Arc Angels @ Gruene Hall

Live 04.17.2009


April 1992 stands out in my mind for many reasons. I had just flunked out of college and had just accepted a job offer. It was in a mall at the music (cassettes & cds) store for 4 hours a week. The bad news was that I would have to wear pants and socks for the first time in three years!


During that first week, a new cd was released by the ARC Angels. It was being touted as an Austin super group featuring Double Trouble of Stevie Ray Vaughn fame, Doyle Bramhall II, and Charlie Sexton. This cd did not disappoint. It quickly became one of my favorite cds and it earmarked a curious time for me. The problem was that I never had the chance to see them live. It seemed they broke up as quick as they came on the scene. The reason I never saw them was because I wanted to see them in Austin and unfortunately never got the chance.


Fast forward 17 years and they announced a few reunion shows. I bought my tickets quickly because I love live shows at Gruene Hall but know how small a venue it is. I have to say that I was very impressed. They did the entire album from beginning to end and sounded great. I was surprised because I've listened to the cd so many times throughout the years and had it straight in my mind: Doyle and Charlie trade vocals, but Charlie was the guitar whiz (funny how that happens sometimes). However, this was not the case. I found myself impressed with Doyle's vocals and well as his playing style. His guitar work was simple but bluesy while Charlie had a thinner flashy style. Together it mixes well. Doyle's vocals are also deeper and exude emotion compared to his counterpart. The tracks that stood out for me were Sweet Nadine and Good Time. Of course their two hits, Living In A Dream and Sent By Angels, were crowd favorites.


Being a bassist, I was looking forward to seeing Tommy Shannon on bass. However, he was the only one from the original lineup that did not make the show. Another disturbing fact, that I was not aware of, was how much of a drama queen Charlie Sexton is! He came out in a leather jacket and a few neck scarves. After the first song, he was complaining that someone needed to to turn on the air condition. "C'mon dude! You're in south Texas and we are already creeping up on three digit temperatures and you're wearing a leather jacket with scarves!" Then he made his guitar tech work overtime. He used a different guitar for pretty much every song - Fender strats, telecasters, Ibanez, Gibson, and Rickenbacker just to name a few. He spent the rest of the time dropping in and out of songs trying to get more volume of himself in the monitors or the main mix.


Most people probably did not notice. Realizing that Charlie was high maintenance didn't ruin the show for me. I still enjoyed the music and am glad I finally had the chance to see them live. I am excited and will be looking forward their newest release.

Los Lonely Boys!

It was an early Saturday in 2001 when my buddy (we’ll call him ‘Dave’) called me about this amazing band he saw at Dr. Rockits in Corpus Christi, TX. He then said I HAD to see them and they would be performing in Austin later that evening, so we loaded up the car and headed to Austin to see Los Lonely Boys for the first time. I wasn’t too impressed with their small setup and modest equipment. JoJo had a six string bass, was sharing a tuner with Henry and was playing through an old 15 inch Ampeg. Ringo’s kick drum had a huge rip in the head so the microphone could sit inside. Every time he used it, it flapped in and out. However, when they took the stage…I was floored by the energy, musicianship, and harmonies. Needless to say, I was a huge fan after that night and we began following them around the San Antonio area and they even ended up playing at Dave’s wedding a year later!

Here we are in 2009 with Los Lonely Boys about to take the stage at Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio. I was amazed by the diverse crowd. How many of these folks came to see Heaven and that’s it? Well either way, I knew that they would be pleasantly surprised. 

As soon as the band took the stage, they were tight. They have added a percussionist to the live set and it added a huge Latin-flavor to the show. Most of the songs they played were from their latest CD, Forgiven, but they did Crazy Dream, Hollywood and of course ended with Heaven. Of the new songs, the ones that stood out were Forgiven, Staying With Me, and Make It Better. Their big “jam” song used to be Onda, but this time they used I’m A Man, which is an awesome Steve Winwood cover, to show off their chops. They even played a few new songs that have not been recorded. One that was a bit of a joke was Guero En El Barrio, which a Latin version of The Offspring’s Pretty Fly For A White Guy. Normally, I don’t really take to these kinds of songs, but it had a mean hook. :-)

Overall, it was a great show. I don’t know if it is possible, but their singing seems to have gotten better, especially Ringo. He was singing most of the highs for the group. Henry and JoJo’s lead changes still impress me and their sound is very infectious. What I enjoyed the most is seeing all of the people that came for one song and after just one show, left as Los Lonely Boys fans just like I did eight years ago.