**********

Continental Confidential

http://www.continentalclub.com/Austin/Confidential/new.html

The Continental Club

http://www.continentalclub.com

Austin

http://www.continentalclub.com/Austin.html

Volume XI #1.3 ...... Austin TX ...... June 21, 2007

Dianne's Dish

Hello everyone! A lot of folks have been asking after doorman "Motha" Jeff Barrada. He has been diagnosed with kidney failure and is preparing to begin dialysis 3 days a week. He is planning on returning to work as soon as he can - maybe in another few weeks. In the meantime, he thankfully has medical coverage, but there's no income for incidentals like food & rent. I would bet there will be an upcoming benefit.

***

Today, Sunny Sweeney is in Washington, DC having a very busy day. At 11:00a.m. she was on the the Laura Ingraham Show, which is heard on more than 340 stations and on SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. It is the 5th most-heard syndicated talk radio show in the nation. Later, XM America channel 10 KICKS OFF SUMMER WITH SUNNY! She will be co-hosting with John Welch from 4:00p.m.-8:00p.m. and then co-hosting with Country Dan from 8:00pm-midnight. That's a mighty tight schedule. For Central Time zone readers, those times are probably Eastern Standard Time, so don't forget we're an hour earlier. Sunny is also featured in Country Weekly Magazine in the "Who's Hot for 2007," is an artist on CMT, and is in the "New Artist Spotlight" on GAC. On the local front Sunny was featured on the cover of the Austin Pets Directory recently with one of her three dogs (Merle, Nash, and Dolly). She'll be heading to the UK and Scandanavia on tour, and then in August she performs at the Grand Ole Opry! She sure is getting her name, face & songs out there in front of the folks that matter.... the fans.

***

WOW! Not only are both of The Continental Clubs on MySpace, but now The Continental Club Gallery is too! Check out our pages for band photos in "View more pics", and the weekly Continental Confidential complete with photos! You can even "subscribe" to the newsletter through MySpace! The address for Austin is www.myspace.com/continentalclub, the address for Houston is www.myspace.com/continentalclubhouston and the address for The Continental Club Gallerys is http://www.myspace.com/continentalclubgallery Won't you be our "Friend"?

***

Are you a customer with questions about upcoming shows? In Austin call: (512) 441-0202 or (512) 441-2444 or e-mail Dianne at info@continentalclub.com. In Houston call: (713)529-9899 or (713) 529-9666.

Are you a musician inquiring about booking a gig? Booking in Austin: steve@continentalclub.com. PR in Austin: Dianne, info@continentalclub.com. Booking & PR in Houston: pete@continentalclub.com.

***

If you would like to get on the list to receive a weekly e-mail of our happenings, please request the Austin info from Dianne at info@continentalclub.com. There is currently no e-mail version for Houston, however if you have questions about Houston shows, contact Pete at pete@continentalclub.com. To unsubscribe from the e-mail version, or if you feel that you have received the e-mail in error, please respond to info@continentalclub.com with "unsubscribe" as the subject. Don't forget to get your birthday to me if you want to be on the monthly birthday list. I'd be happy to add Houston birthdays also if y'all let me know about them!

Keep readin' & rockin'.... Dianne

***

SoundBites - Austin

Happy Hour

Formed in Austin, Texas late 2003, the Monday Happy Hour band, Paris 49, gathers 5 guys who share the same passion for American Jazz and its interpretation by Django Reinhardt's various bands of the 30's and 40's. The sound is the blend of 2 electrified Gypsy guitars and the tenor saxophone for a thick and surreal effect. Upright bass and drums work intricately together, flirting with a Be-Bop beat, while never really stating it. Renowned local and touring artists have enjoyed sitting in with the band... this show is improvised! (Mondays @ 6:00 p.m. No cover!)

On 6/26 Elana James & The Continental Two will play Happy Hour. The lineup is Elana with fellow Hot Clubber guitarist Whit Smith, and Beau Sample on bass. Planet Casper takes on the Tuesday residency full-time in July. On 7/3 it will be Casper, David Grissom & Warren Hood! Will this always be a rotating cast of players? I don't know yet, but who can complain with the caliber of talent Casper is drawing from. (Tuesdays @ 6:30 p.m., no cover)

The Explosions with Willie Sampson, Johnny Moeller & Mike Keller call the Wednesday Happy Hour home now. It's pure East side blues featuring Johnny's stunning guitar playing and Willie's raw-in-a-good-way vocals. (Wednesdays @ 6:30 p.m. No cover!)

The Mother Truckers are rockin' country! With irreverent, harmony driven country, they deliver non-traditional lyrics and blazing guitars. From sin to redemption and heartbreak to salvation. We had been hearing that they had become the new "buzz" so we have them every Thursday, just for you. (Thursdays @ 6:30 p.m. $5 @ 5pm!)

The Blues Specialists have played continuously on Fridays at The Continental Club for 20 years! Although founding members Erbie Bowser & T.D. Bell have passed on, the authentic blues tradition continues with band leader Mel Davis on vocals, sax & harmonica and T.D.'s son, Lawrence Bell on keyboards. (Fridays @ 6:30 p.m. No cover!)

Redd Volkaert, formerly a guitarist for Merle Haggard, picks & grins for his classic country Saturday matinees with a great cast of players. Redd's playing is so revered that many other musicians come to Redd's shows just to study his technique & sound. And to see what's on his T-shirt. (Saturdays @ 3 p.m. No cover!) *Redd is gone on 6/23& 6/30. Those matinees will be filled by the New York City via Nashville transplant Greg Garing. I'm not sure which version we're getting for these shows because he does so many different things, but I bet it's the Honky Tonk Greg.

***

NightTime Residencies

Heybale! featuring Redd Volkaert (Merle Haggard) & Earl Poole Ball (Johnny Cash) is Austin's best & most popular country supergroup! The lineup includes singer/guitarist Gary Claxton, upright bass player Kevin Smith (Dwight Yoakam, High Noon) and drummer Tom Lewis (Raul Malo, Jim Lauderdale). It's all Heybale, all night, and still a bargain at $6! On the last Sunday of each month we will present The Heybale Orchestra w/special guests Cindy Cashdollar, Elana James, Eric Hokkanen and more, according to who's available! Click here for the Austin Chronicle cover story on Heybale! (Sundays @ 10:00 p.m. $6)

Dale Watson & his Lone Stars have returned to their beloved Country Monday residency! Dale is back in the business of making music with his old gang on stage, and his fans on the dance floor. You never know who's going to show up & end up on stage with Dale... James Intveld, Chris Wall, Alan Haynes, Tommy Mack, a fiddle player from Scotland, a harmonica player from Spain, who knows. His latest tune is "The Ballad of Billy Joe (Where Do You Want It)," and if you're from Texas you'll know the rest of the story. This just might be the best $5 you'll ever spend on a Monday night. (Mondays @ 10 p.m. $5)

Barfield, "The Tyrant of Texas Funk" returned to Tuesday nights all fresh & ready to tear it up! Their Southern funk 'n' rock 'n' soul shows have become legendary for the bootie-shakin' that goes on. They're going to be keeping the 10pm spot, splitting the night with Chicken Strut who will have the midnight spot. And who is Chicken Strut? The funkiest small combo around! Members are: Bobby Perkins - bass (Carolyn Wonderland, Larry, Topaz), Neil Pederson - keys (Extreme Heat, Papa Mali, Topaz), Michael Hale - drums, M.C. (Patrice Pike, Afrofreque, Dirty Wormz), Ron Sio - guitar (MeterMen, Topaz). "Some greasy fried chicken with the gizzards on the side and some bad hot sauce. And in this case - it definitely tastes like Chicken!" (Tuesdays @ 10 p.m. $5)

***

Best of the Rest

Thursday June 21 @ 10:00, $10 - Austin Discovery School Fundraiser w/Gary Clark Jr., Barfield, Ephraim Owens, The Moeller Brothers (Johnny & Jason), Jane Bond and more!Austin Discovery School is a tuition-free, innovative charter school serving children in grades K-5. A small, community oriented school, ADS offers spacious, naturally lit, beautiful classrooms with a 32:2 student to teacher ratio. Classrooms are full of movement and social interactions as learners work cooperatively and share their knowledge with one another. ADS features hands on math and science, integrates literacy across the curriculum, and offers fine arts and an organic junior master gardener program.Their fresh approach to education emphasizes social responsibility, good health and environment while pursuing a rigorous academic program.

Friday June 22 @ 9:00, 10:15, 11:45. $10 - Mr. Lewis & The Funeral 5 couple lyrics about murder, drinking, and just a general desperation as if they were straight out of a Greek tragedy, along with music comprised of jubilant, tuneful song writing to come up with a sound that isn't quite average. Top it off with a whimsical grin, and you've got their unique brand of good old fashioned drinking music. American Graveyard takes country, bluegrass, and down-home rock-n-roll, and throws in elements of punk rock, psychedelia, blues, and jazz. It's a sonic buffet with a little taste of everything. "I truly believe that if you don't like American Graveyard, you're probably an asshole." ~Jim DeGregorio. Hmmm. Sounds like they got that quote from a friend of theirs. Although, I agree. White Ghost Shivers revel in string band music from the 20's and 30's, mixing early jazz, hokum, vaudeville, ragtime, western swing, and hillbilly, while at the same time unleashing the gutterous underbelly of a pseudo-rock world gone wrong... Yeeha! It's the hokum thing that really grabs me every time.

Saturday June 23 @ 9:30, 10:45. $10 - After spending six successful years with The Weary Boys, Mario Matteoli decided to go in a different direction and focus exclusively on his solo career. In June of 2006, a 25-year-old Matteoli released Hard Luck Hittin', his debut solo album. The album was well received by fans and critics alike. Some likened the album to the "acoustic solitude of Neil Young or the depressed world spun by Townes Van Zandt," while others simply described it as "fantastic!" I know I couldn't wait to put it on my iPod. Lost Bayou Ramblers garner enthusiastic praise wherever they go, and are certainly a favorite among our eclectic patrons. "Rustic, ribald and rugged tunes free of contemporary styling, it's not rock-influenced, amplified modern Cajun music -- but it rocks. The Lost Bayou Ramblers are what Cajun music was and should be." ~Nick Pittman, Times of Acadiana. "They make you feel like they're bringing you back home. Kind of like if you are out of town for a long time, getting homesick and then you hear a song from Louisiana, it makes you homesick. That's how their band makes me feel when I hear them at home: homesick." ~Lisa Stafford, Programming Director, Festival International, Lafayette, LA.

Thursday June 28 @ 10:00, 11:15, 12:30. $7 - Wrinkle Neck Mules is band from Richmond, VA using banjos, mandolins, pedal steel guitars, organs, kitchen sinks, drums and bass together with bluegrass-inspired harmony vocals distilled it into a righteous Americana mishmash. Stephen Simmons, a finalist in Merlefest's prestigious songwriting competition, provides a front porch view of life in rural Tennessee, albeit one with a sometimes sinister perspective. With a move to Nashville, the former Washington D.C. alt-country rockers Last Train Home added Houston guitarist Steve Weidemeyer to the lineup. Their latest CD, Last Good Kiss, casts a net of wide appeal, featuring well-crafted songs, Brace's increasingly soulful vocals and guitarist Wedemeyer's twang-town thrust. This is one of my favorite touring bands.

Friday June 29 @ 10:00, 12:00. $10 - "There ain't no drawn out electric solos here. No broke down jukebox covers and no worn-out wayfarer sunglasses... No, that just ain't gonna work around here. But there will be the chatter of a well-worn washboard. And a 30s era dobro slidin and cuttin on through the night. Now and again there'll be the sweet sound of a gorgeous old Gibson dancing its way through a little finger-style tune. And that beat. Oh that beat! Now there will most certainly be a beat. There'll be a beat so infectious it'll cut right through to your soul and leave you wondering what hit you for days. Yes, you're fixin' to hear some of the most authentic roots blues this side of 1929 from none other than The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band." ~"Big" Alec Brinegar. The Mother Truckers tell original tales with their powerful blend of pristine vocals mixed with the razors edge of rockin' country. The core of the group is the singing/songwriting team of Josh Zee and Teal Collins. The Mother Truckers have successfully supported such acts as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Asleep At The Wheel, Reba McIntire, Hank Williams 3, The Charlie Daniels Band, Robert Earl Keen, Shedaisy, The Flatlanders, Dave Alvin, Michelle Shocked, TheSupersuckers, The Derailers,...

Saturday June 30 @ 10:00, 12:00. $10 - Miss Leslie & her Juke-Jointers play honky tonk country music with a 50s and 60s flair. This group is creating buzz with their music they describe as "Country music with a hardwood floor sound". Combining original material along with obscure country tunes that they have unearthed from the 50s and 60s, the band opens up new sounds in a retro honky-tonk setting. Wayne Hancock says his musical purpose is "to bring people together and make them feel good about music. It's a spiritual thing and without spirituality, you've got nothin'. There ain't much on the radio that strikes me as being original or from the heart, most of it's from the pocketbook and it shows." Like he's is fond of saying: "Man, I'm like a stab wound in the fabric of country music in Nashville. See that bloodstain slowly spreading? That's me." Ain't he somethin'? You bet he is.

***

1. 2.

3. 4.

5.

6.

7. 8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14. 15.

Coming.... Sunday 7/1 $6: Heybale w/Redd & Earl @ 10.... Monday 7/2 $5: Dale Watson & his Lone Stars @ 10; Happy Hour: Paris 49 @ 6:30, no cover.... Tuesday 7/3 $5: Chicken Strut, Barfield @ 10; Happy Hour: Planet Casper w/Casper Rawls, David Grissom & Warren Hood @ 6:30, no cover.... Wednesday 7/4 $7: James McMurtry, Jon Dee Graham @ 10; Happy Hour: The Explosions @ 6:30, no cover... Thursday 7/5 $7: TBA, LZ Love @ 10; Happy Hour: Nakia & his Southern Cousins @ 6:30, $5 @ 4.... Friday 7/6 $10: High School Caesar, Two Tons of Steel @ 10; Happy Hour: The Blues Specialists @ 6:30, no cover.... Saturday 7/7 $10: Li'l Cap'n Travis release party, Brothers & Sisters, Gary Newcomb @ 10; Matinee: Greg Garing @ 3, no cover.... Sunday 7/8 $6: Heybale w/Redd & Earl @ 10.... Monday 7/9 $5: Dale Watson & his Lone Stars @ 10; Happy Hour: Django's Moustache @ 6:30, no cover.... Tuesday 7/10 $5: Chicken Strut, Barfield @ 10; Happy Hour: Planet Casper @ 6:30, no cover.... Wednesday 7/11 $7: James McMurtry, Jon Dee Graham @ 10; Happy Hour: The Explosions @ 6:30, no cover... Thursday 7/12 $?: Austin Music Foundation benefit - A Nick Lowe Tribute & release party w/The Lowelies, The Costellophones, Ron Flynt & Eric Hisaw, and Paul Minor; No Happy Hour today!.... Friday 7/13 $10: The Weary Boys, Big Smith @ 9:30; Happy Hour: The Blues Specialists @ 6:30, no cover.... Saturday 7/14 $10: The Weary Boys, Scott Biram @ 10; Matinee: Redd Volkaert @ 3, no cover

***

The Continental Club Gallery 1313A S. Congress Ave.

The Gallery is open 7 nights a week @ 9pm-2am with no cover charge. Music is @ 10pm-1am every night, no cover! On First Thursdays the Gallery will open at 6pm with music on select First Thursdays @ 7-9 & 10-12, no cover.

Art show openings will take place on the First Thursday of each month, and the shows will run for the entire month. This will be the general rule, although as with everything in this business, there may be exceptions. Check this section regularly for news on current & upcoming shows.

Art

Art Opening June 7 @ 7pm - Austin Discovery School

Coming July 5..... Pehr Smith and Dana Lee Smith Art Opening!

***

Music

Mondays in June @ 10 - Son Y No Son is an established Austin Latin dance ensemble led by Rey Arteaga and accompanied by some of the best musicians in Austin. Son Y No Son performs Cuban Son, Colombian Cumbia, Mexican Sones and Boleros, Brazilian Chorinho, but are known to play way outside of those genres when inspired. The individual members like all kinds of music and have many shared musical tastes and play in an array of other bands and other projects.

Tuesdays in June @ 10 - The Ephraim Owens Experience is the brainchild of trumpet master in the jazz arena, Ephraim Owen. He is especially well known for his signature solos and ability to improvise. He has an uncanny ability to imagine his music laid on top of anything else he hears, and his adaptability makes him a welcome addition to any lineup. The Austin Chronicle ranks Ephraim as "Best Horn" in Austin.

Wednesdays in June @ 10 - Trube, Farrell & Sniz are Anthony Farrell, Andrew Trube of the Greyhounds, and Dave "Sniz" Robinson. They bring their mix of funk, soul and r&b to the Gallery every Wednesday night!

Thursdays in May & June @ 10 - Paris 49 gathers 5 guys who share the same passion for American Jazz and its interpretation by Django Reinhardt's various bands of the 30's and 40's. The sound is the blend of 2 electrified Gypsy guitars and the tenor saxophone; a thick and surreal effect. Upright bass and drums work intricately together, flirting with a Be-Bop beat, while never really stating it. *Except 6/21 & 7/5 when Paris 49 member JD Pendley rounds up some like-minded musicians (which could be some form of Giant Three or Hot Jazz Caravan) to fill in for his missing band mates.

Fridays in May & June @ 10 - Mike Flanigin's B-3 Trio features Mike on Hammond B-3 organ amplified through a classic Leslie cabinet. His backing players vary from night to night, but you count on it being the cream of Austin's crop in jazz, blues or funk. Possible guitarists include Derek O'Brien, Johnny Moeller, Mike Keller, and Dave Biller. Drummers may be Damien Llanes, Chris "Whipper" Layton, or George Raines. Whether the show is jazz, blues or funk or some combination of all of them depends solely on who the backing band is, since Flanigin does it all with finesse.

1st Saturday of the month @ 10 - el john, Selector is the "Subliminal Beatmaster" whether it's as a drummer or a DJ. John Nelson's career as a drummer and percussionist has included stints with some of the world's finest artists, including Poi Dog Pondering, Thievery Corporation, Victor Krummenacher, James McMurtry, and Penelope Huston. His alter-ego, DJ el john, Selector, spins & mixes Brazil, Reggae, Soul, Dancehall, "Jazzn't", Romantic Rock, Struggle, and Ass-poppin'.

Other Saturdays in May & June @ 10 - Mike Flanigin's B-3 Trio features Mike on Hammond B-3 organ amplified through a classic Leslie cabinet. His backing players vary from night to night, but you count on it being the cream of Austin's crop in jazz, blues or funk. Possible guitarists include Derek O'Brien, Johnny Moeller, Mike Keller, and Dave Biller. Drummers may be Damien Llanes, Chris "Whipper" Layton, or George Raines. Whether the show is jazz, blues or funk or some combination of all of them depends solely on who the backing band is, since Flanigin does it all with finesse.

Sundays in May & June @ 10 - Mike Flanigin's B-3 Trio features Mike on Hammond B-3 organ amplified through a classic Leslie cabinet. His backing players vary from night to night, but you count on it being the cream of Austin's crop in jazz, blues or funk. Possible guitarists include Derek O'Brien, Johnny Moeller, Mike Keller, and Dave Biller. Drummers may be Damien Llanes, Chris "Whipper" Layton, or George Raines. Whether the show is jazz, blues or funk or some combination of all of them depends solely on who the backing band is, since Flanigin does it all with finesse.

***

Literati
None scheduled at this time.

***

Music History 101

Courtesy of DataDragon.com, OldiesMusic.com, Those Were The Days and MusicBizAdvice.com

June 21—June 28

***

June Birthdays

Ron Wood (1); Charlie Watts, Donna "Pearl" McClure (2); Bob Zrudsky (3); *"Shoeshine" Charley Miller, *Freddie Fender, Rick Lyon, Mike Campbell (4); Michele Shukers, Laura Trevino (5); Jane Bond, Jason Shields, Ken Palyola, Dora (6); Matt Kinsey, Kevin Collins, Jodi Brown (7); Herb Remington, Johnny Depp, Steve Watson (9); Brian Hofeldt, Cliff Hargrove (10); Bruce Robison (11); Junior Brown, Billy Cassis (12); Lynn Carter (13); Jack Kinslow, William Stuart Jr. (14); *Waylon Jennings, Gabby Wertheimer (15); Geordie Schimmel (16); Mike Buck (17); Jud Newcomb, Marti' Brom (18); Derek O'Brien, Wayne Nagel, Joe Gordon, Chaz Armstrong (19) Robyn Catron, Jesse Denier (20); Ray Davies, *Robert Pastorelli, *Clifford Scott, *Martin Banks (21); Kris Kristofferson, Willie Graham (22); Bukka Allen, Whit Smith, Mickey Mann (24); John Garza, Sally Nicolaou (26); Clay Blaker (27); Lloyd Maines, King Coffey, James Matthews (28); *Doyle Holly, Tucker Livingston, Gary Selick (30)

June Memorials (date of death)

Steve Lacy [Jazz saxaphonist] 6/4/2003; Ronnie Lane [Faces] 6/4/1997; Sims Ellison [Pariah] 6/5/1995; John Lee Hooker [Blues musician] 6/21/2001

Birthday Legend: * = deceased