by Phil Houseal | Mar 1, 2017 | Music, People of the Hill Country
Mar 1, 2017–Back when we were picking under the trees at Luckenbach 40 years ago, Maggie Montgomery laughingly promised to write a book entitled How To Survive In the Hill Country With No Visible Means of Support. Making a living solely by playing guitars was harder...
by Phil Houseal | Feb 15, 2017 | Music, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Feb 15, 2017–Every once in a red, white, or blue moon you stumble across a band that seems to be playing just for you. Over the years, I’ve seen, heard, and written about every style and genre and level of bar band. But then you find something unexpected but...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 3, 2016 | All Articles, History, Music, Venue
Aug 3, 2016–Seems like many of the artists I interview these days are people that my dad wouldn’t believe I talked to and my kids wouldn’t care. Roy Clark falls into that category. Taking a risk, I told him that line when I had the opportunity to interview him...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 22, 2016 | All Articles, Events, History, Music
June 22, 2016–In 1963 a young gal went round to tiny Midwest radio stations trying to get them to play a record made by her little brother’s band. That girl happened to be Louise Harrison, and her brother George’s band was called The Beatles. “Oh yes,” she said in a...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 23, 2015 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, Music, Philosophy
Dec 23, 2015–On a recent trip to Iowa I took part in our family’s cherished holiday tradition–we burned a piano. That’s right. On a cold Midwestern night, with snow on the ground and stars overhead, family and friends circled the instrument and took turns playing it...
by Phil Houseal | Feb 10, 2015 | Music
It’s a hackneyed line: What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? The question came up because one of the selections at this Saturday’s Pops concert with Symphony of the Hills is the Charlie Daniels string-burner The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Not your...
