SXSW 2008: Palo Duro Records Showcase Wrap-Up

The first set of the Palo Duro Records Showcase on Wednesday night featured an acoustic lover’s wet dream with a song swap between Trent Summar, Tommy Alverson, Dallas Wayne, and Buzz Cason. All four artists were in a dapper mood, keeping the moderately sized Waterloo Ice House audience in high spirits. If the term “laidback” had a spokesperson or four, it’d be these guys.

Notably absent of his trademark red pants, Trent Summar elicited a few chuckles at the cost of Eliot Spitzer, who unfortunately wasn’t able to attend. He performed several self-penned songs you might recognize from other artists–Jack Ingram recorded “Love You” and Summar’s new buddy Gary Allan cut “Guys Like Me” on one of his albums–along with originals like “Supposed to Do” and “Horseshoes & Hand Grenades.”
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Tommy Alverson pulled out “Maybe in Mexico” from his Heroes & Friends album along with “Country To The Bone,” which serves as a commentary on today’s country music, he sang, “your new single is the seventh cover of a Harlan Howard song / well that thin disguise won’t get you by if you ain’t country / country to the bone.” Pure badassery.
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Dallas Wayne had is own commentary on the state of country music, too, with “If That’s Country”. He sang “you can make a star of a teenage girl, but one million dollars won’t make her a Merle / yea, laser beams and navel rings and a pretty face might be something / but you can kiss my Ozark ass if that’s country.” Later he remarked “it’s time for a killing song,” before breaking into “Your Biggest Fan.” Trent Summar chimed in, saying “it’s always time for a killing song.” Amen.
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The biggest hit came with Buzz Cason’s “Soldier of Love,” a song that’s been covered by the Beatles, The Derailers and Pearl Jam. Cason told the story of a girl approaching him to tell him about the Pearl Jam cover, he joked “I don’t know who Pearl Jam is, I’ve heard of toe jam, but not Pearl Jam.” One good natured and intoxicated fan found it hard not to join in on “Barbecue,” before stumbling out the door later in the evening. In fact, the whole audience found it hard not to join in, chanting “barbecue” each time the chorus came around.
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During the next set and with Waterloo packed to near capacity, Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros rolled through tracks of their newest album. At one point Jason Eady and Cory Morrow joined the band for a tune, while Texas artists Bobby Duncan and Jesse Dayton were seen mingling with guests. The Mystiqueros finished with their hit song “Trains I Missed” and came back with a special encore of “Just Like Hank,” featuring a guest vocal from songwriter Tommy Alverson.
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Despite having only half the audience of The Mystiqueros, Darryl Lee Rush kept the place alive with originals like “White Trash Paradise,” “Uncle Freddie Drove a Tractor,” and the handful of soulful harmonica solos courtesy of the immensely talented Don Gallia.
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After fixing some minor sound snafus, the self-described hard-rockin’, kick-ass Country band Miles From Nowhere tore through new songs off their 2007 release, Bloodline. Well after midnight the band wrapped up before being beckoned back for not one, but two more songs, and even then those who lingered were left wanting more from the Blossom, Texas outlaws. Displaying his southern hospitality, guitarist Adam Walker thanked each person who exited on his side of stage.
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Stay tuned for thoughts and comments from Thursday, Friday and Saturday as well. There’s a lot of fantastic music being played in Austin right now and this is just the tip of the iceberg.