Category Archives: Blog Post 4

by | March 10, 2016 · 7:00 am

Town Lake Country Series

Rockin RiverCountry music has always gone hand and hand with warmer weather and water. As summer begins, country artist begin to release new albums and singles made for the season, and things that go along with it. Songs are filled with lyrics about cold beer, the scorching summer sun, bathing suits, and great times out on the water with friends. Summer country songs are usually up beat and high-spirited, and the good ones will make you want to roll the windows down as you sing along. Around this time of year all I want to do is float the river or hop on a boat at the lake with friends and listen to country music. Fortunately enough, my hometown of Fort Worth has recognized the relationship between country music and water. They have done so by bringing a concert series called “Rockin’ the River” to town.

“Rockin’ the River” is a concert series held on the Trinity River in Fort Worth every summer from June to August. Each Thursday an up and coming Texas country artist will preform at Panther Pavilion. This is an elevated stage that sits on the riverfront, and the downtown skyline serves as a backdrop for the stage. Past performers include The Damn Quails, Cody Jinks, Brandon Rhyder, and I have even witnessed a performer do a backflip off the stage into the river.

Admission to this event is free, all you have to do is rent a tube to float in the river if you don’t bring your own. Backwoods is also there so fans can rent kayaks and paddle boards to relax in as they listen to the concert. Of course there is beer and food available for purchase when you arrive. Don’t feel like getting in the water? You can grab some lawn chairs to throw out on the lawn by the water. Lastly, the night is ended with a small firework show. It makes for a great summer evening.

The reason I bring this concert series up is because I love it so much, and have enjoyed it many summers in the past. My only question is why does Austin not hold a series similar to this one? Yes, there is Blues On The Green in Zilker Park during the summer, but that’s just not the same. Austin needs to take advantage of Town Lake. I propose a developer comes into the Zilker Park/Town Lake area and build a stage that hangs over Town Lake. Then we to could float in the lake and listen to our favorite Texas country artists here in Austin. If fans did not want to get in the water, the developer could also make a lawn area near the stage so lawn chairs could be laid out. Just as Panther Pavilion has the skyline as a backdrop, the Austin stage could use the Austin skyline as a backdrop. After all, Town Lake is located in the middle of downtown Austin.

Not only would this be good for country music fans, it would be good for the city as a whole. Local businesses could sponsor the concert series, and benefit off of it. For example, Austin Kayak could be there to rent out kayaks and offer demos. A local brewery such as 512 Brewing Company could sell beer at the event. Local food trucks could find parking on the lawn to serve hungry fans. Yeti could rent out coolers and show new products. At the end of the night you have happy country fans, and local businesses that have advertised and profited off the concert. How would y’all feel about an event similar to the one I described?

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Filed under Austin, Austin Food, Blog Post 4, Concert, Live Music, Texas

by | March 9, 2016 · 7:00 am

Summer ‘06

The summer of 2006 is when I began anticipating songs that would play on country music radio stations. It was a  time in my life when no other genre of music  influenced me as much as country. I had always been so happy listening to songs in the car and singing along. However, my passion for country music grew much stronger when I discovered Country Music Television (CMT). I spent almost everyday that summer watching music videos on CMT. They had one show in particular that I loved; they would play the top videos of the year. Over the years, a few of those videos have been carved into my memory.

“Every Time I Hear Your Name” by Keith Anderson is my favorite song of that year. Keith Anderson had a few other hits in his career like “Pickin’ Wildflowers” and “I Still Miss You” but he never became well known as a country artist.  “Every Time I Hear Your Name” was the first ballad Anderson released and it reached No. 7 in the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the accompanying video was average. Regardless, I think this music video has been stuck in my mind for all of these years simply because I loved this song. Whenever they aired it on CMT I would get really excited and sing along. Now looking back as an adult, I realize there is nothing special about the video; but it will always be my theme song for the summer of 2006.

“A Little Too Late” by Toby Keith is another music video I remember from that summer. Toby Keith is an outrageous person in general, so you can imagine the type of music video he would make for a song that’s about an ex-girlfriend.  “A Little Too Late” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. I recall memorizing the entire video because of how often they would play it on CMT. The reason this video stuck out so much is because of its intensity. Toby tries to trap his ex-girlfriend in the basement and leave her there for dead. I was never actually afraid of watching it, but the video left a negative impression on me.

“Not Ready to Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks is the last memorable music video from the summer of 2006. This song is the band’s biggest hit to date. It’s about the band’s reaction to the impending Iraq war and the controversy over a comment  by lead singer, Natalie Maines. At a concert in London, Maines stated, “…We don’t want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” This remark caused the Dixie Chick’s music to be banned from country radio and damaged their careers. Back then, I didn’t understand the controversy or what this music video is about.  However, I became  frightened when CMT would air it because of it’s dark themes. Mostly I  remember this video as the one with all of the black paint with creepy people. For an 11 year old it’s understandably an intense music video. Today the Dixie Chicks are making a comeback.  And, I can’t wait to see what they have in store!

Even though these songs seem unrelated, they have a permanent place in my memory.  It’s strange that out of all of the videos I watched, these three are the only ones that I specifically remember. I continued to watch music videos on CMT and YouTube growing up, but never as often as I did during the summer of 2006.

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Filed under Blog Post 4, Dixie Chicks, Music Videos, Toby Keith

by | March 8, 2016 · 7:00 am

Remembering Joey Feek

As many of you might know, I don’t have many personal country music experiences. Due to my lack of country music knowledge, I decided to search for a person, dead or alive, that has influenced or affected many over the course of his/her life. After doing some research, I came across a country duo called Joey+Rory and found their story not only inspiring but also a reminder that life’s short.

Aaron-and-Indy-2Joey+Rory is an American country and bluegrass duo formed in 2008 composed of Joey Martin Feek and Rory Lee Feek, who were husband and wife. Joey was the duo’s lead vocalist, while Rory sang background vocals and played the guitar. The duo placed third on CMT’s competition Can You Duet in 2008. That same year, they signed to Sugar Hill/Vanguard Records, releasing their debut album The Life of a Song. The album’s lead-off single, “Cheater, Cheater”, was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard country charts, while the album debuted at number ten on the Billboard Top Album Country Charts.

On March 4, 2016 Joey Feek passed away after losing her long battle to cervical cancer. Joey left behind her husband and two year old daughter, Indiana. Rory Feek documented their life together and later his wife’s diagnosis on his blog. In it, he writes a weekly post about their life’s experiences such as playing with their daughter and visiting friends and family.

On March 4th, Rory wrote his last blog post titled “A Dream Come True”. This particular post, along with a couple others, really highlighted the importance of treating each and everyday as a gift. In his opening sentences, Rory writes: “My wife’s greatest dream came true today.  She is in Heaven. The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry.  Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her savior.” Rory explains how glad he is because his wife’s pain is over, and that he’s going straight back home to the South.

Joey Feek had many characteristics of a Country Music singer such as being family oriented and religious. One of her famous quotes was, “We have a lot of hope up there. You draw off of that, but more than anything, you draw off of Christ.” Celebrities such as Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood, along with many others, communicated their condolences through social media. Through these reactions, I can see that Joey meant a lot more than just an artist. She always had a smile on her face, even on her deathbed.

Indys-2nd-birthday-2

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by | March 7, 2016 · 7:00 am

Grass is Much Greener is Gruene, Texas

gruene-hall-texas-lIf you do not know what Gruene Hall is, you probably didn’t grow up in Texas. So for those of you who don’t know, Gruene Hall is a historic staple of country music in Texas and is known as a small utopia full of southern vibes, southern cooking, and classic southern music. Gruene Hall is located in Gruene, Texas, a tiny town outside of New Braunfels right off of I35. Built in 1878, Gruene Hall is known for being Texas’ most famous dance hall. Today, Gruene is the center of the Texas entertainment scene, and the epitome of unspoiled country music talent. Live music performances happen every night, with artists that range from the Dixie Chicks, to Willie Nelson, to George Strait. The list is never ending, but no matter who the performer is that night, there is a universally accepted fact that the music will never dissapoint. Gruene is a staple of my childhood as this was the place that truly taught me to love country music.

My relationship with Gruene has been so strong throughout the years because the family of one of my best friend’s actually are the current owners of the entire city of Gruene and have devoted so much time and effort in creating such a magical place. Without their efforts to help conserve the historic town, I don’t think it would be as recognized as it is today. The town started out with only the dance hall, and has now evolved to be recognized as a very functional city that consists of several good restaurants, a general store, an antique shop, and of course, the signature water tower.

Gruene-Historic-District

The two main restaurants are the Gristmill and Mozie’s, which was named after my friend. The Gristmill is the more popular of the two, as it can accommodate up to a couple hundred of guests at a time, with a fun Texas-style atmosphere, staple homestyle cooking, and classic southern hospitality. Going to the Gristmill for lunch is more of a day-long activity than going to any other boring restaurant, because it is such a fun reminder of my southern roots. Whenever I have friends in from out of town, this is my go-to place for an afternoon of tourism. Even if I’m from San Antonio, I would choose to take someone to Gruene, Texas over visiting the Alamo any day.

Gruene-031-Large1The first concert I ever saw at Gruene Hall was the Dixie Chicks when I was about eight years old. I went with my family early and of course ate at the Gristmill, then took a classic tourist picture in front of the water tower, and then headed down the cobble stone path to Gruene Hall. The night was magical. The atmosphere of the dancehall is so full of life that it encourages even the old people to have a great time and dance all night. Because of the set up of the Hall, the audience is more encouraged to dance rather than to line up in rows to hear the performer. Unfortunately I wasn’t much of a dancer, so I chose my spot right in front of the stage and stared directly up at my idols for three hours straight. I am reminded of this night every time I return to Gruene, because the city and the Hall have been left untouched and innocent, and that is why it is so special.

12597-20130304_GrueneHall_131-608956ccAt Gruene Hall, it’s not only about who the performer is that night, it’s the traditional country atmosphere and pure Texas experience that the place has to offer. When people want to stereotype Texas and say that we ride our horses to school, I laugh because that would probably actually happen in Gruene. It’s all part of the experience, and if you haven’t visited the town yet, it should be the absolute next adventure you take.

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Filed under Blog Post 4, Texas

by | February 26, 2016 · 7:00 am

Country May be Coming Back After All

chrisChris Stapleton is new but old and he’s the real deal. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1978 making him 38 years old. He moved to Nashville in 2001 to begin his music career but settled as merely a songwriter for 15 whole years. That’s a lot of time to put in to make hundreds of songs that ultimately became someone else’s. Six of those songs became number ones including, “Never wanted Nothing More,” by Kenny Chesney, “Love’s Gonna Make it Alright,” by George Strait, and “Come Back Song,” by Darius Rucker. The problem is, everyone knows these songs but there’s not a chance anyone knows Chris Stapleton wrote them. It’s about time he gets a little credit around here. He finally got behind the mic in 2015 and started making a bigger name for himself. His debut album, Traveler, did really well and won this small town country and bluegrass artist tons of awards. It reached number one on the Billboard 200. He also won awards for Best Male Vocalist, New Artist of the Year, and Album of the Year.

The best thing about Chris Stapleton is that he is a new artist but he has an older more authentic style of music than everything else on the radio right now. He’s not in it for the fame he just loves playing good music. Nashville Scene Magazine said, “While critics agree that Stapleton’s literally overnight success is changing the trajectory of modern country music, ushering in a new era of commercially viable substance, success isn’t changing the man himself.” He seems just like a really talented normal guy who happens to be climbing up the fame ladder. Knowing that he is a humble guy makes me appreciate him and his music that much more. You get the sense that his music is organic, true to who he is, and just a form of self-expression. He clearly loves what he does and that kind of passion goes a long way. The humble artist told Nashville Scene magazine, “I think it would be radical to have this little, tiny stage that only fits the band(…)The audience can get as close to you as they want to get, on the floor, and not a lot of bells and whistles, and [we] just walk out there and play music. I think that would be a radical thing to do in an arena-type setting. I think if I went and saw that, it would blow my mind.” He wants to bring back the good ole country we once had and move past the modern day poppy crud. I’m all for Chris and I think he has the potential to really impact the world of country music. Keep doin your thing Chris Stapleton, we’re really picking up what your putting down.

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