Tag: commerce

MARTIN: Willie Nelson and ZZ Top tix on sale this week; a chat with Aaron Watson | Community Alert

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Whitewater Amphitheater had a fantastic season this year, and the venue is hard at work planning for an exciting one in 2023.

They are off to a great start, with their first announcement of a co-headlining show with Willie Nelson and ZZ Top on April 14 and 15.

Both acts will perform full sets and receive equal billing. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. at WhiteWaterRocks.com.

According to the venue’s Facebook announcement, your tickets will not be emailed to you until 72 hours prior to the event.

Though pairing an iconic country artist with a classic rock band might seem strange at first glance, it does make perfect sense.

After all, both Willie Nelson and ZZ Top are true Texas icons. and what better place to join forces than right in the heart of the Lone Star State.

Whenever I think of Texas country or Texas rock and roll, Nelson and ZZ Top are the first two names that come to mind.

I would be willing to bet that most Texas music fans will be super excited seeing these legendary acts on the same stage on the same night.

Who knows, maybe they will even team up on a few songs. Willie actually recorded a version of ZZ Top’s song “I Love My Automobile” for a tribute album many years ago.

I bet ZZ Top could do a blistering version of “Whiskey River,” too. I once saw them play a rock version of Johnny Cash’s hit “Folsom Prison Blues,” so anything is possible.

Obviously this show will sell out instantly, so be ready to jump online at 10 a.m. Friday morning.

While we are talking about ZZ Top, they just announced another co-headlining tour this summer featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd.

They are calling it the Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, and they will make two stops in Texas. The first will be at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on July 29 and another on July 30 at the Cynthia Woods Pavilion in the Woodlands. Tickets for this tour can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

Aaron Watson to play Gruene Hall shows

Texas country artist Aaron Watson returns to Gruene Hall this weekend for two shows.

His Saturday night show with Kemberly Kelly as the opening act is sold out.

On Sunday night, his special guest will be Hayden Baker, and at press time, there were still tickets available at GrueneHall.com.

I had the chance to speak with Aaron a few weeks ago to discuss the upcoming shows and to talk about his year. Just as he was ready to release his latest album, “Unwanted Man,” he had a rare vocal cord flare up that put him on complete vocal rest for months.

He had just survived being off the road during the pandemic, so this setback was tough.

“I owe it all to the Texas music scene,” Aaron explained. “It’s given me the chance to do what I love for a living. I just love Gruene Hall, we’ve been playing there for forever now. Over the past 20 years I’m not sure how many shows I’ve played there, but it’s a bunch. I like doing the back-to-back nights, it’s so much fun. The band and I get to relax a bit, kind of our own staycation.”

Aaron and his wife have three children, and if you follow him on social media, you can tell he is a great dad.

“I love being a dad,” Aaron said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve remained an independent artist. It gives me more freedom to do what I want to do. I can make decisions based on my family and what’s best for them.

“It has been a fun job to have with my kids. They enjoy getting to go to work with dad. That means the world to me. I tell people that we are a small-town business and our business is country music. When you come out to Gruene Hall and buy a ticket and buy merchandise, you are helping me pay for my band and helping me keep the lights on at home.”

When I asked Aaron how he survived the pandemic and then vocal issues, he admitted it was tough times.

“It was definitely a double whammy,” he said. “But life is full of double whammys. If you live long enough you are going to face challenges. I am still seeing a throat specialist in Birmingham, Alabama. It’s hard to feel sorry for yourself when you walk through the office and see all the cancer patients fighting for their lives.

“You have to put things in perspective. I think sometimes we live our life like we are going to be young and healthy forever, and that’s just not the case. One of my vocal cords got inflamed from over working and over singing.

“It is bound to happen when you play as many shows as we do. Every now and then you have to stop and put on new tires.”

One positive outcome of having so much down time is the fact that he has three finished albums that he still hasn’t released.

Aaron assured me that he has big plans for next year, and as a huge fan, I can hardly wait to see what he has in store for us.

A Very Bibulous Christmas at Devil’s Backbone

The Devil’s Backbone Tavern is one of the most historic venues in the Texas Hill Country.

What was once a stagecoach stop for the early settlers has become a regular stop for some of the best artists in the music business.

Owned and operated by musicians Robyn and John Ludwick, they continue to book the best that Texas music has to offer.

This Friday, they will have a talented group of artists joining forces for a show called “A Very Bibulous Christmas.”

It will be hosted by Mike Harmeier and will feature special guests Matt Hillyer, Django Walker, Jonathan Terrell and Cody Braun. Get your tickets now at DevilsBackBoneTavern.com.

Comal Country Music Show scheduled for Dec. 20

Last month, I dropped the ball and failed to mention the anniversary of the Comal Country Music Show.

Hopefully their die-hard fans went and enjoyed some great country music. Next Tuesday, Dec. 20, they will host their December show at the Columbus Club Hall on Landa Street.

The doors open at 6 p.m. and the music begins at 7:30 p.m., with the low price of just $7 at the door.

As always, all profits are donated to the Meals on Wheels program at the Comal County Senior Center. The guests this month are two amazing singers, Loren Woods and Yesenia McNett.

Austin City Limits announces 2023 season

Austin City Limits, the longest-running show of its kind in history, just announced their 2023 season. The new season will start with an ACL Hall of Fame induction of Sheryl Crow on Jan. 7.

The season will continue with Nathaniel Rateliff and Adia Victoria on Jan. 14, Adrian Quesada on Jan. 21, War on Drugs on Jan. 28, Pavement on Feb. 4, Maren Morris on Feb. 11, and Spoon on Feb. 18. The season will conclude on Feb. 25 with another ACL Hall of Fame induction of Joe Ely. The Austin City Limits TV show is broadcast locally on KLRN, the PBS station in San Antonio.

Random notes from the music scene

Hope Hospice and Village Venue will be hosting a Winterzeit Christmas Show on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Live music will be provided by Zack Walther and Matt Briggs. It will be a CD release party for their new Christmas album.

There is a $25 entry fee with 50% of ticket sales going to the Hope Hospice Grief Center. This family-friendly event will be held at the Silos at Freiheit, located at 2032 Central Plaza.

Gruene Hall just announced some new shows that include Dale Watson, Los Texmaniacs, Micky & the Motorcars, Roger Creager and a second show by the reformed Uncle Lucius. Tickets for all the shows go on-sale Friday at 10 a.m. at GrueneHall.com.

Rock band Blue October will play the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Riley’s Tavern recently held a toy drive that collected 75 toys and $2,000. Well done guys, this will help a lot of local kids have a better Christmas.

Redbird Listening Room welcomes Bryon White on Sunday at 4 p.m. He’s the lead singer of The Damn Quails. Next Wednesday at the Redbird is the sold-out show by William Beckmann.

The rock band Kansas celebrated 50 years with the 3-CD set of hits titled “Another Fork In The Road.” According to their press release, they are releasing an American version and a European version. As Christmas gets closer, more venues will be hosting special holiday shows. A quick look at the concert calendar and you will see that the Brauntex Theatre, Devil’s Backbone Tavern, Gruene Hall, Luckenbach Dance Hall, Our Lady Bar & Grill, Rudy’s BBQ, and Villa at Gruene all have special shows this week.

Where to hear live music in the Lake Geneva area: Nov. 9-19, 2022

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The following information is subject to changes, including cancellations. To list an upcoming gig, email us at newsroom@lakegenevanews.net.

Big gigs

Kathy Mattea — Nov. 12, 7 p.m., Big Foot High School Auditorium, 401 Devils Lane, Walworth. Tickets: $58.75. Visit bigfootfinearts.com to purchase tickets.

Back In Time — Tribute to 1980s music and Huey Lewis & the News. Friday & Saturday, Nov. 11 & 12, 7 p.m., Belfry Music Theatre, 3601 Highway 67, Delavan, belfrymusictheatre.com. Tickets: $58-76.

Unforgettable Fire — U2 tribute. Friday & Saturday, Nov. 18 & 19, 7 p.m., Belfry Music Theatre. Tickets: $58-76.

Calendar

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Open Mic — 7-11 p.m., Broken Spoke Tavern & Eatery, 332 Fellows Road, Genoa City.

Glenn Davis blues jam — 9 p.m., Hogs & Kisses, 149 Broad St., Lake Geneva.

Mike VanDyke — 5:30-8:30 p.m., Pier 290, 1 Liechty Drive, Williams Bay.

Doug Sheen — 6:30-9 p.m., Flat Iron Tap, 150 Center St., Lake Geneva.

Jeff Trudell — 5-8 p.m., Topsy Turvy Brewery, 727 Geneva St., Lake Geneva.

Rick Venn — 5-9 p.m., Studio Winery + Geneva Lake Distilling, 401 E. Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva.

D’Lite Duo — 6-10 p.m., Pier 290.

Andrew Tilander — 7-10 p.m., Crafted Italia at The Ridge, W4240 Highway 50, Town of Geneva.

LaMont — 5-8 p.m., Topsy Turvy Brewery.

Smooth Blues with John Gueher — 5-9 p.m., Studio Winery + Geneva Lake Distilling.

Nathan & Brido — 6-9 p.m., Duesterbeck’s Brewing Company, N5543 County Road O, Elkhorn.

Karen Shook — 7-10 p.m., Crafted Italia at The Ridge.

Randy McCallister — 7-10 p.m., Pier 290.

A.T.O. — 7-9 p.m., Delavan Lake Store & Lounge, 2001 North Shore Drive, Delavan.

The Acoustix — 7-10 p.m., The Hive Taproom, W2463 County Road ES, East Troy.

Kevin Kennedy — 10 p.m.-1 a.m., The Lookout at Lake Lawn Resort, 2400 E. Geneva St., Delavan.

Matt Jaye — 5:30-8:30 p.m., Pier 290.

Open Mic — 7-11 p.m., Broken Spoke Tavern & Eatery.

Glenn Davis blues jam — 9 p.m., Hogs & Kisses.

Jon Rouse — 5:30-8:30 p.m., Pier 290.

Matt Jaye — 5-8 p.m., Topsy Turvy Brewery.

Tom Stanfield — 5-7 p.m., Niche, 715 Hunt Club Drive Unit C, Town of Geneva.

Matthew Adam — 5-9 p.m., Studio Winery + Geneva Lake Distilling.

D’Lite Duo — 6-10 p.m., Pier 290.

Andrew Tilander — 7-10 p.m., Crafted Italia at The Ridge.

Matt Jaye — 5-8 p.m., Topsy Turvy Brewery.

Rebecca & the Grey Notes — 5-9 p.m., Studio Winery + Geneva Lake Distilling.

Novy Spinners — 6-9 p.m., Duesterbeck’s Brewing Company.

Karen Shook — 7-10 p.m., Crafted Italia at The Ridge.

Glenn Davis — 7-10 p.m., Pier 290.

Marr’Lo Parada — 10 p.m.-1 a.m., The Lookout at Lake Lawn Resort.



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Tatum Music Co. owner talks serving East Texas since 1948 | Business

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The Tatum Music Company story began when its doors opened for business on Aug. 15, 1948, on East Tyler Street in Longview.

The store, which now has locations at 325 E. Front St. in Tyler and 1501A S. High St. in Longview, was opened by Alto Tatum, former director of the award-winning Gladewater High School band. The General, as Tatum was called by his colleagues, began to call on school band programs in East Texas, determined to use his own experience as a band director to help him meet the needs of area music educators.

The former site of West Melody Shop, which had been owned and operated by the former Longview High School band director Wellborn West, was the original location of Tatum Music Company. West’s main focus for the business transitioned to band instruments and repairs, and in January 1949, he hired G.A. Sailor to set up the repair department at Tatum Music Company.




A saxophone gets repaired at Tatum Music Company at the Tyler location.




At the time, the nearest shops offering such services were in Shreveport, Dallas or Houston.

In 1955 the company moved to North Center Street in Longview where it remained until 1981.

Neil Grant, former award-winning band director at Troup, Nacogdoches, White Oak and Longview, joined the music store as a partner with Tatum and it became Tatum Music Company, Inc. in 1969.

Due to Tatum’s knowledge and influence in the school band industry and growing success, he purchased the former May’s Music Company building to expand to the Tyler area. In 1980, the Tyler store moved to its current on East Front Street.

In 2000 Alto Tatum retired from the store leaving Neil Grant as sole proprietor and president of operations.

Grant’s eldest son, Doice Grant, a former band director from Carthage and Center, joined the store in 1992, as a school road representative. In 2004, Grant became part owner and vice president of Tatum Music Company, Inc. His father retired in 2010, leaving his son sole owner and president of Tatum Music Company, Inc.




Original owner and founder of Tatum Music Company Alto Tatum stands for a photo. Tatum opened the first store location in Longview in 1948 and later expanded to Tyler.




Grant said he knew from a young age he would go on to own and run the store.

“I knew since I was in the fifth grade that I would one day own and operate the store,” he said. “I am a former band director and had worked here from age 11 to 18 before going off to college and obtaining a music degree.”

Grant said from the beginning, Tatum wanted to focus on the area school bands, which is how Grant continues to run the business.

“Tatum Music has serviced mainly the school’s band programs in East Texas for the last 74 years. We sell musical, instruments, supplies, music, and repair musical instruments,” Grant said. “Our owners and sales representatives, for three quarters of a century, have performed band clinics free of charge to our school bands.”

“Alto Tatum had a great influence both as an educator and businessman. We have not changed the philosophy of the store that he founded. We operate on a very conservative business basis and give our time and talents free of charge to the schools to give back for their business,” he added.




Guitars hang on display at Tatum Music Company in Tyler. The company currently serves more than 100 school band programs.




Grant said the store has one of the largest and best repair shops in the country, serving more than 100 schools.

“Without these service techs, bands would have a hard time existing,” he said.

However, the service to community doesn’t stop there. The store continues to give back in the form of free clinics, scholarships, donations and more.

“We have given back to our community by performing free clinics as a ‘thank you’ for their business. We have also endowed a scholarship with (East Texas Communities Foundation) for an instrumental music major to be awarded each year,” Grant said. “We also are giving away $100 per rental purchase contract the beginning of next year to help underprivileged children to honor our 75th year in business.”




Music books for different band instruments are available at Tatum Music Company. The business has a location in both Tyler and Longview.




Grant said the giveaway is currently up to over $50,000.

“The total so far is about $51,000 and will be given out starting next year. My wife and I thought this would be a timely thing to do with the pandemic and inflation putting a great hardship on kids,” he said. “We have been lucky for 74 years to have been supported by families who had wonderful support networks. This is a way to get back to the ones you do not.”

Tatum Music Company, Inc. continues to have a positive influence on the school band program business by offering top-quality band instruments, accessories and repair service as well as complimentary band clinics by the knowledgeable Tatum Music Company staff.

Tatum Music Company, Inc. is located at 325 East Front Street and can be reached at 903-595-4341.

For more information, visit the Tatum Music Company, Inc. website.

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AROUND CAPE ANN: Love letters focus of Olson lecture | News

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The work of the late Charles Olson, a 20th century American poet who made Gloucester his home, still makes ripples around the world.

In that spirit, the annual Charles Olson Lecture will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. at the Cape Ann Museum auditorium at 27 Pleasant St., in downtown Gloucester. The talk is free to the public but reservations are required. The lecture also will be live-streamed on Facebook and Vimeo.

The featured speaker will be Sharon Thesen, a poet and scholar, who will give a talk titled “Olson & Love: The Transformative Correspondence of Charles Olson and Frances Boldereff.” Thesen will talk about working with Ralph Maud on the pair’s correspondence for which there are two editions: “A Modern Correspondence,” published by Wesleyan in 1999, and “After Completion: The Later Letters,” published in 2014.

“In this lecture, Thesen will show how Olson’s love affair with Frances Boldereff set his compass intellectually in his move toward the recovery of what could be found in the archaic as a guide or inspiration for a new poetics,” according to the museum.

Thesen, who grew up in western Canada, attended Simon Fraser University in British Columbia where she studied poetry with Robin Blaser, George Bowering, and Maud. She later began teaching English and creative writing. This lecture is presented in collaboration with the Gloucester Writers Center.

Olson, a literary giant in the post-modern realm, created a personal library of massive proportions at his home at 28 Fort Square in Gloucester. That library is now housed at the University of Connecticut, along with other Olson papers. Maud created a near duplicate of Olson’s library, which was later given to the Gloucester Writers Center. Earlier this year, the Gloucester Writers Center donated the Maud/Olson Library to the Cape Ann Museum Library & Archives. This is a collection of 4,000 volumes owned, read, or referenced by Charles Olson. The library is now housed within the Janet & William Ellery James Center at the CAM Green.

To mark this new acquisition, the museum will offer a tour of the Maud/Olson Library at the CAM Green,13 Poplar St., on Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. The library is situated next to the Vincent Ferrini Library. Attendees registered for the 1 p.m. talk are welcome to join the tour at 11 a.m. To register and for more details, visit capeannmuseum.org.

Halloween party

The Knowles Halloween Bash, open to the public, takes place Thursday, Oct. 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Gloucester Elks, at 101 Atlantic Road on Gloucester’s Back Shore. Costumes encouraged for those wanting to dress up but are not required. There will be food, cash bar and live music from Tregony Bow. Tickets are $20. For details and advance tickets, go to Kenneth J. Knowles’ Facebook page. Tickets also at the door.

Musicians Unleashed

Cape Ann Symphony announces the return of its popular Musicians Unleashed Concert Series with its next performance, “American Classical Music,” on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 Church St., Gloucester.

“We wanted to put together a program of great music that reflects the vast and wide diversity of peoples and cultures that have made up and continue to make up our great country of America” said Cape Ann Symphony Conductor Yoichi Udagawa.

The concert program features an array of musical styles, from Dvorak to the Grateful Dead. Selections include works by Florence Price, Cape Ann Symphony Concertmaster and violinist Scott Moore, William Grant Still, and Rachel Grimes. The concert will be performed by Cape Ann Symphony violinist Erica Pisaturo, cellist Seth MacLeod and violist Brandon White as well as Moore.

Udagawa said he is thrilled that the audiences will get a chance to hear and meet the new concertmaster.

“Scott Moore is a fabulous violinist who plays at an incredibly high level in all kinds of styles from classical music to Kentucky Bluegrass,” he said.

For more information and tickets, visit www.capeannsymphony.org.

NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner

The 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner, Alisa Amador, will perform on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Old Sloop Presents performing arts series, held at the handicap-accessible Fellowship Hall of the First Congregational Church of Rockport, 12 School St.

Amador’s music is known for its synthesis of many styles, including rock, jazz, funk and alternative folk, wrapped in the spirit of Latin music. NPR’s Cyrena Touros calls her “a pitch-perfect rendition of my wildest dreams.”

The opener will be Hayley Sabella, who was born in Massachusetts but raised in Nicaragua. She won the 2019 New England Songwriting Competition.

For tickets and information, visit oldslooppresents.org.

Classic films, live music

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents an afternoon of classic silent movies this Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 pm. at the Gloucester Meetinghouse at the corner of Church and Middle streets with live keyboard accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis.

This family-friendly afternoon will feature three works from the early era of cinematic history presented on a large screen with Rapsis infusing his interpretations of this lost technique. The films, with non-stop action and knee-slapping comedy routines, were selected for their wide appeal.

The films are:

“The Haunted House” (1921) with Buster Keaton. A gang of robbers, a crooked bank manager, and a bank teller converge on a booby-trapped house decorated to appear haunted in order to fool the authorities. A series of uproarious encounters between the antagonists leaves the audience wondering who the true villain really is.

“The Floorwalker” (1916) with Charlie Chaplin in his signature role as “The Tramp.” This early comedy features “gags galore” with an early version of an attempt to run down the up escalator and one character mirroring the movements of another.

“The Kid” (1921), which was written and directed by Chaplin. He plays the role of “The Tramp” who cares for a young boy whose mother left him for adoption. The three’s lives become intertwined in this heartwarming story of reconciliation.

Tickets are available online at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org, or at the door. General seating $15; students with ID $5; children under 12 free.

Yellow Brick Road party

The Studio restaurant, at 51 Rocky Neck Ave. in Gloucester, will close out the season by presenting a Wizard of Oz-themed Halloween event on Sunday, Oct. 30, when the team will be decked out as their favorite characters. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to midnight.

“At Smith Cove’s own Emerald City, country crooner Annie Brobst will serenade scarecrows from 6 to 9 p.m. while the bar mixes up some potent potions,” according to a press release. Some of those libations feature The Studio’s “Oz-twist” on a rum runner, or a “Brain Shot” made with peach schnapps, Bailey’s Irish Cream and grenadine.

In an added note, the restaurant team is rallying around a fund-raiser by Sal Valenti, the sous chef, whose 10-month old dog, Trager, needs an unexpected surgery on his leg estimated to cost $8,000. To help defray the costs, a baseball signed by recent Hall of Fame inductee David “Big Papi” Ortiz as well as a signed Patriots jersey by running back LeGarrette Blount will be auctioned off. Both items will be available for bidding onsite on Oct. 30. There is a fundraiser page also on Sal Valenti’s Facebook page.

Irish folk singer

Tommy Sands, an Irish troubadour and peace activist, is performing “Music of Peace and Healing” at First Church in Ipswich, at 1 Meetinghouse Green, on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. This is a free presentation of the House of Peace in Ipswich.

Gloucester’s Michael O’Leary, vocals, and Carol McIntyre, harp, will open the program; Pierce Woodward, fiddle, and Harry Wagg, guitar, will welcome concertgoers with a set of fiddle tunes in the foyer before the show. For more information, visit www.houseofpeaceinc.org.

Around Cape Ann is a column devoted to events happening on Cape Ann and artists from Cape Ann performing elsewhere. If you would like to submit an item, contact reporter Gail McCarthy at 978-675-2706 or gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com at least two weeks in advance.





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