2009-My favorite photos.

2009 was a great year for me, i keep plugging away at it, and who knows what will happen. This year i became the house photographer at Joe's bar in Chicago, i covered the Country Fever music festival in Pryor Oklahoma. Met Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Jason Boland there. I met numerous bands and musicians at Joe's and at the Intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan and i partied with Cross Canadian Ragweed. 2010 is already starting out good, Steamboat and hopefully the big move to Texas will happen.

New Stoney LaRue CD out soon.

Ok so if your a fan of Stoney LaRue then you along with everyone else has been wondering and have even maybe given up on a new release from him, but just like i heard him say at his acoustic show at Joe's back in September where he said it was "done except for the packaging" people still doubted it, even some of his fellow musician friends. Well, well, well the new CD is here! All acoustic, all live. Look for it soon in stores! Tomorrow night at Billy Bob's December 12th in Fort Worth you can get one of 1500 available copies if you show up early !! Click here to read about the acoustic show at Joe's and scroll down the page.

Track listing:
1) Ive Got That Old Feeling (Cox)
2) Box #10 (Croce)
3) Everything That Glitters (Seals, McDill)
4) Train to Birmingham (Hiatt)
5) Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (Rose)
6) Love You For Loving Me (LaRue, McClure, Skinner)
7) Empty Glass (Stewart, Dillon)
8) Tie My Boat (McClure)

Angel Flight - Radney Foster

Radney Foster's tribute the seven fallen soldiers of the Red River44 who lost their lives in Iraq and the men who flew them back.

Wade Bowen @ Joe's playing his current single "Trouble"

Radney Foster @ Joe's playing his song from the album "Revival" called "I Know You Can Hear Me"

New Ryan Bingham video "Country Roads"

Wade Bowen "Trouble" video premiers today October 19th

Wade Bowen and his band filmed a music video for the song "Trouble" off his "If we ever make it home" album and it premiered on Yallwire.com this morning at 10am. Make sure you check it out and tell all your friends. Vote on this video at CMT's Pure 12 pack countdown, so far it will debut at number one!! Just click on the title of this post to go there and vote.


Wade Bowen - Trouble
Free Videos at www.yallwire.com

Stoney LaRue singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field.

Stoney LaRue performed an intimate acoustic concert at Joe's bar in Chicago on September 28Th. During the show he announced he was going to be singing the National Anthem at the Chicago Cubs baseball game the next day. Click on the title of this post to watch the video of Stoney.

This video may not be viewable right now, somewhere along the line the privacy settings were changed and unfortunately it was not uploaded to you tube. I am trying to find another usable copy.

Maybe the one i just linked will work now. please leave a comment if it still doe's not work.

Miranda Lambert "Revolution" due out 9-29-09

I listened to the new album from Miranda last night, This one is going to be huge. What a recording, this one rocks, its got a Texas red dirt influence all over it. She recorded a version of Canadian singer songwriter Fred Eaglesmith's song "Time to get a Gun" and the best version of his original can be found on Fred's album "The official bootleg series volume two" live at Gruene Hall in 2004. The intro by Fred before the song on his Cd explains it all, always loved that song. Fred is from Southern Ontario Canada but he is country at its best and he is an honorary Texan. Cant wait to see Miranda again at the Chicago country music festival October 3rd and 4Th, and its free! The songs were co written by Miranda except for three of them and her writing companions include Ashley Monroe, Blake Shelton, Travis Howard, Charles Kelly and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum, Tom Douglas and more. Songs she did not have a hand in include the work of Eaglesmith as well as half the Americana duo of Buddy and Julie Miller, and a song by John Prine "Thats the way the world goes round"
Click on the title here to listen to the album now.

I received my photo pass for Miranda's show at the Chicago Country Music Festival going on October 3 and 4 in Grant park. I will not legally be able to post any of my photos due to contract obligations but if i get permission later then i will. LeeAnn Womack and Jamey Johnson will also be performing so i should be able to post some shots of them on my main site AMP.

Cross Canadian Ragweed @ Joe's bar in Chicago.

I took this photo last time Cross Canadian Ragweed was at Joe's,
November 21st on a Saturday night the boys from Oklahoma will rock Joe's bar in Chicago once again. Go to www.joesbar.com for more info. See you there.

Happiness and All the Other Things.......

Well Monday August 31st i had a reason to get up out of bed early (yes i call 10 am early) and head down to my local giant electronics and music retailer chain to pick up my copy of the much anticipated new Cross Canadian Ragweed release. Entitled "Happiness and all the other things" and the limited 15Th anniversary edition i bought clocks in at 1:03.33 with 15 songs. 12 of these songs are New and were written over the past two years or so and some were slowly introduced as acoustic versions into their live shows. Another song which is a hidden track is a remake of Warren Zevon's song "Carmelita" off his 1976 self titled album and its a song (also covered by Linda Ronstadt and many more) about a heroin addict who falls for a Mexican girl which is also said to be a metaphor for the city of Los Angeles. The last three songs are Live concert recordings of which one is a heartfelt acoustic version of Willie Nelson's "Angel flying to close to the ground" and is dedicated to Willie Nelson's tour manager of 35 plus years, Randall "Poodie" Locke who passed away May 6Th and a dedication is also present inside the albums digipack artwork. Another of the live tracks is sung by bassist Jeremy Plato and it is "Soul Agent" originally released on the "Mission California" CD. The last live track is the Kevin Welch' penned "Train to Birmingham" a live video version of "Confident" is also included. The album was produced again by musician/songwriter and producer Mike McClure and mixed and mastered by Joe Hardy who is behind the sound of ZZTop and has worked with McClure quite a bit. It was recorded in private out in California.
The album artwork was done by friend and fellow musician Stephanie Briggs who also plays a key part in quite a few songs on this record providing vocals and piano and she also had a hand in writing four of the songs. The limited edition version also contains a poster which is a retrospect of Cd's that have been released by the band and the flip side has a printed transcript of an interview that has the band reminiscing about the last 15 years. One thing in the interview i found interesting was the mention that Joe's bar in Chicago was also considered as one of the locations for the filming of the DVD that ultimately turned out to be "Live and loud at Cains ballroom"
Happiness and All the Other Things starts out with the driving number "51 Pieces" which is about how the band and crew were done with a show at the HOB (House of Blues) in Ohio and were in the tour bus when the Ohio state troopers pulled them all over and searched the bus finding 51 pieces of paraphernalia. they were eventually let go. There is more to that story which can be found on you tube as an introduction to the song. Cody Canada's son Dierks introduces the second song as "This is Bluebonnets, This is my song" Cody has performed this song for a couple years as an acoustic number but never wanted to release it because he did not want the record company profiting from a song about his son. He decided to record it one day after his son asked him as he was heading out the door "Are you going to record my song" and after that Cody thought "How could i say no" The song "Blue Bonnets" is a sweet acoustic ballad about having to spend time away from him on the road. Third is the song "Burn like the Sun" written by Cody, Mike McClure and one of the four by Stephanie Briggs. I do not know the story behind this one but it is one of my favorites on the album. You can see a live video of this song i filmed back in June at the Country Fever music festival in Pryor Oklahoma by clicking on the title to this post. The fourth song was written by the late Stephen Bruton titled "To find My Love" and is sung by Jeremy Plato with Stephanie providing some great harmony that compliments the ever surprising voice of the bands bass player. Song five is "Drag" written by Cody and Brandon jenkins with a nice bass intro by Jeremy it just seems to be about other people and their negative attitudes that drag you down. Song six is the first single released off the album, "Kick in the Head" and i have heard this song done as an acoustic version in their live shows and did not expect the final finished version to be as much of a country song as it is, but it works that way very well and has some nice steel guitar playing on it by none other than Lloyd Maines. The song almost sarcastically deals with how promises are broken and you become jaded and begin to see only one way out and your "Ready and willing to jump off a building".
This release has been said by the band to be their most experimental work yet and one listen to the next three songs "Overtable, Overtable interlude and Pretty Lady" which are recorded as one song (no breaks between them) will reveal that idea. With its prog rock or 90's alternative chord changes and layered vocals with a "Interlude" that slowly speeds up in tempo leading into the song "Pretty Lady" which is about Bettie Page who also passed away this year and how her legacy will live on. The tenth song called "Tomorrow" seems at first to be about a relationship that failed but to me seems to be about the bands relationship with its record label Universal South and the whole controversy surrounding the "Tony Brown incident" which i am not going to get into detail about (and its old news now) also optimistically looks forward. Song Eleven is "Confident" by Cody and Stephanie. This is another one that i do not know the story behind so i wont try to attempt to explain it. The last song "My Chances" is a beautiful song about how when you were younger you thought you knew everything and now that your older, every day seems to bring something new and unexpected to you and you take your chances with the outcome.
I read an interview somewhere and Cody stated he was trying to let go of the negative attitudes and focus on the positive and be happy. Family life is a huge factor in HIS "Happiness and all the other things"

Billy Joe Shaver photo

I shot this photo as one of many i took at the country fever music festival in Pryor Oklahoma back in June and i was just messing around with photoshop and came up with this look.

The coolest billboard i have ever seen.

This billboard can be see on Highway 35 in New Braunfels Texas near the Seguin street exit.

View a slideshow of the mainstage performers

Just click on the title to this post and you will be taken to my Picasa web album of over 300 photos of all the performers on the main stage at Country fever 2009. The slide show goes in order as the bands and musicians played on stage. When you get to the album click on the slide show tab above the first photo on in the top left corner and the slide show will begin. It is best viewed full screen by hitting F11 on your computer keyboard. If it doesnt show when you get there just click on "my albums" and it will come up, i cant get the link to stay pasted here. Also, dont forget to go into the "archive" part of this site along the right side to view older content that doesnt show here on the main page, like more videos!

Photos from the side stages and press tent and more

Some shots from the side stages, the press tent and some candid snapshots.

Cross Canadian Ragweed "Number" @ country Fever

Cross Canadian Ragweed "Dont Drag me Along" @ country fever

Monica Taylor "The Distance" @ Country fever

Jason Boland @ country Fever in Pryor Oklahoma

Ray Wylie Hubbard @ Country Fever in Pryor oklahoma

Billy Joe Shaver @ Country Fever in Pryor oklahoma

Ryan Bingham "When the day is Done" @ Country fever

Cross Canadian Ragweed "Burn like the Sun" @ country fever

The internet connection here

I have been trying to upload photos to this site everyday i am out here but it takes forever so i will keep trying but more than likely i will have to do it when i get back home. The connection keeps dropping or will only upload at 2 kb per second, too slow.

GAC TV and Storme Warren are here

Meeting Storme Warren after a long day of drinking beer in the hot Oklahoma sun. Can you tell?

Meeting Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Jason Boland.

Jason Boland signing my hat

Ray Wylie Hubbard signing my hat


Billy Joe Shaver signing my hat
Shaking hands with a legend.

You Tube

I created a you tube channel today for next weeks video's and as long as i can get them uploaded quickly enough i will post what i can. Click on the link to go to my channel.

http://country.feverfest.com/

I created this site to blog and post photos from the Country Fever music Festival June 18 to June 22 2009.
My fellow photographer friend Robert Watson and i will have the honor of working with Jessie Scott from musicfog.com in Pryor, this is her bio from the musicfog site:

Jessie Scott is a partner at Music Fog.

Scott is a founding member of the Americana Music Association, where she has been a continuous member of the board since its inception, and where she serves as president for the calendar year 2008. She is a 2007 Leadership Music Alumnus.

Jessie's pioneering career began in 1971 as Pittsburgh's first female rock jock at legendary WDVE. Being one of the first female air personalities on a major market Top 40 station came in 1974, when she joined the staff of 13Q in Pittsburgh.

In 1975 she became the evening host at country giant WHN, making her he first female jock on the AM dial in New York. She was part of the On-Air Mayhem at WNBC from 1981-1985.

A chance meeting with Isaac Tigrett led Jessie to program the eclectic music mix at the Hard Rock Cafe', NY, during its first year of operation. 1985 found Scott in Los Angeles, performing radio promotion and special projects at Scotti Brothers Records, and then band management for Stu Yahm Management.

Scott's travels took her to Florida, where she was the first woman in Orlando to anchor a morning drive show at LOVE 94.5, then working with Wolfman Jack, marketing his club and producing, promoting and hosting events and concerts. In 1992, Jessie landed at WMMO in Orlando. As Music Director, she was among the first in the country to play Matchbox 20, Jewel, Paula Cole, Joan Osborne, Sister Hazel, Vertical Horizon, Jars of Clay, and The Dave Matthews Band.

Scott moved to Nashville in early 1997 to program AAA Lightning 100. In 1998 she joined WSM, while doing independent AAA and Americana promotion. In January of 1999, Gavin hired her as Americana Editor. She also hosted the nationally syndicated show "This Week in Americana."

In November of 2000, Jessie Scott was the first female PD hired at XM Radio, where her channel, X Country, became the most listened to Americana music station in the world. For the last 6 years, she also coordinated, hosted, and did performance clearances for XM's broadcasts of Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic, Farm Aid, SXSW, and MusicFest at Steamboat Springs.