Peel performs at the Parish in Austin

I am awake at 6am on Saturday, hotel lobby and I'm heading back to the Tomball Swamp. I experienced the 6Th street and survived. The crowds were huge and the police presence was also. As long as you don't have an attitude they don't.
It is now saturday afternoon and I made it back to the swamp. I have downloaded the pictures and video from last night. The lead guitar and drummer from Peel are on a plane flying to San Francisco. I have watched this band from the start and they are continuously getting better. Today they got the first national music magazine article. Last nights performance was the best I have seen. them do. The Austin crowd follows the band and is becoming large enough to notice. They have to know the band when they sing along with the songs. Their CD can be purchased at http://peekaboorecords.com/
or on Amazon.com.
Here it is Monday morning, I'm setting in a wifi McDonald's in Tomball,Texas uploading photos. The water is so high in the swamp my dial up will not connect. Here it is Friday and it is still raining. National Public Radio reviewed Peel today with a very good review. More to come....



I will add to this as the week passes. Jesse

Jesse C Smith Jr

11 11 2006 62.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jesse C Smith Jr

This is the start of my new blog. I had the first entry written on my note pad but encountered a flash flood on the way back to Tomball. I haven't experienced a 2" 30 minute downpour in one spot before and it really got my attention. My notes and all other equipment suffered some degree of water exposure. I made it home after an hour and a half stranded in my car. It did take me a few hours to settle down from the event.

Redd Volkaert performs at Continental Club, Austin

It has always been a well known fact that Merle Haggard has had many exceptional guitar players through out his career. When my son ask if I wanted to go with the band to see Redd Volkaert, a former Haggard picker performing in Austins Continental Club, I didn't recognize the name but that's not unusual for me. I agreed rather than continue the landscaping I was in Austin doing. Thanks Dakota and Ben. After a short ride, we arrived at the Continental Club and the enjoyment began. The band consisted of the drummer,bass,fiddle and Redd. The beginning was kinda rocky but Redd handled the sound problems without any display of annoyance. His enormous talent to pick showed from the first song. The club didn't take long to fill up with the normal diversity of the Austin audiences. Even me with my long haired old cowboy look wasn't odd. The audience offered me many unique personalities to indulge. Some I remember their names, others were erased by the flood waters I encountered on my trip home.
Amanda the tip jar girl.











Adrienne Satsky and James Beaves, the nice couple that allowed me to stand in front of them to take pics.











Warren Hood, the hot fiddle player that said he was from Austin.











Cris the drummer.











Darryl "deuce" dancing lead player and partner from San Antonio. ( He knows Susan and Dennis)











Becky Gernad the bartender.











The sound man that I lost his name to the flood











Thanks to Peel for allowing me to tag along.











The show was very good. I recognized most of the songs Redd performed.
These I sang along with and I'm glad they didn't hear.
From now on all my friends are going to be Strangers,
Gone Gone Gone,( he really burned it)
Walk through this world with me,
Truck driving man, and
I always get lucky.

Redd is a very good showman and his stage personality makes me think it is a good friend up there talking just to me. The atmosphere of the club was good. The beer was cold and the dance floor was full on every song. Some of the couples were very good dancers. That's my recall of a good time with Austin band Peel of which my son is a member. Your positive comments are welcome.
From the Swampy old Exxon abandon oil field, see you next time.
Jesse C Smith Jr/Tomball,Texas