Here's the Skinny

San Antonio, home of The Alamo, the Spurs, and 210 Kapone's! During the day there are plenty of sights to see and things to do in the Alamo City. Visit the historic Alamo, enjoy the Riverwalk, or go to the San Antonio Zoo. But what about at night? Here is an awesome place, pretty much in the heart of Downtown - 210 Kapone's (http://210kapones.com/).

Although 210 Kapone's bills itself as a social club with freestyle, EDM, and dance music, you can't forget about the live music portion. The warehouse style building sports a pretty nice deck out front and a cavernous room that fits with most of your live music thrills. I did get an unofficial tour and was told that a second side is coming. That will be the primary spot for live music and the current portion in use is going to remain the lounge/club side.

As you walk in, the main bar is immediately in front of you on the left wall. There is plenty of seating scattered in the back area where you enter, with another small bar to the right of the entrance. On both the left and right side of the venue appear to be some comfortable seating areas which look like VIP sections. Right in the middle is a medium sized, wooden dance floor complete with a railing all the way around. As you stand in the doorway surveying, the stage is all the way against the far wall, opposite the entrance.

Making the show tonight were 3 bands. One local, a touring opener, and the main performance.

To Every Enemy (https://www.facebook.com/toeveryenemy) was the local. I personally hate it when the opener(s) get reduced sound or power. FUCK IT! Let them have the full sound like the headliner. If they are gonna blow them away, let it happen. NOW UNFORTUNATELY, this did not happen tonight and their are very few touring bands today that could have topped the headliners performance this evening anyway.

To Every Enemy had some serious sound issues when they hit the stage. The lead guitar had no sound at all. What the audience heard before the issues got fixed was full vocals and some bass. The drums we were hearing were strictly from the kit, not the sound system. But handling it like professionals, the band continued to play, pushing through, and finally getting the issues fixed. The performance was in front of a home town crowd, and To Every Enemy provided solid energy to keep the crowd from lynching somebody due to the issues. The lead singers voice was a perfect blend of singing and gutturals and once the set kicked in, the mosh pit started and the crowd was forgiving. The salvaged performance ended up being solid and crowd pleasing. That is what you do at a live show, play for the crowd!

The Family Ruins (https://www.facebook.com/TheFamilyRuin) was the touring opener. I missed the first portion of their set as I was doing an interview in the back of the venue. What I can tell you is HOLY SHIT! The sound was crazy powerful and that is a statement from sitting BEHIND the stage. The Family Ruins sound was so intense, we had to move the interview to the empty, under construction side, of the venue (the unofficial tour).















When I did step out to enjoy the last 20 minutes of The Family Ruins set I saw a crowd going nuts. It was just as intense to watch the crowd moshing and jumping in rhythm with the music as it was to hear it. The band had that rumbling electronic bass line running through their music that just seemed to wind every one up. When it was over and they stepped off stage, it couldn't have been any better of a warm up for what was about to drop.

Mushroomhead (http://www.mushroomhead.com/main/).

I said it online as I live tweeted and posted about the show. It was a visual and visceral performance. From their sound, to the lighting, lyrical content, the theatrics, this was an 'OH MY GOD!' performance. Mushroomhead has been doing their thing for 20+ years and it shows in every bit of their live performance. The stage set up was thrilling. With the neon, electric colors under the black light and some 3D glasses on, it was a performance I have never experienced before.

Even though there were so many people on stage, everyone had there spot and their moment. Just like any other great stage production you would go see, all of the characters new the marks and hit them like an arrow. And not just the visual presentation, but the sonic assault was clean and thrilling. NEVER, EVER a dull moment on the stage. Hell, even in between songs there were little things happening and sounds happening as part of the performance.

Even though a mosh pit erupted to some extent, this was a crowd that was completely mesmerized by the performance. I can't call Mushroomhead underground, nor can I explain their lack of mainstream success, but I don't give a shit. Mushroomhead has tapped into the visceral section of our psyche, and extracted the formula that keeps the going for 20 years solid, there is no stopping point or end in sight!

If you are reading this, all hope is not lost for you. The current Mushroomhead tour has ended. But I was lucky enough to sit with one of the founding members, Skinny, and get the short future of the band. Once the interview is done being edited I will drop it hear () and on Soundcloud. You can also find my interview with J Mann on Soundcloud as well.

What I got from Skinny, beside some cool ass conversation, is that Mushroomheads touring looks like it will continue in the late spring. The band is also working to solidify some summer fun as well. Don't be stupid, drive the hour and a half, or two, to check out Mushroomhead. It is unquestionably something your brain and ears will enjoy and thank you for.

Laters

New beginnings

First blog post for Live Music in Texas. New year. New venue.

Down by New Braunfels, Texas stands the oldest, continually operating, and most storied dance hall in Texas, Gruene Hall (http://gruenehall.com/). Located in Gruene (pronounced green), the dance hall fits in perfectly with the tiny little community that serves as a lovely day trip from just about anywhere in the central Texas area. In the same lot as The Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar, Gruene Hall is a must stop destination for music, dancing, and just plain old fun.

The dance hall itself remains primarily the same as it was over 100 years ago in design. A big rectangle building with a tin roof. A bar in front, the stage in the back, seating, and plenty of dance floor. There is live music almost every night of the week. So if you happen to be in the central Texas area for any reason, check out what's happening on their website, and make the trip. From early in the day shopping, to enjoying food, wine, beer, and finally ending with a spectacular night setting foot in history. Add Gruene, Texas and the Gruene Hall as a MUST DO on your bucket list in Texas.

This particular, very cold and very wet night (dubbed BLIZZARD 2015 - ha!) was a special 3 hr set by Texas guitar legend and local music hero, Van Wilks (http://www.vanwilks.com/)!

Van is currently touring the world (that place outside of Texas) in support of his new, upcoming CD (currently yet untitled). I happily made the 45+ minute drive down from Austin, with my dad to take in the "VanWilks Experience".

Van is both a performer as a guitarist and as a singer. His voice is smooth and surprising when you hear him. But not so surprising as it is a perfect blend with his Texas Blues/Rock guitar work. This evening ranged from cover songs you would swear were his, to the originals that were even better. I took the time to look around the room and was thrilled. To see a veteran of the Austin AND Texas music scene, with decades of collateral under his belt, have such a diverse crowd in the Gruene Hall, was beautiful.

The country boys with their cowboy hats, the pretty ladies in their long skirts, the gentleman smiling and drinking beer. Old and young, the house was full! As Van rolled on with the music throughout the evening, there was dancing to some of the covers in the front of the house.

Van Wilks' brilliant work on the guitar is just that, brilliant work ON the guitar. Not just picking, but using 10 fingers, bending it, stroking it, hitting it, all the while coaxing out of all of his guitars and his music. Van's music had the power to have the back of the house on its feet and dancing EVERY single time the tempo picked up.

To this crowd on this cold and wet evening, Van Wilks wove 3 hours of our time into a tapestry of amazing sound and fun. The music was just right for that old dance hall. I will tell you this...here is another wonderful night those four walls will never forget and all who attended.

Stay tuned for more info from Van Wilks about his upcoming album on his website or at Live Music in Austin.



Laters