by Phil Houseal | Aug 13, 2014 | All Articles, Events, History
Aug 13, 2014–When I played in a band at a bar in Riverside, Iowa, Earth, in the mid-20th century, I wish I’d known I was standing in the very room where Captain James T. Kirk would be conceived 250 years in the future. I would have drunk a toast of Talaxian champagne....
by Phil Houseal | Jul 31, 2013 | All Articles, Events, History, People of the Hill Country, Venue
July 31, 2013–So the Pastor was doing a sermon on the life of Jesus, and he asked what was the biggest festival of year. One youngster raised his hand, and said, “The Schuetzenfest.” “This actually happened at our church way back,” said Charles Feller, Secretary of...
by Phil Houseal | Jul 3, 2013 | All Articles, Events, History, Music
July 3, 2013–When promoter Gene Wolf asked if I wanted to interview Larry Gatlin before his upcoming Hill Country show, I said yes. I had a question I’d been waiting 30 years to ask him. So when the phone rang and I heard, “Phil, this is Larry Gatlin. How are...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 12, 2013 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, Music, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
June 12, 2013–All we wanted was to play classical music in a bar. We didn’t know we were part of a revolution. It started one cold, dark night back in February when our local string quartet–Theresa Britt, John Reeve, Tammy Widener, and I–stepped on stage at Hondo’s,...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 14, 2012 | All Articles, Events, History, Music, Philosophy, Venue
Part II of my visit with Ray Price. Read Part I… Nov 14, 2012–When I first came to Texas, I was expected to learn a drumming style called the “shuffle beat.” I had never heard or seen the two-step, let alone been inside a real dance hall. That beat, my band...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 14, 2012 | All Articles, Events, History, Music, Venue
So what do you ask a legend? If you could interview country music superstar Ray Price, what would you say? This gave me considerable pause when Gene Wolf of Sharity Productions arranged a phone interview in anticipation of Price’s Christmas concert at Cailloux Theater...
