Music News - October 2023

Vol. 43 - No. 1 • OCTOBER 2023 • www.houstonmusicnews.
net • FREE
Also In This Issue

Foo Fighters
Chris Alan
Shakey Graves
Beach Fossils
Marcia Ball
Luger & MIjares
La Mafia
Ne Obliviscaris
and More! Coco Montoya
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2 Music News • October 2023
October 2023
Hi Folks,
Hello Music News readers. I hope you had a great September. I’m proud to announce that with this issue we
now start our 43rd year in business. It’s been a long haul, but we made it. Over the years we’ve covered a lot
of great artists in these pages and we will continue to do so in the future. I would like to thank all of you out
there reading this for being our supporters in our quest to bring awareness to the music scene in Houston.
Thank you so much for all your help.
Our cover story for this month is Sting. Sting is bringing his My Songs Concert Tour to Houston this month at
The Cynthia Woods Pavilion On October 15th. This concert is scheduled to feature almost all of his major hits,
both solo and with The Police. It will be definitely one concert you won’t want to miss.
We also feature a fine interview with the Legendary Coco Montoya. Coco will be appearing At Dosey Doe this
month in support of his new Alligator Records Release, “Writing On The Wall.” Be sure to check out both the
album and his concert appearance here in the Houston Area.
Now, on to the new issue. In this issue, as usual, we have some great stories and information to pass on to you.
Check out stories in this month’s issue on Foo Fighters, Chris Alan, Shakey Graves, Beach Fossils, Marcia
Ball, Ne Obliviscaris and more, as well as another installment of the original story, THE BIKER! Also in this
issue are a ton of great pictures of bands performing around the Houston area. I’m sure you’re going to be
familiar with a lot of these bands. Those bands include 6th Sense, Bardo, Cooper Mohrmann, Felix The Cats,
Hammerlock, Henry Lee, The HipWaders Flying Circus, Jidora, Judas X, Killing Daylight, Mandi Powell,
Mark May, Murali Coryell, Sparky Parker, The Octanes, Throat Locust, and Witness To The Fallen.
We’d also like to invite you to check out our Spanish music section. This month we feature stories on Lucero
Y Mijares, La Mafia, and Ivan Cornejo Check these stories out in English and Spanish.
I sincerely hope that everybody reading this new publication finds something here that they like and I would
like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at
http://www.houstonmusicnews.net. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to
Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at musicnew@airmail.net and in the subject line simply
put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a copy each month when it is published. Remember, for your conve-
nience, Music News is also now downloadable. You can download the issue into your computer or storage
device and save it and read it at your convenience without having to get logged on to the internet every time.
Try it now and save every issue. It will make things a lot easier for you.
Kevin Wildman
Kevin Wildman
Editor and Publisher
Kevin Wildman
Editor and Publisher
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October 2023 • Music News 3
Contents
VOL. 43 NO. 1 OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE NO. 528
Page 24 Page 38
Foo Fighters Cuco
The Foo Fighters Cuco Performs At White
Perform At 713 Music Oak Music Hall On The
Page 6 Hall On October 10 Lawn October 29
Sting
Sting Brings His “My
Songs” Concert Tour To
The Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Pavilion
October 15
Page 40
Shakey Graves
Shakey Graves Performs
At White Oak Music Hall
On The Lawn October 27
Page 12
Coco Montoya
Coco Montoya Releases
His New Alligator Page 46
Records Album Writing Page 30 Beach Fossils
On The Wall. Watch Chris Ållen Pegstar Presents Beach
Coco Montoya In Talkin’ T-Shirts, Houston Fossils: The Bunny Tour
Concert This Month at Radio, & Moby With DJ Live at Warehouse Live
Dosey Doe Big Barn On & Entrepreneur Chris October 27 In The
October 28th Alan Ballroom
Contents
VOL. 43 NO. 1 OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE NO. 528
Page 48
Ne Obliviscaris Page 58 Page 64
Ne Obliviscaris Perform Parker McCollum La Mafia
At Warehouse Live Parker McCollum La Mafia Brings Their
October 13 In The Performs At The Cynthia Celebrating Life Tour To
Ballroom Woods Mitchell Pavilion The Arena Theater
October 28 October 21
Page 66
Page 52 The Biker
Nick Landis Page 60 The Continuing Saga Of
It’s The Sound Baby! Lucero Y Mijares A Lone Biker On The
A conversation With Top Lucero Y Mijares Bring Road To Explore The
Rated Track Mastering Their “Hasta Que Se Nos Freedoms Of America.
Pro Nick Landis Hizo” USA Tour 2023 To
Smart Financial Centre Also In This Issue
October 13
Page 70
Lucero Y Mijares
(En Espanol)
Page 74
La Mafia
Page 56 (En Espanol)
Marcia Ball Page 76
Marcia Ball Performs at Page 63 Ivan Cornemo
Bayou Theater At The Ivan Cornejo (En Espanol)
University Of Houston Ivan Cornejo Performs
Campus Clear Lake On At The 713 Music Hall Page 78 and On
October 18 On October 21 and 22 Random Shots
Sting Brings His “My Songs”
Concert Tour To The Cynthia
Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 15
6 Music News • April
October
2023
2023
Sting will be bringing his My Songs Reggae Album chart in the US, earned legendary Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC
Concert Tour to The Cynthia Woods Gold certifications in Poland and France where Shaggy performed the album in full.
Mitchell Pavilion this October 15th. Sting’s and received the GRAMMY Award® for
My Songs concert is an exuberant and Best Reggae Album. Sting recently became a Fellow of
dynamic show featuring his most beloved the Ivors Academy – the highest honor
songs, written throughout the 17-time In 2019, Sting was honoured at the reserved for those who have reshaped and
Grammy Award winner’s illustrious career BMI Pop Awards for his enduring hit redefined the art and craft of music
both with The Police and as a solo artist. single “Every Breath You Take,” which has creation. The event, presented by Amazon
Fans can expect to be taken on a musical become the Most Performed Song, with 15 Music, celebrates songwriters and took
journey with timeless hits like ‘Fields of million radio plays, from BMI’s catalog of place on May 18 in London. To commemo-
Gold’, ‘Shape of my Heart’, ‘Roxanne’, over 14 million musical works. The song rate Sting’s honor, an unheard demo of “If
‘Englishman In New York,’ ‘Every Breath was also added to Spotify’s ‘Billions Club,’ It’s Love,” is available here.
You Take,’ ‘Roxanne,’ ‘Message In A having amassed over 1 billion streams on
Bottle’, ‘Demolition Man’ and many the platform. As recently announced,
more. The tour has already made stops in Sting and Shaggy have curated and will co-
the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Also in 2019, an album entitled My headline the One Fine Day Festival, a full
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Songs, featuring contemporary interpreta- day of eclectic music featuring
Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore tions of his most celebrated hits, was a diverse artist lineup -Thundercat,
earlier this year. released and followed by a world tour of Koffee, T ank and the Bangas, Philly’s
Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, the same name. Sting’s ‘My Songs’ concert own G. Love & Special
author, and activist Sting was born in is a dynamic and exuberant show featuring Sauce, Kes, Flor deToloache, and French/
Newcastle, England before moving to his most beloved songs spanning the 17- Italian sensation, Giordana Angi - across
London in 1977 to form The Police with time GRAMMY Award® winner’s prolific two stages coming exclusively to The
Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The career with The Police and as a solo artist. Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia,
band released five studio albums, earned North American dates were recently PA, on Saturday , September 9, 2023. Sting
six GRAMMY Awards® and two Brits, announced with the full tour itinerary here. & Shaggy will perform their biggest hits
and was inducted into The Rock and Roll together, trading off
Hall of Fame in 2003. Always known as a musical and collaborating on ‘Every Breath You
explorer, pioneering genre-bending sounds Take,’ ‘Englishman In New York,’
One of the world’s most distinctive and collaborations, Sting’s next release ‘Message In A Bottle,’ ‘It Wasn’t Me,’
solo artists, Sting has received an addi- Duets, compiles some of his most cel- ‘Boombastic’ and ‘Angel’ and more.
tional 11 GRAMMY Awards®, two Brits, a ebrated collaborations, including those
Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Oscar with Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, Eric Sting has appeared in more than 15
nominations, a TONY nomination, Clapton, Annie Lennox, Charles Aznavour, films, executive produced the critically
Billboard Magazine’s Century Award, and Mylène Farmer, Shaggy, acclaimed A Guide to Recognizing Your
MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year. In Melody Gardot, Gashi and more. Saints, and in 1989 starred in The
2003, he was made a Commander of the Threepenny Opera on Broadway . His most
Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Sting’s latest album, The Bridge, recent theatre project is the Tony®-
Queen Elizabeth II for his myriad of showcases his prolific and diverse nominated musical The Last Ship, inspired
contributions to music. Also a member of songwriting prowess. Representing various by his memories of the shipbuilding
the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he has stages and styles from throughout his community of Wallsend in the northeast of
received the Kennedy Center Honors, The unrivaled career and drawing inspiration England where he was born and raised. The
American Music Award of Merit and The from genres including rock n’ roll, jazz, show, with music and lyrics by Sting, ran
Polar Music Prize. Sting has been awarded classical music and folk, the eclectic album on Broadway in 2014/2015 and completed
Honorary Doctorates of Music by the features Sting’ s quintessential sound a UK regional theatre tour which ran from
University of Northumbria (1992), Berklee on pop-rock tracks such as the album’ s March-July 2018. Thereafter, Sting starred
College of Music (1994), University of opening rock salvo “Rushing as shipyard foreman Jackie White in the
Newcastle upon Tyne (2006) and Brown Water” and new indie-pop sounding “Ifs It’ Toronto-based production of The Last
University at its 250th Commencement Love.” Ship at the Princess ofWales Theatre. In
ceremony (2018). 2020, he reprised the role for productions
Sting kicked off his Las Vegas in Los Angeles at theAhmanson Theatre
Throughout his illustrious career, residency, “My Songs,” at The Colosseum and San Francisco at the Golden Gate
Sting has sold 100 million albums from his at Caesars Palace to rave reviews. The Theatre.
combined work with The Police and as a show presented a compendium of his most
solo artist. beloved songs with dynamic, visual Sting’s support for human rights
references to some of his most iconic organizations such as the Rainforest Fund,
Following his critically acclaimed videos and inspirations with Sting treating Amnesty International, and Live Aid
album, 57th & 9th, his first rock/pop fans to an array of greatest hits spanning mirrors his art in its universal outreach.
collection in over a decade, Sting and his illustrious career, including “Roxanne,” Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting
reggae icon, Shaggy, both managed by “Message In A Bottle,” “Every Little Thing founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to
Martin Kierszenbaum/ Cherrytree Music She Does Is Magic,” “Every Breath You protect both the world’s rainforests and the
Company, released a collaborative, island- Take” and several other fan favorites, plus indigenous people living there. Together
influenced album, entitled 44/876, drawing brand new songs from his latest album, The they have held 19 benefit concerts to raise
from the many surprising connections at Bridge. funds and awareness for our planet’s
the heart of their music. With its title endangered resources. Since its inception,
referencing their home country codes, 44/ Sting produced Shaggy’s latest the Rainforest Fund has expanded to a
876 first and foremost honors the duo’s album, Com Fly Wid Mi which finds the network of interconnected organizations
mutual love for Jamaica: Shaggy’s dancehall/reggae icon performing the working in more than 20 countries over
homeland, and the place where Sting Sinatra songbook in a reggae style. The three continents.
penned such classics as The Police’s album received a Grammy Award nomina-
“Every Breath You Take.” Their release tion for Best Reggae Album. To celebrate
spent over 20 weeks atop Billboard’s its release, Sting hosted a party at the
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Coco Montoya Releases His
New Alligator Records Album
Writing On The Wall
Watch Coco Montoya In Concert
This Month at
Dosey Doe Big Barn
On October 28th
Coco
Montoya
(continued from
previous page)
By Kevin Wildman
Legendary guitarist Coco Montoya has
just released his new album, Writing On The
Wall on his longtime label, Alligator Records.
To call Coco legendary is almost an under-
statement. This man’s legacy goes back over
50 years. His introduction into the music
business was pretty standard at a young age.
He started out on drums performing at local
venues around Santa Monica, California,
playing in several rock bands, however a
Creedence Clearwater Revival concert in
1969 at which bluesman Albert King was the
opening act changed his direction on where
he wanted to go with his music. It was going
to be the Blues for Coco.
“After King got done playing,” says

Montoya, “my life was changed. When he
played, the music went right into my soul. It
grabbed me so emotionally that I had tears
welling up in my eyes. Nothing had ever
affected me to this level. He showed me what
music and playing the blues were all about. I
knew that was what I wanted to do.”
A chance encounter in the mid-70s

with another legendary guitarist, Albert Coco stepped out on his own to lead his own enjoyable recording sessions for Coco. As
Collins really changed his destiny for the Blues band and issued his first solo album, you listen to the songs on this album, you’ll
better. He wound up playing drums for the 1995’s Gotta Mind To Travel (originally on see how tight this band is together.
great bluesman. Albert started mentoring Silvertone Records in England and later
Coco on guitar and it wasn’t long before issued in the USA on Blind Pig Records). It Guest musicians on the album include:
Coco switched from drums to guitar quickly became a Blues favorite and his fans Ronnie Baker Brooks (Guitar on You Got
performing as Albert Collins’ second and new fans just loved it and it cemented Me (Where You Want Me), Guitar and Vocals
guitarist. Coco into becoming a full-fledged solo artist on Baby, You’re A Drag), Lee Roy Parnell
recording albums for Blind Pig Records, as (Slide Guitar on A Chip And A Chair), Dave
“We’d sit in hotel rooms for hours and well as two stints with Alligator Records with Steen (Rhythm Guitar on A Chip And A
play guitar,” remembers Montoya. “He’d play whom he records with today. Chair, The Three Kings And Me), and
that beautiful rhythm of his and just have me Tony Braunagel (Drums on Save It
play along. He was always saying, ‘Don’t Well, Coco is back with his new For The Next Fool, (I’d Rather Feel) Bad
think about it, just feel it.’ He was like a Alligator Records release, Writing On The About Doin’ It, Be GoodTo Yourself, Natural
father to me,” says Coco. There was many a Wall, and without a doubt, this is his best Born Love Machine).
night that Coco found himself staying over at album yet. With 13 great songs on this
Collins’ house. Albert proudly proclaimed album, five of which Coco wrote or Co- Writing On The Wall was Produced by
that Coco was like a “son” to him. wrote, this is definitely a tour-de-force for the Tony Braunagel and Co-Produced by Jeff
legendary guitarist. Other writers or co- Paris. It was recorded at Jeff’s Garage,
But things didn’t stop there. After writers on the album include: Jeff Paris, Dave Studio City, CA.
leaving Collins band, Coco caught the eye of Steen and Drew Steen. He even includes
another Blues legend, Mr. John Mayall. John three cover songs written by Don Robey, Songs on the new album include: “I
Mayall had caught a performance of Coco Andy Fraser, and Lonnie Mack respectively. Was Wrong,” “Save It For The Next Fool,”
playing Otis Rush’s All Your Love (I Miss Performing on the album is Coco’s fantastic “You Got Me (Where You Want Me),” “(I’d
Loving) and it soon led to a phone call from band which consists of Jeff Paris (Key- Rather Feel) Bad About Doin’ It,” “Be Good
John to Coco with an invitation to join the boards, Piano, Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer, To Yourself,” “Stop,” “Writing On the Wall,”
world famous John Mayall and The Background Vocals, Electric and Acoustic “Late Last Night,” “What Did I Say?,”, “A
Bluesbreakers. These were going to be pretty Guitars and guitar solo on Writing On The Chip And A Chair,” “Baby, You’re A Dray,”
hard shoes to fill as previous guitars for John Wall, Rhythm Guitar on What Did I Say?), The Three Kings And Me,” and “Natural
Mayall included Mick Taylor, Eric Clapton, Nathan Brown (Bass)’and Drew Steen and Born Love Machine.”
Peter Green and more, but Coco was up for Rena Beavers (Drums and Background
the challenge. He spent the next 10 years on Vocals). This is the first time that Coco has We sat down with Coco Montoya
the road with Mayall and recorded seven brought his touring band into the studio for an recently to discuss the new album and the
albums with him. Alligator Records release and it really songs on it as well as reminisce somewhat
enhanced the production and spontaneity of
continued on next page
The next step came in 1995 when the album making it one of the most
freedom, and a little more time to do as we
wanted to do. So nobody could use the
excuse that the studio musicians were getting
quicker. We weren’t worried about that. We
were not worried. So we decided to go ahead
with it and it turned out to be a really great
thing, a lot of enthusiasm and the comfort in
playing in the studio with each other knowing
each other as well as we did was a real asset.
Music News: How much did they

contribute to.... you know, when you hire
studio musicians to work for you they tend to
follow what you tell them to do. But when
you’re working with your own band in there,
there’s probably a little personality that
creeps in on songs and would you say their
personalities influenced the songs that they
played on there?
Coco Montoya: Yeah, just because I

gave them the freedom to select. To start, we
made demos to give ourselves an idea how
would we play this song. I said we do the
demos, guys. Throw out the Bobby Bland
version. Don’t think about Bobby Bland. Just
Coco Montoya think about the song and let’s just see where
we come from, whether in tempo or we come
from simple things and just see where it fits. I
think we even had a different key for that,
(continued from previous page)
about the past and had quite an interesting producers had a lot of freedom. And there’s that didn’t fit really well until we actually
conversation which we’d like to share with so many places I wanted to explore there. You played it and realized we had to move the key
you right now. know that I have these influences that are around and put it in “G”. I think I had it a
inside me. There’s not just straight-ahead little higher than that and it was still too high
Coco Montoya: Hello. blues. for me. That was the beauty of the whole deal
is just having their ability to do this the way
Music News: Hello Coco. Music News: What made you pick that we play it and that was the most important
song? thing. This is going to be the way we play it.
Coco Montoya: Yes. We do not want to imitate the track, the
Coco Montoya: Where am I at? I’m original. We didn’t want to totally imitate that
Music News: This is Kevin with gonna get a look on the list? which is great. It made them think, made
Music News. I think I’m supposed to be them feel, made them just play, just play it
talking to you about now. Music News: “You Got Me”. like themselves, because that was what we
wanted. Great, great experience.
Coco Montoya: You’re the next one Coco Montoya: “You Got Me”. Bobby
up, Kevin. Bland. I got that from Bobby Bland. Alligator Music News: Well, you recorded this
records sent that to me. Bruce Iglauer sent it over Jeff Paris’s studio, right?
Music News: All right. How long do to me and I liked it right away. It was a song
we have? he wanted done. He thought it would be a Coco Montoya: I sure did, yes.
good one for me to do and of course we
Coco Montoya: Your the last one, so I picked upon it and I rather enjoyed it and Music News: Was that the first time
have to stop now. I’m just kidding. (laughs) thought it was a good vehicle to bring in you were there recording with him or had this
Ronnie Baker Brooks as well. been happening before?
Music News: Okay, well, I’ve been
listening to the album. I really enjoy it. It’s Music News: Right. Coco Montoya: Well, a long, long time
really nice. ago, we did an album called I Want It All
Coco Montoya: I thought right away Back. That’s where I met Jeff. And we were
Coco Montoya: Oh thanks. Ronnie would be great on that. Let’s see if back and forth between his studio and Keb’
he’ll do it. Of course, he was up for it. Mo’s studio that he had. They both had them
Music News: I found a couple of the in their backyards. So we used Jeff, because
songs selections a little unusual, but they Music News: You use several guest he did all the pre production there. And we
sound great. artists on this too. I think the big change for worked out the songs, worked out the
you must have been when you switched from grooves, how are we going to present them
Coco Montoya: Well thank you. studio musicians and brought in your band. and the vocals later where we did them at
Jeff’s house, so I had some experience and
Music News: You don’t hear too many Coco Montoya: Yeah, I have done that felt comfortable in that room. And then we
people doing a Don Robey song, “You Got in the past over the years, on occasion, would cut over at Kevin’s (Keb’ Mo’) house.
Me (Where You Want me)”. especially during the early Flying Pig things So that’s happened before. So yeah, coming
on some of the tracks. But this was a situation in here to me felt at home and I felt very
Coco Montoya: It happens every once where I been playing with these guys for a comfortable. We’d rehearsed there several
in a while. You know, it’s amazing. We took long time and we were so connected and they times since Jeff has been in the band. So
from a lot of different areas on this. That’s had so many hours of playing together. That we’re all comfortable. And once again, you
probably the biggest enjoyment for me as an to me, it was a no brainer to just go this route continued on next page
artist and the players on the album and the this time, because we had a little more
Coco
Montoya
(continued from
previous page)
got guys that had been on the road together,
played every night for several years. We
know each other. We know how each other
works, and we know the moods. And it all
worked out to our benefit. It was a really
comfortable situation and enjoyable.
Music News: Well, do you find that a

lot easier? Did you find making this album a
lot easier than say when you went to other
studios and then worked with studio
musicians?
Coco Montoya: I found it to be easier,

within also saying that recording is not easy.
how would I interpret that? I hear that a little
Recording is very tedious. And in my Coco Montoya: The version we got to
more slimmed down, you know, a cut down
opinion, and it can be, it’s challenging and listen to was Bobby Bland’s version.
version. And that’s how it worked out with
definitely you have to keep your emotions
that. I mean, he brought it to me and I said, I
together. And you gotta remember you’re Music News: Okay, and what was it
could use that one if you don’t mind.
going to be under the microscope. Everything about that song?
that you do is going to be criticized, plus or
Music News: It’s a very, it’s very slow
minus. So, yes, just the idea of being in a Coco Montoya: Well, right away, as
and very soulful.
studio for me is a little bit daunting, but this soon as I heard it, I’ve been looking for
experience that even no matter the hardest something because I wanted to bring Ronnie
Coco Montoya: Yeah, well, that’s the
times of doing anything, we all stayed Baker Brooks in. And I said, well, this is
thing I liked about it and the approach of the
enthusiastic and we all made things work and definitely me and him to trade some guitar
guitar is kind of like the opposite of all that
we all figured out problems. That was the licks in this. We could definitely do that and
because I was thinking more. I’d say I was
beauty of it all. So this is a very great that was attracted to me too, right there. So
thinking more Clapton during his era with
experience in my book. that was the vehicle there for Ronnie... me
John Mayall when I was playing the guitar
solo stuff. So my approach is a little more and Ronnie Baker Brooks to get together on
Music News: All right. A lot of this this because I’ve always wanted to do
aggressive, more British, trying to be a little
stuff was well... I think five of the songs you something with Ronnie. We’ve known each
more... The fella’s upset. He was wrong. He
wrote or co-wrote and the others were songs other for a long, long time. I was really close
realizes he was upset, he was wrong. And I
that were written by someone else, or for the to his dad and his brother Wayne for many
thought the guitar had to really show that he’s
sake of any other word, a cover song of years. We first met during the Bluesbreakers
distressful, what he was feeling trying to say.
somebody’s that you put your own style and days and so this a good opportunity to bring
Okay, you’re right. I really did it. I don’t
feel into it. So let’s start off with the first him in. And once again, a good experience
know how I did this, but I did it. So the guitar
song, “I Was Wrong”. Dave Steen wrote this for me and Ronnie, but a great experience for
to me, lends itself to that emotion of how the
thing and you’ve worked with Dave before. the people to hear Ronnie, and hear us work
person in the story is feeling. I was trying to
look as, maybe I would be in a different together.
Coco Montoya: Many, many times, he
situation.
was my go to co-writer for many, many Music News: I love the version. It
years... still is. He’s still one of the guys that I sounds really great. That brings us to “(I’d
Music News: Right. And what about
work with and now I’ve got Jeff Paris as well. Rather Feel) Bad About Doing It”, which was
the second song, “Save It For The Next
We all... the three of us have written together. written by Jeff Paris. Had you been doing
Fool?” That’s, that’s a bit more upbeat on
As you can see on the album, we’ve actually many of Jeff’s songs before this, or is this
there.
wrote together with the three of us doing like one of the first?
zoom sessions. I wrote with Jeff, me and Jeff
Coco Montoya: Yeah, that’s just a
Rowan, and me and Dave, of course, over all Coco Montoya: No, no, I definitely
wonderful.... One of those Dave Steen things
these years, a lot of Dave Steen co-writes and have done some. With I Want It All Back
that I love. I said this is really cool. I just
singles. He writes his own and all over my (2010) we did some Jeff Paris stuff. And I
gravitated towards it and just said, Yeah, this
material, on a lot of my albums. think on Hard Truth, I did a Jeff Paris song if
is something I want to do, because there’s
that side of me to me where that song is kind I’m not mistaken. I don’t have it in front of
Music News: Okay, well, let’s talk me, so my brain isn’t as great as it used to be.
of pushing a little, a little more modern area,
about the first song “I was wrong”. Tell me But um, yeah. That was the tune that Jeff
a little more groove, a little more tough story.
about that song. What was it about that, that started because of the line. I told him a story
In a nutshell. I liked it. I like the groove on it.
made you pick that, to pick that song by that I heard from Paul Barrere. It was a joke.
The background vocals were really attracted
Dave. It was just a joke and it was funny. I don’t
to me.
know if I should be telling the press, but we
Coco Montoya: I heard his version of were all laughing about something that Paul
Music News: Okay. And we already
it, that’s the thing. He’ll send me some stuff. remembered a buddy of his coming up to St.
talked a little bit about “You Got Me (Where
And then he recorded that one for his own Paul feeling guilty and bad. I go why’s he
You Want Me)” which was originally written
reasons. I mean, he recorded me a great,
by Don Robey, but whose version is that that continued on next page
beautiful recording of it and I said, Well, now
you’re doing?
biggest difference in the world. So I’m very
proud of that song.
Music News: The leads on it are so

emotional. I mean unbelievable. So tell me
about when you went to write the leads on
that, were they written out ahead of time or
did they just come to you on the spot?
Coco Montoya: Oh, that’s more on the

spot things. I mean, I did stop and fix a few
little places and stuff like that. I had to do
that. But mostly just whatever comes out of
my mind. There’s no way you can interpret
stuff like that without just feeling it. That’s
just my approach to most everything I do. I
just got to feel it. If I can’t feel it, then I can’t
do it. So that to me is the prime necessary
element in anything I do play. I got to be able
to feel something. And that song makes you
feel something. I mean, this guy is just
begging her to stop mistreating him. He’s
trying so hard to hang on to what he’s got, but
she’s evil. But you know, God bless him, he
loves her. And that’s the greatest thing about
the story. Once again, you feel the story. And
that’s what you got to play to this. What you
got to think about when you’re actually
playing is just like, Yeah, my heart... I’m
Coco Montoya really up against it here with you.
Music News: Well, I found the song to

be very emotional.
feeling bad? Why, what did he do and he’s Tony Braunagel is really close to him. He Coco Montoya: Yeah, he’s not saying
kind of had this little affair thing. And Paul knows Frankie really well. So we were just he’s leaving. He’s begging her to stop doing
looked at me as well, I forgive you. And he kind of looking around and he says you’ve what she’s doing. That there’s an incredible...
goes, ‘Look, I’d rather feel bad that I did it. done a couple Frankie Miller songs and I say if you think about that, how incredible that
I’d rather feel bad that I did it than feel bad ‘Yeah, I have’. A “Beginner At The Blues” feeling is. I’m not leaving you, I don’t have
that I didn’t, which is pretty funny to me. And was one of his tunes. It was on one of my what it takes to leave you. Just please, just be
I just remember that and I told Jeff about it. albums. I know there was another one I did good to me and I can be so good to you. You
And he goes, ‘that’s it, there’s a song in there, by him and I can’t remember the title off the got to stop doing it. And that’s where the
just that... I’d rather feel bad about doing it. top of my head, but yeah this one came up emotion is coming from. So you play with
That’s what he came up with and he came up and I said ‘I’ll just do this. Check this out,’ emotion, or you feel emotion easily. That’s
with these great lines in there and turned it and Uh, so this is really good. I saw the video where you end up going. You got to play that
into this thing, this multi, multi structured on YouTube myself, Frankie sounds great’. way.
story. There’s multi stories going on within As soon as Jeff Paris heard it, he goes, ‘we
this song. got to cut this’ so it was kind of like, Music News: Right. I really enjoyed
everybody was for it immediately. that one. I really enjoyed some of the softer
Music News: Right. songs on here. They’re just.... your playing is
Music News: All right, and that brings in all of them... for the lack of a better term,
Coco Montoya: Just kind of great. I us to a Lonnie Mack song, “Stop.” That one they just sound very emotional. Like you’re
really loved what he did with this. really sings. really putting your heart and soul into those
particular songs.
Music News: The next song that you Coco Montoya: Now see, that was a
did that I found really kind of surprising, song that was brought to me a long time ago Coco Montoya: Yeah, well, I appreci-
because you don’t see too many people doing by Bruce Iglauer, the president of Alligator ate that too because that’s the way you do that
Andy Fraser songs, was “Be Good To Records. He’s been bugging me to do that kind of stuff. You can’t do without that
Yourself”. I thought that was kind of unusual. song for quite a few years now. He’s actually emotional element. I mean, I think you’re
He was a great songwriter. His work with brought it up enough to want you to think barking up the wrong tree. You have to you
Free was unbelievable. about doing this. Why don’t you think about have to be able to feel it.
doing this. And I wasn’t disagreeing with
Coco Montoya: Right! Right! So him. I just wasn’t sure I could pull that off Music News: Right. And then that
incredible. I got it from the Frankie Miller because I guess I’ve been too affected by brings us to the next song which is also the
version. seeing him do this so many times on gigs. title song of the album “Writing On The
Lonnie was incredible. I mean, his vocals are Wall”. Now, I may have heard this wrong,
Music News: Really! intense. I guess I didn’t feel very confident and you can correct me. But when that thing
that I was up for that. Eventually, we said started out, it sounded like a little bit of a
Coco Montoya: Yeah, I’ve been a big let’s give it a shot and Jeff Paris helped me honky tonk song to me.
Frankie Miller fan for years. I got to jam with once again, Mr. Incredible Talent helped me
him at the Central Club back in the early 80s. find a key that would be comfortable enough Coco Montoya: Yep.
Nice guy, great guy. He’s funny as hell. And to be able to pull off the vocal. So yeah, I’m
everybody knows the story that Frankie had a glad we did that. I’m glad we worked at it Music News: ...with that piano. Did I
massive stroke and can no longer perform. maybe for a few hours and it made the continued on next page
Coco
Montoya
(continued from
previous page)
hear that right or am I misjudging that?
Coco Montoya: No, I don’t think you

misjudging it at all. I think what the impor-
tant message musically in “Writing On The
Wall” was to not ignore or feel so pigeon-
holed that, that can’t be. I went through this
with “You Think I Know Better” a long time
ago. When I got done with it, I put Leroy on
it. The record company was concerned
because they said it sounded a little bit too
country for them. I said, ‘Well, so what’.
Well, you’re a blues man. I come from the
blues. But am I a bluesman? I don’t know if
I’m a bluesman. I definitely blues in what I
do. It’s all over what I do. I learned to cut my
teeth on all that. And yes, but why should that it and it got done. last night. I came up with that quite a while
stop me from writing something that just back and that’s another situation where Jeff
came out of me naturally and organically? Music News: How about “Late Last said, ‘what was that line again’, wrote it
Why should that stop me from going that Night”. You and Jeff wrote that one as well. down and we started working on it. You
direction and then recording the song? I don’t know, I hear something there.
see the... I didn’t understand the pigeonhol- Coco Montoya: Yeah, yeah. Yeah,
ing. I never understood that. And eventually, that’s a fun song. It’s a funny song. Straight Music News: Well, you and Jeff seem
I won the argument with them about putting ahead bluesy kind of r&b feel to it. Yeah, to be doing quite well writing together. The
the song out and what it did it end up being? that’s just about the challenges when we’re next one was fantastic, too, a bit slower, but
It ended up being the title cut. So kind of younger, going out at night and next thing it’s another one of those emotional songs.
funny, is when you hear it kind of leans a you tie one on, and you had to explain to the “What Did I Say?” So explain that. What did
little bit on a country kind of groove, which is little woman where the hell you were and you say?
okay. You know, it’s kind of nice and what’s why you were coming in so late. it’s, it’s fun.
really brilliant about is that Jeff Paris... I told It’s a funny story. It’s just fun. Coco Montoya: Well I think that’s the
him just for an idea, just throw me a solo on question he’s having is, what did I say? What
there and look what he did. And I said, ‘that’s Music News: What that written by did I do? The line I came up with once
perfect’. That makes the song great! Jeff experience from you? again... I thought of something, then I call
played perfect to the song. And you got Jeff. I was ‘Jeff write this down. “What did I
enough of me playing all over this record, Coco Montoya: oh, gosh, yes. say? What did I do to make you run baby to
why not show the talents of the guys you’re someone new?”’ And he said, ‘Okay, wow,
working with? Music News: Have you had to do some that’s a great, great song. We got something
explaining about coming in a little too late at there’. We would see it and like me and Jeff
Music News: Absolutely. Well, you, times? will do that. With me, Dave, will do that.
Dave and Jeff wrote this. So who contributed We’ll talk the story out. What is the story?
what to what part? You don’t have to give it Coco Montoya: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. What are we trying to say? And what we
to me line by line. You don’t have a drug habit and alcohol were talking about basically. The exhilaration
problem, and not have this kind of situation. I of finding love is just like the exhilarate of
Coco Montoya: Well, it’s just amazing. haven’t had a drink or drugs since late ’72. I take it.. It was the exhilaration when John
Me and Dave had written probably a good mean ’92. Me and Jeff on it are hilarious, Mayall called me and asked me to be a
70% of this song. We never finished it. We because this guy’s like, he’s out there. Bluesbreaker. I was just like, over the moon
could never find the right... something’s Somebody had a jam and he says, ‘I stopped about it. I’m gonna be a Bluesbreaker, and
missing, but we couldn’t put our foot on it. by to sing a song.’ It turned out to be an all I’m so excited until I first went on the road
And maybe we need another first. We needed nighter. It’s kind of... It’s just hilarious. I did the rehearsals and all that, and then it
something. We said, let’s give this one to Jeff listened to this. I started laughing. I smile, started to sink in. Oh, shit, we’re gonna do
and see what he can do. It’s pretty much because talking about waking up naked on his “Have You Heard.” We’re gonna be doing
done. It just needs something else. And front lawn. That’s pretty funny. And then the “Pretty Woman.” We’re gonna be doing all
overnight Jeff said, ‘Yeah, I’ll have some- wife says, I don’t trust your friends. I don’t these songs like “All Those Heroes” where
thing in the morning for you and he came up trust the guys you call friends, what they’re Clapton played “Have You Heard.” Nobody’s
with a bridge, which is great in there. And doing to you! So yeah, I think every guy at beat that? Gosh, now it’s sinking in that I’m
then he came up with another verse, which is some point or person is at that point where gonna be compared to Eric Clapton. I’m
exactly what we needed to get us into the they’ve fallen off the deep end a little bit and gonna be compared to Mick Taylor. I’m
bridge. He just, he just filled out the rest of do some explaining. gonna be compared to Peter Green. Now, the
the song. It’s just perfect. And isn’t it other side of it, the insecurity. The doubts
amazing. You can get so stuck and somebody Music News: Right. And I think, yeah, start coming in. So it’s the same kind of idea
else comes in and goes, boom, they can see for one reason or another. Yes. but with a love affair between two people.
clearly what it needs. So that’s how that song And basically, she’s backing off at him.
came about is something me and David had Coco Montoya: I came up with that
started many years ago, and brought Jeff into line. I wouldn’t have been late if I wasn’t late continued on next page
Music News: It is!
Coco Montoya: I knew it. I knew it

right away. He’s been on three songs on my
albums, three albums I mean. There’s three
albums with a Leroy Parnell appearance. He’s
such a dear friend. Great guy. I was a huge
fan of his way back and he ended up playing
on my second album, Ya Think I’d Know
Better. His solo on there is just to die for and
we were good buddies and we just shipped it
down there he put it solos on and played
against me. We played against each other on
it. I think it’s magic.
Music News: Well, it sounds like

magic and the whole song just really grooves.
Coco Montoya: Yeah, it sure does.
Music News: Okay, on “Baby, You’re

A Drag”, tell me about why baby’s such a
drag.
Coco Montoya: Oh, that was funny. It

was hilarious. We we were messing with this
one a long time ago. I had actually forgotten
that we had done this, me and Dave and Dave
said, ‘Do you remember’ revisiting some of
Coco Montoya the old stuff? I found his “Baby, You’re A

Drag,” and I did not even remember that. And
then we listened to what we had on it. And
the story, I said, Oh, this is a great story. Why
That’s where we talked the story of me and my vehicle for Leroy Parnell and I could see didn’t we finish this? Usually every writer
Jeff, we were talking the story out and he the future of that. The song was written by goes in there and gets it done till it’s done,
doesn’t know why she’s backing off. That’s him and his son Drew. Drew said ‘yeah dad, I good or bad. We just let that one lag. I don’t
why he said, ‘What did I do? What did I say? had a gambling problem for a while there, know what we lost it. It got lost in the shuffle,
What happened? Why are you not contacting that I’ve gone to meetings, and I gotten out of stuffed in a box somewhere. And yeah, it’s
me? Why are you getting cold feet?’ And my problem. I don’t have that anymore’. But, just a story, a great story that’s not common,
basically the song goes through the whole you know, in the old days, when I used to which is great., I mean he’s just commiserat-
thing, how he’s changed. He says in the gamble, is that sort of everybody would say, ing with his buddy. What I thought right away
bridge, then he says that the thing he would that was a saying, as long as you got a chip is it could be a thing for me and Ronnie
normally do is just walk away. . And he said, and a chair, you’re still in the game. So if you Baker Brooks as well. Write the song into a
we got to work at this, and to have hurt just got your last chip, which is your last bit of place where the two guys commiserating
gave him doubts. He kind of said, I like what money, you’re still in the game, if you want about what a drag their old ladies are? Their
he says, What’s your thought? He’s like, did I to play. So that’s what that whole thing was wives are just no fun. You know, she don’t
fail some test? That’s the idea. It was like derived from was just showing that if you want to go out and party. Music’s too loud.
there was a test, and I failed it. Are you want to take it, follow it all the way to the Don’t like those people, you know? Yeah. So,
letting me go just because of that., you’re not end, whatever it may be, like in the songs me and Ronnie said, Well, we can share that.
going to be willing to work out it. And talking about playing to an empty room. The It’d be two old guys talking about it and
basically, if you’re scared, I gotta tell you, idea is just, yeah, some days you really got it, that’s how it came out, as we made it like two
and let me tell you, I’m scared too. I have my some days you don’t, you just got to keep guys just chat it up bitching about the old
doubts. And that’s what that song is all about going. As long as you got a chip and a chair, lady.
is just like, communicating, because you you’re still get in the game, so I gravitated
really don’t want to lose this great thing you towards that really right away. I thought that Music News: Yeah, and he does guitar
guys got. But it’s always full of doubts. You was a great song. and vocals on this one.
got to get beyond those. If it’s real good and
true love you get beyond the doubts. Music News: And Dave even did a Coco Montoya: Yeah. That’s another
little guitar on here as well. vehicle for us to share the guitar talents of
Music News: Right? And then now another great guitar player and working with
we’ve got “A Chip And A Chair” now. Is that Coco Montoya: Yeah, Dave did. I him and we both are trading off.
a gambling song? wanted him for the rhythm tracks and stuff
because he built them so beautifully. I said, Music News: Who are the Three Kings
Coco Montoya: Yeah, absolutely. Dave, give me those tracks. So he flew out in “The Three Kings And Me”?
Absolutely. Wonderful song. Another song, and came to the studio and hung out for a day
like I say, it cracks me up. I have to like, I and brought some great groove to the song. I Coco Montoya: Very simple. That’s
have to kind of go after Dave and I have to go don’t think it would be the same. I don’t think Albert King, Freddie King, and BB King.
after Jeff. Sometimes they have songs that I could have played it anything like that.
they’ve written that they just... “I didn’t think Music News: That’s what I was
you’d be interested in this. I never showed it Music News: Leroy Parnell’s slide thinking. Although it doesn’t really say that.
to”. this gem, this beautiful song or a great guitar was fantastic as well. Or at least if it did, I missed that line.
song. Yeah, “A Chip And The Chair” was
Dave song that I liked the groove of it, kind Coco Montoya: Isn’t that wonderful! continued on next page
of swampy little thing. And I thought there’s
Coco Montoya
Coco Montoya: Well, it’s just the beauty of it. It’s just... it was a
guy here that doesn’t have much love for the holidays, especially at
Christmas time. That’s what this is all about. And he’s got no presents,
he’s got nobody there, he doesn’t have a wife or anything. You can
hear through the whole song, it’s just him talking about going through
another Christmas, but he’s got these three wisemen, so it’s about us
musicians and musicians like me and David. So their our Wiseman
and our guys that we look up to as blues players and that right there
got me and the idea that he ends up ‘I’m here with them,’ so it pays
homage to these three greats.
Music News: Well it’s definitely very bluesy.
Coco Montoya: Yeah, definitely very bluesy.
Music News: Last song an album, “Natural Born Love

Machine”. Is that like a song about yourself?
Coco Montoya: Oh, no, at 71. No, I doubt it.
Music News: Well, you never know. Sometimes they say the
older you get, the better you are. I mean, we’re both the same age, you
and I.
Coco Montoya: If there’s another blues guy that is 71 and is

doing all that, I hate him already. I’m jealous as hell. “Natural Born
Love Machine” started out with a guitar riff that I had that led us into
the groove. We approach the song purely from a musical standpoint to
say we’ll catch a groove, catch some chord changes, which is not the
usual way we go about it, but we talked the groove and the idea, then
we just came in “Natural Born Love Machine”. We just wrote
together, me and Jeff on that, so we had plenty of time to sit around
the studio and come up with that. I think he came up the Natural Born
Love Machine idea and we just kept bouncing it off each other until
we ended up with that, which is a lot of fun. It’s just to me just a great
r&b groove. Lot of fun to play that kind of stuff. I had to break up the Music News: We’ve talked a lot about Jeff Paris. We’ve talked
set from some of the slower models. Some songs are a little slower. about Ronnie Baker Brooks and Leroy Parnell. And let’s give a little
It’s so different. It’s uptempo a little more, but it’s so different from love to a couple of the other musicians on here. Nathan Brown is your
“A Chip And A Chair”, things like that. bassist on here. Tell me about Nathan.
Music News: But there’s a lot of great variety on the album Coco Montoya: Nathan Brown. He’s originally from Michigan.
from song to song. It’s not like they all sound the same. There’s a He lives out here in sunny California and he doesn’t want to leave.
couple that that might sound a little similar, but they’re not. He’s an amazing player. I found him playing with the Boneshakers,
Randy Jacobs And The Boneshakers. Incredible band. Some of the
Coco Montoya: The important thing is to definitely spread the players used to be in Was Not Was. Great band, really funky and
flavors, I guess, like I said, to be able to go in here and do these soulful. I saw him playing at a festival in Santa Cruz, California and I
different kinds of songs on here. They’re so different from each other. went up and gave him my number. Just, I’m looking for another bass
Taking chances is just being able to be free to to create and add player at this time. Let me know if you’re interested. Luckily, him
somebody’s... You know, I never have a problem, somebody comes up being more of a jazz bass player and funk, r&b kind of soul thing, I
live. I didn’t like to feel bad about doing it like that when it’s me, but I wasn’t expecting him to say yes, because there’s a lot of different
really like “You Got Me”. I didn’t like “Stop” as much as “Three genres I cover in the scope of my music. But he said yes to it and he’s
Kings”. I mean, it’s just but that’s because that’s what people are been here ever since and we just enjoyed each other. What an amazing
gonna say out there. Interesting, and that’s why I like the variety. I’m player, very well liked by a lot of people in the business.
not afraid to have the variety to stir it up a little bit. If anything taught
me that was the I Want It All Back album. Don’t forsake everything Music News: Can you comment a little bit on what his playing
that’s inspirational to you because you want to find exactly what the might have lent itself to a couple of songs.
best... all the songs to be accepted. They’re not all going to be
accepted by all people. Coco Montoya: I think Nate’s playing, especially on... looking
for the one that I really love what he does. And “What Did I Say” of
Music News: Absolutely. course, incredible. “Natural Born Love Machine”’s playing is tough. I
Coco Montoya: Yeah. So to me, that’s the whole thing. You mean, it seems Nate always finds the right thing to play and what not
paint the picture, you uncover it. Once you uncover it, now anybody to play. He knows what not to play. With Nate, it’s always asking him
can say what they want. They think that photo, the painting you did is for something you hear and he’s got it. He said, I just don’t want to fill
a piece of shit or they can send another guy which brings me to tears. it up too much, I wanted to make a statement with simple words,
It’s so beautiful. instead of trying to... It’s like writing 50,000 words and you only need
10 to express yourself. He’s brilliant like that.
Music News: Right.
Coco Montoya: That’s what you got to let yourself do, open continued on next page
once you’re done with it. That’s okay.
thing.
Coco Montoya: There’s nothing he

can’t play. He’s a great harmonica player,
that’s something. I’m thinking of ideas of
how to feature that... I’m going to feature Jeff
on... He’s phenomenal. He’s just a wonderful
talent and wonderful guy to have on the road.
My boys are all behind me. It’s just some-
times I am amazed by how behind me they
are and how much effort they put out. So
another one of the reasons why it was the
right thing to do for us to go in here as a band
and do the album.
Music News: Well, Tony’s on for four

songs on here.
Coco Montoya: Yeah, and that’s stuff

that needed Tony’s expertise on, which is
absolutely wonderful. It always is.
Music News: And what was it like

working with him as your producer?
Coco Montoya Coco Montoya: Tony is great. Tony

has great ideas, great vision. He listens,
which is great. That’s part of the real
important thing, is to listen to the artists. It’s
not whether the artist is right, or gets his way.
Music News: All right now, I will best guys I’ve had ever, in these guys. It’s whatever ideas going through his head, he
probably get the name wrong on the next one. gets to state it and put it out there and Tony is
But Rena, Rena Beavers. Music News: Okay, and last but really good about that. He’ll stop what he’s
certainly not least, a man of all seasons here. doing. He’ll say, ‘What did you have to say?
Coco Montoya: It’s Renee, Rena Tony Braunagel. Fantastic drummer. What was your idea?’ That was really
pronounced Renee, but he spells it that way. Fantastic producer. important to me. And I’ve always been
And if your guess is as good as mine is why grateful for that and with him. He’s a very
he won’t change it. Coco Montoya: A Scalawag. Great. understanding producer.
Music News: Well, it’s Rena on what Music News: Yeah, he’s from Houston. Music News: And how do you feel that
I’m reading. this album fits in with the rest of your body of
Coco Montoya: Yeah, he’s from work? Is this the best one yet?
Coco Montoya: That’s what it is. Houston. He’s a great guy. I’ve known him
Renee Beavers. for many years, many, many years. We know Coco Montoya: Yeah, I think
a lot of the same people. He did the last two everyone’s the best one as you do it. I mean,
Music News: Okay, tell me a little bit albums before. He brought me in there in the as you move along, you get better and better
about Rena. studio with old friends. The last ones I told and better. I personally really love where the
you does this. I’ve got two albums. Actually, sound is coming from in so many ways. Like
Coco Montoya: I first met Rena out of I got three albums with Mike, Mike Finnegan I said, the freedom this album represents right
the Blue circuit. He was playing with Jennifer on it. If you don’t know Mike Finnegan is now, I never thought I’d ever have. So this
Magnus, and little Milton he played with as Mike Finnegan’s probably... gives me... I’m looking at it when I walk
well if I’m correct. He’d been around. He’s away from this, no matter what it does, plus
done toured with a lot of the great blues Music News: The keyboard player. or minus, that’s up to the good Lord and all
people. He was out here playing in some the people out there that either they’ll like it
local clubs and we really connected. And, Coco Montoya: Yeah, he was the or they won’t. I’m hoping they do. And I
yeah, I saw him when I was in need for ultimate to me in every aspect. I mean, walk away from this album going, I just
another drummer. I mean, he happened to be incredible B-3 player, incredible piano made, in my opinion, a really good album.
around and I gave him a call and he came player... the singing. That man can out sing And I’m at peace with that. That’s important
down. I said, this is the guy and he’s been anybody he ever worked with, anybody he to me. Now we want to take it to the people
here for a long while. And he just once again, ever played with. Mike Finnegan could sing and see what they say.
was really refreshing, he plays to the groove, like you wouldn’t believe and I never thought
plays to the song. That’s what I love about I would have something like that in my band. Music News: What’s the response
my guys, they play to the song.They really try I guess if I had something like that. And the been? I know it’s not out yet, as we’re as
and flush out what is necessary that they need Tony albums, it shows Mike is just tremen- we’re talking now, I know that you’ve
to do or not do. They’re real conscientious dous. Well, I did and when I got a hold of Jeff played this for some people. So tell me what
that way and Rena is very conscientious, like Paris and we talked about him joining the the response has been from the people you’ve
his famous saying. He always says ‘group band, I couldn’t believe it when we got out played it for so far?
responsibly’, which is what his intention and start playing. He could sing his butt off.
always is. And yeah, he’s brought the band to He’s an incredible singer. Jeff is so multi Coco Montoya: Well, I’ve played it for
another level because he’s also is a great talented, so you know what he brings to the very few people. I want to keep it down to
singer. He’s got a great voice and a wonderful band! make sure... I was told also by the company
falsetto, so he’s enhanced the band not only just don’t give it away. I don’t because I want
as the drummer, but also a background Music News: Absolutely, he plays
vocalist. And so yeah, I’ve got probably the guitar, he plays keyboards, he plays every- continued on next page

Coco Montoya
it to be done right and correct. I have personal friends of mine, a few
personal friends of mine, that just, they think it’s the best thing I’ve
ever done. But that’s too early now to even tell if that means anything.
Give us six months down the road. And we’ll see where this thing is
sitting on the charts to see where this thing is selling, because you
never... I don’t think there’s anybody, I don’t care how big you are,
how small you are. I mean, nobody’s got their finger on the pulse of
what sells and what doesn’t, what’s a hit, what’s not a hit. Nobody can
really. I don’t believe anybody can pinpoint that. People can guess.
But you never really know until that actually does what it’s supposed
to do.
Music News: I don’t know, you’re on Alligator Records and

Bruce Iglauer is very vocal about what he thinks is going to be good
and what is not going to be good, so when you played it for Bruce,
what happened?
Coco Montoya: You know, that’s what’s also brilliant, which is

a very good sign, that also leads me to be more... Even when I say
things well, you never know. But I feel confident, I feel good in this.
And so did Bruce, when we played it, we went to Chicago and
brought him the roughs of demos. And these weren’t even the tracks.
We brought the demos in there. And we listened to all 13 of them. And
he just looked at us and said, I like them all. And believe me, there’s a
guy over there named Bruce Iglauer that will tell you straight out if
there’s something he doesn’t like. He doesn’t have a problem, so it
was a great, great experience for him to say I like them all. And my
manager John Boncimino just said, ‘Well, do we got an album? And
Bruce said, ‘Yeah, let’s get to work’. So that’s a positive sign all the
way down the road to get us to where we are here. Now the next thing
is when we get it released, get it to the people and see where it goes.
And I’m very, very enthusiastic. I’m very, I’ve got a positive mind that
this is going to be probably one of the best sellers if not the best seller.
Music News: I think response on it is going to be fantastic. I

really do.
Coco Montoya: I actually have a good feeling it does. I feel Coco Montoya: Well right now I can’t get this out of my mind,
really positive on this thing. And it’s not just me, it’s all these people so this would be the one because it’s so diverse. We worked hard on
that we just talked about that are involved all the way down the line. the other ones to be a little diverse as well if you go back and listen to
Without their input, it wouldn’t be what you’re hearing. I don’t think it them. I guess what I’d like this to do is to hear this and then want to
would be. Everybody was necessary. go back and get the others and listen to the others and listen where as
you know, as we count on this road since the first release. That’s the
Music News: Anything you’d change? idea. It’s like, listen to this and then if you can go back further. Go
back further. It may make you want to. I want it to make people say, ‘I
Coco Montoya: No. No, there’s nothing unless there’s some- gotta hear his other stuff’.
thing I can give you. There’s always stupid stuff. You can go in there
go ‘Oh god, I hate that guitar riff. I could play that better.’ You could Music News: Well, this is Coco Montoya today.
do that to yourself ad nauseam. So you try to, you walk away from
this saying ‘look, this works and I’m presenting this. I think this is Coco Montoya: Absolutely.
great.’ And like I said there’s a couple of little things in there that I
probably would have changed, but you know what it is. To me beauty Music News: Well, what haven’t I talked about that I should
has little flaws. You get too perfect, it’s too sterile, it’s too perfect. I have?
used to make that comparison to Playboy. When playing I used to
have these beautiful pictures of these beautiful women and then you Coco MontoyaL Well, I don’t know. We pretty much covered
go back as they moved to Munna, they airbrushed everything so this I think. We got Tony there.
much, and then you start seeing make believe commercials and all this
stuff in this limited process that they’re just like mannikins. That’s not Music News: As soon as we hang up, you’re going to think of
attractive to me. You know, a woman with a wrinkle here or a woman something that we should have talked about.
with a beauty mark there, that’s real. That’s the same thing to music,
it’s like a beautiful piece of wood. It’s got a knot in it that you leave in Coco Montoya: I know, well that’s always the way it goes.
there because it looks great. It’s got a great design to it. There’s a lot That’s the way it goes. It was just an amazing, great time. The idea
of ways of comparing it. This album to me is perfection and its actually is kind of a background info thing. It just like we were doing
imperfection. this album as well. Jeff’s studio in the back it was... what was brilliant
about this situation is like Jeff’s studio is not far away from being a
Music News: I certainly understand your feelings with that. real studio. We had to bring in a brand new recording system. So there
That’s great. If someone listened to your music for the very, very first was things that need to be done to fire this thing up. It’s like finding an
time, and they’ve never heard anything you’ve done before, what
album would you want them to listen to, this one? continued on next page

Coco Coco Montoya: Other than, you know,
I was grateful for Two Rock Amplifiers. I got
one of those and it’s proved to be very useful
in the studio, that one and my Steve Carr amp
which one of us went find a payphone? Yeah,
we had to call the promoter and all this stuff.
And then he was saying the guy was there
and you weren’t there. No, we’re sitting here,
Montoya and we used a lot of different things. We had

another Super of Jeff’s that we used in there
and it’s just the right thing to use. We line all
the amps up and then everything came into
there’s nothing. And I don’t know how... I
think John got a couple of taxis to come find
us and take us to the hotel. We were sweating
bullets in that dark, dark parking lot. I
(continued from
into favor at one point or another. remember that.
previous page)
old car. It’s a little dirty here. I want it to start. Music News: All right. Well, I want to Music News: Yeah, gravel.
If not, what do I gotta do to get this started up thank you for your time. And if you think of
and we had to work on it. I brought in anything else, give me a call. Otherwise, I Coco Montoya: Yeah, gravel. Exactly.
microphones I’ve had from other items that I hope I’ll be able to see you in Houston again. Oh, that was just, that’s the road. It’s the
bought over the years. They were really good sometime. I believe I saw you here at.... God, blues. It happens.
microphones. A couple of preamps I had, a I want to say it had to be 10 to 15 years ago at
set of Tannoy speakers. Jeff had dug this out the club called Rockefellers, Music News: Yeah, I’m sure you’ve
and dug that out so I brought all of this got a lot of tales you can tell about different
recording equipment I had for my demos in Coco Montoya: Rockefellers. That’s venues you performed at, some good, some
my house that I wasn’t using. So we basically about right, Rockefellers. So that’s still there. bad. Some a little shaky.
built a studio and fired it up and got all the
bad pits out of that whole thing. I don’t Music News: Yeah. Coco Montoya: Yes. some not good,
understand the digital recording. Now that’s some great. All in all, it all averages out. It’s
way out of my realm, but these guys basically Coco Montoya: Oh, man. Oh, yeah. I all good.
built up the studio and got it running. And so used to play there with Mayall. I played with
there was a lot going on trying to do all that, Albert. Music News: Well, I’ll let you go.
get it ready, and then finally start working. Thank you for your time. It looks like we
But in the meantime, we had the ability to Music News: Yeah, it used to be a bank spent about an hour on this, which I don’t
make the demos, so we had to make the that was robbed by Bonnie and Clyde. know if that’s too long or too short.
demos and try and get the studio built up and
running on its own. So we did. Jeff did an Coco Montoya: Yeah, yeah, I remem- Coco Montoya: I think we’re fine.
amazing amount of stuff. Tony was really ber that story. That’s great. They robbed that
helpful. A couple of the engineers came out place. Music News: All right. Well, thanks
and helped us troubleshoot all kinds of things again. You have a great weekend. And I’m
and it took a long while so we had to do all Music News: Yeah, there’s still chunks looking forward to the next album as well.
that in the meantime and then eventually go of concrete knocked out on the wall outside
in there and start working, cutting and it was where they shot it up a little bit. Coco Montoya: All right, buddy.
a blessing. Next time we go in there, it won’t Thank you so very much. We’ll hook up the
take nearly as long but I guess the reason why Coco Montoya: I’ll be damned. That’s next time we come down to Texas.
I tell you that it’s it shows the dedication amazing. Wasn’t there another place? Was
from everybody. You know, everybody there a Fitzgerald’s down there? Music News: Okay, I’ll do that.
showed up, everybody got things running, Thanks again. Bye bye.
everybody wasn’t worried about the time Music News: Yeah. Fitzgerald’s, it’s
clock. Nobody was worried when they’re now a parking lot. Coco Montoya: Bye.
gonna get their money. Everybody pretty
much worked on a leap of faith to get it done, Coco Montoya: Oh, goodness Writing On The Wall is definitely the
so we could do it at Jeff’s place and we’re so gracious. best album for Coco Montoya to date. This
glad we did it totally. album is chock full of everything that Coco is
Music News: Oh, yeah. know for, soulful and incendiary leads, great
Music News: Well, before I let you go, melodies and complete music honesty. This
was it the strat you played through the whole Coco Montoya: Well, I remember that is Coco Montoya today. This is the passion of
thing, or did you use other guitars? place. Oh, my God. I was with Mayall. We Coco Montoya out front for everyone to hear.
played there and we flew in to do the gig and As you can tell by the interview, Coco is
Coco Montoya: No, I pretty much used they had backline and stuff. But we had our busting at the seems to get out on the road
that strat through everything. Yeah. That was gear, you know, guitars and John had a and start performing these great songs. Coco
it. I didn’t mess with anything else. I think I keyboard he had to take with him and all that. plans on tour non-stop, as he has been doing
had enough backing things. Jeff played some And we went out to the parking lot to watch all his life to promote his new album, Writing
rhythm parts. Ronnie played some great parts over our gear. The area there was a little On The Wall. For Coco, touring is everything
as well, you know the background and of shaky, a little weird. besides touring back and forth across the
course Dave came in and played. He played United States, Coco has performed in many
an SG on a lot of things in the background. Music News: Right. countries including Australia, Belgium,
So I was covered. I play so unorthodox that Switzerland, Germany, Norway, England,
sometimes playing rhythm parts for me, I can Coco Montoya: But there was Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Ecuador,
tend to play a little out of tune. That’s just an supposed to be a car coming along to take us, Italy, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and
honest factor. I don’t care if anybody knows a van or something to take us back to the Canada. Keep you eyes and ears peeled for
that. I work on it, but I get help when I need it hotel so we could fly out the next day and go Coco Montoya, as without a doubt he will be
and where I need it. I don’t have any ego with home. And nobody showed up. Oh, yeah, this performing somewhere near you in the
that. is when we didn’t have cell phones. This was imminent future. And please be sure to pick
a long time ago. up his new Alligator Records release, Writing
Music News: Well, I enjoyed the guitar On The Wall. It is simply fantastic!
tone through the whole album. It’s a fantastic Music News: Right.
album. And well, nothing else we need to
talk about? You Sure? Coco Montoya: I remember we had to
stand and watch over everything. I forgot
September 2023 • Music News 23
The Foo Fighters Perform At
713 Music Hall On October 10
Foo Fighters are set to return to up album to Medicine at Midnight cally channeling the naivete of Foo
Houston this month on October 10th at (2021). Grohl noted that each album the Fighters’ 1995 debut album, informed by
the 713 Music Hall. This date mark the band records is a response to the prior decades of maturity and depth” while
band’s first live show in Houston since one, and in response to Medicine at lyrically exploring “a brutally honest and
the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Midnight, he was considering writing emotionally raw response to everything
The tour comes in support of Foo “an insane prog-rock record”. Grohl had Foo Fighters have endured recently [...]
Fighters’ new album, But Here We Are. not even started writing said material, as 10 songs that run the emotional gamut
the band was still focusing on touring in from rage and sorrow to serenity and
But Here We Are is the eleventh support of Medicine at Midnight. acceptance, and myriad points in
studio album by the Foo Fighters, Despite this, all plans were later abruptly between.”The album was also described
released on June 2, 2023. Produced by cancelled after longtime drummer, as “the first chapter of the band’s new
Greg Kurstin and the band itself, it is Taylor Hawkins, unexpectedly died in life”. Lyrically, the album explores Grohl
their first studio album since the death of March 2022. The band cancelled coming to terms with not only Hawkins’
their longtime drummer, Taylor everything planned for the rest of the death, but also his mother, Virginia, who
Hawkins, in March 2022. Frontman year, largely going quiet and leaving died at an undisclosed-to-the-public time
Dave Grohl performed and recorded the their future uncertain. In December in 2022. “Under You” released as the
entirety of the album’s drum tracks in 2022, a statement was released confirm- album’s second single, has been de-
Hawkins’ absence. Four singles, “Res- ing that Foo Fighters would continue, but scribed as melodic punk.
cued”, “Under You”, “Show Me How” that they were “going to be a different
and “The Teacher” were released ahead band going forward”. The album was released on June 2,
of the album, while drummer Josh Freese 2023. The first single, “Rescued”, was
was announced as Hawkins’ replacement The album is the third collabora- released concurrently with the announce-
for touring after its release. tion with producer Greg Kurstin, ment of the album on April 19. A second
following Medicine at Midnight (2021) song, “Under You”, was released ahead
As early as mid-2021, Dave Grohl and Concrete and Gold (2017). The band
had already been planning for a follow described the album’s sound as “soni-
24
6 Music
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December
October 2023
2020
Foo Fighters
(continued from
previous page)
of the album on May 17. Over 25 live
shows in support of the album have been
announced across North America and
Europe. On May 21, Josh Freese was
announced as the band’s new drummer,
and during the livestream they debuted
the song “Nothing at All”. Freese made
his live concert debut on May 24, where
the band debuted the album’s title track.
Another song, “Show Me How”, was
released on May 25 and features Grohl
harmonizing with his daughter Violet.
hardcore band Scream as their drummer. Jeremy Enigk, the leader of Sunny Day
With alt-rock anthems heavy on During Scream’s final days, Grohl began Real Estate, had converted to Christian-
melody and personality, Foo Fighters recording his own material in the ity and quit the band, effectively ending
have grown from Dave Grohl’s humble basement studio of his friend Barrett the group’s career. Not only did Mendel
solo project into one of the biggest — Jones. Some of Grohl’s songs appeared join Grohl’s band, but so did Sunny
and most enduring — acts in modern on Scream’s final album, Fumble. After Day’s drummer, William Goldsmith.
rock. Once his self-recorded debut the band’s 1990 summer tour, Grohl Former Germs and Nirvana guitarist Pat
became a hit in 1995, the former Nirvana joined Nirvana and moved cross-country Smear rounded out the lineup. The band,
drummer turned Foo Fighters into a full- to Seattle. named Foo Fighters after a World War II
fledged band whose lineup coalesced secret force that allegedly researched
after the 1997 release of The Colour and After Nirvana recorded UFOs, signed a contract with Capitol
the Shape. With 1999’s There Is Nothing Nevermind, Grohl went back to the D.C. Records. The band’s self-titled debut,
Left to Lose, the group’s sound gelled area and recorded a handful of tracks that consisting solely of Dave Grohl’s solo
into a recognizable signature built upon would appear on Pocketwatch, a cassette recordings, was released in July of 1995.
the hooky loud-quiet-loud dynamics of released by Simple Machines. For most It became an instant success in America,
Pixies and Nirvana, a modern rock sound of 1992, he was busy with Nirvana, but as “This Is a Call” garnered heavy
anchored by Grohl’s love of classic when the band was off the road, he alternative and album rock airplay. By
guitar rock. Alone among their peers, recorded solo material with Jones, who early 1996, the album was certified
Foo Fighters displayed a rigorous work had also moved to Seattle. The pair kept platinum in the U.S.
ethic, recording and touring relentlessly recording throughout early 1993, when
into the 2020s, racking up hit albums, Grohl returned to Nirvana to record In Throughout 1996, Foo Fighters
multiple Grammy wins and, eventually, a Utero. He had toyed with the idea of supported the album with an extensive
2021 induction into the Rock & Roll releasing another independent cassette in tour, enjoying a crossover hit with “Big
Hall of Fame. All this activity allowed the summer of 1993, but the plans never Me.” Late in the year, the group began
the Foos to experiment, whether it was reached fruition. Following Kurt recording its second album with pro-
on 2005’s double-album In Your Honor, Cobain’s suicide in 1994, the drummer ducer Gil Norton. During the sessions,
the travelogue of 2014’s Sonic High- kept quiet for several months. In the fall William Goldsmith left the band due to
ways, or the danceable, feel-good of 1994, Grohl and Jones decamped to a creative tensions, leaving Grohl to drum
anthems on 2021’s Medicine at Mid- professional studio, where in the space of on the majority of the album. Before the
night. The dedication to work also a week, they recorded the songs that record’s release, Goldsmith was replaced
carried Foo Fighters through tragedy comprised Foo Fighters’ debut album. by Taylor Hawkins, who had previously
when their drummer Taylor Hawkins Boiling down his backlog of songs to drummed with Alanis Morissette. The
unexpectedly died in 2022. Grohl rallied about 15 tracks, Grohl played all the Colour and the Shape, Foo Fighters’
the group to deliver But Here We Are, a instruments on the album. He made 100 second album and the first they recorded
cathartic tribute to their colleague, the copies of the tape, passing it out to as a band, was issued in May of 1997.
following year. friends and associates. In no time, Smear left the group in the wake of the
Grohl’s solo project became the object of album’s completion and was replaced by
All of this industriousness stems a fierce record company bidding war. guitarist Franz Stahl, whose stay proved
from Dave Grohl, who had been playing short-lived; 1999’s There Is Nothing Left
guitar and writing songs long before he Instead of embarking on a full- to Lose was recorded as a three-piece,
began drumming. Throughout his early fledged solo career, Grohl decided to with ex-No Use for a Name guitarist
teens he performed in a variety of form a band. Through his wife he met Chris Shiflett signing on soon after.
hardcore punk bands and in the late ’80s Nate Mendel, the bassist for Sunny Day
he joined the Washington, D.C.-area Real Estate. Shortly before the pair met, continued on next page

to the Billboard charts, peaking in the
Top 20 on the Hard Rock, Alternative,
Tastemaker, and Vinyl charts. Soon after,
the band announced an indefinite hiatus
and would not release new music until
two years later, when they returned with
the single “Run.” This was the first taste
of their ninth album, Concrete and Gold,
which appeared in September 2017.
Produced by Greg Kurstin, the album
found Grohl incorporating some prog
rock influences into the group’s sound. It
also featured a handful of unexpected
guest performers, including Paul
McCartney, who played drums on a
track, saxophonist Dave Koz, Boyz II
Men’s Shawn Stockman, and the Kills’
Alison Mosshart; the latter two both
added backing vocals. Along with
Foo Fighters topping the rock charts, the album was
also the group’s second to debut at
(continued from previous page) number one on the Billboard 200.
confines of Queens of the Stone Age,
One by One, the group’s most drumming on their 2013 album, ...Like Foo Fighters toured extensively
polished production, appeared in late Clockwork. He also threw himself into throughout 2017 and 2018, including
2002, followed by 2005’s In Your Honor, directing a documentary about the making an appearance at the Glastonbury
which narrowly missed the top of legendary Los Angeles recording studio Festival. By 2019, they were back at
Billboard’s album chart. After releasing a Sound City. The film appeared early in work in the studio, recording in an
live album titled Skin and Bones in 2013 to positive reviews, and it was historic house in Encino, California, and
2006, the band returned to Norton’s accompanied by a soundtrack called again working with producer Kurstin.
studio and started constructing a dozen Sound City: Reel to Real, which featured Initially scheduled for release in 2020,
fractured, eclectic rock songs to be Grohl-directed jams including a variety Medicine at Midnight was delayed due
released in 2007 under the name Echoes, of Sound City veterans, plus Paul to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a
Silence, Patience, and Grace. Two years McCartney. Not long after its release, lead single, “Shame Shame,” did appear
later, the group released its first compila- Foo Fighters announced that their hiatus in November 2020, topping the main-
tion, Greatest Hits, as Grohl launched his had ended and they were working on a stream rock chart. Two more songs
new supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, new album. Sonic Highways, released followed, “No Son of Mine” and
which also featured Josh Homme of late in 2014, was their most ambitious “Waiting on a War,” paving the way for
Queens of the Stone Age and Led project yet; each track was recorded in a the album, which ultimately arrived in
Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. Foo Fighters different city, some with special featured February 2021. In March 2022, the Foo
reconvened for 2011’s Wasting Light, a guests, a process documented on an Fighters traveled to South America to
Butch Vig production that doubled as the eight-episode documentary series for play a handful of concerts, headlining the
official return of Pat Smear, who hadn’t HBO. Sonic Highways saw international Lollapalooza festival in Argentina on
played on any of the band’s albums since release in early November 2014. During March 20. On the morning of March 25,
1997. Wasting Light wound up as a the Sonic Highways world tour, the Foos 2022, drummer Taylor Hawkins was
smash success for the Foos, debuting at had the honor of being the final band to found dead in his hotel room in Bogotá,
number one on the Billboard charts, perform on The Late Show with David Colombia, where the group was sched-
going gold in the U.S. and garnering the Letterman on May 24, 2015. Soon after, uled to perform that evening; he was 50
band another four Grammy Awards. In as touring resumed, Grohl fell from the years old.
the wake of Wasting Light, several other stage during a stop in Sweden, breaking
Foo projects emerged — a limited- his leg. He performed from a throne for At the end of 2022, Foo Fighters
edition compilation of covers called the remainder of the tour, which was announced they planned to continue as a
Medium Rare released for Record Store rechristened the “Broken Leg Tour.” band following the death of Hawkins.
Day 2011; a documentary of the band Grohl and his bandmates processed the
called Back and Forth — and the group In late 2015, both as a gesture of loss of their colleague on But Here We
toured the album into 2012. appreciation to fans and a tribute to the Are, an album that occasionally echoed
victims of the Paris terror attacks, Foo the spirit of the first Foo Fighters album
In 2012, Foo Fighters announced Fighters released the Saint Cecilia EP, a while also featuring the assured, precise
they were taking a hiatus and Dave five-song blast that featured Gary Clark, execution of Greg Kurstin, who returned
Grohl immediately returned to the Jr. and Ben Kweller. It returned the band for his third record with the Foos.
626
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2020
https://www.thebigeasyblues.com
October 7 - Tony Vega’s Birthday Bash!
October 20 & 21 - Keeshea Pratt’s
Birthday Blasts!
October 29 - John Calderon’s Sunday Sessions
@ 7-11pm
Thursday, October 26
Houston Blues Society
Jam hosted by
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Live Music Schedule

Sunday, October 1 - Freak Establishment Tour
Thursday, October 5 - Rose Invasion, Transmission Lost, San Merci
Friday, October 6 - Crushing Planes, Linus, Take This To Our Grave, Bright Fires
Saturday, October 7 - Stone Side, Further North, The After Dark Society, Long Live
Sunday, October 8 - Time Capsule, Hitch Band, The Ronnies
Thursday, October 12 - He Films The Clouds, Under Auburn Skies, Atlas Below
Friday, October 13 - The One Man Menace
Saturday, October 14 - Distartica CD release
Sunday, October 15 - Jackson Aberdeen
Tuesday, October 17 - TANG, Challenger Deep, and Medians
Wednesday, October 18 - Feral Vices
Thursday, October 19 - Bovine, MatthewTheFilm, Bipolar Joyride
Friday, October 20 - STONE AND METAL
Saturday, October 21 - Michale Graves, 307Departure, Doug Westcott, The Revisions
Sunday, October 22 - Bobcat
Thursday, October 26 - The Human Condition with special guests Wick
Friday, October 27 - Mourning Sun, Nativo
Saturday, October 28 - Bar Rats
Sunday, October 29 - KONINGSOR, Never Rest, Four Funerals, Soul Way, Postalsatx
promotions, and believe me, they had some
great ones. At any rate, why don’t you kick
back and take a little time and read this great
interview I did with Chris. It will probably
bring back a lot of memories to you to.
Music News: Hello.
Chris Alan: Hi.
Music News: How are you doing

today?
Chris Alan: Not too good. What a

terrible day. Well, not terrible. You heard
about Moby, right?
Music News: No.
Chris Alan: Oh my god! Moby died

yesterday.
Music News: Oh no!
Chris Alan: So, all last night and today

and I’ve just sat here and went through
hundreds of... We’re putting together... you
know who Bob Ford is right?
Music News: Yeah.
Chris Alan: Yeah, Bob and ... Well,

with Houston Radio Platinum we started
yesterday, we’re putting together a tribute for
Moby for Houston Radio Platinum and then
Bob is going to create a tribute video, so
we’ve been wrangling cats overnight. And
today, Dayna Steele and Brian Shannon and
John Lander to Sam Malone, all these great
radio people to submit videos or just
recordings or just a blurb, just hey, “here’s
my, here’s my Moby story,” and they tell their
Moby story and so we’ve been working on
that from last night. I got up this morning and
got right back on it. I’m just sitting here
going through all these Moby pictures and
compiling them for Bob to use in the tribute
video that he’s going to be putting together.
Music News: Moby was on the cover
Talkin’ T-Shirts, Houston of our second issue of Music News.
Chris Alan: If you can, if you’ve got a
Radio, & Moby With DJ & copy of an image of that send it to me and
I’ll put it in with the photos.
Music News: I actually don’t. I went

Entrepreneur Chris Alan down there to the station and did an interview
with him and he was as colorful as ever. It
really freaked out the girls that I had that
We recently sat down and talked with while. We sat there and talked for what were transcribing the interview for me to put
entrepreneur Chris Alan, former KLOL DJ, seemed about forever about Houston Radio, in the magazine back then, but you know how
the owner of all the Christian’s Tailgate’s in T-Shirts, the good old days in radio and even he talked. Especially off air.
Houston, and now the Saturday afternoon DJ about our mutual friend, former 97Rock DJ
on Houston Radio Platinum, an online and on Moby, who had recently passed away. Let Music News: Well, we, Sam Malone.
air radio station, about his new business, the me tell you, it was a helluva conversation and Do you remember Sam Malone?
T-Shirt business. Chris is revitalizing the T- was certainly a lot of fun to reminisce about
Shirt brands of radio stations KIKK, 97Rock, the good old days when radio was King in Music News: Yeah.
and KLOL. If you ever wanted one of those Houston and you could hear your favorite
sought after shirts and never could get one or DJ’s talk and talk about what was going on Chris Alan: Yeah. Well, for my
if you mother, girlfriend or wife threw away around Houston. That conversation really favoriteradioshirts.com, we did this legends
or destroyed it, they can now be replaced. All brought back a lot of memories for me. Back of Houston podcast.
you have to do is go to https:// then I did a lot of business with KLOL and
www.favoriteradioshirts.com/ and order the 97Rock. It was always a lot of fun to go Music News: I’ve been watching it this
shirt of your choice. I’ve got to say, this was down to the stations and hang out there. It
one of the best conversations I’ve had in a was even more fun to show up at their continued on next page
Chris Alan
morning.
Chris Alan: The one with Moby?
Music News: Yeah.
Chris Alan: Okay. Yeah. So did you see it on Mike McGuff? I

gave it to him yesterday. We were debating, Sam and I yesterday were
talking and I go ‘Do you realize that this may be his last interview?’
And Sam goes ‘oh my god, Chris. I bet it is.’ And I go ‘so how can we
share this without it looking like we’re trying to shill for shirts?’ He
goes ‘don’t worry about that. Just put it out there now. It’s a historical
thing.’ And it’s really prophetic when you listen to him talk in it. I
listened to it again yesterday when I was out doing my run. But yeah,
he has a potty mouth and he goes ‘oh, shit. I can say shit.’
Music News: Yeah, I saw all that. He was very colorful when I
went down to the station and we did the interview. Of course, we
weren’t on air so he could really express himself, but that was’ 82.
Chris Alan: Yeah, Bob told me the story last night or yesterday
and that he, of course, Bob Ford should be a writer. He wrote this
huge Facebook post about his friend Moby and about the very first
day they met. Moby showed up at 97Rock in a car and parts of it were
falling off because he had hit something and Bob took him to
Fitzgerald’s. That was the first bar they went to and Bob and I, last
night on the phone, were just telling stories about Moby and about
various things and about how genuine and how selfless and how real
Moby was. Bob said “Chris only one time when we were at the
Astrodome and Moby was at the height of his fame, Moby pulled out
the ‘I’m the superstar card’” and Bob goes ‘Come on, man, you’re not
going to do, you’re not going to do that shit with me. Come on man,
I’m Bob Ford, I’m your buddy.’ He said Moby just started apologizing
profusely ‘man, you know that really isn’t me. I’m sorry man. I can’t
believe I acted like that.’ And he was acting like a superstar, which he
had every right to, but deep down Moby’s just not that guy. He’s the
most down to earth, just a simple guy and after talking with Mike radio stations been sold. Now, nobody worry, just keep doing your job
McGuff last week... you know the KLOL movie Premiere’s coming up the same way you are. Everything should be all right. Well, no, once
October the 12th I believe. I’m a corporate sponsor. I went down to that happens unless you’re just lucky as hell, your job is done. And
Match Theater. It’s in Midtown, mid-Main and I went down there getting another radio job isn’t easy. There’s only so many positions,
earlier this week, Tuesday I believe, I can’t remember what day. We full-time positions at each radio station... five.
went down and did a walkthrough because I’m going to be provid-
ing... Christian’s Tailgate’s going to be providing the food and then I Music News: Yeah, you got to go out and kill someone to get
cut the sponsorship in half to be Christians Tailgate slash the job.
Favoriteradioshirts.com. We looked at the facility and then went into
the theater and stuff and then Mike and I were just sitting and chatting Chris Alan: Well, yeah, or you got to do like me. I was
afterwards about the difficulties in making that documentary. ‘It’s all fortunate enough to, I learned early in my career that if, if you just do
of the egos.” He goes, ‘Chris, you don’t understand.’ You know, there a bunch of shit that nobody asked you to do, they kind of want to keep
are certain people that years later have come back to me and said, I you around. And so I would do, I would do that. In fact, Shelly James,
want to go back and I want you to re-interview me. Because, you my PD at Arrow 93.7... A couple of months ago, she goes Chris, I
know, because I’ve lost a lot of weight and I look a lot better now than haven’t talked to you in a long time. I texted her. I go call me, let’s
I did it.’ And Mike’s like ‘the film’s already made. I go, ‘well, who talk and we’re talking and she goes, can I tell you the one thing I love
was the best?’ He goes, ‘Dayna.’ And I go, ‘of course, she’s the best.’ the most about you? And I go What’s that? She was Chris, you did
I just got off the phone with her. I just got her to record a video tribute anything and everything. And she goes, a lot of times I would just be
to Moby. She’ll do anything, she’s so great. thinking this needs to be done and I would walk in and you’re doing
it. She goes, ‘that’s what I loved about you. I go, ‘Shelly, thanks for
Music News: I remember when the station turned over to telling me that’, but I’ve heard that from all my PD’S, because I just
Spanish. I got a call in the morning from a couple of DJs and they’re knew how to protect my job. I used to do stuff and people will be like,
going, man, we showed up at the station. They wouldn’t even let us go who did this, this is great. And then people would go, ‘I didn’t’, ‘I
upstairs. don’t know’, ‘Oh, it was Chris’ and the other DJs would go, ‘f@#king
Chris, man. But then when Hit 96.5... You know it was 97 Rock, then
Chris Alan: Oh my god! Hit 96.5, and then it became Energy 96.5, so it couldn’t have been two
more different formats. Hit 96.5 was an AC Adult Contemporary
Music News: We had to be escorted up to get our stuff out of format. Energy 96.5 was a high energy dance nightclub blah. You
there. know, I was the only person that made the transition from the the AC
station into the high energy dance station and the station manager,
Chris Alan: That’s just terrible, man. Well, my stomach has this God, I can’t remember her name. Last name was Campbell, Susan,
feeling in it right now because I’ve worked in radio since I was 19 and Susan Campbell. She came from Power 106 in LA. It’s a big time
I know that feeling. You come in and you go, ‘oh, something’s f@#king station. She called me in and she goes, ‘Hey Chris, I see you
wrong’, and then they call everybody to the conference room, the continued on next page
gone. And they come in and no matter how
big you are, you’re all gone. You’re gone.
Everybody’s gone. We’re now playing
German Oompah music and you know we’re
going to cater to the German population here
in Houston. Thanks sir. Thanks for everything
you’ve done. Oh by the way don’t bother
trying to go upstairs. We won’t allow that,
your stuffs in a box over here, so that’s the
one thing about radio I absolutely hated.
Music News: I hated the transition

because I was out money when KLOL folded.
They had been a sponsor of the magazine for
forever, forever. We even had KLOL on the
cover of the magazine.
Chris Alan: Yeah, there in the 90s,

radio stations started producing their own
magazines. Well, Clear Channel did. Right
now I’m staring at a photo, at a framed Jamz
The Magazine KISS 98.5, Nsync on the
cover. I was the executive producer of this
magazine for KISS 98.5, Magic 102, and 97.9
The Box. We just had different issues with
the logos on it. And I had a Jamz The
Magazine Van. I’ve staring at another picture
of me standing next to the Jamz The
Magazine van. My house looks like a Hard
Rock by the way. When you bought an ad in
Jamz The Magazine, you got a mini remote
where Chris Alan would drive the van out to
your location. “Hey, it’s Chris Alan with
Jamz The Magazine. Come pick up your
fresh new copy of Jamz Magazine. We’re
here at Shorties Hydraulic Shop, you know to
make cars bounce up and down. We’ll be here
for the next 45 minutes, come by.’ Yeah, that
was part of what you got with your ad when
you bought an ad. We were billing over
$35,000 a month. It was non traditional
revenue, NTR. Money that wasn’t there
before and it was a cheap, easy way to ease
into radio advertising I, to buy a little quarter
page or larger in Jamz The Magazine and you
got a free mini remote. It was fun. It was a lot
of fun. And then it all went away. Radio
looked for short term gain and profits over
what would keep radio profitable and going
on for years and years and so they’ve just cut
and slashed and now radio’s just a shell of
what it used to be and nobody really listens
Chris Alan anymore. Why would you when you stepped

down for nine or 10 minutes with nine or 10
minutes worth of commercials in a row.
continued from previous page Nobody’s gonna listen to that shit, especially
a kid.
look worried. Chris, you’re not going wasn’t because of talent. it was because of all
anywhere. You’re going to be a part of what the shit I did that, that they loved that. Hell, I Music News: Well, I loved working
we’re doing on the other things, but don’t go would sweep a radio station out if I had to. with KLOL. I’ve worked with Doug Harris
around telling.’ She goes, ‘You still got to... there. I remember one time. Doug calls me up
she goes, ‘Chris, we’re gonna make every- Music News: Well, you know, free and he goes, ‘Kevin, I got bad news. Our
body go through an audition, a live audition help’s hard to come by. budget got slashed. We don’t have any money
on the air. It’s starting at two o’clock in the for the next six months to spend with Music
morning until five o’clock in the morning.’ Chris Alan: Yeah, it is. It is. And like I News. Can we give you our Chevy Blazer?’
All the other old timey jocks and shit had to said, in the radio business... You know, So they gave Blazers that the DJs had been
come in and all these guys go on. They were you’ve heard the saying ‘where there’s tearing up, so I drove that around for a while.
used to saying, ‘Hit 96.5, we’ve got another smoke, there’s fire. Yeah, in the radio
blah, blah, blah, you know, they had to come business, where there’s smoke, there is a Chris Alan: Did that have the Silver
in and go Hit 96.5, here we go. And she goes, f@#king forest fire. So the first time you hear Surfer on the side of it.
You got to do the audition too. She goes ‘but a rumor? ‘Hey, man, I heard something that
Chris, don’t sweat it. You have a job.’ And I you all might be sold’, it’s true. Just know it’s Music News: Well no, they painted the
go ‘thanks for telling me.’ She goes ‘don’t tell true. It was true. That’s the thing I do not whole truck gray when I got it, primer gray.
anybody else. ‘I go, ‘I won’’, and it came to miss about radio, is there’s that sinking sick
fruition and so I was lucky that way. But It feeling that they just come in and you’re
continued on page 34
Show
Your
Tribe!
Order
Yours
Today!
I was kind of I was kind of the guy that came
in did my stuff and I didn’t hang out with
jocks. I didn’t hang out with the other
announcers and stuff. I didn’t, I don’t know
why.Not because I was stuck up. It’s just I
wasn’t that guy. I didn’t go get drunk with the
other jocks and stuff and years later I look
back on and go, ‘why didn’t I hang out with
these guys.’ And now I’ve made up for that
by now hanging out with these guys and
talking to him and getting to know people. It
was such a competitive business that if you
were the competitor, I wanted nothing to do
with you and damn sure won’t go out and
have a beer with you,. I wanted to kill you on
the radio. I wanted to beat your ass. I had to
demonize my competition, which I guess if
you’re an athlete that’s a good thing, but not
in life and so now for the past 15 or 20 years
or so, I’ve just made an effort to go back and
make friends with these people that I didn’t
hang out with, that may have thought, ‘Chris
is just kind of stuck up, he just doesn’t like
hanging out with us’ and now they’re
surprised to learn that Chris is a good guy. I
wish he would have hung around and and I
don’t know, you probably have to talk to hear it again? I loved just picking the phone
up and giving him a call, just chit chatting,
Chris Alan psychologists to figure out why that hap-
pened, but it was just the way I was. I love
everything radio and I love doing this stuff.
Sam Malone wants to be remembered, God,
wanting to shoot the shit. So that’s done.
Music News: Well, he ended up

continued from Moby wanted to be remembered, he love moving to Nashville, didn’t he?
being remembered. I would call Moby every
previous page month, month and a half just to shoot the shit
with him and tell him that ‘hey Moby I was at
Chris Alan: No, he lives right outside
of Atlanta, just a little to the north of Atlanta
Chris Alan: That’s the one that had the a restaurant today and I could overhear and a town called Roswell with Mary Beth,
Silver Surfer on it right. people at another table and they were talking his wife. That’s where he’s been living up to
about you’, and he’s like, ‘no shit,’ because a couple of weeks ago, or a few weeks ago.
Music News: Yeah, I think so. he would always go, ‘Chris, do people even He went to the doctor for some pains and
remember me in Houston?’ I’m like, ‘oh my stomach pains and issues and they went in
Chris Alan: There are images of that god they remember you. Yeah, of course they and they did, I guess exploratory. They
online. Yeah. That was way before my time remember you Moby’, and he loved hearing determined he had stomach cancer and then
there. I was only there for a few years right at those stories, so I loved calling him and they said it was stage four, so they operated
the very end. But I was fortunate enough to to telling him those stories. I’m the person that on him and he at this time wasn’t right. When
be over at the Lovett Studio. I wasn’t there gently took a while to convince Moby to be he went into the hospital, I called his house. I
when they moved over to radio hell over by on Houston Radio Platinum, even though it’s didn’t want to bother him on his cell phone,
Post Oak in the Galleria area, so I wasn’t voice tracking, which he was familiar with. so I called the house phone and left a heartfelt
there. I was in there one day to cut a I’ll always remember where I was sitting in message for him and Mary Beth and then sent
commercial for one of our nightclubs at the my jeep. We were talking and I was parked in an email and said just ‘you’re in my prayers.’
hip hop station that was in there. What was my jeep. I was about to go in and get my hair And then we get the news yesterday that he
it? I can’t remember what it was called... Hot cut and he goes ‘what are you doing’ and I go that he passed, and it was from stage four
97.1 and I walked down the hall and Outlaw ‘I’m waiting for the damn hairdresser.’ I’m stomach cancer. That’s a shame, man. But
Dave was on the air and I opened the door sitting out my jeep, I don’t like sitting in the these tributes are going to be good and I’m
and stuck my head and he’s ‘What the hell waiting room inside and we’re talking and continued on next page
are you doing up here?’ You know, I just felt talking and finally he goes ‘Chris, why do
bad. That’s not KLOL, not up here. KLOL’s you like doing this Houston Radio Platinum.’
at Lovett Boulevard in the heart of the crime I go ‘Moby because I can sit down and I can
free Montrose. Just terrible. So, how are we put my headphones on and when it tails out
going to do this, or is that going to be the of the song is rolling, I’m back at KILE in
interview? Galveston, my first radio job or I’m in the
control room at KLOL or I’m on The Arrow
Music News: Well no, we’ll talk a little 93.7 or a station in Austin. Just all of those
bit more than just that. I looked at your memories come back with this man.’ He
website and somehow I look on here and I goes, ‘Chris, you don’t have to say anything.’
think it’s more than just t-shirts for you. I He goes, ‘I’ll do it. I’ll do it. I’ll do it.’ And I
think this is a bit of a nod to your legacy. go, ‘great.’ So I was so excited and then I
called Joey K. and I told him ‘Moby’s in’. We
Chris Alan: Well, maybe a little Yeah, I got everything set up for him and he gave us
didn’t work at 97 rock or KIKK, but I love all of his vocal tracks we had to pull them all
radio and I miss radio, even though I do this off the air yesterday. Now they’re replacing
Houston Radio Platinum, Saturday afternoon everything with tributes to Moby, which is
thing. And so I do that and it’s a chance to sad man. I’m gonna miss calling him and like
have those same emotions and feelings of in my little blurb that I put in Mike McGuff’s
being on the air, which I missed. And all thing, Moby made a lot of people laugh. I
radio guys miss that. I think I may I may loved listening to Moby laugh. And you
have told you before when I was on in radio, know, I’ll miss that forever. No one will ever
Chris Alan
continued from previous page
looking forward to all the stuff that we’re putting together and that
other people are doing as well. It just shocked a lot of people that this
just happened.
Music News Well, I’m shocked since you told me today. I’ve
just been listening and watching the video on your website. And I
mean, I’m talking 10 minutes ago, well, 10 minutes before I talked to
you and then I hear, he’s not here.
Chris Alan: Yeah, that was that was filmed in late July or early
August. So it was right before he he got his diagnosis, just a little bit
before that. And so yeah, that’s a shame man. Yeah, it’s a shame. But
I don’t know, I don’t know what to say.
Music News: But let’s talk about the t-shirt business.
Chris Alan: All right
Music News: Tell me about the T shirts. What got you started in
doing these?
Chris Alan: Well, a friend of mine, Tim Trostle, who worked at

97 Rock and worked at Rock 101. He worked with Doug. He was a
promotions guy and he was part time on the air at these great stations
and Q102 in Dallas. And Tim, bless his heart, has Parkinson’s disease.
I just got him moved to another Assisted Living Center and that was
the hardest thing in the world yesterday, to go over there and and tell
him about his friend Moby. But Tim and I were talking about doing
these T shirts. It’d be cool. I wonder why nobody’s done this, but then
we come to find out some people have, but they’re not associated with
radio like we were so I wanted to do this as something to give Tim
something to look forward to, where he would wake up and go ‘T
shirts man, Chris let’s talk about how we can promote these’ and so it
was for that. Now it’s morphed into doing this with Doug Harris.
Some of the money will be used for the George Batches Foundation.
He’s the guy that created the Red Runaway Radio. So I’m doing some
of that for that for charities. There’s not a whole lot of profit in the t-
shirt, but I’m using it for these charities and for Dayna’s ‘A Woman In
The Mirror’ play, her foundation for that, her nonprofit. And that’s we’re on the stage just throwing the T-Shirts out into the crowd and
how I got started. And actually the KLOL shirt, not this past February, everybody’s jumping up and fighting for them and stuff.’ And Scott
but February 2022, when we had the KLOL reunion, I thought it’d be goes ‘Chris, when the box was empty, I picked the box up and I
really cool thing to make up some old historic KLOL T-shirts, showed everybody out there and turned it upside down and showed
something’s been out of print for a long time. So I made a whole him showed him that it was empty.’ And he said somebody in the
bunch of them to bring up there to give everybody and it was such a crowd was going ‘give us the box’ and he goes ‘Chris, I tossed the box
hit. That’s when I first told Tim that we probably could sell these. A out into the crowd and this one guy gets it and he’s running around
lot of that stuff is in public domain. And you know, that’s why I’m not going ‘I got the box that the shirts came in, I got the box.’ That’s how
doing them with stations that are still on the air. I don’t want to deal f@#king important these things were to people back in the day back in
with the battle. But you have to remember back in the day when these the day. People today cannot understand the importance of of your
great radio stations were still on the air. I’m talking about in their connection to your favorite radio station. Back when you were a
heydays, in the 70s and 80s and early 90s. The only way you got a young adult and teenager or whatever you were, that was your tribe.
Rock KLOL shirt or a 97Rock shirt was if you were taller than the When you pulled into the parking lot at school you could tell which
person to your left and the person to your right, if you were at a kids were which kids. If they had a “Proud to be a KIKKer sticker on
concert or or an event where the radio station was there and they were the back of their car, they were a cowboy, they were a kicker. Then the
throwing T-shirts out into the crowd. You got one and you held on to it stoners and the surfers and the cool kids and whatever had a KLOL or
like grim death. You know, I got my KLOL and nobody else in my a 97Rock sticker there in their window or on their bumper or if they
school has got one or none of my friends has a KLOL or a 97Rock or were fortunate enough, they were wearing the T-Shirt to school.
KIKK shirt. You held on to that shirt until you were married and one
day you’re digging around looking for it and you asked your wife or Music News: I depended a lot on on the radio station T-Shirts
your significant other “where is my KLOL shirt, the one with a Red back then. Back in the 80s there was times I wouldn’t have had
Runaway Radio on it.’ ‘Oh that old thing I cut it up used it for for dust anything to wear if I hadn’t been able to pull out a 101 or a 97Rock T-
cloths years ago.’ So now if your wife or whoever did that, you can Shirt.
come back and replace it. You can find one online. Scott Hunter who
was in the promotions department at 97 Rock and I were having lunch Chris Alan: Oh my gosh yeah. I’ve got a collection of T-Shirts
yesterday at Christian’s Tailgate, where I was in West U when we from almost every radio station that I’ve worked for. In Austin I
learned about Moby’s passing. I asked Scott several months ago, tell worked for a station called Key103. It was a #1 station and we
me your favorite 97Rock t-shirt story. Just tell me a story... Your famously, you know, had no t-shirts, no wax lips, no records. We don’t
favorite story about about 97Rock t-shirts and he goes ‘Chris, that’s give away trash, we give away cash. But we didn’t have t shirts, and
easy. We were down in Galveston. 97Rock had a big stage set up and the only one I’m missing is Energy 96.5 and I gave every one of those
they had a concert and all of this stuff going on the beach in away, I had to. Now I’m looking at right now, going up my stairs
Galveston. Scott said ‘Chris, me and a couple of the promotion kids, upstairs, at these picture frames that are the shape of a T-Shirt and
we have this huge cardboard box full of 97 Summer Rock T-Shirts and continued on next page
Chris Alan
continued from previous page
they’re made to put a whole t-shirt in and they’re really nice to display
your shirts. I’m looking at Rock 101 KLOL, Arrow 93.7, 97.9, The
Box, KILE and I’ve got these T-Shirts from great radio stations that
I’ve worked for. I went digging around for them when I started this
company. I went digging around for those shirts and we may recreate
the Energy 96.5 and another one that people are asking for is Oldies
94.5 and KQQK, that we may be adding. We just added the Silver
Surfer, KLOL Silver Surfer and Silver Surfer logo.
Music News: You need KBTL. Do you remember that?
Chris Alan: Well, of course I do. It used to be KTLW from

Texas City. And then they became KBTL. And then I think they
became KYST.
Music News: Right! They went out of business owing me

money.
Chris Alan: Oh, wow. Do you remember where their studios

were?
Music News: Yeah, it was in Houston. I think over near the

Astrodome.
Chris Alan: Astrodome, exactly, that’s where it was. But

originally, I grew up in in and around Galveston, and there’s a little
town outside of Galveston called Texas City and I went to school
there. And when we were kids, we went down on Sixth Street not to
be confused with Sixth Street nos.
Music News: No, I know, I live down in this area. So I know

Sixth Street.
Chris Alan: Yeah. So there was the Showboat Theater, and it

was an old timey movie theater.
they also did it at KLOL Well, we know when he was in promotions
Music News: It’s still there. over there. He goes, you know they would they would go out and get
exotic dancers, titty dancers and they would set up a tent at an event.
Chris Alan: Yeah, well KTLW was upstairs on the side, KTLW. They would set up a tent and they would have a really buxom lady
Katie Lou is what it was called, Katie Lou. But I was a little kid and walk around saying KLOL or 97Rock, whichever station it was at the
that was the am radio station there, KTLW. And then of course right time, and would say ‘you want to buy the shirt off my back’ and there
across the Galveston Bay was was KGBC in Galveston and KILE and would be a line of guys at this tent and they would walk in and there
KUFO, the FM station, KUFO. And my first radio station that I would be small, medium, large. And the ladies were wearing a T-Shirt
worked for was KILE in Galveston. Pat Fant worked there. Back in and they would give them $20 and the lady would take their shirt off,
the day, Bob Ford, Kenny Miles, Ron Foster, Dan Gallo, Pam Ivey, all nothing on under it and hand them the shirt for $20 and then move on
of these great people worked at that little radio station in Galveston, out of the tent. That’s brilliant.
Texas. Who would have thought Man. There’s so many great people
got their career starts at KILE or had went through there at some point Music News: Oh, that is, that’s a great way to sell shirts.
in their life. And that’s, that’s really cool. You remember Kenny Miles,
Miles In The Morning? Chris Alan: Yeah, it was brilliant. Yeah, you couldn’t do that
today. But yeah, that’s just frigging brilliant. Yeah, and that’s Tim and
Music News: Yeah. those guys. Promotions guys were extremely creative back in the day,
you know, like Doug, to come up with these promotions and stuff, and
Chris Alan: He was on KRBE. just creativity and that’s when radio was creative and radio meant
something. It doesn’t really seem too much anymore. I don’t. I can’t
Music News: T shirts are great bargaining tools. I even had T- say that. Outlaw Dave is on the radio.
Shirts made up for Music News. One time I went to a club in Houston
and my van got blocked in and I had a box of Music News T-shirts, Music News: It was good to see him get hired again on a rock
and it’s blocked in by one of these small compact pickup trucks. So I station.
go ‘hey, if anybody will help me move this truck. I’ll give you all a
free T shirt.’ So we got like 10 people. They picked up the truck. Chris Alan: Yeah. And I was really hoping it was live. I was just
having the image of Dave driving to the studio and going in there and
Chris Alan: Oh wow. sitting down with a cup of coffee or with Dave, a beer and doing a
show. And because he posted online, you know, our man, what a great
Music News: And they moved it out into the middle of show, and I’m heading home and all of this stuff. And I thought, Well,
Westheimer and left it sitting there in the street and I was able to get great. He’s really on the air. And then the other day, of course, Dave’s
my van out and they just left the truck in the street. on the air at Eagle, and then he’s posting live videos of him emceeing
the whatever wet t-shirt contest out at some club. I’m like, Oh, man.
Chris Alan: Oh wow, that’s, that’s great. Tim Trostle reminded You can’t be at two places at once. Greggo streams voice tracks on
me yesterday when I was out at his, at the Assisted Living Center that
he’s in. He goes Chris, he goes back in the day at 97 Rock and he said continued on next page
Chris Alan associated with radio and being especially with KLOL. Well I got to
work at KLOL, to be on the air there and that was where I wanted my
radio career, my real radio career, not what I’m doing on Houston
continued from previous page Radio Platinum, but that’s where I wanted my radio career to end, was
at that station, so the very first shirt I designed was a KLOL shirt. I
The Spot. Do you listen to that ever? love everything about that station and I love everything about KLOL,
the talent that was there, the people that were there, and Dayna Steele
Music News: No. I never listened to the spot. had me design some onesies for kids, and it won’t be long those will
be on the up on the site for sale as well. And the great thing about
Chris Alan: Yeah. 95 is the old KIKK. It was 95.7, but onesies, if you put the KLOL logo on the front, it’s a onesie. if you put
Greggo’s gone there. Greggo voice tracks that. But Greggo voice it on the back, it becomes a dog sweater. It’s the same thing. It’s the
tracks the way I do with Houston Radio Platinum. We were all having two holes and then you know that your front legs and the dog can fit
dinner, Moby, Greggo, and a couple of other people and I asked him, into and man, can you imagine who’s a cool dog out for a walk with a
so you’re voice tracking, or is that live? And he goes, ‘Chris, I voice KLOL or 97Rock T-Shirt on.
track.’ And I go ‘honestly, I was driving one day, and there was a huge
plume of black smoke and you started talking about it.’ He goes, Music News: Well, it looks like you can’t keep the hats in
‘that’s a great thing about voice tracking, because Chris, you can go stock.
back and re-record it and make it sound like you’re there, that it’s live
and I go ‘dude you had me f@#king fooled. He says ‘good, because Chris Alan: Well, the hats are a big deal. The Silver Surfer and
that’s the way it’s supposed to be.’ I was telling him about mine, that I if you’re not familiar with this, the Silver Surfer, it’s the chrome
would do two or three takes. He goes ‘Chris, if you f@#k up, leave it dome. The chrome head that has the lightning bolt going through it.
in there. It makes it sound like you did when you were live on the air, And boy what a controversial bumper sticker and all of that back in
you f@#ked up and you just kept on talking.’ And I go, ‘you’re right, the day. It was very controversial and there was a small town between
man.’ So I’ve really made a conscious effort to make my shit sound as Houston and College Station and the sheriff or the police chief or
live as possible. I don’t intentionally make mistakes, but if I’ve got whoever in this little community, he told his officers that’s probable
one in there, and it’s not something outrageous, I just leave it in there cause to pull somebody over because they’ve probably got marijuana
and keep on going. That’s the way it should be. That was the beauty of in their car. So this guy got in all kinds of trouble, this police chief or
real radio. That’s why you fell in love with these guys, because they sheriff or whoever it was. You can Google the story. It’s out there, but
were human and they want to suck up sometimes and maybe you were they would pull over college kids driving driving back from Houston
listening to it one time when when Moby said “motherf@#ker” on the or coming down to Houston on the weekend and driving back up to
air. College Station and they would pull them over and search their car. Its
illegal search, but they use that as probable cause if they’ve got that
Music News: Which could be almost any day. thing on the back of their car, they’re probably potheads.
Chris Alan: Yeah, but, I’ve only had that happen to me one time Music News: Well as they said in the police business, ‘they fit
and that was at 97.9 The Box. You know what a pot is, it’s a potenti- the profile.’
ometer. It’s a big dial you turn to turn things up or slide up and down.
I was on the air at 97.9 The Box and I absolutely hated it because I Chris Alan: That’s it and that Silver Surfer and chrome dome
was a guy that loves talking up and you got a 15 second intro and you logo was it. It rubs some small town people the wrong way for some
can you could tell everybody what the temperature is, that traffic’s reason.
backed up on 45, blah blah blah blah blah blah, and here’s whoever,
the song title and hit the post. That’s part of being a DJ. Well 97.9 The Music News: Oh yeah. If you wanted to drive from Houston to
Box is just heavy rap songs. They had really short intros and you Dallas and not get stopped, you had a KIKK sticker on your car.
didn’t get a lot of talk time, ramp time. And I stepped on an intro and I
slid the pot down as hard as it gets, just real hard. And I go “what the Chris Alan: Yeah, exactly. So I guess I’ve given you enough
f@#k” and I slid the pot down. Well it hit so hard at the bottom that it stuff, right? You can cut some of this out.
bounced right back up. So you hear “what the f@#k was that” on the
air. Oh my god, I froze. I was just staring because I could hear it in my Music News: I don’t know, if we’re doing a story on radio
headphones. I’m like, ‘No way’ and I looked down and that pot had stations, or the T-Shirts, to be honest with you. It’s a combination.
bounced all the way back up and the program director walked in and
he goes ‘Chris, you all right.’ ‘Yeah’, but you know, you could get in Chris Alan: You can’t separate the two, the radio station, T-
trouble for that. No cursing on the air. Well, supposedly. Yeah. Shirts. So it’s up to you. I mean, if people are interested in hearing the
innuendos. Oh, there was this video I posted in the Houston Broad- radio story, and going ‘Well, damn, and that was interesting.’ And they
cast. It showed this young DJ, he goes ‘I’m gonna say the F word on hold on and they get to this. Let me go to favoriteradioshirts.com and
the air and nobody will even realize it.’ He was saying, “for crying out see what they’ve got here.
loud, but he was saying, ‘f@#k crying out loud, f@#k crying out
loud.” I would have been doing it all the time just to push the Music News: Thanks Chris, it was great talking to you.
envelope.
Chris Alan: It was great talking to you too Kevin, bye.
Music News: Oh yeah. I do the same thing with my podcasts. I
don’t go in and re-record my questions or anything. If I say something Thanks for staying to the end of this interview. I hope you
wrong, or I say the same word twice in a row, I just leave it there and enjoyed reading it as much as much as I did doing it and reminiscing
continue on with the podcast. When I did my first couple of podcasts, with Chris Alan. I’m sure you can tell we had a great time talking to
I would go back and I would redo what I had said. And then I thought, each other. So folks, if you want to put your hands on one of these
Well, that just sounds pretty disingenuous to me. So yeah, yeah, it’s fine collectable T-Shirts, simply go to https://
best to just leave it in there as it was and keep on rolling. Well, what www.favoriteradioshirts.com/ and order the T-Shirt of your past. It’s
else do we need to do to talk about the T-Shirts, because that’s what time to show what tribe you used to belong to. Also be sure to check
we’re supposed to be talking about? out one of the Christian’s Tailgate locations in Houston for a lot of
fun, food, and great beverages. Last, but not least, be sure to check
Chris Alan: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well. I don’t know what else to out one of Houston’s great online and on air radio stations, Houston
say about the T-Shirt Company. It’s a passion project. It’s a way to Radio Platinum on air at 850 AM KEYH and online at https://
stay in tune with radio and it’s an opportunity for people to show their houstonradioplatinum.com/. They’re spinning some great music there
colors if you if you haven’t. If you when you were younger, if you and you might even hear one of you favorite old DJs on there. Tune in
always wished that you had gotten one of these shirts, now’s your on Saturdays to hear our old buddy, Chris Alan. I think you’re really
opportunity. You can get one and like I said, I’m not trying to get rich going to like his show. Tune into 850 AM any day of the week for
off of them. There was a need and people want them and I like being some great music. They’re playing Houston’s Classic Hits.
Cuco Performs At White Oak Music
Hall On The Lawn October 29
California singer, songwriter, and continued releasing new material, includ- “Off the Goop,” Cuco kept a relatively low
producer Cuco rose to success in the late ing the 2018 singles “Sunnyside” and “CR- profile until early 2022, when he released
2010s combining romantic, lo-fi bedroom V,” both of which appeared on his EP the singles “Caution” and “Time Machine.”
pop with charm, wit, and Spanish lyrics. Chiquito in May of that year. He issued the Both songs appeared on his sophomore
After winning a fervent fan base with the stand-alone single “Fix Me” with Dillon album, Fantasy Gateway, in July of that
release of his 2016 debut mixtape, Francis in 2019. year. Produced by Venezuelan hitmaker
Wannabewithu, he signed with Interscope Manuel Lara (Kali Uchis, Bad Bunny), the
and gained more widespread attention with These placeholder songs paved the album boasted a higher production value
his Billboard-charting 2019 full-length way for Cuco’s debut studio album, Para and featured appearances from Bratty and
Para Mi. The slicker but still quirky Mi, which arrived in the summer of 2019 DannyLux, as well as Kacey Musgraves
Fantasy Gateway followed in 2022 and on Interscope Records. It peaked at number and Adriel Favela on the streaming hit
featured a range of guests including six on Billboard’s Top Modern Rock/ “Sitting in the Corner.” Cuco continued his
Mexican singer/songwriter Bratty and Alternative Albums chart and cracked the collaborations in 2023 with “Si Me Voy”
American country singer Kacey front half of the Billboard 200. Aside from with the Marías and “Medusa” with
Musgraves. Cuco continued into 2023 with an appearance on Yung Gravy’s 2020 track Caloncho.
a series of standalone singles including the
Marías collaboration “Si Me Voy.”
A native of Hawthorne, California,

Omar Banos developed his musical
abilities early, listening to Chicano rappers
like MC Magic and Baby Bash, and
experimenting with digital recording.
Under the name Cuco, he recorded
Wannabewithu while still in high school
and quickly developed a regional follow-
ing, particularly among young Latinos. A
follow-up mixtape, Songs4u, arrived in
2017 as Cuco made the move from playing
SoCal house concerts to proper clubs,
selling out his first two venues. Singing in
both English and Spanish over woozy track
beds of synths and drum machines, he

November
May 2022 29
2023 • Music News 27
Later in 2012, Shakey Graves
released a follow-up EP, Donor Blues,
and attracted the attention of independent
roots music label Dualtone Records,
which signed him to a recording con-
tract. The first album for Dualtone,
2014’s And the War Came, found him
expanding his approach, using backing
musicians on several tracks as well as
duetting with vocalist Esmé Patterson.
He toured extensively in support, as well
as appearing on a number of late-night
TV shows, including Conan, The Late
Show with David Letterman, and Late
Night with Seth Meyers, as well as
Austin City Limits. In 2015, he decided
to celebrate the anniversary of Shakey
Shakey Graves Performs Graves Day by releasing a digital album,
Nobody’s Fool, which was available as a
free download for three days only, from
At White Oak Music Hall February 9 to February 11, 2015. Also in

2015, he took home Best Emerging
Artist at the Americana Music Awards.
Two years later, Graves combined Donor
On The Lawn October 27 Blues and Nobody’s Fool into the
double-disc collection, Shakey Graves &
Playing a smoky, spectral fusion of passion for music, and he wrote and the Horse He Rode in On: Nobody’s
blues, folk, and rock in a stripped-down recorded songs in his spare time. In Fool & the Donor Blues EP. Early 2018
one-man-band style, Shakey Graves is 2007, Rose-Garcia attended the Old saw the release of the Sleep EP, with
the stage name of Texas singer, Settler’s Music Festival in Driftwood, Graves’ third full-length Can’t Wake Up
songwriter, and guitarist Alejandro Rose- Texas, and while spending time with arriving later that May.
Garcia. The Austin-based musician friends, they began coining rustic
parlayed the grass-roots success of his nicknames for one another; someone He began the next decade with
homespun 2011 debut, Roll the Bones, dubbed Rose-Garcia “Shakey Graves,” another EP, 2020’s four-song Look
into national visibility, signing with and the name stuck. Alive, which featured further forays into
Dualtone for subsequent releases, psychedelic pop. In April of the follow-
including 2014’s And the War Came. In 2009, Rose-Garcia saw a ing year, he celebrated the tenth anniver-
Along the way, Graves toyed with his performance by blues-punk one-man- sary of his full-length debut with an
approach, trying out more expansive band Bob Log III and was impressed expanded re-release, Roll the Bones X.
full-band sounds and even venturing into both by Log’s minimal performance style In addition to the original 2011 album,
more psychedelic territory on smaller EP and how he used tempo and key changes the reissue included a second disc of
releases, such as 2020’s Look Alive. In to make his songs unpredictable and rarities, demos, and deep cuts.
2021, he put out an anniversary reissue capture his audience’s attention. Drawing Deadstock: A Shakey Graves Day
of his debut with heaps of rare bonus inspiration from Log, Rose-Garcia began Anthology, a collection of previously
material, followed in 2023 by another set crafting a stage persona for Shakey unreleased material, appeared in 2023, as
of unreleased songs, Deadstock: A Graves, using foot pedals to keep the did the singles “Evergreen” and “Ready
Shakey Graves Day Anthology, and a beat with a tambourine and a bass drum or Not,” the latter of which leaned
lush, stylistically adventurous set of new fashioned from a suitcase, while playing toward alt-country singer/songwriter
material, Movie of the Week. music he dubbed “hobo folk.” Audiences Sierra Ferrell. In 2018, not long after
were impressed by his music, charisma, completing Can’t Wake Up, Graves was
Born in Austin, Texas, on June 4, and talent for spinning tales, and the act approached by some friends who were
1987, Rose-Garcia grew up in a family evolved from a part-time home-brewed making a film. They asked him to score
that encouraged his creative pursuits — music project into a growing presence on their project and he was soon working on
his mother was an actress who also the Austin music scene. In 2011, he music to accompany the rough-cut
worked as a director and writer, while his released the first Shakey Graves album, footage, but as he submitted his compo-
father managed a theater. Initially, Rose- Roll the Bones, which documented his sitions to the filmmakers, they didn’t feel
Garcia followed his interest in acting, stripped-down performing approach. that his ideas meshed with their own.
working with his high school’s drama Initially released online, Roll the Bones Eventually, Graves walked away from
club and later moving to Los Angeles, became an impressive independent the project, but he was pleased with
where he appeared in several films success, and the Mayor of Austin many of the melodies he’d written and
(including Spy Kids 3: Game Over and acknowledged his rising star in 2012 by used them as the basis for his next
Material Girls), as well as landing a declaring February 9 “Shakey Graves album. Boasting a lusher sound than
recurring role on the TV series Friday Day.” much of his previous work, Movie of the
Night Lights. But Rose-Garcia also had a Week was released in September 2023.
Check Us Out
Online at
katiesbar.com
Open 6 Days A Week

Tuesday thru Sunday
Wednesday’s @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:00 pm - 12:00 am • Sundays @ 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sunday, October 1 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with guest host Hugo Jamz
Wednesday, October 4 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Keith Vivens
Thursday, October 5 - Hugo Jamz Trio
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Saturday, October 7 - Wake Zone
Sunday, October 8 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with guest host Pierce
Wednesday, October 11 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Bob Emmons
Thursday, October 12 - Josh Harnet
Friday, October 13 - John Calderon
Saturday, October 14 - Mark May
Sunday, October 15 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with guest host Mark May
Wednesday, October 18 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Keith Vivens
Thursday, October 19 - Groove Kings
Friday, October 20 - Pierce And The Purple Moon
Saturday, October 21 - Static Blues
Sunday, October 22 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with guest host Bayou Gipsies
Wednesday, October 25 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Bob Emmons
Thursday, October 26 - Lightning Rob
Friday, October 27 - Eric Demmer
Saturday, October 28 - Funksion Halloween Party
Sunday, October 29 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with guest host Chris Castaneda

Saturday, October 21, 9:00 pm -1:00 am
Aspens Bar & Grill
817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565
Sunday, October 22, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Drifter’s Icehouse
29293 FM 149 - Richards, TX 77873
Saturday, October 28, 8:00 pm – 12:00am

Happy Halloween!!!
Backwoods Saloon
230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385
Friday, November 3, 8:00 pm – 12:00am

Scotty’s Saloon
114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469
Friday, November 10, 9:00 pm -1:00 am

Mac’s Sports Bar
12650 Telge Rd - Cypress, TX 77429 Saturday. December 2, 8:00 pm – 12:00am
Backwoods Saloon
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3 Doors Down Bar
102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550 Saturday, December 9, 9:00 pm -1:00 am
Jack’s Pub *Christmas Party!!!
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The Abbey Pub
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3 Doors Down Bar
Saturday, November 18, 8:00 pm – 12:00am 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550
The Concert Pub BOAT
2462 FM 1960 W - Houston, TX 77068 Sunday, December 31, 9:00 pm -1:00 am
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Friday, November 24, 9:00 pm -1:00 am Aspens Bar & Grill
Aspens Bar & Grill 817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565
817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 7756
June 2023
September 2023• •Music
MusicNews
News 2345
Pegstar Presents Beach Fossils: The
Bunny Tour Live at Warehouse Live
October 27 In The Ballroom
Throughout the last fifteen years, (guitar), Jack Doyle Smith (bass), and album was a defining document of the
Beach Fossils have steadily earned their Anton Hochheim (drums). kind of hazy, gently warped sound these
stature as one of the most definitive and bands were exploring as they started out.
enduring bands of the 2010s New York Through tone and mood, Beach Subsequent albums found Beach Fossils
underground, consistently reaching new Fossils communicate a coming-of-age both upping production values and trying
listeners as their sound has grown from narrative of self-discovery. Payseur’s new stylistic approaches, ranging from a
the DIY solo project of Dustin Payseur to slice-of-life lyrics reflect on depression, clearer sound on their 2017 album
an influential four-piece dream pop band, love, adventure, loss, mistakes, New Somersault to the poetic lyrical perspec-
self-produced and self-released. York City, friendships coming and going tives of 2023’s more personal Bunny.
— a mélange of granular pieces in the
Bunny (2023) continues the process of continuing to find yourself. Beach Fossils originally formed in
stunning evolution of Beach Fossils’ 2009 as a vehicle for the reverb-heavy
sound, pulling elements from the jangly Chiming guitars, reverb-heavy solo recordings of guitarist/vocalist
melancholy of the self-titled debut Beach production, and easygoing songwriting Dustin Payseur. Bassist John Pena and
Fossils (2010) and What a Pleasure with vague traces of nostalgia make guitarist Christopher Burke were brought
(2011), the gritty, post-punk inspired Beach Fossils one of the more adored into Beach Fossils’ lineup later that year,
tracks from Clash the Truth (2013), and acts in a particular wave of dreamy indie after Payseur had single-handedly put
the lush arrangements of Somersault rock bands. Along with albums released together the recordings that would
(2017). Throughout, Payseur is joined by around the same time by Wild Nothing
core band members Tommy Davidson and DIIV, Beach Fossils’ self-titled 2010 continued on next page

Pegstar Presents Beach Fossils
comprise the group’s first album. Beach time out, Payseur involved the other side “Time.” In November of 2021, a
Fossils’ debut 7" single, Daydream/ members of the band in the writing fourth album, The Other Side of Life:
Desert Sand, was released on Captured process, with both bassist Jack Doyle Piano Ballads, was released on Bayonet.
Tracks in February 2010; their self-titled Smith and guitarist Tommy Davidson The album featured eight songs plucked
album was released on the same label contributing ideas. The record was made from across the band’s discography, re-
later that year. Pena and Payseur worked in various locales in New York City and recorded in a tender and saxophone-
together on the group’s next release, Los Angeles, including engineer dappled jazz style. Payseur and crew
2011’s What a Pleasure EP, before Pena Jonathan Rado’s home studio and a cabin returned to a dream pop sound on 2023’s
left to focus on his own group Heavenly in Upstate New York, and featured guest Bunny. The band worked with engineer
Beat. The next Beach Fossils album vocals from Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell Lars Stalfors to give it a more pop-
featured drummer Tommy Gardner and and Cities Aviv. Somersault was released attuned feel, putting big choruses and
production from the Men’s Ben in early 2017 on Bayonet Records, a sentimental hooks into Payseur’s songs
Greenberg. Clash the Truth was issued in label Payseur started with his wife Kate about the joys of parenthood, the pain of
early 2013 on Captured Tracks. Garcia. Their 2018 output included a grief, and other mature themes.
cover of Yung Lean’s “Agony” and a
After taking a break, during which split single with Wavves for a tour. In
the band appeared on the HBO show 2021 the band released a tenth anniver-
Vinyl as members of the early-’70s sary edition of their self-titled debut that
“punk” band “the Nasty Bits,” the group included a limited-edition 7" of “Vaca-
began working on a new album. This tion” and the previously unreleased B-
Ne Obliviscaris Perform At Warehouse
Live October 13 In The Ballroom
Ne Obliviscaris is an Australian Veil to thunderous underground acclaim acclaim. In 2013 the band signed to
extreme progressive metal band that due to its signature yet unpredictable Seasons of Mist and began recording a
melds death and melodic metal, classical, meld of death and melodic metal, follow-up. After finishing the album,
jazz, and vanguard improvisation. The classical music, jazz, and avant-garde they began a crowd-funding campaign in
group’s early works elicited significant improvisation. King left shortly after the June of 2014 to finance a world tour to
acclaim in the metal underground. They record’s release and Ne Obliviscaris support it upon release. They asked for
courted mainstream success with the were forced to soldier on without a $40,000 and received over twice that.
release of 2017’s Urn, which reached guitarist until they successfully audi- Citadel was issued in November of 2014.
number 35 on the ARIA albums chart. tioned French guitar slinger Benjamin The 2017 full-length Urn was heralded
Ne Obliviscaris’ fourth long-player, Baret, who had played with Brown in by the release of the singles “Urn (Part I)
Exul, arrived in 2023. Conceived late in Primordial Space in 2008. As Ne — And Within the Void We Are Breath-
2003 by violinist/clean vocalist Tim Obliviscaris began recording their full- less” and “Urn (Part II) — As Embers
Charles and harsh vocalist Marc length debut with this sextet in 2009, Dance in Our Eyes.” It became the
“Xenoyr” Campbell, the band included a they held a concert called Festival de la group’s first ARIA-charting effort,
female soprano vocalist, lead guitarist, Grenouille to raise funds for a Distin- reaching number 35. Tracking for the
bassist, and drummer. Former Gomorrah guished Talent Visa. It would allow Baret band’s fourth album began in earnest in
rhythm guitarist Matt Klavins signed on to relocate to Australia. After 14 months March 2020, just as the world was going
in early 2004, as did lead guitarist Corey of waiting, and having a finished record into lockdown due to the COVID-19
King. Their original rhythm section was about to be mixed, his application was pandemic. Despite all of the setbacks —
replaced in 2005 by bassist Brendan denied. longtime drummer Daniel Preslend
“Cygnus” Brown (ex-Aphotic Dawn/ parted ways with the group in 2022 —
Primordial Space) and drummer Daniel Ne Obliviscaris appealed the Ne Obliviscaris persevered and com-
“Mortuary” Presland. For nearly two decision by initiating a petition and pleted the record. The resulting Exul was
years this unit continued to rehearse and letter-writing campaign that proved released in 2023.
play regional shows. successful in 2011. The long-finished
Portal of I was finally released in 2012.
In 2007 the collective released the The evolution in sound and approach
three-track, 33-minute demo The Aurora was greeted globally with critical and fan
PEGSTAR PRESENTS AEG PRESENTS
SHANNON FORD
CHROMEO
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6
NIGHTLY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
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38 Music News • April 2023
Conversations With The Professionals
by John in Houston
It’s The Sound Baby!

A conversation With Top
Rated Track Mastering Pro
Nick Landis
When a team of four mastering professionals were asked at
a Recording Academy (Grammy) technical meeting what master-
ing was the panel members smiled and with tongue in cheek
replied that no one was quite sure what the exact definition was
but you can bet it’s there when you hear a great piece of music.
Basically, that’s correct because in the simplest terms when you
hear something that the instrumentation is not over powering the vocals you can bet that it’s the mastering that set the
levels. The bottom line is that mastering is an art form, results rely on the ear of the person doing the mastering work.
Enter Nick Landis, protégé of the world famous Jerry Tubb. Landis’s credits range from symphony music to country
to Americana to rock and more including the sound track credits such as can found in “Sin City A Dame To Kill for”.
The foundation of Nick’s experiences can be traced back to his uncle’s influence while in his formative years. His
uncle would crank up ZZ Top’s Eliminator album and Nick would think wow this is really great. He credits these
experiences as the original foundation of his love of the guitar but that was far from the end of it. Young Nick started
piano lessons in kindergarten additionally church choir through elementary school then saxophone in school band
starting in 5th grade finally circling back to guitar, classical guitar, starting in 8th grade. Yet his thirst was not
quenched so he joined marching band and on top of that jazz band in high school. Originally he lived in Wooster Ohio
then they moved to Toledo until Mom got a full scholarship that took them to SMU in Texas. After his formative years
in Toledo they would live in Texas and all of his coming of age experiences including his increased passion for music
would develop even more. He had been learning the guitar and could not get enough so much so that this inherent
desire moved his level of understanding far beyond normal expectations and with this came a well earned degree. In
his freshman year in college he majored in jazz guitar and this is when the roots of becoming a sound engineer took
shape. In fact it was his first audio job
with the One O’Clock Lab Band at
UNT that moved his interests rapidly
toward transferring into the highly-
selective Sound Recording Technology
program at Texas State. This would lead
to Nick meeting the world renowned
mastering expert Jerry Tubb at Terra
Nova.
Nick received a great honor as he

was chosen to intern for the great master
himself. Nick would go on to become
an integral part of the Terra Nova team
and was actively involved in beta
testing the new mastering compressor
26
2023
Page 2 - Conversations With The
Professionals by John in Houston
It’s The Sound
Baby!
A conversation With Top
Rated Track Mastering
Pro
Nick Landis
designed by Rupert Neve and his team at Rupert Neve Designs. Today, with these experiences behind him he is a
revered expert on all phases of recording and mastering at his studio in Austin, Texas. His collection of studio projects
shouts of a who’s who in music including Willie Nelson, Ruthie Foster, Dale Watson, Elaine Garcia, Jesse Dayton and
more. But it doesn’t stop there, the man also gives credit where credit is due to other professionals on his website. For
example, if another studio records the artist/band and he is contracted for mastering duties he lists their credits on his
site as well as any others that could be mentioned. On another front the man continually educates those that are
looking for industrial level support on rising technologies such as Dolby Atmos
(he’s certified by Dolby). However, the education
is not limited to new technologies but also encom-
passes existing technologies that many indepen-
dent artists do not fully understand. A prime
example is the topic of metadata. Without the
proper metadata in place radio stations that spin
the song cannot submit the spin to the chart
tracking companies. Therefore the song is not
going to chart even if it’s gaining strong radio
play. Nick shares, “This happens way too often,
but it doesn’t have to happen. It’s a simple fix but
it must be done before the product is submitted to radio. (Some of this is automati-
cally addressed when submitting to streaming platforms, they have the artist fill out
a form with all the metadata during the submission.) In this instance, metadata like the ISRC (International Standard
Recording Code) is used as a unique identifier much like a more well-known identifier called a bar code. It’s easy to
place when mastering, but without it preferred results on the business side are limited. This information should be as
descriptive as possible removing any barriers to identify anything about the recording in question. Tags like album
artist, track title, album title, and genre
are all common but frequently left off;
other tags like ISRC and IPI, used for
publishing rights, are less common but
can be very important. The end result is
that these tags help identify all kinds of
information about specific recordings
and without them, information gets lost.”
At times artists wonder why a song
seems to be doing good but no money is
coming their way. Could it be it’s the
improper listing of the metadata or
possibly there isn’t any tag at all. Learn
more at www.NickLandis.com
1006 McGowen 713-650-1006
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Friday, October 6 - Blue Heeler Juvenoia
Saturday, October 7 - Corny F8ers
Wednesday, October 11 - Brennen’s Party
Friday, October 13 - Dompston, Mother Ghost, Tides, The Amazing Bozo
Saturday, October 14 - MSGC Jazz Quartet
Wednesday, Octoaber 18 - Randy Soffar Hosts Leon’s Open Mic @ 8:00 pm
Friday, October 20 - Pushing 10
Saturday, October 21 - The Lightnin’ Brothers
Wednesday, October 25 - Randy Soffar Hosts Leon’s Open Mic @ 8:00 pm
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Tuesday, October 31 - Halloween Bar Crawl w/ As If 90s
Wednesday, November 1 - Randy Soffar Hosts Leon’s Open Mic @ 8:00 pm
38
54 Music
Music News
News •• August
October 2021
2023
Louisiana musicians, and Marcia’s magnifi-
cent songwriting. Recently, the Texas
Songwriters Association named Ball its 2023
“Texas Music Legend.” She won the 2023
Living Blues Readers’ Poll Award for Most
Outstanding Musician (Keyboards), and in
2018 Ball was named the Official 2018 Texas
State Musician and inducted into the Austin
City Limits Hall Of Fame.
With Shine Bright, Ball set out to, in
her words, “Make the best Marcia Ball record
I could make.” In doing so, she has put
together the most musically substantial,
hopeful and uplifting set of songs of her five-
decade career. Produced by Steve Berlin (Los
Lobos) and recorded in Texas and Louisiana,
Shine Bright contains twelve songs (including
nine originals), ranging from the title track’s
rousing appeal for public and private acts of
courage to the upbeat call to action of Pots
And Pans, a song inspired by renowned Texas
political writer and humorist Molly Ivins.
From the humorous advice of Life Of The
Party to the poignantly optimistic World Full
Of Love , the intensity of Ball’s conviction
never wavers while, simultaneously, the fun
never stops. Shine Bright is exactly the album
Ball set out to make. “It is a ridiculously
hopeful, cheerful record,” she says, in light of
some of the album’s more serious subject
matter. The secret, according to Ball “is to set
the political songs to a good dance beat.”
Born in Orange, Texas in 1949 to a family

whose female members all played piano, Ball
grew up in the small town of Vinton,
Louisiana, right across the border from Texas.
Seeing an Irma Thomas performance in 1962
and falling under the spell of Professor
Longhair’s piano playing convinced Ball to
seek out a career in music. She led a couple
of early psychedelic country rock bands
before pursuing her solo career from her
adopted hometown of Austin, Texas.
“Fifty years have passed in a flash,”

says pianist, songwriter, and vocalist Marcia
Ball of her long and storied career. Ball, the
Marcia Ball Performs at 2018 Texas State Musician Of The Year, has
won worldwide fame and countless fans for
her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse
Bayou Theater At The party every time she takes the stage. Born in
Orange, Texas and raised in Vinton, Louisi-
ana, her deep Acadian heritage and a lifetime
University Of Houston of absorbing Gulf Coast rhythm and blues is

evident in her original songs and the classics
she chooses to cover. This has made her a
Campus Clear Lake On one-of-a-kind favorite with music lovers all

over the world. With each new release, her
reputation as a profoundly soulful singer, a
October 18 boundlessly talented pianist and a coura-

geous, inventive songwriter continues to
grow. Her love of the road has led to years of
Texas-born, Louisiana-raised pianist, swampy New Orleans ballads and groove- soul-satisfying performances at festivals,
songwriter and vocalist Marcia Ball will laden Gulf Coast blues have made her a one- concert halls and clubs.
perform live at the Bayou Theater in Houston of-a-kind favorite with music lovers all over In Marcia’s most recent album, Shine
on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 . Ball has the world. Her latest album, Shine Bright, Bright, she has put together the most
won worldwide fame and countless fans for produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, is musically substantial, hopeful and uplifting
her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse full of everything music fans love about set of songs of her five-decade career.
rhythm and blues party every time she takes Marcia—rollicking two-fisted piano, soulful
the stage. Ball’s romping Texas boogies, vocals, a top-shelf band of Texas and
Marcia Ball
(continued from
previous page)
Produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) and
recorded in Texas and Louisiana, Shine
Bright contains twelve songs (including eight
originals), ranging from the title track’s
rousing appeal for public and private acts of
courage to the upbeat call to action of Pots
And Pans, a song inspired by renowned Texas
political writer and humorist Molly Ivins.
From the humorous advice of Life Of The
Party to the poignantly optimistic World Full
Of Love, the intensity of Ball’s conviction
never wavers while, simultaneously, the fun
never stops. “It is a ridiculously hopeful,
cheerful record,” she says, in light of some of
the album’s more serious subject matter. The
secret, according to Ball “is to set the
political songs to a good dance beat.”Marcia
grew up in a family whose female members
all played piano and she began taking lessons
at age five, playing old Tin Pan Alley and
popular music tunes from her grandmother’s
collection. But it wasn’t until she was 13 that
Marcia discovered the power of soul music.
One day in 1962, she sat amazed as Irma
Thomas performed on a show at the Munici-
pal Auditorium in New Orleans and delivered
the most spirited and moving performance the
young teenager had ever seen. A few years
later she attended Louisiana State University
and after dropping out to explore the brave
new hippie world of the late 1960s, she was
invited to try out for a blues-based rock band Grammy Award. Awards, and five Grammy Award nomina-
called Gum. She made the cut and her future Marcia Ball has appeared many times tions. 2010’s Grammy-nominated Roadside
was set. on national television over the years, Attractions and 2014’s The Tattooed Lady
In 1970, Ball left Baton Rouge for San including the PBS special In Performance At And The Alligator Man successfully grew her
Francisco. Her car broke down in Austin, and The White House along with B.B. King and fan base even further.
while waiting for repairs she fell in love with Della Reese, Austin City Limits and HBO’s She has been inducted into both the
the city and decided to stay. It wasn’t long Treme. She performed in Piano Blues, the Gulf Coast Music Hall Of Fame and the
before she was performing in local clubs with film directed by Clint Eastwood included in Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame. The Texas
a band called Freda And The Firedogs, a Martin Scorsese’s The Blues series which State legislature named her the official 2018
group that pioneered the Progressive Country aired on PBS television nationwide in 2003. Texas State Musician. In 2018, Marcia was
movement, which attracted many musicians Marcia also appeared on The Late Show With inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of
and significant media attention to Austin. It David Letterman with The New Orleans Fame.
was around this time that she discovered Social Club, where she not only reached Since March of 2020 and the onset of
Professor Longhair, the seminal New Orleans millions of people, but also helped to benefit the COVID pandemic and subsequent lock-
piano player. “Once I found out about victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2012, she down, Marcia has filled her time with work
Professor Longhair,” recalls Ball, “I knew I had a role in the independent film Angels on a nonprofit organization she co-founded
had found my direction.” Sing starring Harry Connick, Jr., Lyle Lovett called HOME – Housing Opportunities for
When Freda And The Firedogs broke and Willie Nelson. In 2017 she performed on Musicians and Entertainers, which pays rent
up in 1974, Ball launched her solo career and NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas, live from The and utilities for older musicians in the Austin
began touring outside of Texas and Louisiana. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.Ball area (HOMEaustin.org). She also improved
She signed with Capitol Records in 1977, joined Alligator Records in 2001 with the her streaming and virtual performance
debuting with the country-rock album Circuit release of the critically acclaimed Presumed abilities enough to participate in many on-line
Queen. As she created and honed her own Innocent. The CD won the 2002 Blues Music fundraising efforts throughout the year. She
sound, she released six critically acclaimed Award for Blues Album Of The Year. Her put her domestic skills to work making
titles on the Rounder Records label during the follow-up, So Many Rivers, was nominated masks. She and her husband Gordon got a
1980s and 1990s. In 1990, Ball—collaborat- for a Grammy Award, and won the 2004 dog to replace their dear Lily. She has written
ing with Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues songs and she is collaborating on a musical
Barton—recorded the hugely successful Album Of The Year as well as the coveted play which she hopes becomes a real live
Dreams Come True on the Antone’s label. At Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The show in the near future.
the end of 1997, Marcia finished work on a Year award. Her next release, Live! Down And she’s getting the band ready to get
similar “three divas of the blues” project for The Road, released in 2005, also garnered a back out on the road. “I still love the feel of
Rounder, this time in the distinguished Grammy nomination, as did 2008’s Peace, the wheels rolling,” she says, “and the energy
company of Tracy Nelson and her longtime Love & BBQ (the album debuted at #1 on the in a room full of people ready to go wherever
inspiration, Irma Thomas. The CD, Sing It!, Billboard Blues Chart). She holds eleven it is we take them.”
was released in 1998 and was nominated for a Blues Music Awards, ten Living Blues
with headlining his own tour this summer,
McCollum will play stadiums with Morgan
Wallen on Wallen’s One Night at a Time
World Tour.
McCollum has been named an ‘Artist

to Watch’ by Rolling Stone, Billboard,
SiriusXM, CMT, RIAA, and more with
American Songwriter noting, “The Texas
native teeters on the edge of next-level
superstardom.” MusicRow listed McCollum
as their 2021 Breakout Artist of the Year and
Apple also included him as one of their all-
genre “Up
Next Artists” Class of 2021. A
dedicated road warrior, McCollum made his
debut at the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2021
and he already sells out venues across the
country (over 40 sold out shows nationwide
in 2021) including record-breaking crowds in
Dallas (20,000), The Woodlands (16,500),
Austin (7500+), Lubbock (7700+), Jackson,
MS (5000+), Kearney, NE (3000+),
Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and three
nights at Fort Worth’s iconic Billy Bob’s
Texas. In March 2022, McCollum made his
debut at RODEOHOUSTON to a sold-out
crowd with over 73,000 tickets sold,
returning to perform at the Opening Day
celebration in 2023. He recently made a
dream come true with his first-ever Austin
City Limits performance, kicking off their
2023 season. In 2022, McCollum earned his
first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the
Year, took home “Breakthrough Video of the
Year” (a fully fan-voted honor) at the 2022
CMT Music Awards, and scored his first-ever
nomination in the New Artist of the Year
category at the 56th CMAAwards.
Never Enough, Parker McCollum’s

second major-label release, is a statement
album. If its predecessor, Gold Chain
Cowboy, announced Parker’s arrival in the
country music mainstream, Never Enough
(MCA Nashville) says that, damn right, he’s
here to stay.
Like Gold Chain Cowboy, it pairs

Parker with producer Jon Randall (Miranda
Lambert, Dierks Bentley), a fellow Texan
who understands exactly what fuels Parker’s
artistry: authenticity, vulnerability, and a little
bit of defiance. Never Enough bristles with
honesty and attitude and is shot through with
equal parts rock guitar and country
songwriting.
“What I do best is write songs from a
Parker McCollum Performs very real place and sing country music, but
also be very ‘me’ and not try to sound like
someone else,” Parker says. “We definitely
did that on this record and every one of the 15
At The Cynthia Woods songs sounds different.”
Compare album opener “Hurricane”

Mitchell Pavilion October 28 and the confessional ballad “Have Your Heart
Again” to hear his point. “Hurricane,” a song
about a strong-willed girl who blows through
Singer/songwriter and multi-instru- Chain Cowboy, Never Enough arrives with
your life and leaves it in tatters, is a driving
mentalist Parker McCollum rhas eleased the momentum of the Gold-certified single
rock anthem with a guitar riff that calls to
Never Enough, a statement album that “Handle on You.” McCollum earned his first-
mind the theme from Friends (“I’m sure some
cements his status as one of country music’s ever No. 1 hit with his Double-Platinum-
people will hate on that, but I don’t give a
undeniable new stars. It was released this certified debut single, “Pretty Heart,” and his
shit,” Parker laughs. “I thought it was cool”).
year on May 12 via MCA Nashville. The follow-up Platinum-certified single, “To Be
follow-up to his 2021 major label debut Gold Loved By You,” another No. 1 hit. Along continued on next page

Parker
McCollum
(continued from
previous page)
“Have Your Heart Again,” meanwhile, is a
simple vocal-and-piano arrangement with
Parker hitting a stunning falsetto note. The
songs are each irresistible and unique, rich in
lyrical imagery, and unlike anything you’ll
hear coming out of Nashville today.
Credit that to Parker, as sturdy as a live

oak, for knowing exactly who he is.
“This town can eat you alive, the

music business can eat you alive, with artists
trying to remain relevant and have hit songs.
That’s something I never cared about when
I’m writing or making a record,” he says.
“I’m never thinking about singles. I’m trying
to just write songs that can potentially stand
the test of time. That’s the sole purpose of
writing songs for me.”
Even Never Enough tracks that have

since become gold-certified hits weren’t
written with radio in mind. To Parker,
“Handle on You” was just a drinking song
with clever lyricism (“I tell myself that I
should quit/but I don’t listen to drunks”) and
a late-Eighties country sound as smooth as
Tennessee whiskey or, perhaps, a Shiner
Bock.
“That song is a nod to some of the

great records I grew up with,” says Parker, moody, smoldering break-up song that hewn masculinity, Parker isn’t afraid to bare
who counts George Strait, Willie Nelson, and equates a busted relationship to a house his soul. But, ironically, one of the most
cult hero Chris Knight as chief inspirations. reduced to just ashes and smoke. personal songs on Never Enough is the only
“A lot of radio songs nowadays are kind of song he didn’t write: “Things I Never Told
bubble-gummy. I don’t have any problem Written with the Love Junkies, “Burn You,” penned by Monty Criswell, Lynn
with pop-country, but I’d like to hear a little It Down” was born during a writing session at Hutton, and Taylor Phillips, parallels Parker’s
more classic country too. My team kept Parker’s home, where he spontaneously relationship with his mother. “When I moved
saying ‘Handle on You’ was a radio song and started singing the words “burn it down” over away from home/I didn’t realize how much
I said, ‘If y’all put that on the radio, then hell and over again. “Some days are like that, I’d miss ya,” he sings. “A phone call don’t
yeah.’” where the melody and the idea for the song is take the place/of your smilin’ face cooking in
so good and everybody is on the same page,” that kitchen.”
A mostly solitary songwriter prior to he says. “If you’re talking about moving the
his entrée into Nashville, Parker has now needle in my career, ‘Burn It Down’ is “Those lines were all in there. People
written with some of country music’s finest. probably going to be the song.” send me songs all the time and I never really
Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose hear any that I’m blown away by,” he says.
(a.k.a. The Love Junkies), David Lee Parker lives for the type of spontane- Currently getting ready for a massive summer
Murphy, Brett James, and Ashley Gorley all ous creation that happened that day. He’ll tour, including stadium dates with Morgan
contribute to Never Enough, along with often challenge himself to write a song Wallen, Parker debuted “Things I Never Told
Parker’s Texas peers Randy Rogers, Wade without changing a single word. He did that You” for his mother during rehearsals. “We
Bowen, and Ryan Beaver. with “Too Tight This Time.” With a pretty were in this massive amphitheater and my
acoustic guitar lick, a Dobro guest shot by mom came the last day and I sang it for her. It
“That’s been the biggest change since Jerry Douglas, and a heavy dose of humility was pretty cool.”
coming to Nashville: having access to some and introspection in Parker’s vocal perfor-
of the best songwriters in the world and mance, “Too Tight This Time” is Parker’s To Parker, the gesture was a way to
sitting in a room with them to write,” Parker favorite track on Never Enough. show he cared. Never Enough then is a
says. “The way these songwriters care and testament to how much he cares about
write, it’s from a place that I think I do as “I said, ‘Let’s pour this thing out and country music.
well. It’s made me look at songwriting whatever it is in 15 minutes, that’s what it’s
differently.” going to be forever.’ I love to write songs like “Sometimes I wish I didn’t care so
that and live with the end result. This one was much because everything would be easier.
The proof is in Parker’s chart history. easy to do because the melody was so good,” Hopefully one day people will look back at
He scored his first-ever No. 1 country hit he says. “The line ‘There must be something what I’ve done in country music and think it
with 2020’s “Pretty Heart,” his debut single. broken inside this lonely man’ just hits so was honest and good for the genre,” Parker
“To Be Loved by You” followed suit, also hard.” says. “This album may be called Never
hitting No. 1. Now, he’s staring down a Enough, but if they see that what I did was
career-making single in “Burn It Down,” a For all his quiet strength and rough- real, that’ll be enough for me.”
Octoer 2023 • Music News 59
Lucero Y Mijares Bring Their “Hasta
Que Se Nos Hizo” USA Tour 2023 To
Smart Financial Centre October 13
Lucero Y Mijares will be perform- Lucero has sold millions of albums debut album, Te Prometo, as Lucerito the
ing this month at Smart Financial Centre and has worked in a variety of Spanish- same year. Her first charting album was
on October 13. language soap operas known as 1990’s Con Mi Sentimiento. 1991’s
telenovelas. She has topped the Latin Lucero de Mexico went Top 40 in the
Catch a passionate performance music charts and won a slew of awards. U.S. Virtually every studio outing that
Lucero Y Mijares. The dynamic show- Likewise, Manuel Mijares, known decade charted, including 1998’s multi-
case features two popular artists in the professionally as Mijares, has had a platinum Cerca de Ti. 2004’s Cuando
world of Latin music. Both artists are celebrated career in his own right. He Sale un Lucero and 2006’s Quiéreme Tal
multi-talented and have worked as actors performs an exciting blend of Latin pop, Como Soy both hit internationally.
and singers. Since 1987, they have been mariachi and more. 2010’s Indispensable featured “Dueña de
making a splash in the industry and Tu Amor” the hit theme for Soy Tu
behind the scenes. The two entertainers Lucero is one of Mexico’s most Dueña for her telenovela. 2017’s
married in the 1980s and began their iconic performers. A best-selling singer/ Brasileira offered bossas and sambas in
own careers. These days, even after a songwriter, she is globally renowned for Portuguese. Also in 2017, she released
public separation, they are joining forces her recordings of rancheras, mariachis, the first part of her Sinaloan trilogy,
on stage once again and treating fans to a and pop songs. Further, she is an award- Enamorada con Banda, followed by
sensational celebration of music and winning actress of screen and stage, as 2018’s Mas Enamorada con Banda and
memories. It is not every day that you well as a popular television host. 2019’s Sólo Me Faltabas Tú. The boxed
get a chance to see them performing on Lucero’s professional career began at age retrospective 20y20 followed a year
one stage. In this concert, fans can 11 performing on a Mexican children’s later.
experience the power of their exceptional variety program. She started acting in
talent. telenovelas in 1982 and released her continued on next page

Lucero Y
Mijares
(continued from
previous page)
Lucero was born Lucero Hogaza
León in Mexico City. From the time she
could walk and talk, she sang and
danced. Her mother Lucero León, a
former performer herself, trained her and
has managed her career, which Lucero
began at 11, performing with her guitar
on the variety show Alegrías de
Mediodía in 1980. Two years later, she
played the title role in the telenovela
Chispita and won an industry award as
best new actress. As a teen, she appeared José José. Manuel Mijares for the streaming
in the film Coqueta, which also featured concert Siempre Amigos. In 2022 she
Pedro Fernández, and earned the 2010’s Indispensable, her first released no less than nine singles —
nickname “Queen of the Telenovelas,” studio set in four years, was among her including four very different versions of
acting in no less than nine, including most ambitious and successful outings. her pop hit “Los Ricos Tambien Lloran.”
Cuando Llega el Amor, Los Parientes Released during the same year she acted
Pobres, and Lazos de Amor. in the popular telenovela Soy Tu Dueña, Manuel Mijares is an adult
its first single, “Dueña de Tu Amor,” was contemporary pop singer from Mexico
While her career as an actress the closing theme for the show and who performs under his last name.
made her a nationally beloved cultural propelled Lucero to the upper rungs of Possessed of a resonant, theatrical
figure, Lucero’s musical career, which the Mexican charts, and placed in both baritone, he is one of Latin America’s
began with her 1982 debut Te Prometo, the United States and Europe. While most noteworthy performers. After
ran concurrently and was arguably more 2011’s Mi Secreto de Amor hit the Top placing three Top Five singles from his
successful. During the ’80s, she appeared 40, 2011’s Un Lu Jo (a duet album with 1986 EMI debut Soñador, he rode the
in no less than seven films and released Joan Sebastian) topped the Mexican Latin album and singles charts to the
six albums as well as a dozen EPs and Regional Albums chart in the U.S.; it tune of ten gold, seven platinum, and
singles as Lucerito. They ranged across also peaked at number three on Mexico’s five diamond certifications and has won
the musical spectrum from synthesized national chart. A collection of romantic countless awards. Mijares has sold more
pop to traditional rancheras, mariachis, ballads, Aquí Estoy, appeared on than 20 million records. His biggest
and romanticos. With 1990’s Con Mi streaming charts in 2014. recordings — 1989’s Un Hombre
Sentimiento, she adopted the name Discreto, 2005’s Jose Jose tribute Honor
“Lucero.” Lucero released Enamorada con a Quien Honor Merece, 2013’s Canto por
Banda in 2017, a set of popular hits Ti, and the following year’s No Se Me
1993’s Lucero sold more than recorded in the banda style, to great Acaba el Alma — have endeared him to
800,000 copies in Mexico alone and acclaim. It topped the national charts and fans across the globe. Further, his songs
made inroads at radio in the Southwest- landed inside the Top 40 on the U.S. have appeared as themes and cues in a
ern United States. 1995’s Siempre Latin Albums chart. To honor fans in wide variety of television programs and
Contigo peaked at number 15 on the Top Brazil and Portugal, she also released films including Oliver y Su Pandilla,
Latin Albums charts in the U.S. and Brasileira on Fonovisia that year; a Beauty and the Beast, and The Road to
toured in Mexico and South America. In collection of her own songs and covers El Dorado. In 2016 he released the live
1999 she released Un Lucero en la of bossas and sambas sung entirely in retrospective Sinfónico Desde el Palacio
México, her first live offering. It Portuguese. 2018’s Mas Enamorada con de Bellas Artes with his road band, two
included one disc of pop songs and one Banda charted and sold with equal symphony orchestras, and a choir. In
of Mexican Regional songs; it was success as its thematic predecessor. In 2018 he recorded Rompecabezas and its
certified gold out of the box and went on 2019, she and producer Luciano Luna 2019 counterpart, Rompecabezas II,
to sell millions of copies worldwide. teamed for a third banda collection, Sólo entirely in Los Angeles. They included
2004’s Cuando Sale un Lucero, her debut Me Faltabas Tú, that proved no less not only new songs but covers and all-
for EMI, was certified gold and subse- successful commercially. star duets. After embarking on a pair of
quently platinum. The same year she sold-out U.S. and Mexican tours, he
appeared as Esperanza in director In 2020, Lucero held a virtual issued his debut holiday collection, Feliz
Alfonso Arau’s biopic Zapata: El Sueño press conference announcing the release Navidad, in 2020.
de un Héroe, at the time the most of the boxed retrospective 20y20, a four-
expensive Mexican movie ever produced disc set that covered her 40 years in Singer Manuel Mijares was born
— its opening was also the highest music to date. She explained, “The first José Manuel Mijares-Morán in 1958 in
grossing in Mexican history. 2006’s two discs cover the transition from girl to Mexico City. He cites his mother, a
Quiéreme Tal Como Soy contained young woman and the second, the last 20 dance teacher, as his first major musical
reworked versions of some of her years as an experienced artist, mother, influence. She encouraged him to
greatest hits (written by Rafael Pérez and mature woman.” In 2021, Lucero
Botija) and covers by Rocío Dúrcal and reunited on-stage with ex-husband continued on next page

deal with Sony to record and release
Honor a Quien Honor Merece in 2005, a
heartfelt tribute to the influence of José
José. It marked Mijares’ first platinum
certification. A year later he issued
Acompañame, a duet album with Yuri,
and in 2007, Swing en Tu Idioma, which
presented some of his favorite songs in
big-band settings. 2008’s Hablemos de
Amor was an oddity for Mijares: A one-
off for EMI, its title track was composed
for a telenovela of the same title and
used as its theme song. The rest of the
recordings were left to languish.
In 2009, Mijares returned to

Warner for the covers album Vivir Así; it
attained platinum status and prompted a
2010 sequel that attained diamond
certification. After more than a decade of
marriage, Mijares and Lucero divorced
in 2011. The singer undertook transatlan-
tic tours in the next two years, and in
Lucero Y Mijares 2013 he released the platinum-certified
smash Canto por Ti. Its single “Hoy”
(continued from previous page) featured a duet appearance by Peruvian
participate in his elementary Vive en Me, a live outing recorded in Latin Grammy winner Glan Marco. The
school choir where his distinctive vocal New York City. It featured songwriting album spent five weeks in the top spot
qualities were noticed by his teachers, contributions from Pablo Milanes, Lolita on the Mexican pop charts and registered
who offered further encouragement. de la Colina, and Gerardo Flores. While Top Ten in a dozen other countries. The
After singing in groups with friends the album missed the upper rungs of the following year’s No Se Me Acaba el
throughout high school, Mijares got charts, it did net two Top Ten singles in Alma also topped the chart at home,
serious about music. He made his the title cut and Francis Cabrel’s “Je earning diamond certification. In
professional debut in 1981 in a local L’aime a Mourir”; it was adapted as “La September of 2016, Mijares performed a
festival called Valores Juveniles. He Quiero a Morir” by Luis Gómez-Escolar. 30-year career retrospective concert at
emigrated to Japan at 24 to accept a In 1996, Mijares issued Querido Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes
singing job in a nightclub, and while Amigo, a tribute to Mexican singer and with two symphony orchestras, a choir,
there he recorded television and radio actor Pedro Infante. Producer José Luis and his road band. The show was filmed
jingles. After returning to Mexico in Espinosa dubbed Mijares’ fresh vocals for a television special and released as an
1983, Mijares won a spot in the backing onto cleaned-up tapes of Infante’s audio-video package the following year
chorus of Latin pop star Emmanuel. Two singing, with fresh orchestral and choral as the chart-topping Sinfónico Desde el
years later he signed a solo deal with arrangements. Palacio de Bellas Artes. It was certified
EMI and released his debut album, gold upon release and later attained
Soñador, in 1986. He represented In January of 1997, Mijares and platinum status.
Mexico in the annual OTI Festival and Lucero married. El Privilegio de Amar,
won “Revelation of the Year.” The label his debut album for Universal, was a The accompanying video format
reissued the album and it subsequently chart hit; its title track, featuring Lucero appealed to Mijares. For 2018’s
netted three Top Five singles. Mijares on backing vocals, became the title Rompecabezas, he recorded a slew of
first hit the international pop charts with theme of a telenovela, reached the Top new songs and covers in Los Angeles.
the 1987 single “No Se Murió el Amor,” Ten on three U.S. charts, and registered Among them were three duets: “A
the opening track from Amor y Rock ‘N’ at number one in 11 Latin American Donde Vamos a Parar” with Marc
Roll. He toured incessantly across countries. Its follow-up, “Estrella Mia,” Antonio Solis, the title track with former
Mexico and made inroads to West Coast didn’t chart in the U.S. but did reach boss Emmanuel, and “Vencer al Amor”
American radio. He made his debut as an number two in Mexico and the Top Ten with ex-wife Lucero. He and the label
actor in the 1988 film Escápate in a dozen other countries. In 2000, he also filmed videos to accompany each
Conmigo, where he met his future wife, was invited by Dreamworks to sing three song. Rompecabezas reached number
the pop singer Lucero. Based on the Elton John songs for the score to The two in Mexico and earned gold certifica-
film’s success, Mijares issued the triple- Road to El Dorado. He also issued the tion. Mijares enjoyed the experience so
gold-certified Uno Entre Mil that year ballads collection Historias de un Amor, much, he followed it with a second
and followed it in 1989 with Un Hombre followed by the 2002 live offering En volume in 2019. Also recorded in L.A., it
Discreto, which was certified gold seven Vivo. included three duets — “No Te Vayas
times over and peaked at number four on Todavía” with Maria León, “Besos
the Top Latin Albums chart. Mijares had become an influential Usados” with Melendi, and “Bandida”
persona in popular music. He sold with Andrés Cepeda — and once again
Mijares would reside in the upper enough records and concert tickets to included videos. It was certified diamond
rungs of the singles and album charts dictate having a say in what he recorded in early 2020. Later that year, Mijares
throughout the early ’90s. After 1993’s and how — a rarity in pop circles then released his first holiday album, Feliz
number five Encadenado, he released and now. To that end, he signed a short Navidad.
62 Music News • September
October 2023
2023
requintos (guitar instrumentals)
on TikTok, covering songs by his
favorite artists. They registered
millions of views and drew the
attention of Andres Garcia, presi-
dent and A&R boss of Houston’s
Manzana Records, who encour-
aged his singing and then signed
him after discovering that he was
also a fine songwriter.
“Noche de Relajo” appeared
in late 2020 and registered on
streaming charts. “Llamas
Perdidas” followed in June 2021,
just after his 17th birthday. In the
meantime, his performance videos
began to score major notice on
YouTube, garnering millions of
views. In late July, Cornejo issued
the single and video for “Corazón
Frío” and in October he released
the eight-song album Alma Vacía;
it rocketed to number two on the
music industry’s Regional Mexi-
can charts. He followed it with the
Top Ten single “El Greñas
Mentado.”
In February 2022, Cornejo
issued the single “Perro
Abandonado,” a corrido of insuf-
ferable heartbreak. Two weeks
later, he released “Triste,” a duet
with Polo Gonzalez. In June, a
week before his 18th birthday,
Ivan Cornejo Performs At Cornejo released the romantic,
ballad-centric Dañado, another
The 713 Music Hall On seven-track album. It soared to the
Top of the Regional Mexican
October 21 and 22 Albums chart as well as stream-
ing, debuted at number four at
Ivan Cornejo is a singer and week before his 18th birthday, he Top Latin Albums, and cracked
songwriter of Regional Mexican issued the full-length Dañado. It the Top 200 at number 149 (un-
Music from Riverside, California. too topped genre charts during its usually high for a Regional
Alma Vacía, his 2021 debut first week of release. Mexican album). The set also
album, was released by Manzana An adept guitarist who became the first chart-topper for
Records in August, just two taught himself to play at age Manzana Records, boosting the
months after his 17th birthday. It seven, Cornejo began jamming label’s profile across the industry.
peaked at number two on the with older friends at 14. They Cornejo kicked off 2023 with the
Regional Mexican Albums chart, praised his playing and singing heartfelt single “Aquí Te Espero.”
while its singles, “Noche de acumen and encouraged him to
Relajo” and “Corazón Frío,” also develop his skills further. He did.
registered inside the Top 20. A At 15 he began posting video
La Mafia Brings Their Celebrating Life
Tour To The Arena Theater October 21
The chart-topping, Grammy- In the 2000s and 2010s, La Mafia from a very brief and bitter break at the
winning Tejano band La Mafia from became synonymous with power pop end of the ’90s. In 2000 they were
Houston, Texas are among the most ballads, rife with electric guitars, synths, named one of the Billboard’s Top Ten
enduring, successful, and versatile bands samples, and doo wop- and soul- Latin artists from the entire preceding
to emerge from the city’s music scene. inflected backing vocals. They have decade. They took a longer break from
As Texas Monthly put it back in the late placed most of their dozens of albums recording, between 2008 and 2014. In
’90s, “They are to Latin music what and countless singles and compilations 2014, they placed an album in the Top
Willie Nelson and ZZ Top are to country on no less than a dozen different charts, Ten on both the Mexican Regional and
and rock.” For 40-plus years, La Mafia from Tropical Songs to Mexican Top Latin Albums with Amor y Sexo.
have changed members with almost Regional and Latin Pop Albums. In They continue to tour on both sides of
alarming regularity, yet with each change 1991, 11 years after they almost the border, playing shows from the
they have evolved, wedding their Tejano singlehandedly created a resurgence of nationally televised Señorita Mexico
roots to cumbia, Latin soul, tropical the norteno sound, they packed the pageant to soccer stadiums in Central
rhythms, electronic funk, R&B, and Houston Astrodome for the annual and South America. They have been
stadium rock while remaining close to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo awarded eight Premio Lo Nuestro
the vintage polkas, corridos, romanticas, with a crowd of 55,000 — only Selena Awards and a dozen Tejano Music
and boleros of their youth. They are a would surpass that number during that Awards (including one for Lifetime
rarity among Latin bands: Instead of decade. That same year, they issued Achievement) in addition to a pair of
trying to become successful in El Norte Estas Tocando Fuego, their 16th album Grammy awards for the albums Un
first, they started in Texas and went and their first to register platinum. (They Millón de Rosas (1996) and En Tus
south and east before reaching back into did it again in 1992 with Ahora y Manos (1997), and Latin Grammys for
their native United States. Siempre.) Since that time, they’ve
continued to perform and record, aside continued on next page

La Mafia
(continued from
previous page)
Para El Pueblo (2004) and Nuevamente
(2006), and a nomination from the latter
for 2008’s Eternamente Romanticos.
The group was founded by

brothers Oscar (a vocalist now called
Oscar De La Rosa) and Leonard
Gonzalez, from the north end of Hous-
ton, and keyboard player Armando
Lichtenberger, Jr. (who also plays
accordion). They started playing music
together when they were ten years old, at
weddings, quinceañeras, and the yard
party scene like most bands. They issued
their self-titled debut for the independent
Discos Diana label from Baytown, Texas
in 1980. Two more albums followed on
the label over the next year before La
Mafia shifted allegiance and signed to
San Antonio’s Cara label, where they
remained until 1986. On Cara they
issued albums that would spread word of
their sound throughout Texas and into
northern Mexico: Honey (Cariño),
Electrifying, Mafia Mania, Hot Stuff, Latin Songs chart. The album earned only hit 67 on the Top Latin Albums
and Neon Mania. In 1986 they left the them a Grammy for Best Mexican/ chart. Over the intervening years, La
label and signed to CBS Discos (now Mexican-American Album. Mafia’s various labels filled the gaps
Sony). Even during these early days, La with hits compilations and live albums.
Mafia was releasing albums and singles In 1999, after nearly two decades After spending time with family and on
that would inform their later sound and of non-stop touring and recording, La various solo recordings and production
become treasures among fans, especially Mafia split, shocking fans, as they were projects, the band reconvened in late
1986 and 1988’s Explosivo. While the at the top of their game critically and 2012 and began rehearsing and touring
group’s Spanish-language skills weren’t commercially. Initally stating “retire- again. They re-emerged with Amor y
great (their first language is English), the ment” as the reason, the truth proved to Sexo in 2014, which landed inside the
music they played, whether the old be a split between the Gonzalez brothers, Top Ten at Mexican Regional, Latin Pop,
standards learned from their parents or who cited differences. In truth, vocalist and Top Latin Albums lists. The band’s
songs by the Beatles, registered with De La Rosa had become, for all intent personnel still changed repeatedly and its
audiences because of the band’s dynamic and purposes, the face and creative force 2010s incarnation included De La Rosa,
stage show. David De La Garza III behind La Mafia. Leonardo sued for the Lichtenberger, Jr., and De La Garza III.
joined La Mafia in 1989 as second band’s name, but lost in court. Guitarist Marion Aquilina — a group
vocalist and keyboardist. His presence in member from 2000-2006 — longtime
the outfit helped mightily, both on-stage La Mafia began the new century bassist Tim Ruiz, percussionist and bajo
and in the studio. 1991’s Estas Tocando as a very different, more polished band, sexto player Robbie Longoria, and
Fuego initially sold half a million copies with Contigo. The album was nominated drummer Eduardo Torres. A years-long
in the U.S., but eventually moved over for a Grammy for Best Mexican- worldwide tour was undertaken and
four million. 1992’s Vida spent 47 weeks American album. It peaked at five on afterwards, another long break. In early
on the Top Latin Albums charts and both the Mexican Regional and Top 2018, De La Rosa announced the
peaked at number two. 1993’s Ahora y Latin Albums charts. The group issued a imminent release of Vozes, a collection
Siempre went triple platinum and hit the pair of albums in 2004, Para El Pueblo of newly recorded duets. De La Rosa’s
top spot on the Mexican Regional (Latin Grammy nominee), and the singing partners on the 13-track album
Albums chart. The band became a radio charting Inconfundible. Incessant touring included Sebastián Yatra, Ana Bárbara,
staple and placed singles on the charts as over the next two years rewarded La Ricky Muñoz, Andy Vargas, Pedro
often as albums. 1996’s Un Millón de Mafia with an extended break. They Fernandez, Cristian Castro, and more.
Rosas peaked at number one on the returned in 2008 with the Latin Grammy Vozes was released in May on Fonovisia.
Regional Mexican Albums chart and its nominated Eternamente Romanticos,
single also reached Top Ten on the Top their last studio recording for six years. It
The Biker, The
Blues and The
Blues Be Talkin’
To Me!
You would have to be living under a rock
not to know who Dr. John was, he’s gone now
but his music remains. The man could lay down
the blues and he did it for an entire lifetime. His
call to fame was both his gravely voice and his
masterful tempos on the piano. With Dr. John
you felt the blues more than just listened to them and that is exactly how it is supposed to be. The man was cool to the
max. Today there’s somewhere around one hundred blues
festivals in the U.S. alone and when it comes to Europe well the
Europeans know how to treat blues artists. The blues is universal
and to think that about seventy years ago leading into the sixties
it was known as race music. Forward thinking recording studios
and record labels such as Chess Records in Chicago let the genie
out of the bottle with my good friend Max Cooperstein booking
black acts on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. It was unheard
of but once that sound made the main stage on television Katy
bar the door music lovers wanted more. Years would go by and
people like Keith Richards and Mick Jagger would praise the
works of such blues artists as Muddy Waters and many others.
Their on stage presence was effected drastically and years later
they would perform with one of their idols John Lee Hooker. It’s
simply because the blues be talkin’ to me, talking to me, you and
literally millions around the world. Max shared with me that
Muddy was not
sure of going to
England to
perform, he
wasn’t sure the
nation would
accept him. Other Chess artists convinced him it was a good move
and finally he gave in. When the plane landed it pulled up to the steps
so the performers could exit the plane and there was this bright red
carpet waiting for them along with literally hundreds of fans. Muddy
was blown away and extremely happy that he could see their music
being appreciated by throngs of Brits. It continues, today the Lucerne
Blues Festival in Switzerland sells out the very next day after their
current event ends and that is without anyone knowing who the
performers will be the following year. The blues world has what is
known as The Blues Foundation which resides in Memphis. The blues
is so popular worldwide that they have over one hundred blues
societies around the world. Blues festivals now exceed over one
hundred shows annually both here in the states and abroad. Literally
hundreds of radio stations are either dedicated to the blues alone or

Page 2 - The Biker, The Blues and The
Blues Be Talkin’ To Me!
host blues show hosts once per week. One such station is KPFT which presents twelve hours of all styles of blues
every Sunday. People tune in digitally from around the world.
Just about every artist in every genre will tell you
that they started out with the blues. It touched them and
still does. It’s rather unique that young people may think
that the blues is something for their Mom and Dad until
they learn how many of their favorite artists and bands
are laying down the blues. ZZ Top as one example
presents a driving down home beat with lyrics that reflect
on life such as can be found in their famous song “La
Grange”. In his early days Jimi Hendrix traveled to
Chicago just to watch Buddy Guy lay it down and came
away totally blown away. Buddy’s creations include
“Damn Right I Got The Blues” and much of what you
hear is not only his original style but pieces of what he
picked up from the previous generations. No doubt that
Janis Joplin could present what was in her heart as she
performed on stage after stage. Yet for young music
lovers, even though they love these artists most do not
know they are enjoying the blues. The bottom line is that
the blues be talkin’ to me and to you and it hasn’t
stopped. Today aspiring talents such as blues rocker Clay
Melton, Ally Venable, Anika Chambers and many more
are welcomed with open arms by the stars of today
including Janiva Magness, Diunna Greenleaf, Kenny
Wayne Shephard, Trudy Lynn and a host of addi-
tional high demand artists. Why is this happening is the question? Because the blues is in their heart, in their soul. As I
travel around the United States on two wheels I meet the coolest, hippest people on God’s green earth in blues clubs
from city to city. The blues scene can be a bit sultry as it attracts all kinds including all sorts of down to earth souls
and the good news is all are welcome. The famous song
“The Ballad of Curtis Lowe” is a prime example of a
young white person finding the blues in an older black
gentleman who would play the blues everyday for spare
change. The young man was intrigued with this man’s
music so much so that he would go and collect pop
bottles, turn them in just to give Curtis some money to
play the blues for him. You feel the blues and you can
feel it at any age. The blues isn’t just blues rock or
slow blues or any one kind of style, it’s just the blues.
Europe’s Maria Daines sings a song titled “Low Down
Dirty Love” and she delivers it brilliantly. Her
presentation is believable, it’s like she’s been there
done that although maybe she hasn’t but she can relate.
If you have ever fallen in love with the wrong person
you know it’s a low down dirty love but you just can’t
give it up. Some blues numbers are delivered rather
tongue in cheek. Take for example Lonnie Mack’s song about being addicted to Oreo cookies. Too funny and yet
rather believable because whether it’s Oreo cookies or Harley Davidson motorcycles or something else that fascinates

Page 2 - The Biker, The Blues and The
Blues Be Talkin’ To Me!
you it is indeed a humorous addiction. One that can’t hurt but is there. Blues is true American roots music.
Janis sang a song that included the verse “nothing left to lose and nothing ain’t nothing unless it’s free”. A song
about being with someone you love and yet being free. Me, I hang with my scooter and together we meet all sorts. My
lifestyle doesn’t have to be this way but it’s that low down dirty love of being free, of being a free soul that allows
me to experience people
and regional cultures.
The Allman Brothers
coined it right in the
song “Midnight Rider”
with the lyrics “some
ole bed I’ll soon be
sharing”. This lifestyle
can be lonely especially
when you see couples
and families with pets
and kids. A person
cannot have those
things for very long on
the road. Yet I meet
ladies that have it
together who are alone
too and we bond
sometimes for a night,
sometimes for a week but we both know that one day when the sun rises one of us will say adios. I run into an exotic
dancer that moves around too. I see her every once in a while in different cities. I’ve never asked her why nor has she
asked me why but we have a soft spot for each other in the most bizarre way I suppose. Just as I can listen to slow
blues and get lost in the music the same goes for a woman who is classy enough to present an alluring stage presence.
Sometimes a blues rocker performs and
lights up the night and his or her perfor-
mance is top shelf, that sets me free as well.
I would imagine there are things that set
you free or perhaps you have put yourself
second due to traditional upbringing and
values. Listen to me; once in a while you
got to let the badger loose because you are
only going around once. Right now, today,
set yourself free - at least a little bit. Pour a
cold one, go to You Tube and choose a slow
blues album, and sit back for awhile. If you
can’t get away then arm chair it. Let your
mind relax, dream, be unaware of the rigors
of daily life even if it’s just for a short
while. You will come away smiling, maybe
even refreshed. The blues baby can do that
for you, go on, you know you want to and who knows maybe one day you will set yourself free for a weekend and
take in a blues festival. Hundreds of others that you don’t know. That could be cool. A lawn chair maybe with some-
one you love, a cooler and a good attitude. It can do wonders for the mind. So many interesting people in the world
many of them just like you and me. If you do get away and you see a red chopper with a long rake on the front end
ask the owner if he writes a column about the blues and getting away. See you down the road…
48
68 Music News • October
February2023
2023
OCTUBRE 2023
En Español
Lucero Y Mijares
Iván
La Mafia Cornejo
Octubre 2023 • Music News 69
Lucero Y Mijares Llevan Su Gira “Hasta
Que Nos Hizo” USA 2023 A Smart
Financial Center El 13 De Octubre
Asista a una actuación apasionante conocidas como telenovelas. Ha álbum debut, Te Prometo, como Lucerito
con las entradas para Lucero Y Mijares. encabezado las listas de música latina y el mismo año. Su primer álbum en las
El escaparate dinámico presenta a dos ha ganado numerosos premios. listas fue Con Mi Sentimiento de 1990.
artistas populares en el mundo de la Asimismo, Manuel Mijares, conocido Lucero de México, de 1991, llegó al Top
música latina. Ambos artistas tienen profesionalmente como Mijares, ha 40 en los EE. UU. Prácticamente todos
múltiples talentos y han trabajado como tenido una carrera celebrada por derecho los lanzamientos de estudio de esa
actores y cantantes. Desde 1987, han propio. Presenta una emocionante década llegaron a las listas, incluido el
causado sensación en la industria y entre mezcla de pop latino, mariachi y más. multiplatino Cerca de Ti de 1998.
bastidores. Los dos artistas se casaron en Cuando Sale un Lucero de 2004 y
la década de 1980 y comenzaron sus Lucero es una de las artistas más Quiéreme Tal Como Soy de 2006 fueron
propias carreras. Estos días, incluso emblemáticas de México. Cantante y éxitos internacionales. Indispensable de
después de una separación pública, están compositora de éxito en ventas, es 2010 presentó “Dueña de Tu Amor”, el
uniendo fuerzas en el escenario una vez reconocida mundialmente por sus exitoso tema de Soy Tu Dueña para su
más y regalando a los fans una grabaciones de rancheras, mariachis y telenovela. Brasileira de 2017 ofreció
celebración sensacional de música y canciones pop. Además, es una bossas y sambas en portugués. También
recuerdos. No todos los días tienes la galardonada actriz de cine y teatro, así en 2017, lanzó la primera parte de su
oportunidad de verlos actuar en un como una popular presentadora de trilogía sinaloense, Enamorada con
escenario. En este concierto, los fans televisión. La carrera profesional de Banda, seguida de Más Enamorada con
pueden experimentar el poder de su Lucero comenzó a los 11 años Banda de 2018 y Sólo Me Faltabas Tú de
talento excepcional. Lucero ha vendido presentándose en un programa de 2019. La retrospectiva en caja 20y20
millones de álbumes y ha trabajado en variedades infantil mexicano. Comenzó a
una variedad de telenovelas en español actuar en telenovelas en 1982 y lanzó su Continúa en la página siguiente
70 Music News • Octubre 2023

Lucero Y
Mijares
Continuación de
a página anterior
siguió un año después.
Lucero nació Lucero Hogaza León

en la Ciudad de México. Desde que pudo
caminar y hablar, cantó y bailó. Su
madre Lucero León, también ex
intérprete, la formó y ha dirigido su
carrera, que Lucero inició a los 11 años,
actuando con su guitarra en el programa
de variedades Alegrías de Mediodía en
1980. Dos años después, interpretó el
papel principal de la telenovela. Chispita Quiéreme Tal Como Soy de 2006 20y20, un conjunto de cuatro discos que
y ganó un premio de la industria como contenía versiones reelaboradas de cubrió sus 40 años en la música hasta la
mejor actriz revelación. Cuando era algunos de sus grandes éxitos (escritos fecha. Explicó: “Los dos primeros discos
adolescente, apareció en la película por Rafael Pérez Botija) y versiones de cubren la transición de niña a mujer
Coqueta, en la que también participó Rocío Dúrcal y José José. joven y el segundo, los últimos 20 años
Pedro Fernández, y se ganó el apodo de como artista experimentada, madre y
“Reina de las Telenovelas”, actuando en Indispensable de 2010, su primer mujer madura”. En 2021, Lucero se
nada menos que nueve, incluidas Cuando estudio ambientado en cuatro años, fue reunió en el escenario con su exmarido
Llega el Amor, Los Parientes Pobres y una de sus salidas más ambiciosas y Manuel Mijares para el concierto vía
Lazos de Amor. exitosas. Lanzado durante el mismo año streaming Siempre Amigos. En 2022
en el que actuó en la popular telenovela lanzó nada menos que nueve sencillos,
Si bien su carrera como actriz la Soy Tu Dueña, su primer sencillo, incluidas cuatro versiones muy
convirtió en una figura cultural querida a “Dueña de Tu Amor”, fue el tema de diferentes de su éxito pop “Los Ricos
nivel nacional, la carrera musical de cierre del programa e impulsó a Lucero a Tambien Lloran”.
Lucero, que comenzó con su debut en los peldaños superiores de las listas
1982, Te Prometo, se desarrolló al mexicanas, y se ubicó en ambas listas. Manuel Mijares es un cantante de
mismo tiempo y podría decirse que fue Estados Unidos y Europa. Mientras que pop contemporáneo adulto de México
más exitosa. Durante los años 80, Mi Secreto de Amor de 2011 alcanzó el que actúa bajo su apellido. Poseedor de
apareció en nada menos que siete Top 40, Un Lu Jo de 2011 (un álbum a un barítono teatral y resonante, es uno de
películas y lanzó seis álbumes, así como dúo con Joan Sebastian) encabezó la lista los intérpretes más destacados de
una docena de EP y sencillos como de álbumes regionales mexicanos en los América Latina. Después de colocar tres
Lucerito. Abarcaron todo el espectro EE. UU.; también alcanzó el puesto sencillos en el Top Five de su debut en
musical, desde pop sintetizado hasta número tres en la lista nacional de EMI, Soñador, en 1986, subió a las listas
rancheras tradicionales, mariachis y México. Una colección de baladas de álbumes y sencillos latinos con diez
románticos. Con Con Mi Sentimiento de románticas, Aquí Estoy, apareció en las certificaciones de oro, siete de platino y
1990, adoptó el nombre de “Lucero”. listas de streaming en 2014. cinco de diamante y ha ganado
innumerables premios. Mijares ha
Lucero, de 1993, vendió más de Lucero lanzó Enamorada con vendido más de 20 millones de discos.
800.000 copias sólo en México e Banda en 2017, un conjunto de éxitos Sus grabaciones más importantes: Un
incursionó en la radio del suroeste de populares grabados al estilo banda, con Hombre Discreto de 1989, el tributo a
Estados Unidos. Siempre Contigo, de gran éxito. Encabezó las listas nacionales José José Honor a Quien Honor Merece
1995, alcanzó el puesto 15 en las listas y se ubicó dentro del Top 40 en la lista de 2005, Canto por Ti de 2013 y No Se
de mejores álbumes latinos en los EE. de álbumes latinos de Estados Unidos. Me Acaba el Alma del año siguiente, le
UU. y realizó giras por México y Para honrar a sus fans en Brasil y han granjeado el cariño de fans de todo
Sudamérica. En 1999 lanzó Un Lucero Portugal, también lanzó Brasileira en el mundo. Además, sus canciones han
en la México, su primer trabajo en vivo. Fonovisia ese año; una colección de aparecido como temas y pistas en una
Incluía un disco de canciones pop y uno canciones propias y versiones de bossas amplia variedad de programas de
de canciones regionales mexicanas; y sambas cantadas íntegramente en televisión y películas, incluidos Oliver y
obtuvo la certificación de oro desde el portugués. Más Enamorada con Banda Su Pandilla, La Bella y la Bestia y El
primer momento y vendió millones de de 2018 llegó a las listas y se vendió con camino a El Dorado. En 2016 lanzó la
copias en todo el mundo. Cuando Sale el mismo éxito que su predecesor retrospectiva en vivo Sinfónico Desde el
un Lucero de 2004, su debut para EMI, temático. En 2019, ella y el productor Palacio de Bellas Artes con su banda de
fue certificado oro y posteriormente Luciano Luna se unieron para una gira, dos orquestas sinfónicas y un coro.
platino. El mismo año apareció como tercera colección de banda, Sólo Me En 2018 grabó Rompecabezas y su
Esperanza en la película biográfica del Faltabas Tú, que resultó no menos homólogo de 2019, Rompecabezas II,
director Alfonso Arau Zapata: El Sueño exitosa comercialmente. íntegramente en Los Ángeles. Incluían
de un Héroe, en ese momento la película no sólo canciones nuevas sino también
mexicana más cara jamás producida; su En 2020, Lucero realizó una covers y duetos de estrellas. Después de
estreno también fue la mayor conferencia de prensa virtual anunciando
recaudación en la historia de México. el lanzamiento de la retrospectiva en caja Continúa en la página siguiente

Unidos y se registró en el número uno en
11 países de América Latina. Su
continuación, “Estrella Mía”, no llegó a
las listas de Estados Unidos, pero
alcanzó el número dos en México y el
Top Ten en una docena de otros países.
En 2000, Dreamworks lo invitó a cantar
tres canciones de Elton John para la
partitura de The Road to El Dorado.
También publicó la colección de baladas
Historias de un Amor, seguida de la
oferta en vivo de 2002 En Vivo.
Mijares se había convertido en una

persona influyente en la música popular.
Vendió suficientes discos y entradas para
conciertos como para poder opinar sobre
lo que grababa y cómo, una rareza en los
círculos pop de entonces y ahora. Con
ese fin, firmó un contrato breve con
Sony para grabar y lanzar Honor a Quien
Honor Merece en 2005, un sentido
homenaje a la influencia de José José.
Marcó la primera certificación platino de
Lucero Y Mijares Mijares. Un año después publicó
Acompañame, un álbum a dúo con Yuri,
y en 2007, Swing en Tu Idioma, que
Continuación de a página anterior presentó algunas de sus canciones
embarcarse en un par de giras con Conmigo de 1988, donde conoció a su favoritas en ambientes de big band.
entradas agotadas en Estados Unidos y futura esposa, la cantante pop Lucero. Hablemos de Amor de 2008 fue una
México, lanzó su primera colección Basado en el éxito de la película, Mijares rareza para Mijares: única para EMI, su
navideña, Feliz Navidad, en 2020. publicó Uno Entre Mil, con triple tema principal fue compuesto para una
certificación de oro, ese año y lo siguió telenovela del mismo título y utilizado
El cantante Manuel Mijares nació en 1989 con Un Hombre Discreto, que como tema principal. El resto de las
como José Manuel Mijares-Morán en obtuvo la certificación de oro siete veces grabaciones quedaron languideciendo.
1958 en la Ciudad de México. Cita a su y alcanzó el puesto número cuatro en la
madre, profesora de danza, como su lista de los mejores álbumes latinos. En 2009, Mijares regresó a Warner
primera gran influencia musical. Ella lo para el álbum de covers Vivir Así;
animó a participar en el coro de su Mijares residiría en los peldaños alcanzó el estatus de platino y provocó
escuela primaria, donde sus maestros superiores de las listas de sencillos y una secuela en 2010 que obtuvo la
notaron sus distintivas cualidades álbumes a principios de los años 90. certificación de diamante. Después de
vocales y le ofrecieron más aliento. Después del número cinco Encadenado más de una década de matrimonio,
Después de cantar en grupos con amigos de 1993, lanzó Vive en Me, una salida en Mijares y Lucero se divorciaron en 2011.
durante la escuela secundaria, Mijares se vivo grabada en la ciudad de Nueva El cantante realizó giras transatlánticas
tomó en serio la música. Hizo su debut York. Contó con contribuciones de Pablo en los dos años siguientes y en 2013
profesional en 1981 en un festival local Milanés, Lolita de la Colina y Gerardo lanzó el éxito certificado platino Canto
llamado Valores Juveniles. Emigró a Flores. Si bien el álbum no alcanzó los por Ti. Su sencillo “Hoy” contó con la
Japón a los 24 años para aceptar un escalones superiores de las listas, logró aparición a dúo del ganador peruano del
trabajo como cantante en un club dos sencillos Top Ten en el corte Grammy Latino Glan Marco. El álbum
nocturno, y mientras estuvo allí grabó principal y “Je L’aime a Mourir” de permaneció cinco semanas en el primer
jingles para radio y televisión. Después Francis Cabrel; fue adaptado como “La puesto de las listas de éxitos pop
de regresar a México en 1983, Mijares Quiero a Morir” por Luis Gómez- mexicanos y se registró en el Top Ten en
ganó un lugar en el coro de Escolar. una docena de otros países. No Se Me
acompañamiento de la estrella del pop Acaba el Alma del año siguiente también
latino Emmanuel. Dos años más tarde En 1996, Mijares publicó Querido encabezó la lista en casa, obteniendo la
firmó un contrato solista con EMI y Amigo, un homenaje al cantante y actor certificación diamante. En septiembre de
lanzó su álbum debut, Soñador, en 1986. mexicano Pedro Infante. El productor 2016, Mijares realizó un concierto
Representó a México en el Festival anual José Luis Espinosa dobló la nueva voz retrospectivo de 30 años de su carrera en
OTI y ganó el premio “Revelación del de Mijares en cintas limpias del canto de el Palacio de Bellas Artes de la Ciudad
Año”. El sello reeditó el álbum y Infante, con nuevos arreglos orquestales de México con dos orquestas sinfónicas,
posteriormente obtuvo tres sencillos Top y corales. un coro y su banda de gira. El programa
Five. Mijares llegó por primera vez a las fue filmado para un especial de
listas de éxitos internacionales con el En enero de 1997 Mijares y Lucero televisión y lanzado como paquete de
sencillo de 1987 “No Se Murió el se casaron. El Privilegio de Amar, su audio y video al año siguiente como el
Amor”, el tema que abre Amor y Rock álbum debut para Universal, fue un éxito Sinfónico Desde el Palacio de Bellas
‘N’ Roll. Realizó giras incesantes por en las listas; su tema principal, con Artes que encabezó las listas de éxitos.
México e incursionó en la radio Lucero como coros, se convirtió en el Fue certificado oro en el momento de su
estadounidense de la costa oeste. Debutó tema principal de una telenovela, alcanzó lanzamiento y luego alcanzó el estado de
como actor en la película Escápate el Top Ten en tres listas de Estados platino.
72
70 Music
MusicNews
News• •Octubre
Septiembre
20232023
La Mafia trae su gira Celebrando La
Vida al Arena Theatre el 21 de octubre
La banda tejana La Mafia, de En las décadas de 2000 y 2010, La años 90. En el año 2000 fueron
Houston, Texas, ganadora de un Grammy Mafia se convirtió en sinónimo de nombrados uno de los diez mejores
y que encabeza las listas de éxitos, se baladas power pop, plagadas de guitarras artistas latinos de Billboard de toda la
encuentra entre las bandas más eléctricas, sintetizadores, samples y década anterior. Se tomaron un descanso
duraderas, exitosas y versátiles que han coros con inflexión de doo wop y soul. más prolongado de la grabación, entre
surgido de la escena musical de la Han colocado la mayoría de sus docenas 2008 y 2014. En 2014, colocaron un
ciudad. Como lo expresó Texas Monthly de álbumes e innumerables sencillos y álbum en el Top Ten tanto en el Regional
a finales de los años 90: “Son para la compilaciones en no menos de una Mexicano como en el Top Latin Albums
música latina lo que Willie Nelson y ZZ docena de listas diferentes, desde con Amor y Sexo. Continúan de gira en
Top son para el country y el rock”. canciones tropicales hasta álbumes de ambos lados de la frontera, presentando
Durante más de 40 años, La Mafia ha pop latino y regional mexicano. En 1991, espectáculos desde el certamen Señorita
cambiado de miembros con una 11 años después de que casi por sí solos México televisado a nivel nacional en
regularidad casi alarmante, pero con cada crearan un resurgimiento del sonido estadios de fútbol de Centro y
cambio han evolucionado, uniendo sus norteño, llenaron el Astrodome de Sudamérica. Han sido galardonados con
raíces tejanas con la cumbia, el soul Houston para el Houston Livestock ocho Premios Lo Nuestro y una docena
latino, los ritmos tropicales, el funk Show and Rodeo anual con una multitud de Premios de la Música Tejana (incluido
electrónico, el R&B y el rock de estadio, de 55.000 personas; sólo Selena uno por su trayectoria), además de un par
sin dejar de permanecer cerca del polkas, superaría esa cifra durante esa década. de premios Grammy por los álbumes Un
corridos, románticas y boleros antiguos Ese mismo año publicaron Estas Millón de Rosas (1996) y En Tus Manos
de su juventud. Son una rareza entre las Tocando Fuego, su álbum número 16 y el (1997), y Latin Grammys por Para El
bandas latinas: en lugar de intentar tener primero en registrar platino. (Lo Pueblo (2004) y Nuevamente (2006), y
éxito primero en El Norte, comenzaron volvieron a hacer en 1992 con Ahora y una nominación de este último por
en Texas y se dirigieron al sur y al este Siempre). Desde entonces, han seguido Eternamente Románticos de 2008.
antes de regresar a su Estados Unidos actuando y grabando, salvo una muy Continúa en la página siguiente
natal. breve y amarga pausa a finales de los
74 Music News • Octubre 2023
La Mafia
Continuación de
a página anterior
El grupo fue fundado por los

hermanos Oscar (un vocalista ahora
llamado Oscar De La Rosa) y Leonard
González, del extremo norte de Houston,
y el teclista Armando Lichtenberger, Jr.
(quien también toca el acordeón).
Comenzaron a tocar música juntos
cuando tenían diez años, en bodas,
quinceañeras y fiestas en el jardín como
la mayoría de las bandas. Publicaron su
debut homónimo para el sello
independiente Discos Diana de Baytown,
Texas en 1980. Siguieron dos álbumes
más en el sello durante el año siguiente
antes de que La Mafia cambiara de
lealtad y firmara con el sello Cara de San
Antonio, donde permanecieron hasta
1986. En Cara publicaron álbumes que
difundirían su sonido por todo Texas y el
norte de México: Honey (Cariño),
Electrifying, Mafia Mania, Hot Stuff y
Neon Mania. En 1986 dejaron el sello y
firmaron con CBS Discos (ahora Sony).
Incluso durante estos primeros días, La
Mafia estaba lanzando álbumes y álbum les valió un Grammy al Mejor only hit 67 on the Top Latin Albums
sencillos que informarían su sonido Álbum Mexicano/Mexicoamericano. chart. Over the intervening years, La
posterior y se convertirían en tesoros Mafia’s various labels filled the gaps
entre los fanáticos, especialmente En 1999, después de casi dos with hits compilations and live albums.
Explosivo de 1986 y 1988. Si bien las décadas de giras y grabaciones After spending time with family and on
habilidades del grupo en español no eran ininterrumpidas, La Mafia se separó, various solo recordings and production
muy buenas (su primer idioma es el sorprendiendo a los fanáticos, ya que projects, the band reconvened in late
inglés), la música que tocaban, ya fueran estaban en la cima de su juego crítica y 2012 and began rehearsing and touring
los viejos estándares aprendidos de sus comercialmente. Inicialmente indicando again. They re-emerged with Amor y
padres o canciones de los Beatles, se “jubilación” como la razón, la verdad Sexo in 2014, which landed inside the
registró en el público debido al dinámico resultó ser una división entre los Top Ten at Mexican Regional, Latin Pop,
espectáculo de la banda. David De La hermanos González, quienes citaron and Top Latin Albums lists. The band’s
Garza III se unió a La Mafia en 1989 diferencias. En verdad, el vocalista De personnel still changed repeatedly and its
como segundo vocalista y teclista. Su La Rosa se había convertido, para todos 2010s incarnation included De La Rosa,
presencia en el equipo ayudó muchísimo, los efectos, en el rostro y la fuerza Lichtenberger, Jr., and De La Garza III.
tanto en el escenario como en el estudio. creativa detrás de La Mafia. Leonardo Guitarist Marion Aquilina — a group
Estas Tocando Fuego, de 1991, vendió demandó por el nombre de la banda, member from 2000-2006 — longtime
inicialmente medio millón de copias en pero perdió en los tribunales. bassist Tim Ruiz, percussionist and bajo
Estados Unidos, pero finalmente vendió sexto player Robbie Longoria, and
más de cuatro millones. Vida, de 1992, La Mafia began the new century as drummer Eduardo Torres. A years-long
pasó 47 semanas en las listas de los a very different, more polished band, worldwide tour was undertaken and
mejores álbumes latinos y alcanzó el with Contigo. The album was nominated afterwards, another long break. In early
puesto número dos. Ahora y Siempre, de for a Grammy for Best Mexican- 2018, De La Rosa announced the
1993, obtuvo triple platino y alcanzó el American album. It peaked at five on imminent release of Vozes, a collection
primer puesto en la lista de álbumes both the Mexican Regional and Top of newly recorded duets. De La Rosa’s
regionales mexicanos. La banda se Latin Albums charts. The group issued a singing partners on the 13-track album
convirtió en un elemento básico de la pair of albums in 2004, Para El Pueblo included Sebastián Yatra, Ana Bárbara,
radio y colocó los sencillos en las listas (Latin Grammy nominee), and the Ricky Muñoz, Andy Vargas, Pedro
con tanta frecuencia como los álbumes. charting Inconfundible. Incessant touring Fernandez, Cristian Castro, and more.
Un Millón de Rosas de 1996 alcanzó el over the next two years rewarded La Vozes was released in May on Fonovisia.
puesto número uno en la lista de Mafia with an extended break. They
Álbumes Regionales Mexicanos y su returned in 2008 with the Latin Grammy
sencillo también alcanzó el Top Ten en la nominated Eternamente Romanticos,
lista de Mejores Canciones Latinas. El their last studio recording for six years. It
aún más sus habilidades. Él hizo. A
los 15 años comenzó a publicar
vídeos de requintos (instrumentales
de guitarra) en TikTok, versionando
canciones de sus artistas favoritos.
Registraron millones de visitas y
llamaron la atención de Andrés
García, presidente y jefe de A&R de
Manzana Records de Houston, quien
lo animó a cantar y luego lo contrató
después de descubrir que también era
un excelente compositor.
“Noche de Relajo” apareció a

finales de 2020 y se registró en las
listas de streaming. “Llamas
Perdidas” siguió en junio de 2021,
poco después de cumplir 17 años.
Mientras tanto, sus vídeos de
actuaciones empezaron a llamar la
atención en YouTube, obteniendo
millones de visitas. A finales de julio,
Cornejo publicó el sencillo y video
de “Corazón Frío” y en octubre lanzó
el disco de ocho canciones Alma
Vacía; se disparó al número dos en
las listas regionales mexicanas de la
industria musical. Lo siguió con el
sencillo Top Ten “El Greñas
Mentado”.
En febrero de 2022, Cornejo

publicó el sencillo “Perro
Abandonado”, un corrido de desamor
Iván Cornejo se presenta insufrible. Dos semanas después,

lanzó “Triste”, a dúo con Polo
González. En junio, una semana
en el 713 Music Hall los antes de cumplir 18 años, Cornejo
lanzó el romántico Dañado, centrado
días 21 y 22 de octubre en baladas, otro álbum de siete
pistas. Se elevó al Top de la lista de
Iván Cornejo es un cantante y semana antes de cumplir 18 años, Álbumes Regionales Mexicanos, así
compositor de Música Regional publicó el larga duración Dañado. como al streaming, debutó en el
Mexicana de Riverside, California. También encabezó las listas de número cuatro en Top Latin Albums
Alma Vacía, su álbum debut de 2021, géneros durante su primera semana y alcanzó el Top 200 en el número
fue lanzado por Apple Records en de lanzamiento. 149 (inusualmente alto para un
agosto, apenas dos meses después de álbum Regional Mexicano). El set
cumplir 17 años. Alcanzó el puesto Cornejo, un guitarrista experto también se convirtió en el primer
número dos en la lista de Álbumes que aprendió a tocar por sí solo a los éxito en las listas de Apple Records,
Regionales Mexicanos, mientras que siete años, comenzó a tocar con impulsando el perfil del sello en toda
sus sencillos, “Noche de Relajo” y amigos mayores a los 14. Ellos la industria. Cornejo inició el 2023
“Corazón Frío”, también se elogiaron su perspicacia para tocar y con el sentido sencillo “Aquí Te
registraron dentro del Top 20. Una cantar y lo alentaron a desarrollar Espero”.
64
76 Music News • Agosto
Octubre 2023
2023
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RANDOM SHOTS
The HipWaders Flying

Circus with special guest
Bert Wills Perform At
Katie’s Bar
in Bacliff
Photos by
Kevin D. Wildman

March 2022 • Music News 61
RANDOM SHOTS
6th Sense Perform At The

Concert Pub North
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Kevin D. Wildman

April 2022 • Music News 69
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The Cooper Mohrmann

Band Perform At Shady
Acres Saloon
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June 2023 • Music News 71
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Hammerlock Perform At Katie’s Bar In Bacliff

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman
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Jidora Perform Åt The

Acadia Bar & Grill
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Killing Daylight
Perform At The 19th Hole
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In Humble
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The Concert Pub North
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Witness To The Fallen

Perform At The
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The Octanes Perform At The Big Easy

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Mud Creek Revival

Perform At
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Vol. 43 - No. 1 • OCTOBER 2023 • www.houstonmusicnews.

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Music News: Okay, on “Baby, You’re

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