by Phil Houseal | Nov 7, 2018 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Nov 7, 2018–My first exposure to “fine art” growing up was the work of Charlie Russell. My dad, who raised horses, loved the way Russell rendered them in his paintings, as well as the unadorned representation of the life of the cowboy that ironically emphasized the...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 31, 2018 | All Articles, Events, History, Music, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
Nov 1, 2018–Confession: When I first played in a Texas dance hall, I didn’t get it. Everyone ignored the band. I was used to being on stage in clubs and bars where the band was the show; the dancing was incidental. This was the opposite. Ray Benson, founder of the...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 4, 2018 | All Articles, Events, Music, Philosophy
Oct 3, 2018–One night while playing drums in a smoky bar somewhere in Texas, I kicked off the band on a Hank Williams song we’d played 99 times before. But on this night for some reason, I listened to the words for the first time. It was, I realized, a good song....
by Phil Houseal | Sep 27, 2018 | All Articles, Events, Music, People of the Hill Country, Venue
Sept 26, 2018–When you talk about “picking” with folk and bluegrass singer/songwriters Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark, you need to make sure you are talking about playing music and not harvesting the colorful legumes that gave their band its name–The Purple Hulls....
by Phil Houseal | Aug 30, 2018 | All Articles, Events, Music, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
Aug 29, 2018–While perusing posts online, I came across a discussion where a master violinist effused that she just “can’t wait to perform.” This surprised and intrigued me, as I know many musicians who feel intense pressure every time they step into the spotlight....
by Phil Houseal | Aug 19, 2018 | All Articles, Events, Music, Venue
Aug 15, 2018–Musicians hate being pigeon holed. With the many talents of Steve Wariner, it’s impossible to do. “My interests are all over the place,” admitted the country music star during an interview about his upcoming show at the Gillespie County Fair. “I do kind...
