Here's some current and upcoming
stuff!
***...may the world be neither
cursing nor forgiving...***
A
few weeks ago, a friend of mine, Mr. David Lightbourne, died. He lived
in Laramie, WY and was one of the founders of the "Upland Breakdown."
This is an event which, since the year 2000, has taken place usually
the last weekend of August in the tiny town of Centennial, WY. For those
unfamiliar, here are a few words from the pen of Joe Carducci:
"Musician,
critic, polymath, holy smoker David Lightbourne passed in his sleep
early last Friday (April 30). He wrote important pieces for The New
Vulgate (Elvis' first concert up north 1957; the birth of the rock press
at Little Sandy Review 1960), and he was a friend of mine since 1977.
The boomer bohemia had become mass culture, and as the punk underground
recharged itself I saw in Dave some kind of eternal bohemia that pre-dated
the Summer of Love, the British Invasion, and Elvis, and would outlast
them. I didn't follow everywhere David went but he shaped a lot of my
approach thereafter. He and we are lucky he lived to age 67."
I
met Lightbourne in Chicago in 1996. If anyone knew about the country
blues and the true origins of rock & roll, it was this guy. If you
asked him about any of these legendary musicians, three hours later
you would have learned far more than you could ever have imagined about
not only the artist in question, but about a number of people, places
and events with whom they were connected. He had a mind bogglingly deep
store of historical data and anecdotes, and a just as deep warehouse
of songs and tunes. It's knowledgeable folks like this that make me
bristle when some young, hip twit learns a few "traditional"
tunes and suddenly thinks he or she is immersed in authenticity. Nope,
it takes a helluva lot more than surface level discovery to know what
the hell you're doing. That, politely, is all I'll say.
Lightbourne
won't be talked about in either today's mainstream or "alternative"
press. If you're interested in finding out on your own, visit The
New Vulgate and look up issue #46. I dare ya!
Also,
this year may be the last Breakdown and I hope I can be there for it.
The jury's currently out on my summer tour plans.
And
I still have my own pages anchored in the myspace harbor.
My
Personal Page: www.myspace.com/spotthespot
(note:
just for people i actually know. think i won't remember you? send a
note, eh...)
My
Music Page: www.myspace.com/spotthespotmusic
And,
of course, the Spot/Albert page: www.myspace.com/spotalbert
"If
you don't know where you're going,
you'll probably end up somewhere else."
— Yogi Berra
Here's
the latest!
Nothing
currently scheduled other than a few private events which I ain't gonna
list here. Possibility of another swing thru some western areas but
nothing definite or worth reporting at this time.
Stay tuned.....
For
late-breaking changes on the schedule visit:
www.myspace.com/spotthespotmusic
and
recently...
April
24— Chateau Aux Arc • Altus, AR
An almost rained out Spot/Albert show at a winery's
"Bloom 'N Blues Fest." OK, so we faked being a blues band.
April
22— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
A solo show opening for Ralph White.
March
14— B.D. Riley's Pub • Austin, TX
What they call "St. Practice Day." Get
it?
Another
westward trek:
2/23—
Spirit Room • Jerome, AZ
2/25— Double Down Saloon • Las Vegas, NV
2/26— Pike Restaurant • Long Beach, CA
2/27— Redwood Bar & Grill • Los Angeles, CA
2/28— Liquid Kitty • Los Angeles, CA
3/2— Radio Room • San Diego, CA
Janurary
21— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
Damn! This was the show where everything went
wrong and one guitar broke in mid-performance. Mama said there'd be
days like this.
Solo
tour out to the west coast:
12/2—
KXLU "Livation" • Los Angeles, CA
12/3— Harold's • San Pedro, CA
12/4— Pike Restaurant • Long Beach, CA
12/5—
Echo Curio • Los Angeles, CA
12/6— Liquid Kitty • West L.A., CA
12/9— The Hemlock • San Francisco, CA
12/11— "Stray Pop" KXLU-FM • Los Angeles, CA
12/13— Suzy's • Hermosa Beach, CA
12/16— Red Room at the Grill • Tucson, AZ
12/17— Railroad Blues • Alpine, TX
12/21— Moose Lodge • Austin, TX
November
28— Flipnotics • Austin, TX
A solo show where I didn't get a chance to play
one of my favorite Sonny Sharrock tunes. Boo!
November
23— Moose Lodge • Austin, TX
A solo show where I finally got a chance to play
one of my favorite Sonny Sharrock tunes. Yay!
October
17— One World Music Jam • Houston, TX
A percussion-focused event put on by radio station
KPFT, this was a Spot/Albert show
October
15— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
A solo show
Solo
tour:
8/17—
Opening Bell Coffee • Dallas, TX
8/18— Kirby's Beer Store • Wichita, KS
8/19— The Blue Goat • Salina, KS
8/20— Rocket Room • Colorado Springs, CO
8/21— Meadowlark Bar • Denver, CO
8/22— Beartree Tavern • Centennial, WY
8/23— The Buckhorn • Laramie, WY
8/24— Surfside 7 • Ft. Collins, CO
8/25— Three Kings Tavern • Denver, CO
8/26— Cafe Semolino • Hays, KS
8/27— Riot Room • Kansas City, MO
8/29— 7th Street Entry • Minneapolis, MN
8/31— Amazing Grace Bakery • Duluth, MN
9/1— Lee's Liquor Lounge • Minneapolis, MN
9/2— The Mill • Iowa City, IA
9/3— Zad's Roadhouse • Milwaukee, WI
9/4— New Moon Cafe • Oshkosh, WI
9/5— ELB • Rockford, IL
9/6— Booby's Beer Garden • Carbondale, IL
9/9— The Basement • Nashville, TN
9/10— Egan's • Tuscaloosa, AL
9/11— CelticFest • Jackson, MS
9/12— CelticFest • Jackson, MS
9/13— CelticFest • Jackson, MS
9/15— Neutral Ground Coffeehouse • New Orleans, LA
9/16— Rudyard's • Houston, TX
June
6— Cherrywood Coffeehouse • Austin, TX
A benefit for a friend.
March
17— St Paddy's Day Crawl • Austin, TX
Uh Oh! This was the second SPOT/ALBERT St. Paddy's
Day Marathon. We should have our heads examined for doing four shows
in one day!
— Opal Devine's / Penn Field (noon - 1:20pm)
— B.D. Riley's (2:30pm - 5:00pm)
— Opal Devine's / Freehouse (7:30pm - 9:00pm)
— Lovejoy's (11:00pm - on)
March
5— The Carousel Lounge • Austin, TX
I barely announced this show before it happened.
It was a quick solo stint I did as opener for a couple of friends' bands.
January
22— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
Yet another solo show I didn't announce. Musical
frustration had gotten the best of me and I went onstage with an electric
guitar and none of the instruments anyone expected me to play. Mostly
I played the kind of stuff I only play at home while practicing. All
things considered, this was one of my better shows lately.
stay
tuned, eh.....
and
in 2008...
November
9— Fun Fun Fun Fest • Austin, TX
This was the fourth annual FFF Fest in Waterloo
Park. Spot/Albert kicked off the festivities on Stage 2 and Tim Kerr
pulled out his button accordion and joined us on a few tunes.
November
6— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
A solo show where I opened for a couple of bands.
September
5-7— CelticFest • Jackson, MS
Yep, Spot/Albert once again in da South.
The
second SPOT/ALBERT tour:
7/10—
Fenian's • Jackson, MS
7/11— Egan's • Tuscaloosa, AL
7/12— Family Wash • Nashville, TN
7/14— Tolliver's Crossing • Asheville, NC
7/16— Sidebar • Baltimore, MD
7/17— Paddy Reilly's • New York, NY
7/18— Cyber Cafe West • Binghamton, NY
7/20— Banjo Jim's • New York, NY
7/21— tune session @ 11th Street Bar • New York, NY
7/22— New Deal Cafe • Greenbelt, MD
7/23— House of Musical Traditions • Washington, DC
7/24— House Concert & Workshop • Mount Airy, MD
7/26— Garfield Artworks • Pittsburgh, PA
7/27— Celtic Collection • Pittsburgh, PA
7/28— Tolliver's Crossing • Asheville, NC
7/29— Betty's • Nashville, TN
7/30— Egan's • Tuscaloosa, AL
7/31— Fenian's • Jackson, MS
8/1— Enoch's • Monroe, LA
June
5 & 12— Flipnotics Coffeespace • Austin, TX
A last minute booking, this was an intown solo
show; a chance to play any number of tunes I haven't performed live
in years... or ever!
March
17— St. Paddy's Day Crawl • Austin, TX
SXSW was over and done with and we were left with
a reason to celebrate... all the damn tourists had left town! Albert
came down and we tore it up all day. The last gig at Lovejoy's was the
best, the strangest, the most fun, and the one where a very drunken
dancer fell onto my banjo and broke it. I guess I've told enough banjo
jokes that I had it coming! This time the joke was on me!
— B.D. Riley's (11:30am - 1:30pm)
— Opal Divine's / Penn Field (2:00pm - 3:40pm)
— Opal Divine's / Marina (6:00pm - 7:40pm)
— Lovejoy's (11:00pm - 1:00am)
February
14— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
OK, we trashed St. Valentine's Day with Melissa
Bryan. I mean, why not?
and
in 2007...
November
18— Red Eyed Fly • Austin, TX
This was a benefit for the Handsome
Joel Foundation, an organization of bar owners and workers dedicated
to the concept of getting drunkenly impaired patrons home safely via
a complimentary cab ride. Yes, eliminate the risk... eliminate the DWI.
November
3-4— Austin Celtic Festival • Austin, TX
We hadn't played this festival for a
few years but now WE'RE BACK! This year we had the illustrious button
accordion newbie, Mr. Tim Kerr, sit in with us on a set of jigs. Fun!
November
2— Beerland • Austin, TX
Another Spot/Albert show, the night before
the abovementioned festival.
November 1—
Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
A Spot/Albert show, this was a benefit
for a friend who has been waging a brave war on colon cancer. This could
happen to anyone and then those outrageous medical bills are a real
bitch!
October
12— Cactus Cafe • Austin, TX
Here I did a solo opening slot for the
band Legacy whose featured
guest performer was uilleann pipe virtuoso Tim
Britton.
September
8-9— CeltiFest • Jackson, MS
Another fine time at a great festival!
September
7— Trinity Hall • Dallas, TX
Hey gals, don't mess with the heckling
gods!
August
26— Swing Station • La Porte, CO
This was the second day (Sunday) of the
Upland Breakdown. First time the event has been over two days.
August
24— Coal Creek Coffee Co. • Laramie, WY
Since I wasn't on the Saturday Centennial
bill for the Upland Breakdown, I managed to wrangle myself a Friday
night at this place. One of those rare gigs I played without a P.A.
system. Hooray!
August
9— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
After spending two weeks on the road
with Albert I needed to play a show by myself just to see if I could
still do it. Ha! I might not have split the atom that night but there
was some, uh... advanced research in gravity that night. And no, I will
not explain this here (Aren't you lucky?).
Here
was the first SPOT/ALBERT tour:
7/12—
Trinity Hall • Dallas, TX
7/14— Fenian's • Jackson, MS
7/16— Preservation Pub • Knoxville, TN
7/18— House Concert • Mount Airy, MD
7/19— Paddy Riley's • New York, NY
7/21— Manhattan Bar & Grill • Cumberland, MD
7/22— The Backstage • Pittsburgh, PA
7/24— Bernie's Distillery • Columbus , OH
7/25— Springwater • Nashville, TN
7/26— Egan's • Tuscaloosa, AL
7/27— Kelt's • Altus, AR
7/28— Fenian's • Jackson, MS
June
28— Trinity Hall • Dallas, TX
Ahem! Once again them gals said they'd
be there... but no. Why you say you come to heckle us and not show?
June
7— Trinity Hall • Dallas, TX
Thanks to Ken Fleming Spot/Albert scored
a gig giving his band Jigsaw a break from their usual weekly stint.
The rowdy Dallas gals said they were gonna show up and heckle us...
but no. Shame on them!
May
24— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
A last minute show with Albert.
March
15—Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
This was a "Pre-St. Paddy's Day"
show that featured SPOT/ALBERT
and the TEA MERCHANTS.
In the middle of all the SXSW hubbub we threw down some kickass reels
and jigs and a good time was had by all!
March
11— B.D. Riley's • Austin, TX
The first of the pre-St. Paddy's Day
shows.
March
2-4— North Texas Irish Festival
• Dallas, TX
Last time I'd played this festival was
2003 and in 2004 I was there watching a convenience store gun battle
from my hotel room. What fun! But this year I got to talk to the teenage
girls I had plyed with whiskey while the cops were standing right in
front of us.... Yeah, when someone shot out a bank window across the
street and the cops were interrogating the performers in the hospitality
suite for suspected terrorism. Yeah, right. But you'll be happy to know
those young girls have turned out fine and their parents never tried
to kill me. Also, this year Brian Mc'Neill sat in with us on one of
our sets. WOW!
January
18— Lovejoy's • Austin, TX
Albert couldn't make this show as planned
so I did it solo. Ethan Azarian (from The Orange Mothers) and Alaska
transplant Rocket opened.
and
in 2006...
The
December jaunt:
12/4—
Neutral Ground Coffeehouse • New Orleans, LA
12/5— Sluggo's • Pensacola, FL
12/7— Cell Block • Mobile, AL
12/8— Enoch's Irish Pub • Monroe, LA
November
2— Lovejoy's •
Austin, TX
This was a bash with The
Tea Merchants, the local masters of the "pure drop" (i.e.,
reels and jigs kickin' with energy and style, y'all!). It was Albert
Alfonso and I—the "dymanic duo"— opening the show
and it was much fun and, luckily, we had Máirtín de Cógáin
from the Fuschia Band joining us for the festivities. Also, the bartenders
with their Boston Celtic (sic) shirts was a nice tongue in the cheek...
October
15— International
Accordion Festival • San Antonio, TX
Here
I performed (on bass & guitar) with Poor Man's Fortune and we did
a lot of that crazy French Celtic and Breton music.
Here
was the August/September tour schedule:
8/1—
Oklahoma City, OK • Galileo's
8/3— Tulsa, OK • The Sound Pony
8/4— Altus, AR • Kelt's
8/5— Little Rock, AR • Vino's
8/6— Ft. Smith, AR • tba
8/7— Columbia, MO • Mojo's
8/8— Pomeroy, IA • Byron's
8/9— Minneapolis, MN • 331 Club
8/10— St. Paul, MN • Big V's
8/11— Mosinee, WI • Eagle II Saloon
8/12— Eau Claire, WI • Acoustic Cafe
8/15— Green Bay, WI • Main Stage
8/17— Milwaukee, WI • Points East Pub
8/21— Madison, WI • High Noon Saloon
8/22— Des Moines, IA • Mars Cafe
8/23— Cedar Falls, IA • The Reverb
8/24— Manhattan, KS • Auntie Mae's
8/26— Centennial, WY • Bear Tree Tavern
8/27— Laramie, WY • The Buckhorn
8/29— Santa Fe, NM • Second Street Brewery
9/6—
Houston, TX • Rudyard's • www.rudyards.com
9/7— Alexandria, LA • Finnegan's Wake • www.finnegansalex.com
(standing in for
one of the members of The Tea
Merchants)
9/8-10— Jackson, MS • CelticFest
(with Albert
Alfonso)
March
30 — Brentwood Tavern • Austin, TX
At this show the audience was mostly
families with kids (no, i don't know that barney song!) But I really
liked how the parents put dollar bills into their charges' hands and
taught them tip jar etiquette. Yes! With parenting like that there is
hope for our economy!
Here
was the mini-tour schedule:
2/22—
Eighth Street Taproom • Lawrence, KS • 785-841-6918
2/23— Dukum Inn • Kirksville, MO • www.kvrocks.com
2/25— True/False Film Festival
• Columbia, MO
2/26— True/False Film Festival
• Columbia, MO
2/27— Mercury Lounge • Tulsa, OK • www.mercury-lounge.com
2/28— Sodie's Underground • Fayetteville, AR
January
13 — Flipnotics Coffeespace • Austin, TX
I found out just a coupla days before
this show that I would be sharing the bill with Gretchen Phillips. Wow!
I was jazzed! This is a one of a kind gal. Anyone who might think about
copying her had damn well better have the talent, the heart, the wicked
sense of humor and the sheer make-ya-wanna-marry-her-right-NOW panache
to even begin to pull it off. Yep. I have spoken!
and
a quick recap of 2005...
Here
was the December tour schedule:
12/1——
Roxie's Roost • Tahlequah, OK • www.roxiesroost.com
12/2—— Hesher's • Fort Smith, AR • www.heshersmusic.com
12/3—— Hesher's • Ft. Smith, AR
12/4—— Kelt's • Altus, AR • 479-468-2413
12/5—— Mojo's • Columbia, MO • www.mojoscolumbia.com
12/6—— Cafe Paradiso • Fairfield, IA • 706
W. Broadway
12/7—— McAuliffe's Pub • Racine, WI • www.mcauliffespub.com
12/8—— Points East Pub • Milwaukee, WI • www.pointseastpub.com
12/9—— The ELB (Emmanuel Lutheran Church) • Rockford,
IL
12/10—— Mission Coffee House • Stevens Point, WI •
www.missioncoffeehouse.com
12/12—— 1109 House • Cedar Rapids, IA • www.1109house.cjb.net
12/13—— Hairy Mary's • Des Moines, IA • www.hairymarys.com
12/14—— Duffy's Tavern • Lincoln, NE • www.duffysrocks.dainto.org
12/15—— The Brick • Kansas City, MO • www.thebrickkcmo.com
12/16—— The Setlist • Warrensburg, MO • www.the
setlist.com
12/17—— Kirby's Beer Store • Wichita, KS • 316-685-7013
October
20— The Back Room • Austin, TX
The SPOT & CHARLIE show played at
the premier Metal Club in town! We made the redneck metalheads cry.
But we're not sure why. Hmmm...
And
this was the Aug/Sept tour:
8/8—
The Conservatory • Oklahoma City, OK • www.conservatoryokc.com
8/9— Kirby's Beer Store • Wichita, KS • 316-685-7013
8/10— 8th Street Taproom • Lawrence, KS • 785-841-6918
8/11— Mojo's • Columbia, MO • (cancelled)
8/12— The Set List • Warrensburg, MO • www.thesetlist.com
8/15— The Hideout • Chicago, IL • www.hideoutchicago.com
8/17— Mainstage • Green Bay, WI • 920-432-9945
8/18— High Noon Saloon • Madison, WI • www.high-noon.com
8/19— Mission Coffee House • Stevens Point, WI • (cancelled)
8/20— Points East Pub • Milwaukee, WI • www.pointseastpub.com
8/22— Gabe's Oasis • Iowa City, IA • www.gabesoasis.com
8/23— Frederick's Music Lounge • St. Louis, MO www.fredericksmusiclounge.com
8/24— The Brick • Kansas City, KS • www.thebrickkcmo.com
8/26— Bender's Tavern • Denver, CO • (cancelled)
8/27— Bear Tree Tavern • Centennial, WY • 307-742-2410
8/28— Surfside 7 • Ft. Collins, CO • 970-221-4281
8/30— Phil's Radiator Service & Beer Garden • Pueblo,
CO • 719-584-2671
8/31— Atomic Cantina • Albuquerque, NM • www.atomiccantina.com
then
a short jaunt through the south that would've gotten me to and from
CelticFest in Jackson, MS... but then there was that hurricane
9/8—
Rudyard's • Houston, TX
9/9-11— CelticFest • Jackson, MS
9/13— Sluggo's • Pensacola, FL (cancelled)
9/14— Lounge Lizard's • New Orleans, LA (cancelled)
9/15— Beerland • Austin, TX
June
11— The State Theater • Austin, TX
This was a collaboration project under
the auspices of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA)
and Austin Script Works (ASW).
As part of a national conference, four teams each consisting of a local
playwright, a local musician and a national dramaturg (all of whom had
never met) were commissioned to explore the process of live storytelling
culminating with a 15-minute stage performance. I was teamed with Dan
Dietz (playwright) and D.J. Hopkins (dramaturg). We conceived of an
odd bird-smuggling story via email and whipped it into a presentable
state in a mere two days. Wow. Intense, yes, but a damn good experience
wherein I had a chance to flex some musical muscles that I hadn't used
in way too long.
June
5—The Knitting Factory
• New York City, NY
In late May some friends of mine called
in a panic to ask if I could fill in for somebody who dropped out of
that night's bill. They would pay for my flight. Gee, those were favorable
circumstances so I said hell, yes! and booked myself a 6:00 am flight
to the big apple. The show was in the Tap Bar with Battlestar America,
Stop & Listen Boys & Booglerizers. But the real fun was getting
home. I got stuck in LaGuardia airport for eight hours due to bad thunderstorm
conditions. Then the airline had to cancel the final leg of the flight
and I got stuck in Houston overnight.
Very
few intown gigs in 2005 but there was.....
TUESDAY
EVENINGS! @ Beerland •
Austin, TX
Yeah, I guess we were Heckle and Jeckle.
Me and Charlie (of "Holy Happy Hour" fame) did the 7-9 pm
slot at Beerland from January until November. Great fun while it lasted
but, like all things, it ran its course—it became impractical to
both our schedules. But have no fear, the heckling will begin again!
Stay
tuned.....
For a quick recap of previous gigs in—>>
2004.
If you want to see past
adventures from the SPOT ODYSSEY
— where the deathless gods grumble and groan a bit, and Homer
sometimes nods off.....
Year
2003 Recap • Year 2002 Recap
• Year 2001 Recap
• Year 2000 Recap
Otherwise.....
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