Texas Day 4

Thanks to uh... somebody (sorry, it's been so long I forgot who), for the idea for the Mark Chesnutt cover.

YouTube Gems: Drew Kennedy

Here's Drew Kennedy's sparkly new video for "Room 27" from An Audio Guide to Cross Country Travel.

Little Known Facts III

Country singer Levester Sampsteen chose his stage name by dropping some monikers into a hat and pulling one out. Oddly, he'd forgotten to place any first names in the hat, so since he "drew" Kennedy, he went with that name. The rest is country music history.

When Carrie Underwood told Kellie Pickler she was a Vegan, Kellie remarked that she thought Carrie was from Oklahoma.

Leeann Rimes, after recalling the clientele of her hometown Pearl Walmart, has steadfastly refused shipments of any of her new albums to that store.

Martina McBride only drinks on days she receives royalty checks for "Independence Day." And Christmas. And days with "s" or "a" in them.

Topps Trading Cards put out a set of country star trading cards in the 90's that was a simple head shot of 25 popular singers. They had to use a wide angle lens for Wynonna's.

BomShel is a combination the two singers' names - Shelly and Bomeshia.

Miranda Lambert has never actually shot and killed a man, but then, her aim isn't all that good.

The members of LoCash Cowboys used to earn their keep as dance instructors.

Def Leppard, in anticipation of recording a country album later this year, has placed a want ad in several industry periodicals seeking "token fiddle player."

In his twenties, John Rich once valiantly rescued a cooler of Pabst that had tragically washed down into a culvert.

Drew Kennedy Says People are Idiots For Not Getting the Josh Grider Trio

Drew Kennedy Says People are Idiots For Not Getting the Josh Grider Trio

(co-signed by Matt Skinner)
Subtitle: Trailer Gherms at "Pickin' in the Pasture"

Saturday night I lived the life of a rockstar blogger. Hung out with some of my favorite singers. Took pictures from right beside the stage as they performed. Bought Drew Kennedy a Flying Dog. Tried one of Austin Collins' hand rolled cigs (tobacco!). Ate fine barbecue after standing in line chatting with Josh Grider and bassist Chris Grady. Sipped cold ones long into the breezy southern night.

A picturesque lakeside pavilion was the setting for "Pickin' in the Pasture," an annual event held in rural Madison County, Mississippi. It was a family event with probably a couple hundred folks in attendance, enjoying pulled pork with all the fixings and fellowship with friends. Kids played, dogs roamed and beer poured (politely).

Any other get-together of this sort across the south would feature whatever C-list mainstream country singer the host family had ties to. There'd be piped in radio country over the speakers, before and after the concert. Somebody would probably be funneling Miller Light in the parking lot. Drool would pour from the corners of attendees mouths.

Nah, not here. This was some throwback bizarro world with good taste.

There was a pre-supper feature of the host family's kids/grandkids playing fiddle with mandolin accompaniment (well I might add) then singing a pretty rendition of "Angel Band." It was an unexpected and sweet way to start the night. If I didn't have the photographic evidence, I might not believe it actually happened. What was this, 1953?

As this was finishing up, I finally met Dean Drew Kennedy in person for the first time. Nice guy. He said that he, Austin Collins and Matt Skinner were going on first and that we'd hang out afterwards.

Next was prayer and line-up for some delectable barbecue prepared by Fireman John's competition cooking team. Mmmm. Spoke to Josh

Grider and his bassist, Chris Grady, while waiting in line. Nice guys. My first impression of all the singers this night was "damn they're tall." I don't think one of them is a hair under 6'2".

The trio Drew mentioned earlier took the stage first. They traded off songs like Drew's "Rolling Around in the Bed," Matt Skinner's "If I Were a Painting" and Austin's "Conventional Lust" and his kickass cover of Whiskeytown's "16 Days," helping out with guitar parts and harmonies on one another's songs. I wasn't familiar with Matt Skinner's work before the event, but his songs easily held their own, and his guitar playing shined. It was a revelation, to be honest. I've rarely heard

anybody shred on an acoustic, but Matt did. I made sure to pick up one of his CD's after the show - an EP from his band with Dub Miller called Eleven Bones. It rocks, by the way.

I'll preface this next rant/review by saying I think all the guys I just mentioned should be much more well-known than they are. Matt's guitar playing and grit should have him being the toast of dancehalls across Texas and the southwest and aiming for national recognition. Drew's unique, soulful voice ought to have college girls swooning and critics acclaiming his original sound across the nation (his songwriting should land him some Nashville cuts as well). Austin's darker, more rocking alt-country sound has him well on his way, but the fact that his current output is better than anything Ryan Adams or Jay Farrar has put out in years should have him showing up on a broader radar.

All that said, the biggest surprise of the night was the Josh Grider Trio. I've got Josh's Sweet Road to Ride and Million Miles to Go albums and I've enjoyed them a lot, but whoa... to say they sound better live than on record is like saying the Titanic (never mind its final port of call) was more impressive in person than on design schematics. Why isn't the Josh Grider Trio huge??

Instrumentally, they were tight as my granddad's wallet (by that I mean working well together - not overly rehearsed sounding) and their harmonies were otherworldly. The songs are as catchy as anything coming out of Nashville (but twice as smart) or Texas (but with less Texas references). Josh, friendly, humble and down to earth in person, is a magnetic frontman on stage. Throw in a little Jason Eady, a little Dave Matthews, a little Roger Miller, a little Merle and some of that indescribable "it" factor and you've got Josh Grider.

If he comes off a touch flat in the studio, he's as animated and fiery as you could possibly hope for when the bright lights are on. Maybe that's one of the issues that's held them back so far. The production of his albums (the two I've heard) is not bad by any means, but maybe a little sterile. A bit more of an "off the cuff" raw feel could possibly benefit future cuts. I'm no production expert (hell, I'm not even a novice) by any means, so take that with a grain of salt.

Drew Kennedy says people are idiots (for not getting JG3) and Matt Skinner's got his back on that. So, is the JG3's writing too smart for wide commercial appeal? Possibly, but i don't see where that's a huge issue when the songs are this lively and enthralling, whether you're listening intently or using them as background music. You can think or you can shut off your brain, JG3's good for either.
(Seriously, I think they're accessible enough that they could sell out ...a la Pat Green fairly easily, but I hope they never do)

A lot of their songs are danceable too. No offense to my buds in the opening trio, but it was mostly dogs on the dance floor before Josh and his brethren took the stage, but songs like "Crazy Like You" and "Sometimes" had the couples and kids out in force.

It's not for lack of trying that they haven't hit it big. Each of the other performers mentioned what hard workers the JG3 are.

Maybe it's lack of promotion. I know for most up and coming bands, touring IS their promotion. There's no ad budget, no viral campaign, no fan club. It's just them and their instruments, their songs and a dream. To that end, the Josh Grider Trio did a helluva good job promoting themselves Saturday night. They could have mailed it in for a crowd of less than 300, but they played like they were in front of 5,000. Thanks guys.

They left the stage to as much applause as you can squeeze out of a small crowd. The music didn't end there by any stretch of the imagination.

After the bulk of the audience had headed home, a core group of friends and family (and one blogger) moved to the front and the guys once again took up their guitars and drums. They performed deep, deep, deeeeeeep into the night (I left at 3:15 and Matt & Josh were still going!), tossing off covers ("Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)," Son Volt's "Windfall," a host of Roger Miller songs, Waylon's "Wurlitzer Prize" and others) and a few of their originals (Drew finally got around to playing my fave, "Cincinnati") and lots of jokes and tomfoolery. Josh's drummer, Jeff Botter, was the class clown of the evening, sipping bourbon, making up songs on the fly and dancing with audience members.

All had a grand time. I left with a few new memories and a few new friends. And a lot more questions about why America can have steak for supper at the same price, but would prefer a Whopper.

I hope you'll take the time to check out all of these guys (links above), because, to the man, they're all truly talented and truly good folks who love what they do.

If all musicians and songwriters cared even half as much, there'd be no need for Farce the Music. Thankfully, but unfortunately for all our ears, that's not the case.

*Thanks to A.M. for some of the photographs!

Drew Kennedy live and in-person

Here's my very first YouTube video filmed by me. I saw (and met!) Drew Kennedy, Austin Collins, Matt Skinner and the Josh Grider Trio last night and took this early in the evening. The quality's not great, but not bad at all for a basic digital camera. I hope to have a write-up about the show and some thoughts that came out of it soon, but for now here's Drew Kennedy with "Amarillo Highway."

Drew Kennedy: The Farce the Music Interview

This Thursday, March 11th, Drew Kennedy will be releasing his new live album Alone, But Not Lonely. The digital release will be FREE on his website! You can also purchase a signed, individually numbered physical copy with hand-printed artwork here. I've heard the album and it's fantastic and I think you'll concur.

In anticipation of the release of the album, and Drew's 30th birthday, we sat down for an intimate, well-researched interview with the man, the myth, the music-maker.

Drew Kennedy: The Farce the Music Interview

FTM: Alright Dean, so you were born in New Braunfels in the big state of Texas. Tell me about your upbringing there.

Dean: Actually, I grew up in Pennsylvania, and went to college in Virginia, which is where I started playing music... so New Braunfels didn't play a very large role during my formative years. And it's Drew, not Dean.

FTM: Oh, so that explains your love of the Eagles baseball team. Well, how does one become interested in country music being from such a liberal yankee-fied bastion of south-hate?

Drew: Carpetbagging, really. I mean, it's a time honored tradition where I come from. You grow up, start to develop a plan that will allow you to take advantage of the south as quickly as possible, move there, and then it's go time.

FTM: So what led you to renounce the land from whence you came and move to the land of milk and honey?

Drew: Carpetbagging, really. I mean, it's a time honored tradition where I come from. You grow up, start to develop a plan that will allow you to take advantage of the south and it's vast supply of dairy and bee-related products as quickly as possible, move there, and then it's go time.

FTM: Do you have a cleft palate?

Drew: Oh, yes. I love bass lines, but I like hot lead guitar licks, too.... so I'd say I have a palate for both the bass and treble clefts.

FTM: Well you know... you just, uh. It just sounds like you kinda sing through your nose. Don't hit me.

Drew: No, no, it's ok. You're spot on. I have a pretty decent sized proboscis... and like my momma told me when I was little, if you got it, flaunt it. I'd like to think of it as both my calling card (stylistically, of course, as it pertains to my vocals) as well as the source for all of my cultural scentsability. BOOM. Thank you, thank you.

FTM: Ah, yeah, it's your vocal style. Style he says. Well, do you like parfaits?

Drew: Did you just say par-fits? Do you mean parfaits?

FTM: Who doesn't like parfaits, right? I loved that scene in Shrek. Layers, ha ha.

Drew: (silence)

FTM: Soo, you're just hitting the big 3-0, huh? Those little blue pill adds starting to make more sense now, hotshot? Just kidding, but seriously, since a benchmark birthday is a time to take stock of things, do you have any regrets?

Drew: Well, I'd say skipping law school in favor of the life of a penniless, nomadic, socially outcast musician would count as one of my regrets, but other than that, no. And maybe this interview.... yeah, definitely this interview.

FTM: Touché, no... I mean, touchy. Next question. Besides Gary LeVox, who are your main influences?

Drew: Gary The Voice is definitely my main influence. I mean, it's so, like, providential and stuff, that he would be born with a name like LeVox, and be able to sing like that. Gary for sure, and I'd say Kristofferson. I may not be able to write like him, but at least I can sing a little better.... it's always better to be better than at least one person at something.

FTM: So you're a family man. Do you do poopy diapers? I mean, not personally, uh, do you change 'em?

Drew: My family consists of my wife, our three dogs, and a cat. They're all free range defecators. Outside, of course. Except for the cat... my wife is far better at diapering the cat than I am.

FTM: Cliche question of the day: How do you balance a busy touring schedule with family time?

Drew: Flowers. I used to write songs for my wife, but she's hip to the fact that it doesn't cost me anything other than time to write her a song... and she'd rather I do the dishes with that time... so yeah, flowers.

FTM: Right. Drew, you're a part of the Texas music scene. What the hell is a man fan and do you have them?

Drew: Calling me a part of the Texas music scene is like saying that guns kill people. I think we all know by now that the guy in Happy Gillmore kills people-- his shirt said so-- not guns. I live here, I tour here, but I don't have any desire to do what a lot of these guys down here are doing. That being said, 2 of my 3 fans are male, so yeah, I guess I do have men fans.

FTM: Your music is pretty literate for Texas music. Three syllable words and only the rare rhyme with "beer." It's apparent you're a reader... and you almost went into the legal profession. How 'bout that John Grisham?

Drew: Who told you about that? Look, the beef between John and I was settled quietly. In a courtroom. With lawyers. I heard he's writing a new novel about it, which will inevitably result in us tangling it up again... and then the lawyers will pop up... again... which will remind me that I should have gone to Law School. Again.

FTM: Sooooo, your new project is a live album entitled Alone, But Not Lonely and it features just you and your guitar and a handsomely paid audience. Tell us about this record.

Drew: Applause is more expensive than you'd think. Next time, I'm just going to get everyone drunk. It'll be cheaper in the long run. It's just me, and some songs, and some of the stories behind some of the songs. It's pretty heady stuff. By heady, I'm referring to that "sing through your nose" crack you made earlier.

FTM: In "We've All Got Our Marks to Make," you sing a whole lot of words about stuff. What mark do you hope to leave before you take a dirt nap?

Drew: Pretend answer: I'd like to blacken your eye. Real answer: I know I'm not the most talented vocalist out there-- that used to really bug me-- but I'm ok with it now. This is what I've been given, and I'll make the best I can with it. When it's all said and done, I'd just like to be remembered as a good writer, and have my songs still be viable and ring true in 20, 40, 100 years. Without meaning and depth, music is just something that sounds like the soundtrack to an elevator ride. There are apparently a lot of people who think we should all be living our lives in an elevator. I'm not one of them, and I hope that matters some day.

FTM: I was happy to hear you explain some of the songs on this album. I really have a difficult time with the three syllable words and songs that aren't about beer or how country someone is. Do you think Avatar got screwed at the Oscars?

Drew: I'm sure when it gets remade in 15 years or so, it'll maybe win. I liked it more the first time, without all of that technology, when it was called "The Last Of The Mohicans."

FTM: Can I get a what what?

Drew: (silence)

FTM: Okay, one last question before I let you get back to watching What Not To Wear. Are there any bits of gossip you'd like to lay out there on the table before Rita Ballou dishes on you?

Drew: Not really. Who would have thought that the chick that Guy Clark wrote about would get so ornery in her 60's, though, right? She's / He's / It's created quite a fuss down here-- which I think is pretty funny in and of itself. Oh, and this thing about me having a tattoo of Kelly Kapowski kissing Zack Morris at The Max on my foot is complete hogwash, for the record. That's Josh Grider. It's on his left foot. He'll pretend he won't know what you're talking about if you ask him... but he also never wears sandals in public for a reason. People are always getting us confused.

FTM: Thanks for your time, Dean. Good luck with the album, the touring and that pesky rash you mentioned off the record.