I had the fabulous opportunity to hang with Chris Hill (owner of the Esquire) and his sister, Stacey Hill (co-owner of the Monterey) a couple of weeks back. This originally ran on Plaza De Armas, which you need to subscribe to if you want to know everything San Antonio.

Tim Mcdiarmid and Peter Zubiate have brought to life something quite magical with The Special Projects Socials. Peter designed and built the brilliant tables and benches that offer enough space for the delectable dishes that Tim serves up, yet, he built and designed them with the idea of closeness, conversation and intimacy in mind.

I watched, witnessed and experienced a few dozen folks enjoying food, old friends, new found friends and beautiful conversation last night, all at the gorgeously constructed Zubiate tables and benches, and all over the divine TimTheGirl.com cuisine.

Some of the best of San Antonio were in attendance last night…but why read my ramblin’s…just watch below…

I woulda stayed longer, but there were too damn many bugs. Huh? HUH? Too many “bugs!” Get it?!? Man, I crack me up…

Special Projects Social – Zubiate Studios, San Antonio

The Esquire Re-Opens!

Mid-Week Pearl’s Brewery Farmer’s Market

Seryn Performs at Local Coffee

Ramble Creek/ShowLush Showcase – 2011 SXSW

Sweet, and ultra-talented Camille Cortinas-Neal gets her waaaaay overdue…congrats my darling darling friend…read on!

Nashville, TEXAS – March 28, 2011 – Camille Cortinas will be featured as an emerging artist during the April 20, 2011 episode of Music City Roots.

“Camille was discovered after being the voice behind the popular Texas Lottery «Lucky Day» campaign,” said Music City Roots, Executive Producer, Todd Mayo. “Her voice connected with the radio listeners of Texas and we are excited to bring her music to a worldwide audience on Music City Roots.”

“Roots is the perfect outlet for my music,” said Camille Cortinas. “Sharing the stage with Jim Lauderdale and knowing that legends like the Doobie Brothers, Ricky Scaggs, Brandy Carlisle have all appeared on this stage, makes this a dream come true.”

Show Details:
Date: April 20, 2011
Venue: Loveless Café Barn
Address: 8400 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221
Performance time: 7:00 pm

About Camille Cortinas debut solo album «Taken Apart»
Produced By: Eric Neal
Recorded at Sunquist Studios
Mixed and Mastered by Mark Hallman at The Congress House Studio

Camille’s musical style uses storytelling and personal experiences to create a human connection that appeals to audiences of young and old, and her captivating voice smiles through the speakers. While her music remains upbeat, her songwriting finds its way through melancholy and melds into a hopeful and optimistic future. It’s learning to let go of the heartbreaks and find the happiness that life can bring.

For the most update tour/press information please go to www.camillecortinas.com and look for her first solo album on cdbaby and itunes.

About Music City Roots
Music City Roots has been hailed as “truly extraordinary” and “the greatest live radio in America” by journalists who have visited and artists who’ve played the Roots stage. The Nashville Scene recently named the Loveless Barn and the show as Nashville’s Best New Roots Music Venue, “akin to what the Opry must have been like 60 years ago.” The program has also established itself as a trusted curator for excellence in Americana music, with appearances by Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Mike Farris, Ricky Skaggs, Mountain Heart, Cherryholmes, Dex Romweber, Roger McGuinn and many more. Roots has become a trusted brand partner that has done everything in its power to extol its valued sponsors, including Nissan, Whole Foods Markets, Vietti Chili, Ascend Federal Credit Union and The Nature Conservancy.

Goofy romanticism? Yes. But that’s what makes up Seryn. The band is a lovely mix of passionate talented artists who harmonize beautifully and bring (it on) music that evokes beautiful emotion and love to a music-lover’s very soul. Plus, I have this creepy old lady crush on Trenton Wheeler and the rest of the band.

I’ve experienced Seryn on numerous occasions, always brilliant performances, but this was my first to see them all acoustic-y. They did not disappoint. Do they ever? No. No, they don’t. But who am I to say? You be the judge…

By the way, Local Coffee, in the ‘burbs of San Antonio, is heaven, in the ‘burbs of San Antonio. The feel, the look, the attention to decor detail, the fabulous crew (‘specially one Jason Tantaros)…it all adds up to splendid coffee heaven. Go there. You are so welcome.

I covered SXSW with my original blog, TexasGigs.com, with live audio streaming at various shows. Then I moved to live video streaming, which is what I was doing below back in 2008. Not a lot of fancy camera work, but the live streaming was a hit for those who couldn’t make it, and lots who were not even in the state.

Just ‘memberin’ back…I’m pretty much a fixture at the Twangfest and Sin City shows every year that I’ve gone to SXSW, along with the Summer Break Records parties and my beloved Fat Caddy Records shindigs.

I think my favorite year was when I let my alter-ego, Flat-Cindy take charge. She was kissed by Rhett Miller, hung with Collin Herring, Macon Greyson and the Thrift Store Cowboys, made out with Robert Anderson (Deathray Davies), check out the photos.

I’ll have SXSW 2011 goodies for ya this coming weekend.

Sarah Jaffe. A looooooooong time FineLineFave. Check the new video, es muy bueno. Keep your eyes peeled for band members who play in bands such at Centro-matic, Doug Burr, Seryn and Bosque Brown. Nice little band’o'playa’s.

Sarah Jaffe performs at the Ghost Room in Austin on September 25. See you there.

I had the fantabulous opportunity to be a part of these videos (either via puppeteerin’ or just looky-looin’…have a great weekend.

Call me?

Art&Seek, my favorite place to be…just launched an absolutely fabulous new site just in time for their 2-year anniversary. Alan Melson deserves the medal of A&S….Check it out every single day.

Two of my favorite humans doing what they do bestest…

The fabulous Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff is host to the equally fabby KXT 91.7, “Barefoot at the Belmont” concert series. The Belmont continues its traditional poolside concert series featuring some of the best bands and musicians from North Texas, along with a breathtaking back-drop of the downtown Dallas skyline…reserve a room, wine, dine and take a dip in the Belmont pool…all the while experiencing the whole BFatB/KXT magnificence…you’ll thank me in the morning….prolly twice….

I gushed awhile back about the greatness that is Ryan Scheer and Lucky Rabbit Films. I fell in love with the whole bunch after watching (and watching and watching over and over again) their brilliant short film on Deadman.

I just found another great video (above) that Ryan and crew have done…a PSA..for the Austin-based SIMS Foundation…

The SIMS Foundation’s Mission is to provide access to and financial support for mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin-area musicians and their families. SIMS was founded in 1995 by the friends and family of Sims Ellison, a talented young Austin musician, after his battle with depression ended in suicide.

Austin is hailed as “The Live Music Capitol of the World” for good reason. With over 200 live music venues and internationally recognized music festivals such as SXSW and ACL, thousands of musicians make this city their home. Unfortunately, with the rising cost of living and increasing competition for jobs in the music business, many musicians find themselves struggling financially and emotionally.

Irregular hours, travel schedules, financial insecurity and proximity to alcohol and drugs can take their toll on musicians and their families, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and alcohol and drug abuse. Professional musicians are often uninsured or underinsured and cannot always pay out of pocket for expensive counseling and addiction treatment. That’s why SIMS is here to help. SIMS serves more than 600 clients annually and provides over 5,000 units of service (defined as one counseling session or one day in recovery).

Leave it to Austin to provide such a wonderful organization directed towards musicians in need with little or no insurance.

Keep an eye on Lucky Rabbit Films. Every dang thing outta there is fabby, quite fabby.

James Bland had a history of Dallas music photographs hung throughout the theater. DJ Mr. Rid aka Mark Ridlen was spinnin’ vinyl GREATNESS in the lobby bar…speaking of which, the joint was absolutely GORGEOUS!

Jason Carney put on one helluva slam poetry performance…you coulda heard a pin drop. Josh Alan Friedman was quite the star of the evening with a line to purchase his latest book, Black Cracker and a standing ovation for his perfect musical performance on stage.

I hit the road back to Richardson before Mark Growden performed, but Liles didn’t miss a beat with his trusty video camera.

Make plans to hit the Kessler Theater very soon and very often. It’s quite fabby.

Ed. Note: The above video was shot and edited for KERA’s Art&Seek.

…this is now!

Bonus cut…

It’s time…

Saturday, March 20
Doors at 6 p.m.
The Opening of the Kessler Theater
Featuring: DJ Mr. Rid (spinning) – Josh Alan Friedman’s Book signing Black Cracker – “A Photographic History of Music in Dallas” by wicked-awesome photographer James Bland – Performances by Mark Growden – Slam Poet Jason Carney – Josh Alan Friedman
Cost: It’s on the house, just bring booze money
Full bar

A couple of weeks back, Salim Nourallah invited me into his Pleasantry Lane Recording Studio for an “artist’s studio tour” for KERA’s Art&Seek. It was nearly 5-years ago that I did the same for Pegasus News. The studio has changed dramatically since then.

I was asked to obtain a copy of the Nourallah Brothers self-titled album, which will go into rotation on Gini Mascorro’s Texas Mix on 91.7 KXT…I uploaded the entire CD and its bonus CD to my laptop prior to handing it over to KXT. I’ve been listening all day and it’s really made me melancholy and wishful that the Nourallah brothers would put their differences aside and come back together to make another record. I think it could be quite brilliant and full of quirky and perhaps dramatic stories about the making of it.

Anyway, the above video was shot and produced by my dear friend Alex Kanakis. I was actually invited to sit in on the planning meeting for the video, but Alex took the ball and ran with it, and a lovely, thoughtful and wonderful video resulted.

Below is the latest studio tour I filmed for KERA/Art&Seek.

I dearly love Salim and his family. In fact, I’d say he’s in the top five of my top five favorite humans on earth. He’s also one of my very very very favorite singer-songwriters.

There’s a very cool intimate concert series that takes place at the Studio by the Lake. Salim will perform on April 3rd, alongside other local greats, Trey Johnson and Ronnie Fauss. It’s a not-to-miss-er…so don’t miss it.