Island Moon PA 5June 23, 2010

arrival. Later in the weekend, she provided a minia-ture replica of the couple’s wedding cake. She sees doing more of that kind of catering. “People need ser-vice when they’re here on vacation. They just want someone to take care of them,” she said.

And of course, she does lots of wedding cakes. I was having lunch there one day (the roast beef sandwich with Havarti cheese, side salad and house dressing – yum) while at the next table over a small group of people was planning upcoming wedding celebration. They taste-tested their way through a sample plat-ter of decorated cupcakes in all different flavors so that they could make an informed choice of what cake to have Tammy bake for the wedding. I do believe it would be well worth getting married if it meant I could plow my way through a whole tray of Bundy cupcakes.

Speaking of weddings, my friends Jim and Ruth re-

cently got married. They really hadn’t planned any post-nuptial festivities so after they were formally hitched, I suggested that we go to Bundy’s for an in-formal celebration. I brought a champagne split and Jim ordered breakfast bread pudding (mega yum) and lattes for everyone in the place. One of our instant-reception guests passed around the day’s newspaper and everyone signed it with their best wishes. What a warm and welcoming and totally Port A and totally Bundy’s way to start married life.

Now you don’t need a lame office Internet or an im-

pending wedding to have an excuse to enjoy Bundy’s. All you need is an appetite for refreshing beverages, rich and satisfying breakfast selections, tasty filling lunches and decadent treats (have I mentioned killer cinnamon rolls?) served up in a comfortable, relaxing setting fragrant with the aromas of baking. For more information, visit the Web site at http://bundysporta.com/, call 361-749-4BUN (that’s 749-4286) or send an email to bundy_tammy@yahoo.co. Better yet, stop by and wish them happy first anniversary. Sum-mer hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. See you there!

Dee Scoveries Continued from PA 1author (and passionate rock ’n’ roll enthusiast) Ste-phen King cited James McMurtry as “the truest, fierc-est songwriter of his generation.” His songs tell col-orful stories with such varied themes as the perils of the first people to settle the Texas high plains (Level-land), living on the rough side of San Antonio where the rich and powerful choose not to go (Safe Side), la-menting over the demise of the buffalo (No More Buf-falo), going to his more than colorful family’s reunion to see his aging Uncle Slaton who lives back in the woods of Oklahoma “with his Asian bride and still makes whiskey cuz he still knows how. He likes that money he don’t mind the smell” (Choctaw Bingo), or having to ask those ever so worrisome questions of a friend, “Where’d you Hide the Body, Where’d You Hide the Gun?” McMurtry’s imagination and depth speaks volumes and he knows few boundaries. His songs are a unique spin on insightful observations and obscure situations, past and present. McMurtry been writing, recording and performing steadily since 1992. He plays regularly at the Continental Club in Austin with his band, the Heartless Bastards. James McMurtry really is a one of a kind talent who will make you look a little differently at life’s oddities af-ter he’s wrapped his words and music around it...I think they call that art.

Band of HeathensBand of Heathens is an Austin based quintet whose

current album One Foot in the Ether reached num-ber one on the Americana airplay charts and garnered critical acclaim from the indie-rock, alt-country and jam press alike. The Heathens were nominated re-cently, and for the second time in as many years, in the Americana Honors & Awards category of ”Best Duo or Group.” The band is slated to perform at Lol-lapalooza in Chicago this August and have performed on Austin City Limits on a bill with Elvis Costello last year. They have a sometimes bluesy, sometimes gospel, sometimes edgy feel to their music, which is steeped heavily in country twang and a healthy dose

of back porch rockin’ soul. The Heathens have four CD’s to their credit, including a live recording at Aus-tin’s beloved home of the blues, entitled Live at An-tones. Keep an eye out for these fellows as they rock-et their way up the ladder in much the same way as the Gourds have. They put on an amazing live show.

Austin HeatAustin Heat (Austin, TX) will play the Tarpon Ice

House on Saturday, July 3rd and Sunday, July 4th. You may remember this band from SandFest or their gig later that night at the Ice House...they made a lot of fans that day. These boys are a party band who covers a wide range of tastes. In the course of a show, you’ll hear a variety of artists and genres that range from classic rock (Beatles, Hendrix, Stones, The Band, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Santana, etc) to blues (Johnny “Guitar” Watson), to jazz (Herbie Hancock, Kenny Dorham), to reggae (Bob Mar-ley), to funk (James Brown, Wild Cherry, Cam-eo) and soul (Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Bobby Caldwell).

The band is fronted by 21 year old wunderkind, Aus-tin Roach. Roach plays the guitar with the authority of an old soul. His licks are well chosen and tasty. Small Don Burrows (keyboardist and Joe Ely alum-ni) is a musician par excellent’ and along with Fred-dy Marshall (also the bassist for Taboo) and Dex-ter Walker (drums), they bring veteran experience that completes this combo. Collectively, they have an ability to read the crowd and keep the party raging. Their groove is infectious.

The band will be playing two nights at the Tarpon Ice House and it seems to me that, being that its on the 3rd and FOURTH OF JULY, this show should probably fit into your holiday party plans somewhere. As far as I’m concerned, this is the hot ticket on the island next weekend.

And that’s the truth!

Three Chords & the Truth Continued from PA 6

Island Moon June 23, 2010PA 6

And all of a sudden the year’s half over and we’re looking the Fourth of July dead in the eye. The only thing hotter than the sand on the beach right now is the area music scene. Be sure to check out the Live Music Tonight box for all the upcoming shows...there’s lots of them. I want to tell you about a couple of great acts I caught last week plus a few “DON’T MISS” shows scheduled for the holiday weekend that I recommend. Have fun but be safe out there my friends. Let’s roll...

Mitch Webb & The SwindlesMitch Webb & The Swindles (San Antonio, TX)

played the Tarpon Ice House last Friday night. If you weren’t one of the 50 or so people that saw this show in at the Ice House last weekend, then all I have to say is, “dude, you missed it”. This was truly a great show.

The Swindles are San Antonio’s most endeared ga-rage band and have been for over a decade. Led by Webb on acoustic guitar and vocals, this band has built a legion of fans in S.A. by staying true to their own original material and unique sound. Their songs are gritty and ran the gamut from punk rock to Amer-icana to Tex-Mex and country, which got the crowd at the Ice House dancing and partying hardy...espe-cially, our pal and local songslinger Van Blitze. Ev-ery comment I heard on the band that night was in the nature of, “Man, I can’t believe how good these guys are”. Swindle’s guitarist and Grammy winner, Joe Reyes, played as fluidly and fat as any guitar-ist anywhere and I know that’s a bold statement. The Swindles made a great first impression for their first gig ever in Port Aransas. Hopefully, they will make it back to our part of the world soon! I know they really dug playing the Ice House and really got a charge out of staying in the trailer that the venue provided for their lodging. It made them feel like instant islanders.

Joe King CarrascoJoe King Carrasco (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)

played the Back Porch last Saturday night. The house was packed and more than ready for the king’s return. JKC now lives in Mexico where he’s involved in a growing restaurant franchise called Joe King Carras-co’s Nacho Mama. He was back in the country for a death in the family and only played two gigs here in the States; the one here in Port A and one in Hous-ton. For these two shows he enlisted the support of

his long time friend and sideman, Chuggy (bass). Although, this band was a stripped down version of many of the other larger bands that I’ve seen Joe play with through the years, the energy was still over the top and was a sight for sore eyes.

And Joe King played and played and played in the classic JKC fashion. Most of his songs use both Span-ish and English phrases and are either reggae or pure

By Ronnie Narmour

ronnienarmour@gmail.com

Three Chords and the Truth

Tex-Mex. When he covers a song, it’s only by the likes of Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers, Texas Torna-dos or Bob Marley. This show at the Porch was as uplifting as it gets. There wasn’t a person in there who didn’t feel the feel the love. The Jose Cuervo girls were also in the house passing out samples and the love really got strong after they made a couple of rounds. This was right up there with being one of the most fun shows I’ve ever seen at

the Back Porch. The Mexican aye-yi-yi’s and aye-eee’s rever-berating through-out the audience were evidence of that.

It had been a couple of years since I last ran in to Joe King. Af-ter the gig, I got a chance to sit down with him and catch up. He

really loves living in Mexico and has got a good thing going for him-self down there. There is a grin-go population of about 40,000 in Puerto Vallarta and Nacho Mama’s has taken off well. He has plans to open the next Nacho Mama in Meri-da. Joe plays there all the time and is getting the atten-tion he deserves. He adores the culture and has carved a beautiful niche for himself in Mexico. And, he in-

vites everyone to come down and see him. Hmm...Puerto Vallarta sounds pretty good.

Sisters MoralesThe Sisters Morales (San Antonio, TX) will play

the Back Porch on Friday, July 2nd. The sisters, Ro-berta and Lisa Morales, along with multi-instrumen-talist and guitar master, David Spencer, and assort-ed rhythm sections comprise one impressive package. They’ve crafted a blend of all their influences into their own unique sound. Their roots are deep South-western; from Arizona to Houston to San Antonio and Mexico, and the music that ensues is a beautiful blend of cultures. Combine that with the beautiful blend of voices that these two girls have, along with the guitar genius of David Spencer and you have a sound that is nothing short of spectacular. Their songs jump from Mexican mariachi to rock, from soulful torchers to Mexican folk; all with two voices that are as familiar as a reversible jacket.

The Sisters Morales have four studio recordings to their credit. Their last CD, Talking to the River, was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos fame and is their most definitive work to date. They’ve shared stages with Los Lobos, Rodney Crowell, Mer-le Haggard, The Subdudes, Patty Loveless, Del-bert McClinton, James McMurtry, Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, Guy Clark, Joe Ely and a host of oth-ers. Expect this show at the Back Porch to be nothing short of spectacular and the perfect start to the Fourth of July weekend.

Charlie Robison’s Bay BashCharlie Robison (Austin, TX) will host his first an-

nual Bay Bash and Redfish Round Up in Rockport on Saturday, July 3rd. The line-up of Texas music luminaries in-clude: Roger Creager, James McMurtry, Band of Heathens, Brandon Rhyder and Emory Quinn. The festival will be held at the waterfront park on Fulton Beach Road in Rockport. Admis-sion is $25 for advance tickets and $35 at the door. Entry for the fish-ing tournament is $125 per person. Gates open at noon and the music starts at 3:00. This is a “rain or shine” event with no refunds and their poster even warns “don’t come if you don’t want to get wet”.

Charlie Robison is a towering Texas hill country boy, who hails

from the hills of Bandera, TX. He has seven CD’s out and has been on the Texas country music radar since 1996. His most recent CD, Beautiful Day, was ear-marked to be his “divorce album” (from Dixie Chick, Emily Erwin) riddled with emotional regret and sec-

ond guesses, but upon close ex-amination actually portrays a man who seems to be pretty much OK with the hand he’s been dealt as a country music bad boy with a flair for saying exactly what’s on his mind. Robison’s live perfor-mances are always well attend-ed and he’s reached the point in his career where he has strong name recognition and generally only plays the “A” rooms on the circuit. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who’s not a fan and doesn’t sing along to his honky-tonk anthems such as Bar Light, My Home Town, El Cerrito Place or Good Times. In short, he’s damn good, has strong marquee and can put butts in the seats. In my mind, Robison has earned the right to host his own festival and he’s planned out a good one.

The bill boasts a common Tex-as Music theme with all its art-

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Live Music TonightThursday, June 24th

Reckless Kelly & Rob Baird @ Brewster Street

Josh Grider @ Back Porch

Richard Lockhart @ Hooks

Haste the Day, My Children, My Bride, Upon a Burning Body & Memories in Broken Glass @ House of Rock

Curtis Grimes @ Executive Surf Club

Friday June 25th HOBO @ Tarpon Ice House

Tommy Alverson @ Back Porch

Havana Daydream @ Hooks

Five Card Draw @ Brewster Street

Ty Dietz & Neal Edwards @ House of Rock

Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club

Jim Dugan @ The Gaff

Saturday, June 26th

Goodnight Ave-nue @ Tarpon Ice House

Gary P. Nunn @ Back Porch

Dave “Bottlehead” Miller @ Hooks

Vallejo @ Executive Surf Club

Zona Jones @ Brewster Street

Mike McClure Band @ 3rd Coast Studios

Belt Sander Races w/ Shark Attack @ The Gaff

Sunday, June 27th Richard Lockhart (3-6) @ Hooks

Passafire & Eleven Fingered Charlie @ House of Rock

Tuesday, June 29th Open Mic w/ Reverend Fred @ House of Rock

Wednesday, June 30th

HOBO @ House of Rock

40 oz of Freedom @ Brewster Street

Thursday, July 1stRhythm of the Road @ Back Porch

Havana Daydream @ Hooks

Wade Bowen & No Justice @ Brewster Street

Will Crum & Cavegirl @ House of Rock

John Cortez Band @ Executive Surf Club

Friday, July 2ndSisters Morales @ Back Porch

Spazmatics @ Brewster Street

The Groove @ Executive Surf Club

Emily @ Hooks BarBQ

Saturday, July 3rdCharlie Robison’s Bay Bash: James McMurtry,

Roger Creager, Em-ory Quinn, Band of Heathens & Brandon Rhyder

Austin Heat @ Tar-pon Ice House

Larry Joe Taylor @ Back Porch

Russell McGilvrey & Luis @ Hooks

David Allan Coe @ Brewster Street

Scarecrow People @ Executive Surf Club

Yellowhammer @ Hooks BarBQ

The Requested, Eternal Reverence, Dear Grace & No Need for Farewells @ House of Rock

Sunday, July 4thAustin Heat @ Tarpon Ice House

Russell McGilvrey & Luis @ Hooks

Don Chani @ Executive Surf Club

Yellowhammer @ Hooks BarBQ

Monday, July 5thHavana Daydream @ Hooks

Tuesday, July 6thOpen Mic w/ Reverend Fred @ House of Rock

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ists but shows variety in its depth: Roger Creager is originally from Corpus and needs no introductions in this market. Brandon Rhyder is the younger aspir-ing version.

Emory QuinnEmory Quinn is a cool band from San Antonio

that puts out a sound that is tough to pigeon hole. To call them a “roots-country-rock” band doesn’t quite do them justice nor does the “Americana” catch-all genre... these are labels that only seem to understate how such a dynamic ensemble of profoundly talented musicians might assimilate their ample musical abili-

ties. Every song arrives fresh in direction and spell binding in delivery. These boys easily play about ten different instruments between them and it’s dramati-cally apparent that they play them all exceptionally well. It’s safe to say that when EQ takes the stage, the end product is a polished, well constructed blend of personalities that flow effortlessly in sync with each other. You kind of expect them to juggle knives and spin plates on poles while never missing a beat on their instruments. I think you’ll be completely enter-tained as well as be amazed at the ease of their almost athletic musical dexterity.

James McMurtryAustin based singer-songwriter extraordinaire,

James McMurtry, is the son of the famed Texas novelist, Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, Last Pic-ture Show, Terms of Endearment, Texasville, etc) and is quite an amazing wordsmith in his own right. In his regular column for Entertainment Weekly, noted

Austin HeatJuly 3 & 4 Goodnight Avenue

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Mitch Webb & The Swindles at the Ice House.

Joe King Carrasco and Chuggy at the Back Porch.

Sisters Morales to play at the Back Porch July 2.

James Mc Murty to play Bash on July 3.

Charlie Robinson’s to play Bay Bash July 3.

Three Chords & the Truth Continued PA5