Brett and Diana
For more photos, click on the link below.
It’s into the semi-finals now, this 5th yearly Rusty Wier singer/songwriter contest, and in this round, each of the 16 still remaining contestants must sing one song that Rusty himself wrote, along with three of their own originals. And they are working in song-swap style, two performers each.
Sunday, Feb. 8, had Raquel Nguyen, Byron Dowd, David Byboth, Matt Nix, Saille Branch, Bryan Adam Joyner, Mick Tinsley, and Town Walsh on the Love & War in Texas (Plano) outdoor patio stage… which is also called the Rusty Wier patio. And BTW, L&W are the hosts and sponsors each year of this contest.
Brett Dillon, KHYI on-air personality, coordinates the events, and Roger Russell, himself a songwriter with the Dallas Songwriters Association, runs sound this year. There are several judges, and one of them is Trisha Aker, who was the love of Rusty Wier’s life for a long time before his death in 2009.
OK, it has to be noted here… Trisha did tear up a couple of times at the singers’ choices for Rusty songs, and other times she laughed and enjoyed them. Bryan Adam Joyner could have earned the award for making her laugh the most, when he chose and sang “I Heard You Been Laying My Old Lady.” But, not gonna give him that award.
Instead, (and I hope you are laughing here, Bryan) Joyner gets the Best Guitar Strap award… ask him about that the next time you see him (Hint: Shiner vs Budweiser; another
Saille Branch and Nick Flint
Hint: Shiner Rising Star 2013).
Here’s the Rusty Wier songs that others chose to perform: Raquel — “Sally Mae”; Byron Dowd — “So Be It”; David Byboth — “I Got You”; Matt Nix — “Coby’s Song”; Saille Branch “The Devil Lives In Dallas”; Mick Tinsley, along with Joe Austin accompanying him — “Cowboy That Loves To Sing The Blues”; and Town Walsh — “Daytime Drinking.”
Another Scene In Town award goes to Byron Dowd, who gets the “Singing Through the Sniffles” award… sick with bad allergies, but still gave a dynamite performance on all the songs. There’s been a lot of that going on lately at other concerts, and one has to admire someone who chooses to keep on keepin’ on…
S.I.T. is giving the “Since I didn’t advance, I’ll be here to support those who did”
award go to Greg Hargrove, Alex Lease, Nick Flint, and maybe some I didn’t see, for obvious reasons. They really best represent what this contest is about — an appreciation for the talents of everybody in it.
Next Sunday, Feb. 15, will be the second half of this semi-finals round. It starts at 4 p.m. at Love & War in Plano, which is at the NE corner of Plano Parkway and U.S. 75. No cover charge for any of these contest events.