THIRSTY EAR DAY TWO

My snapshots of this year's Thirsty Ear Festival are HERE

Sunday marked an end of an era for the Thirsty Ear Festival. Mike Koster, Thirsty Ear Supreme Commander and President for Life, will soon be moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where assumedly he will become a monk in the Temple of Bob Wills. He says he'll still be bringing shows to Santa -Fe and there will be some kind of Thirsty ear Festival -- but not at Eaves Ranch, the movie set that has served as a the festival home nearly every year since 1999.

Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the last show of the night -- Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women. I'm sure they were great, as they were last year at Santa Fe Brewing Company.

The rest of the day was fairly low key. I liked a couple of his songs, but I'm not a huge Hayes Carll fan and J.T. & The Clouds frankly was boring.

For me the highlight was Savor, a Cuban street music band currently based in Santa Fe, led by the charismatic Victor Alvarez.

Basically the band consists of an electric mandolin (played by Victor), an electric bass and four guys on percussion. It's almost magical the way it works. Savor opened up the day on the main stage -- which I missed, but played a seconf set inside the "hotel." Everyone I talked to said this set was far superior. I hope to catch these guys around Santa Fe sometime.

It also was good to see Alex Maryol and his trio (Willie Magee on bass, Andy Primm on drums.) Alex played the first Thirsty Ear when he was still a teenager back in 1999 -- and I bet he's played a majority of the festivals since then. It seemed somehow appropriate that he was here for the closing of this chapter.

Alex recently told me he's got a new album coming out so look out for it.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, June 13 , 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Dogfood by Iggy Pop
Come On Stomp! by Thee Vicars
Death of an Angel by The Kingsmen
The Birdog by King Salami & the Cumberland 3
Cheap Thrills by Ruben & The Jets
Palenque by Felix y Los Gatos
Thunderbird ESQ by The Gories
A Different Kind of Ugly by The Sons of Hercules
This Town Makes Me Feel So Lonely by Muck & the Mires
Red Rose Tea by The Marquis Chimps
Demolition Girl by The Jackets

Yolanda by Johnny Dowd
Rock 'n Roll Murder by The Leaving Trains
Jaguar by Thee Milkshakes
Cutlass by The Goblins
Day Of The Triffids by The Monsters
Hooky by J.J. & The Real Jerks
Coming Back Alive by The Stomachmouths
Jungle Fever by Charlie Feathers

Oil by Felecia Ford & King Shark
Ain't Got No Dough by Peter Case
Time Won't Let Me by The Plimsouls
Slow Death by The Flamin' Groovies
Daddy Wants A Cold Beer by The A-Bones
Beat Party by Ritchie & The Squires
Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In) by The Chocolate Watchband
Ode to Billy Joe/ Hip Hug Her by Wiley & The Checkmates

The Shaggy Hound by Richard Johnston
Rainin' In My Heart by The Pretty Things
Cut That Out by Pinetop Perkins & Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Blue Berry Blue by Die Zorros
Everybody Thinks You're an Angel by Mose Allison
CouCou by Fishtank Ensemble
Milky White Way by The Trumpeteers
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

THIRSTY EAR DAY ONE

Lots of great music on the first day of this year's Thirsty Ear Festival at eaves Ranch. For those willing to withstand the wind and the dust (I still can't believe that nobody took the opportunity to sing some Woody Guthrie Dustbowl songs) it was a great time, as usual. And heck, Eaves Ranch is supposed to look like a dusty old western town. This year it was just dustier.

It was a bittersweet fun with the word that this will be the last Thirsty Ear to be held at Eaves Ranch -- where it's been held almost every year since 1999 (In 2001 it was at Bonanza Creek movie ranch and in 2004 it wasn't held at all). At this point I'm not quite sure what the future of the festival is. But it's been a great run.

All my snapshots from this year's festival can be found HERE.

Here's my favorite music from Day 1:

Although he's not that well-known, Richard Johnston was one of the true highlights of the first day. This was his second Thirsty Ear appearance, the first being back in 2007.

For those unfamiliar, Johnston is a Memphis street musician, who earns a living giving performances on Beale Street. Usually he plays as a one-man band playing guitar or one of his home-made diddley bows with his bands and drums with his feet. He had a couple of his homemade cigar-box contraptions with him Saturday. "You don't have to spend $2,500 on a guitar to have a lot of fun," he said.

But he also expanded his one-man band show saturday with the addition of Santa Fe's own Peter Williams on bass for several songs. With Peter, Johnston sounded a lot like The Black Keys.

I bought a copy of Johnston's Official Bootleg #1. The album, recorded several years ago, is good, but it doesn't come anywhere close to his live performances.

As much as I loved Johnston, I think my favorite performance Saturday was Asleep at the Wheel.

I'd only seen them once before -- at Club West circa 1984. Some of the current members of the band might not have even been born at that point. But if anything, this band is even tighter than the old days, Eddie Rivers, who also has played with Wayne Hancock, is a monster on steel guitar -- and he doubles on sax. Jason Roberts is a great fiddler and singer, and singer Elizabeth McQueen is a delight. But deserving the most credit is frontman/founding member/western-swing visionary Ray Benson. He's the glue that holds it all together.

While I loved all the classic western-swing songs they did, ("Oh You Pretty Woman" is the one that got stuck in my head) I've got to say that Wheel's version of "Hot Rod Lincoln" Saturday nearly rivaled Commander Cody's and Bill Kirchen's versions.

Felix y Los Gatos was the last band I saw at last year's Thirsty Ear Festival, so I guess it's appropriate that they were the first I saw this year.

Last year the rain forced the Cats to abandon the outside main stage and play inside the hotel. But this year they were able to reclaim the main stage. And they did it like pros.

For those who've never seen them, Felix and the boys, who call Albuquerque home, play a mean mixture of ranchero, zydeco, country, blues and rock. Mostly they do originals, though they did sneak in a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Miss You" as well as their version of "Don't Mess with My Toot Toot." While Felix's version of this zydeco classic is a lot of fun, I have to admit I was relieved that this year that they didn't make it last 45 minutes like they did last year.

The Thirsty Ear Festival continues today with performances by Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women, Hayes Carll, Darrell Scott, Alex Maryol and more.

More Info on "Billy Richardson's Last Ride"

Thanks to John Rucker for finding the lyrics to "Bill Richardson's Last Ride," a song performed by Grandpa Jones that I played on The Santa Fe Opry last night and downloaded from eMusic recently.

As you can see, the song has nothing to do with the governor of New Mexico -- although political foes of the current governor might find metaphorical significance in the fact the song, originally recorded by Vernon Dalhart in 1926, is about a train wreck.

Rucker also found this page with more information on the song.

Here's those lyrics, (which came from this page.) :

BILLY RICHARDSON'S LAST RIDE

Through the west wood Virginia mountain comes the morning mail,
Number three was westbound, the fastest on the rail,
Pulled right into Hinton, the junction along the line,
The Baldwin mounted engine made the run on time.

Billy Richardson's son at Hinton was called to make the run,
Pulled the fastest mail train from there to Huntington.
Fireman 'ported on duty just along the line,
Reading them train orders, left Hinton right on time.

Billy said, "Dear fireman, how happy I would be,
If I could die while pulling a train like number three."
Wanted to die on duty in his engine cab so free,
While pulling eastbound number four or westbound number three.

Fireman said, "Billy, you know you're old and gray,
Your name is on the pension list, you should retire some day."
Billy said, "Dear fireman, the truth I'm tellin' you,
I'll die right in my engine cab and nothing else will do."

Pulling down the river came westbound number three,
Sterning through the cotton hills*, and danger could it be.
His head-end struck a mail train while pulling down the line,
He'll never pull his train again through Huntington town on time.

He pulled the fastest time freight, he pulled the U.S. mail,
He pulled the fast excursion to the music of the rail.
He lost his life on duty in his engine cab so free,
While pulling in Montgomery on westbound number three.

Now ladies if your husband is a railroad engineer,
You know he's in lots of danger and death is ever near.
You know he loves you dearly when he is by your side,
Remember while it's his next run might be his farewell ride.

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, June 11, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Billy Richardson's Last Ride by Grandpa Jones
Red Red Robin by Rosie Flores
Hot 'N' Cold by Ray Condo & The Hardrock Goners
Mona Lee by Jason & The Scorchers
Country Woman by The Cals
Dig What You're Puttin' Down by Peter Case
Humpty Dumpty Heart Hank Thompson
Rainy Day Woman by Waylon Jennings
A White T-Shirt And A Pink Carnation by The A-Bones
Don't Let the Stars Get In You Eyeballs by Homer & Jethro

Bad Times (Are Comin' Round Again) by The Waco Brothers
Sure Feels Like Rain by The Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band
Please Big Mama by Rudy Gray
Wine Wine Wine by Bobby Fuller
A Living Hell by The Bottle Rockets
A Date With Her Memory by Cornell Hurd
Don't She Look Like a Rodeo Queen? by Kris Hollis Key
Second Fiddle to sn Old Guitar by Jean Shepherd
Dodging A Gal From Dodge City by Spike Jones

Thirsty Ear Festival Set
(Thirsty Ear is Saturday & Sunday at Eaves Ranch)

Zydeco Tonight by Felix y Los Gatos
Chicken & Gravy by Richard Johnston with Jessie Mae Hemphill
Rolly Poly by Asleep at the Wheel with The Dixie Chicks
Molly and Tenbrooks by Sam Bush
Hank Williams' Ghost by Darrell Scott
Wanda & Duane by Dave Alvin

Bad Luck Everywhere You Go by C.W. Stoneking
When Dorey's Behind the Door by Al Duvall
Room to Room by Terry Allen with Lucinda Williams
New Mexico by Johnny Cash
Let Her Go God Bless Her by The Louvin Brothers
More And More by Webb Pierce
Snake Walk by Clothesline Revival
Be My Love by NRBQ
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list