Archive 2013
Dance Halls: Two-stepping across Texas 12/30/2013
Stephen Dean is not really sure how many dance halls there are in Texas. He has only been to 800 so far.
Children of stars; shadows of parents 12/23/2013
In the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to visit with two artists who were the children of much more acclaimed artists–superstars, in fact.
Collectible Quotables 12/18/2013
I collect quotes.
Sanders Family Moments 12/11/2013
Theater directors like to say that a musical is a series of special moments strung together with interesting transitions. Such “moments” are what Elizabeth Hodges, Musical Director of Sanders Family Christmas, is focused on creating.
Playing to a Full House 12/4/2013
"Finish your book yet?"
Georgette Jones 11/27/2013
Being the offspring of two country music icons can be a “bittersweet” affair, according to Georgette Jones.
Little Free Library 11/20/2013
Here’s a new Full House contest: Who will set up Fredericksburg’s very first Little Free Library?
Practice makes Perfect? 11/13/2013
“How long does it take someone to learn drumming well enough to play with a local swing band?”
On the Importance of Being Audience 11/6/2013
While performing with a group recently, I snuck a glance between movements at the few, but appreciative, listeners. It got me thinking about the importance of being an audience.
The Good and The Bad and Toto 10/30/2013
You’re not in Texas anymore. At least you won’t be when you go to the second original production by students at Living Well College.
Advice Column 10/23/2013
"Never get a used cat."
Rockbox Theater: Outside the box 10/16/2013
I just wanted to know whether I can still get a warm chocolate chip cookie at intermission.
Daydream to live stream 10/9/2013
When JD Rose was a kid, he used to sit in his bedroom and pretend he was a radio disc jockey. Now he is webcasting Texas music to the world. Oh... and he’s still doing it from his bedroom.
My Unstarted Novel 10/2/2013
If I ever wrote a novel, it would probably start in a small bar in a small town.
Stephanie Urbina Jones: On her way 9/25/2013
In all the interviews I’ve done, I’ve never had someone tell me they were on their way to a recording session with Augie Meyers. But Stephanie Urbina Jones is always on her way somewhere to do something interesting.
Random Thoughts 9/18/2013
Comedians never laugh.
Bad Songs 9/11/2013
Some of the songs I’ve tried to write were so bad even I couldn’t finish them. Let alone play them in public.
Akkordeon Klub 9/4/2013
I first picked up the accordion thinking it would be an easy way to play piano at jam sessions without having to plug anything in. I quickly put it down.
4 Proches: All for one 8/28/2013
The 4 Proches are Beecher, 20; Ezra, 17; Liza, 14; and Asa, 10. They are the home-schooled children of Janet and Tom Proche.
One big bag of wool 8/21/2013
When you are standing along the Fair Parade route this Friday morning and see a 500-square-foot burlap bag floating down Main Street, don’t panic. It’s a 4-H project.
Light Crust Doughboys Rise Again 8/14/2013
The Light Crust Doughboys are on the air!
The world first heard that introduction more than 80 years ago. I first heard it in the 1980s, under the tent where the Light Crust Doughboys were playing at the Texas State Arts & Crafts Fair.
Characters: Gregg Cheser 8/7/2013
Last Friday I was thinking about Gregg Cheser. It’s OK if you don’t know him. Because you know someone like Gregg Cheser.
Schuetzenfest: Bigger than Christmas 7/31/2013
So the Pastor was doing a sermon on the life of Jesus, and he asked what was the biggest festival of year. One youngster raised his hand, and said, “The Schuetzenfest.”
Tim Wilborn: Phantom of the Altar 7/24/2013
I call Tim Wilborn the Phantom of the Altar.
Crystal Peak 7/17/2013
Why aren’t these guys famous?
Bikinis is back 7/10/2013
Yes, the titillating tale of a tiny Texas town that stirred up national attention last summer is taking another twist.
Will the real Larry Gatlin please sit down? 7/3/2013
When promoter Gene Wolf asked if I wanted to interview Larry Gatlin before his upcoming Hill Country show, I said yes. I had a question I’d been waiting 30 years to ask him.
Oklahoma!? 6/26/2013
I am uncomfortable when asked to write columns about bands. Or clubs. Or events. Or community theater productions.
Bureaucrats vs Entrepreneurs 6/19/2013
Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
Classical Revolution 6/12/2013
All we wanted was to play classical music in a bar. We didn’t know we were part of a revolution.
Dance 6/5/2013
Everyone should dance.
The Road Less and Less Traveled 5/29/2013
Who would turn down a 5-day trip to Hawaii, all expenses paid?
That would be me.
Runs With Goats 5/22/2013
I am... the “great” Phildini.
Going Haywire 5/15/2013
Haywire puts the “blue” in bluegrass.
BS Blues 5/8/2013
What do the blues mean to you?
The Why of a Winery 5/1/2013
“You start a winery because you want a tax write-off; you want your kids to have good wine; and you want your grandkids to have money.”
The Rules 4/22/2013
What if all the rules of life were written down for you?
Pop goes the culture 4/17/2013
I wouldn’t recognize Kim Kardashian if she sat next to me at Craigs’ Charlie’s Grill & Golf and ordered a chili cheeseburger.
Hal 'n' Him 4/10/2013
One of the joys of writing this column is meeting and profiling talented musicians at all stages of their careers.
One of the challenges of writing this column is that I usually only get to write about them once.
Undercover Tourist 4/3/2013
Every so often I play “What would I do if this were my first visit to Fredericksburg?”
Hats Off 3/27/2013
When did men stop wearing hats?
Guy, the Magic Guy 3/20/2013
You know what’s wrong with the world? Not enough magicians.
Punched! 3/13/2013
When I was asked to write an entertainment column, I never expected it would get me punched in the mouth.
Camerata: Romance & Renaissance 3/6/2013
Camerata Musica Limburg is coming from Limburg, Germany, and they are not here yet. So I decided we would learn about them together.
The Show Goes On (Forum) 2/27/2013
A funny thing happened on the way to A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. A Protean twisted his ankle.
Dance Magnificat! 2/20/2013
When I first watched Kelsey Thompson perform, she was a “dancing napkin” in the Fredericksburg Theater Company production of Beauty and the Beast. Even in the role of table linens she stood out on the stage.
Pulling Harp Strings 2/13/2013
It was a good thing Emily Jumes’ parents didn’t get better seats at a Fort Worth concert 14 years ago, or Emily might be playing tympani rather than harp.
Wine & Song 2/6/2013
Even if you don’t know Shiraz from Chardonnay, you’ll find a visit to Pedernales Cellars Winery a delightful way to spend the day.
Mystery of the Gold 1/30/2013
Here’s a mystery: Why didn’t anyone tell me about Gold Bond Medicated Powder?
On The Road 1/23/2013
Life on the road as a musician. Ah. The travel, the sights. The fame, the fun. It’s all a myth.
Fasching: The German Mardi Gras 1/16/2013
When I first heard of an event called Fasching Fredericksburg, I had to look up the word “Fasching.” Turns out it means “pre-Lenten festivities celebrated in grand style in German-speaking countries.” Translation: German Mardi Gras.
Cam King: Pickles & Jams 1/9/2013
Cam King packs a mean jar of pickles.
Women on Wheels 1/2/2013
“Why are you so fascinated with this roller derby?”
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