Callers

When all was said and done, all bands had played and  been critiqued 15 times over, KHYI/ Shiner Records’ Joshua Jones made the announcements, and that’s when the true “We’re all winners” attitude, so prevalent in Texas music, stepped up to the plate. Musician after musician, beginning with Tracy, Shawn, Shawna, and  Tony, those RBRs who had brought such delight to everyone at Love & War in Texas.

The Will Callers had lost two of their band members, Brad Schroeder and Chase Monks, in a car wreck six days before, and spent the week  being with each other, their families, and Mr. Schroeder’s and Mr. Monks’ families, through the last funeral earlier Thursday. Joining them for the contest were former band members Trent Chapa and Cody Culberson, who, ironically, had also played with Jake Murphy and Daniel Slatton in Round One.

Jake and Daniel, the Will Callers, receive attaboys and handshakes

The Rock Bottom Ramblers, who arrived later from their Oklahoma City trip because of van troubles, have a uniqueness to their music that, though judges tried to compare it to other bands, is exactly that, unique. Drummer turned washboard player, lead singer picked on guitar/banjo combo, aka gitjo, when he wasn’t on lead guitar or kazoo. Doghouse bass and fiddler streamlined their music, sassy without being at all pushy. The judges used such terms as “peppy soul,” “rockabilly style,” “breath of fresh air,” “cranking it,” and “Texas radio needs this.” I never want to be a judge, but if I were I would also say something about the band’s gusto is like a swift whistling prairie wind or crystal waters rushing over rocks — see, that’s why I shouldn’t critique. But that’s the way they made me feel, cool, comfortable, happy, joyous, and free.

Rock Bottom Ramblers, Tony

Saille Branch

Saille Branch & The Big Benders are on their way to bigger and better things, if they keep up the incredible performances they brought to Shiner Rising Star. Bart Thrasher on guitar, Chris Clifford on drums, and Saille on leads and vocals, and they were joined Thursday night by another guitarist, for whom I never got the names. And those vocals! Saille, from Celina, brought half the town with him. Jones mentioned Thrasher’s guitar tones being right on and that the combination of dueling guitars was a great addition. Other judges terms were “full sound,” “mild and acid mix,” and “feel the heat.”

The Chris Miller Band took a suggestion to heart between their Round Two win and Thursday night. Jones had suggested the trio might had a boss instrument, and, sure enough, Chris showed up with a keyboard player who added  volume and depth to the otherwise full and deep trio. The chemistry between lead singer Chris Miller and bassist Chris Pruett is amazing, and several judges commented on the definite entertainment value Pruett adds to the stage. Drumming was Ken Sommerhalter. Critique notes: “harmonica created drama,” “no glitches (drummer),” “serious soul,” “in the pocket,” and “excellent job.”

Chris Miller and Chris Pruett

Two Door Ford brought a couple of new songs to the stage, but it was probably their “Whiskey Dreams” that got more attention from the judges than any other song from any other band. They called it a “necessary first release,”  “a sure-fire hit,” and “masterful songwriting.” Judges also commented on the switch in dynamics when guitarist Dustin Nordin switched from electric to acoustic guitar. Zach Figueroa on lead singer and electric guitar, Joey Hollingsworth on drums, and Justin Hayne on bass round out this band, which is building fans all across the Metroplex.

Two Door Ford, Zach

Judges were KHYI personalities Joshua Jones, Chance Cody, Brett Dillon, Coach Joe Avazanno, Big Gus Samuelson; former Rising Star winners Grant Jones, Merrol Ray, Darryl Lee Rush, various members of Somebody’s Darling (one vote only among them); musicians John David Kent, Deryl Dodd, Zane Williams, George Dunham; and media Chuck Taylor and Kelly Dearmore. All were volunteers, there because of their love of music.

Congrats to all these bands, and to the 19 others who gave it their all after being picked in the top 24, selected from hundreds of bands representing the Texas coast, the Texas hill country, the Metroplex, and other areas of the Lone Star State, plus Oklahoma. We’ll let you know when their CD is being released. I hope I get the No. 1 copy out of the first box!

Four Left Turns and The Will Callers met one another on stage Thursday night in 45 minute sets, but it wasn’t their first meeting. The two bands have shared stages before and their congratulatory messages to one another after the contest was over indicates they will continue to support one another on stage and off.

Judges Joshua Jones, Brett Dillon, and Kelly Dearborn selected The Will Callers to move on to the final round, Oct. 21, at Love & War in Plano. Starting a little bit earlier that week, probably about 7:30 p.m., since there will be five bands competing.

Photos: The Will Callers and 4 Left Turns