Music Review: Antones 32nd Anniversary Show with Marcia Ball

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sheila and i don't get to go to many of austin's night time events 'cause, well, they're late  :-)  but thankfully we agreed  to a rare sunday evening treat featuring marcia ball helping celebrate antones 32nd anniversary of giving austin the gift of great music

though i have a fairly rich memory of this past sunday evening, i kinda feel that funny quirky kinda memory where you know it probably was even better than you remember, with sorta the kinda feeling and smile i got when marcia ball said she'd been at the first antones location 32 years ago, "or so she'd been told...."   :-)

a young/old 3 man band group, the explosions, opened the night

the lead guitar player who also sang had the hair and beard and face of a southern rebel boy who played the guitar like an extension of his thin frame; the young buddy holly looking base player/singer who stayed on to play lead guitar for marcia ball had a steel guitar impulse to his voice i would've liked to hear more of; and the almost grandfatherly willie sampson drove a steady set of drums with the authentic voice of blues only someone who's lived them can really sing; only thing i'd change is their name, something more dancey and listenable, like them

what's nice about antones, almost smack in the middle of downtown austin, with its high beamed ceiling and flat back walls, is how the music is loud, but not shrieky, full, clear, enveloping; this was so with this capable group and with the main treat of the night, marcia ball

almost as tall as her towering saxophonist, marcia ball only rarely stood, preferring to sit with right leg crossed over her knee her right foot swinging freely to her beat, her left foot flat to the floor heel/toe rising alternately in synch:  with the young buddy holly singer bassist now the bluesy lead guitarist, with the towering sax man and a young strong drummer and a steady bassist rounding out her group, marcia ball poured a steady stream of cajun jumping jazzy blues wrapped in kindness and fun into our hearts and ears, her fabulous fingers dancing pounding picking running on the keyboards her feet always playing tag along to her hands, i think crawfishing was one of my favorites

only when she sang one of her two or so ballads, one of new orleans and katrina and one a song for peace, did her feet ever rest, the right foot poised but relaxed in the air and her left foot flat with a slow slow sometimes pulse from her voice

the enveloping sound inside of antones carried her easy voice with fullness, the band's sax and drums and guitars chasing her keyboards prompting many a couple to dance in the rich dark, the night was easy

our daughter said marcia usually will do an encore if encouraged, and though encouraged, she graciously gladly let a 94 yr old legend, pine top perkins, finish the set

immaculate and sharp in a soft-white linen suit, pine top let his fingers glide over the keyboard like open-window curtains in an early evening breeze pouring his voice over us only the way the classic bourbon whiskey in front of me could smile being close to; he warmed our hearts

antones is celebrating through the end of july; if you're in austin or heading this way, here's their link :

http://www.antones.net/

thanks ya'll,

ps - new sm image of cabo in mexico being posted soon  :-)  a small 8x10
oil from a photo from a friend at work

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