THE PARTY LIST - February 7 - 13

This week is a little slim for a couple of reasons. Storms had my internet running horribly slow. I wasn’t able to load several artist’s webpages.

The other reason is a lot of the classic as well as up and coming artist are headed to the CRS in Nashville. Things should be back to normal next week.

Note: Please remember to check with the venue as to whether or not there is a cover charge or ticket required for the shows you plan to attend. Also, some venues have an age restriction. I have provided links to the venues when possible, making it easy for you to check it out.

Not all events take place in Texas. With that in mind I will begin listing them not only by day but by TEXAS and ON THE ROAD. With that in mind…

Let’s Get This Party STARTED!

TEXAS

Thursday – 7

Aaron Watson – San Antonio Rodeo – AT&T Center – San Antonio

Mike Blakely – Civic Center – Fort Stockton

       Fort Stockton Historical Banquet

Dave Thomas – Hard Eight BBQ  - The Colony

Matt & The Herdsmen – Big Texas Dance Hall & Saloon – Spring

Friday – 8

Ray Wylie Hubbard – Rockett Café – Waxahachie

Terri Hendrix – Stateside at the Paramount – Austin

Bellamy Brothers – Floore’s – Helotes

            w/ Austin Gillian

Dave Thomas – Culpepper’s Steak House – Rockwall

Brothers Osborne – Billy Bob’s – Ft. Worth

Zane Williams – Big Texas Dancehall & Saloon – Spring

            SOLO Acoustic

Whiskey Myers – Banita Creek Hall – Nacogdoches

            w/ Bones Owens

Tanya Tucker – Stampede Houston - Houston

Saturday – 9

Aaron Watson – Humble Civic Center Arena – Humble

Ray Wylie Hubbard – Medical City Grand Theater – Lewisville

Sam Riggs – Floore’s – Helotes

            /w Night Traveler

Mike Blakely – Texas Heritage Vineyard – Fredricksburg

Dave Thomas – Hard Eight BBQ – Coppell

Whiskey Myers – Twisted J Live – Stephenville

            /w Bones Owens

Walt Wilkins – Dosey Doe – Spring

Tanya Tucker – Old Coupland Inn and Dancehall – Coupland

Shiny Ribs – Gruene Hall – New Braunfels

Shenandoah – Dixie National Rodeo – Jackson MS

Randy Brown Band – Little Red’s Longhorn Saloon – Ft. Worth

Pauline Reese – Oak Ranch – Burnet

            /w john Arthur martinez

Matt & the Herdsmen – Orange & Gray Baseball Scrimmage – Edinburg

Martina McBride – AT&T Center – San Antonio

Sunday – 10

NO SHOWS FOUND

Monday – 11

WC Jameson – Poodie’s – Spicewood

            /w Jimmy Davis

Tuesday – 12

The Troubadillo’s – Poodies – Spicewood

            Taco Night!

Randy Brown Band – Railhead BBQ – Willow Park

            w/ Thom Shepherd

Mike Blakely – Western Edge Cellars – Fredricksburg

Wednesday – 13

Dave Thomas – Hard Eight BBQ - Rockwall

ON THE ROAD

Thursday – 7

Josh Ward – 1933 – Bakersfield

Travis Tritt – Seminole Casino Hotel – Immokalee FL

Friday – 8

Aaron Watson – Choctaw Event Center – Choctaw OK

Bill Anderson – Grand Ole Opry – Nashville TN

Josh Ward – Harlow’s – Sacramento

William Clark Green – The Hat – Manhattan KS

            w/ The Lawless

Travis Tritt – Sharon L. Morse PAC – The Villages FL

Ronnie McDowell – Red Boiling Springs – TN

            Karaoke Night with his fans

Rhonda Vincent – Chapman Cultural Center – Spartanburg SC

Saturday – 9

Ordinary Elephant – The Rock House – Reeds Springs MO

Bill Anderson – Grand Ole Opry – Nashville TN

Josh Ward – The Siren – Morrow Bay

Texas Tenors – Port Everglades – Ft. Lauderdale FL

Ronnie McDowell – Donoho Entertainment Center – Red Boiling Springs TN

Rhonda Vincent – Garner Performing Arts Center – Garner NC

Sunday – 10

NO SHOWS FOUND

Monday – 11

NO SHOW FOUND

Tuesday – 12

Oak Ridge Boys – Fox Tucson Theatre – Tucson AZ

Wednesday – 13

Oak Ridge Boys – Higley Center for the PAC – Gilbert AZ

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Crazy Crush

Ronnie McDowell's music, like the man, is timeless. Whether you listen to his first album, The King Is Gone (1977) to CRAZY CRUSH, his tone, his passion are as strong as ever. Ronnie has the ability to span generations as well as music genres, attracting audiences of all ages while reminiscing with his first fans from almost forty years ago.

Crazy Crush is an album showcasing who Ronnie is as a storyteller, as an artist and as a guy who just likes to enjoy what he's doing. He is the epitome of Do What You Love and the rest will follow. Because this album has such a reminiscent style, I thought I'd take you down memory lane, track by track.

The album starts out with Nashville Nights, a funky sound bringing back early days of Soul Train, showcasing that while times have changed, Nashville still has the hot spots for everyone.

One Heavenly Christmas is one of my favorite tracks. While a Christmas tune on this album might seem out of place, if you know anything about Ronnie McDowell, then you'll understand why he included a Christmas tune. Like Dick Clark, Ronnie never ages and like most guys, there's always this little boy inside the man. I've listened to this track over and over as a new book forms in the back of my mind.

I Wanna Wake Up With You is a duet reminding me of the Jim Ed Brown/ Helen Cornelius tune, Lying In Love With You.

The title track, Crazy Crush, could be a coin-flip to the George Jones classic, He Stopped Loving Her Today. Losing someone doesn't mean we stop loving them. Crazy? Yes, but when love runs so deep, it doesn't just evaporate.

With an 80's flashback in both lyrics and melody, Moe and Joe asked a similar question in Do You Ever Fool Around. I had to laugh at the title of this one wondering how many times any artist has been propositioned with 'If You Ever Wanna Fool Around...'

Red, Yellow, Black and White opens with a children's choir begging the age-old request for everyone to come together, to get along. This cut could be a tribute to Ray Stevens' Everything Is Beautiful.

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go carries over to the 'make you wanna dance' Two Step Boogie. I could see Ronnie creating another animation for this track. Would be a kick!

It Is What It Is could be the woman's point of view to the Billy Ray Cyrus classic, 'Where 'm I Gonna Live'

Remember singing lyrics we thought were correct only to find out we had our own version? That is the case with That Should Have Been Me. I think Ronnie's vocal version is more appropriate than the title listed on the CD cover.

Without You has a Gospel undertone with a bit of The Platters coming through.

Soul Mates carries us to the islands. A tropical sound evoking romantic walks on the beach beneath an island moon.

Whether we've lost someone through death or ending a relationship, there's always that moment when we wished for Time To Say Goodbye.

One thing I've always enjoyed about Ronnie McDowell's music is he can carry you from a romantic ballad to a dance step in a split second without giving you whiplash. Good Ol' Days is a request for simpler times.

Wave On Ole Glory takes its place along side other great tributes to our Nation's flag. I will be showcasing the video for this track in a future post.

With ten of the fourteen tracks co-written by Ronnie McDowell, the album is an outstanding showcase of this multi-faceted man. He has stayed true to who he is as an artist and delivering the type of music that has built his fan base all these years, while giving him the opportunity to add new ones as he continues his journey.

I'm tipping my hat:

You'll find this and other albums available in the STORE on Ronnie McDowell's WEBSITE

Here's a video of the title track:

Courtesy of lanierrecords - Youtube

OUT OF THE CHUTE - Ronnie McDowell

Getting back on track this week. I've been working hard to line up some great interviews. With the husband home, my time is limited... and I need to devote that time to the paying gig.

So here we go!

This week, I was privileged to interview Ronnie McDowell. I've had the chance to talk with Ronnie in person. Our last interview was in 1997 when he did a show for the Peoria Elks Lodge #20. The show marked the twenty-year anniversary for Ronnie performing for them. Their entire program was dedicated to him.

In the opening letter from the Elks President, Steven L. Harken, a paragraph reads:

We are proud to help Ronnie celebrate his 20th year in show business. Over the years, Ronnie has done many things to help fraternal organizations, like ours, to raise the necessary monies needed to continue our good works. With a friend like Ronnie helping us, how can we go wrong?

Twenty years later, marking his 40th year in the business, Ronnie McDowell still makes doing for others a priority.

Let's find out a bit more about Ronnie McDowell:

Thank you, Ronnie for taking the time to visit with us in KellysCountry.

~ Country Blessings!

When I interviewed you in 1989, you were working on the American Music video. In the opening of that video, you said that as a kid you had two loves – music and cartoons – and wanted to put the two together. You’ve also done sculpting. Now, you’ve added painting to that repertoire. What is the common thread for you that binds these mediums together?

Because I feel it's the right side of the brain which is the arts and entertainment and it's all connected.

You once said “I would rather have the people behind me than the industry. I’d like to have them both but if I can’t have them both then I’d rather have the people. I’m having a good time.”  Do you think your independent spirit and needing to have control plays a part in that?

That's exactly right and 30 years later I still feel the same.

Is ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ still your favorite song?

That is one of my favorites...Star Dust is another...I have many favorite songs.

I want to step back to your early days, before music. Do you remember the first billboard you created?

Yes I do...it was my pre Vietnam days in high school...I painted a sign for a boot company in Portland Tennessee.

You’ve been at this business in multi-facets for a long time. You’ve seen a lot of changes to the industry. What is the one golden piece of advice you’d give to a younger you just starting out?

That there is no secret formula....you have to be in the right place at the right time...and when you are you have to have the talent to back it up.

You are a multi-talented artist, love life, live healthy and seem happy with who you are. What is one thing most of your fans do not know about you?

That I'm roller blading at 68

Like a writer, you do a lot of research for your paintings. What has been the most difficult for you to research so far?

The new one That Magic Moment...just coming up with new ideas.

You have a new project coming out, Ronnie McDowell Painting America. Great project. Regarding the Tupelo Hardware piece, you said you set it up the way Norman Rockwell did his paintings. I think your transition is very similar. Is there something about Rockwell’s art form that speaks to you?

Yes because he was a realist and painted life the way it is and that's what I try to accomplish.

Your first notable big break came with your tribute to Elvis – The King Is Gone. To me, the song has a lot of the nuances of “My Way”, one of Elvis’ favorite covers. While that opened a lot of doors for you, you’ve followed your own path, doing things ‘your way’ for the past forty- plus years. What’s next for Ronnie McDowell?

I'm still writing songs...still being creative and staying healthy...still being aggressive and never giving up.

Ronnie McDowell paintings are truly Norman Rockwell quality in composition and realism. His painting of Reflections of a King is his most popular piece. His painting of George Jones getting a DUI while riding his lawn mower hangs in the George Jones museum - downtown Nashville TN.

You can view images of those and more of his paintings HERE as well as his Facebook Page specifically for his art HERE

Earlier this year, Ronnie talked with WREG News Channel 3 about his paintings:

To find out more about Ronnie McDowell, purchase his music and track his tour dates, check out his WEBSITE  

You will also find Ronnie on various social media sites:  TWITTER      FACEBOOK