This is a compilation of two articles lost when Go.Daddy.com (web site host) dropped several weeks’ articles, re-posted 9/13/10
Johnny Cooper and his band will be at T-Bones Bar & Grill in Denison on Thursday, Sept. 23. Call 903-464-0888 for more information on that performance.
Johnny Cooper at the Drunken Mule, Commerce
By Mary Jane Farmer, pix by M.J. and Mark
No matter what their reasons were, they came. Johnny Cooper and his band of brothers filled the Drunken Mule in Commerce Sept. 4 with people of all ages but with one mutual reason — love for this 21-year-old who has been setting the music world on end for years.
Coop’s band of brothers includes Ben Shaw on the lead guitar (and on which Johnny is displaying more talent on his own Gibson with every performance); Cody Shaw on bass, and yes, he is Ben’s son; Nick Gharbari on three sets of keyboards; and Joe Cortez IV, aka Joey, on drums; road manager who multi-tasks as sound man and best friend, Tim Gamble; and merch man Derek Burchfield.
Pictures taken at The Drunken Mule
There were two bonuses at the Mule with this show. Lighting artist Charlie Jack Daniel worked his magic on stage, weaving lights in and around the performers, spotlighting leads, and otherwise adding interest to it all. After Coop finished his first song, Dustin Perkins band arrived, just to pass out a passel of free CDs, some of which were printed up especially for the show as advance publicity for the September 23 Bois D’Arc Bash. His ‘Hollywood Handshakes’ created quite a stir of curious new fans.
Fans commented:
• Paige — “I came to see Johnny cause he’s cute.” Paige and her friend had never seen the Johnny Cooper show live before and arrived hours early. About 45 minutes into the show, Paige added that she could not say Johnny’s music is also awesome, amazing.
• Honor and Kelady — These two young ladies, sporting black X’s on the backs of their hands, indicating they are not yet 21, said it was about the 20th time they have been to a Johnny Cooper show. Why? “He mixes country and rock and jazz and blues. And he writes his own songs, all of them. If he ever does a cover, such as a Michael Jackson, he does it so much better, and he’s a great guy. He brings everything to the table.” The only thing they forgot to mention was Cody’s energetic, enthusiastic hip-hop lead.
• Jackson — ”This is where the chicks are.”
• Martin — ”I can dance to his music or go up front and just listen. He writes about things I understand.”
There was one young lady who joined Johnny ‘up front’ a little too close when she climbed onto the stage. Garett quickly persuaded her that the stage was already full enough.
Twice in the same week, before that, Johnny Cooper, Ben Shaw, Cody Shaw, Nick Gharbari, and Joe Cortez IV — who KHYI D.J. Brett Dillon suggested, aptly, could be called Johnny Cooper & The Revolution — drove their box-trailer-toting white van into fan-packed North Texas venues. Twice in the same week, those fans got the show they anticipated, in the unique style that Johnny Cooper fine tunes with every performance.
The Saturday before that, Johnny and the band followed Pumpjack Mary at Shooters in Gainesville. Shooter’s closed for remodeling for a short while, and now it’s back open again, in style, including its unique floor covering that greets patrons at the front door, a collection of posters from past performances, many autographed by the performers themselves.
Photographs taken at Shooter’s in Gainesville
Sunday, the Bird Dogs opened for Johnny at Love & War in Texas, another in the continual summer series, Shiner Sundays, which is also broadcast from 4-6 p.m. on KHYI as the bands perform live.
The band — let’s just go ahead and call them the Revolution for the moment — give every show 1.5 to 2 hours of high energy, style developed into one cohesive unit, and plain ol’ Texas fun. This band acts professionally without exception. They don’t drink before or during their sets, and there’s never one profane word out of their mouth. It’s serious work, steeped in passion for their profession, and fun for everyone.
Photographs taken at Love & War
Most of the songs Johnny writes, and the band arranges them collectively. Nick works on two keyboards, and has been learning the guitar as well. He stepped away from the keys at Larry Joe Taylor’s festival in April for the first time, and in these two most recent performances is already showing remarkable development. But what can you expect from someone with such talent!
Joe, on the drums, is a whole event in himself, treating the drums as a dancer would treat the dance floor. Bass-playing Cody, who is a skilled lead electric guitarist, seems to have the most fun on stage, but that may be just the outsides showing what everyone is feeling on the insides. He entertains. ‘nuf said. Ben, Cody’s dad, cranks up his guitar, meriting such superlatives as superb quality and uplifting and inspirational.
Cooper’s songwriting is maturing quickly over time, too. His youthful background — the 22-year-old has been writing, singing, songwriter, since he was 15 — doesn’t show in the lyrics. Instead, they have a maturity that can be appreciate by any age — appreciation, defiance, patriotism, emotional — which might meet the ears of his peers with quicker comprehension.
The only thing that hasn’t changed in the past couple of years is the band’s personnel. These guys, along with the logistics team of Tim Gamble and Derek Burchfield, spend hours, days, and weeks together on the road, and it seems they bond tighter with time.