Swing Sundays at Sons of Hermann Hall

Last year, the Sons of Hermann Hall kicked off a monthly event called "Swing Sundays," with music provided by western swing band Shoot Low Sheriff.  The evening starts with swing dance lessons.  A BBQ dinner is available, with iced tea, soft drinks, and beer to drink.  Shoot Low Sherrif plays Bob Wills classics, original western swing style compositions by band leader Erik Swanson, and other jazz, swing, and blues standards.  Dancers enjoy the music from the dance floor while non-dancers enjoy then music seated at the long tables to the side eating BBQ or enjoying a beverage.

The old Texas Dance Halls have enjoyed a renaissance in the last decade, often filled with the popular "red dirt" or "americana" sounds of contemporary Texas country music.  "Swing Sundays" in this 102 year old dance hall feels and sounds like being in the golden age of these dance halls.  In recent decades, Sons of Hermann has hosted a who's who in Texas music, including western swingers Asleep at the Wheel, Leon Rausch, the Light Crust Doughboys, and Hank Thompson. I'm not sure who might have played there in the western swing hey day - I wonder.

One of my favorite times there was catching Robert Earl Keen Jr there when he recorded his second album "The Live Album."  He was new folk winner at Kerrville a few years before that and his legend was just beginning to grow.

Once in a Very Blue Moon

                                                        

                                                         Just once... in a very blue moon

                                                          Just once in a very blue moon
                                                         Just once... in a very blue moon
                                                           And I feel one comin' on soon

Last Labor Day weekend (catching up here) had a fortunate convergence we were able to take advantage of: a blue moon combined with lots of amazing outdoor live music.  The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Nancy Griffith and her Blue Moon Orchestra had been performing that weekend at an outdoor venue in central Texas to play "Once in a Very Blue Moon" under the blue moon.  We would have been there for sure.

As it was though, the live outdoor music and blue moon were exquisite.  The official full moon was either Friday or Saturday night, but we started the weekend off Thursday night at the Threadgill's beer garden.

 First up was Betty Soo, who's set accompanied the moon beginning to rise above the stage just a little to the left.  Her songs work equally well when she performs solo or, as in the case of this night, with her band, Willing Company.  We would have like her to keep going all evening except that John Fullbright would be coming up next and we were really looking forward to that too.

Betty Soo - 2008 Kerrville New Folk Winner.

John Fullbright's set coax the moon high above the stage.  He also played with superb accompaniment songs from his debut studio CD "From the Ground Up," as well as new material that gave us hope of a new CD in the near future.

Here is John Fulbright playing at Lucy's Fried Chicken at SXSW 2012.  From Woody Guthrie's home town, Okemah, Oklahoma, he was the high point of the 2012 WoodyFest and is returning for the 2013 WoodyFest.

For Friday night, we changed venues to the Kerrville Wine and Music Festival, aka, Little Folk.  The headline band was the Farewell Drifters from Nashville.  The view is from up the hill in the theater in order to catch the stage and the moon.  Their vocal harmonies are described as sixties pop, which they blend in with bluegrassy arrangements.










                   
 The Farewell Drifters

Here are the Farewll Drifters at Threadgills for SXSW 2012.

Saturday night, which looks like it might have been the actual full moon, the headliner was Guy Forsyth.  He puts on quite an entertaining show, playing a wide variety of styles and instruments, including quite a stirring rendition of "Summertime" on the musical saw.











         
 Guy Forsyth

Sunday night was the end of the blue moon labor day weekend, and it was getting hard to catch the moon and the stage in the same picture.  The headliner band was Steeldrivers, another Nashville band fusing bluegrass with contemporary sounds.

                                                       Steeldrivers