From his opening song, “Carolina In The Pines” until his encore song after “Wildfire” and a standing ovation, Michael Martin Murphey had the Hank’s Texas Grill audience spellbound. Hank’s, which usually has a rambunctious, rowdy redneck crowd there for the great bands it brings in, settled quickly into a respectful, reckneck listening room the instant Michael set his cowboy boots on the stage.
Murphey played a solo set, acoustic, mostly on his guitar and switching off to banjo for a few of the tunes. He talked between songs, explaining his background and growth in music through the original Texas Music Scene, dubbed Progressive Country or Redneck Rock in the 1970s. He explained his love of the Lone Star State, having been born and reared in Plano, but why he now lives in New Mexico. He explained the background to many of his songs, such as the history behind “Geronimo’s Cadillac;” the early childhood connections with blues legends Mance Lipscomb and Lightning Hopkins; the youth of the cowboys in his songs, like “Little Joe The Wranagler;” and the family values learned from his grandparents and incorporated nito such songs as “What’s Forever For?”
He stopped and talked to a 5-year-old girl, the only dancer on the floor. He stopped and asked the bar for a Guinness Stout, his beer of choice being, he said, Irish himself, noticeable by his blond hair and blue eyes. He stopped just to reflect for a few seconds, but none of those stops interfered with the momentum. The almost-2-hour show ended, leaving the audience with the feeling they had been given maximum value for their time spent.
It was a trip through Texas music, including his John Lomax song which, he said, is also Texas music, and those he called music of the juke joints.
The little dancer had brought her own guitar with her, and after waiting her turn in line to talk with Michael, she got his signature on it, grinning all the while they talked after the show.
Hank’s Texas Grill is on the southeast corner of U.S. 75 and White street in McKinney. There’s an open mic on Wednesdays, and bands Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.