If you want to catch some of the fastest rising and most exciting new Texas musicians, it’s happening every Sunday night at Austin’s Momo’s upstairs at 6th & Rio Grande. The band: Warren Hood and the Hoodlums, 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. It’s music of great range and emotional depth that’ll make you love, dance and, when you’re not dancing, sink deeply into multiple musical traditions, from blues, to swing, to country, to jazz, to Tin Pan Alley, to bluegrass, to folk. These streams come together in a mighty new river of sound.
Here’s the band: Warren Hood- vocals/fiddle Emily Gimble- piano/back up vocals Willie Pipkin- electric guitar Jonathan Doyle- saxophone Andrew Nafziger- electric guitar Nate Rowe- stand up bass Chris Gilson- Drums
It’s not often you get to witness a new direction in music coming of age. This is one of those moments.You can’t keep this good band down. I can’t single any of the members out for special notice, because they are all that good. Oh, I suppose I should tell you that Emily Gimble might be the best young vocalist in the country. Won’t be long you’ll have to stand in line at the Erwin Center to hear her. But I could say the same about Warren Hood’s fiddle, Willie Pipkin’s guitar, Jonathon Doyle’s sax, Andrew Nafziger’s guitar, Nate Rowe’s upright bass, or Chris Gilson’s drums.
I have a long history with Momo’s, a hip, comfortable, rooftop bar. Back when it was an empty office space in the ’80s, the first public reading of a play I authored took place there. Momo’s opened circa 1990, just down the street from the Ann Richards’ campaign headquarters. We logged some hours there. We’re logging a lot more now.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of these folk lately, so I am biased, but not so biased that I can’t hear. You’re gonna love the Hoodlums, and some time in the future you’re gonna astonish your friends when you tell them you saw this bunch at a small club back in the day.
I’ve got a thing for the non-genre genre called Americana. I like to describe Americana as innovative variations on American roots music. But a great thing about roots music is that most of it was itself variations on earlier roots music. It’s like the lifeblood and spirit of the continent. Can you tell me where your blood starts? It doesn’t start. It circulates. And this music circulates through your soul.
Glenn W. Smith has spent the past 30 years in journalism and politics, where he’s made a name for himself as a writer, campaign manager, activist, think tank analyst and, as Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas says, a “legendary political consultant and all-around good guy.” “There’s no one like him,” says author George Lakoff. CNN commentator Paul Begala says, “He has unmatched experience, a graceful pen (or pixel nowadays) and deep insight into the best and worst of us.” Novelist Sarah Bird speaks of his “lucid and lyrical” prose. And, she says, he’s fun. Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington says Glenn writes with “grace and abundant humor” and “uses his colorful experiences in Texas to enlighten us all.”
Smith led Ann Richards’ successful 1990 campaign for Governor of Texas. He worked for former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen. Earlier, Smith was a political reporter for the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post. He’s coordinated national campaigns for groups such as MoveOn.org. In 2004, he authored the highly acclaimed book, The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction. He also wrote Unfit Commander, a book that detailed George W. Bush’s mysterious disappearance from military service.
In 2004, Smith was featured in the film, Bush’s Brain, a documentary about Karl Rove. Smith provided commentary on Rove’s role as then-President Bush’s senior advisor. He has made numerous media appearances with Chris Mathews on Hardball, Joe Scarborough, Brit Hume, and many others. He writes a regularly for top national web sites, including FireDogLake and Huffington Post.
As a senior fellow at George Lakoff’s prestigious Rockridge Institute in Berkeley he studied, wrote and taught on the power of metaphor and narrative in political communications. He also lectured on religion and politics at the Starr King School for Ministry in Berkeley. As a sponsor and organizer, he has pulled together numerous national events with progressive religious leaders. He also organized a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King at Riverside Church in New York City as well as “Freedom and Faith” bus tours, which was a nationwide campaign for social justice and progressive values.
Smith’s play, Double Play, which explored American Western myths and legends, was held over to sold-out audiences. He’s even written and performed songs in the Americana tradition, such as his best-known song, “Helping Marty Robbins,” a tribute to his hometown, Houston.
Most recently, Smith is the creator of DogCanyon, a political and cultural web site covering state, national and global issues from a Texas perspective. DogCanyon is an exhilarating and unique site that gets the connections between politics and culture and explores both the personal side of politics and the ups, down, craziness and beauty of “life its ownself,” as humorist Dan Jenkins would say. DogCanyon offers heartfelt personal essays, hard-hitting political analysis, and, most importantly, laughs.
As Paul Begala said, Smith writes in “the finest, firmest, fearless tradition of Texas essayists like Molly Ivins.”
Seen ‘em, and your review nails it. Consistently wonderful gig from a group of pros. And the venue is comfy. Momo’s has space to the side for dancing, and a great back deck too.
Good band. Another young talented band frequently seen at Momo’s is Bellville Outfit. Uncle Walt lives.
Seen ‘em, and your review nails it. Consistently wonderful gig from a group of pros. And the venue is comfy. Momo’s has space to the side for dancing, and a great back deck too.
Yep, it’s a great scene all ’round.