Wayne “The Train” Hancock at Jovita’s
Wayne “The Train” Hancock has been the undisputed king of Juke Joint Swing — that alchemist’s dream of honky-tonk, western swing, blues, Texas rockabilly and big band. Always an anomaly among his country music peers, Wayne’s uncompromising interpretation of the music he loves is in fact what defines him: steeped in traditional but never “retro;” bare bones but bone shaking; hardcore but with a swing. Like the comfortable crackle of a Wurlitzer 45 jukebox, Wayne is the embodiment of genuine, house rocking, hillbilly boogie.

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The Nutcracker Suite

Each year, the Austin-based rock band THE INVINCIBLE CZARS perform their wacky rock version of the music from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and each year it gets better! This new Texas holiday tradition began in December 2004 when the band introduced its version of the Suite to Austin at two shows: a children’s matinee and a later, louder show aimed at the bands existing rock fan base. Since then, the group has continued the tradition yearly, entertaining people of all ages with their unlikely holiday hit. In 2007, the band self-released a studio recording of the Suite which became the seventh highest selling holiday CD at Waterloo Records that year. Their creative and whimsical version of the Nutcracker Suite has opened the door for many exciting performance collaborations with such organizations as Boys & Girls Clubs of Austin, Austin Children’s Museum, Ballet Austin, the Houston Ballet, Wicked Cricket Dance Theatre and Graham Reynold’s Golden Arm Trio.

Igor & Red Elvises from Jovita’s.
THE RED ELVISES are a party band, as you might expect from the title of their latest album, “Drinking With Jesus.” A group of mostly Russian emigres playing surfabilly and singing comical lyrics in a Russian accent, dropping “a,” “an” and “the,” for effect, the Red Elvises’ 13th album continues their tradition of reliably enjoyable novelty music with a few terrific tunes per platter. “Jesus” isn’t their best album, but considering the political climate, it might be their most diplomatically important.
Since their early albums, they’ve cultivated eclecticism. Here, there’s the klezmer-influenced “Lara’s Wedding,” the shantylike “Into the Sun,” the cabaret “Paris Waltz” and the interesting but unsatisfying N’awlins-inflected album closer, “Bourbon Street.” The rest of the songs are less distinguishable, though “Twist Like Uma Thurman” nearly lives up to its nonsensically playful name.
The band has undergone several personnel changes in its 13-year career, but the sound hasn’t changed much, as lead guitarist Igor Yuzov and bass balalaika player Oleg Bernov have hewed closely to the surf rock and American kitsch they’ve been winking at since their first record. The Red Elvises are at their best live. They’re silly and fun. What more do you need?


The Red Elvises’ Igor Yuzov and Oleg Bernov met when their homelands of the Ukraine and Russia were joined under the Soviet flag. Yuzov was a musician and Bernov an actor with musical leanings. The two jammed together a few times, but never formed a band. They kept in touch, though, and when Yuzov found himself in the U.S. after a tour resulted in the disbanding of his own band, he reconnected with Bernov, who had since relocated to Southern California.

This time around, Yuzov and Bernov took their jam sessions to the streets, playing for change on the Third Street Promenade and at Venice Beach.

“Both of us were trying to survive,” Yuzov explains, “So we went and played on the streets and were like ‘Alright, we don’t need to have jobs anymore.’ We did pretty good our first night without practicing and it just took over from there.”

Seventeen years later, Yuzov and Bernov have moved from impromptu gigs on street corners to European tours and mega-concerts like Live 8. Still, the Venice-based musicians haven’t forgotten their Westside roots, and while you probably won’t spot the Red Elvises playing in front of Barney’s Beanery anytime soon, they still play regularly at Rusty’s Surf Shack on the Santa Monica Pier.

“Being on the Pier, that’s such a symbol of Santa Monica,” says Yuzov. “It’s a great place. It’s sort of almost our headquarters.”

Having begun life as a Russian folk group, the Red Elvises have grown to incorporate elements of rockabilly and surf music into the mix.

“After living here for 17 years and playing on the Promenade and Venice Beach, it influenced the mentality – ocean waves, sand, beautiful girls running around,” says Yuzov. “That’s reflected in the music.”

But the band continues to stay true to its roots and Bernov still plays the oversized bass balalaika, a traditional Russian instrument, that he had custom made in Venice and has become as much a part of the Red Elvises as the members themselves.

“We keep it more natural,” says Yuzov. “If we feel closer to American music, we write more music like that. We’re not trying to squeeze something artificial out of ourselves.”

Currently, the Red Elvises are finishing up work on their twelfth album, the follow-up to the 2004 release Lunatics & Poets, and are busy auditioning people for a few new spots in the band. Although a release date has not been set for the as-yet-untitled album, the Red Elvises have booked a small handful of U.S. live dates for the spring and are set to tour Europe this summer.

The Killdares from Jovita’s.
Originally formed in 1996, The Killdares have come to be known as one of the hottest, cutting edge bands in music today - Celtic or otherwise. World-class musicians from all over the U.S., they have come together in Texas to create and perform a brand new version of hard-driving, alternative Celtic rock music.





Blending traditional Celtic playing skills, power-pop accessibility, and straight up rock n’ roll hooks, The Killdares have created a fresh new sound that’s blended with enough commercial edge to be instantly recognizable, always engaging, and appealing to fans of all ages. Their live shows are filled with an infectious energy so powerful that it has been known to move people to tears. Even die-hard fans of purely traditional Celtic music have embraced the band’s powerful genre-bending sound.
Expanding the definition of “Celtic”, the band uses the unconventional pairing of screaming, fire-driven fiddle and bagpipes with the wail of electric guitar, bass and drums to create brilliant arrangements of traditional tunes and original compositions. This distinctive sound combined with the band’s incredible stage presence is nothing short of awesome.

“I love the idea of combining something as beautiful and melodic as a traditional fiddle or bagpipe with crunchy American rock n’ roll guitar, and having it work,” says founding member Tim Smith.

Joining the likes of Don Henley (The Eagles), Phil Collins (Genesis) and Fred LeBlanc (Cowboy Mouth), Dallas native Tim Smith handles lead vocals and drums with amazing nonchalance, locking in with Troy Gallaher’s energetic and “in-the-groove” bass playing and the beautifully expressive electric and acoustic guitar stylings of Brek Lancaster. Drums, bass, and guitar - all the ingredients of a quintessential rock-and-roll band.

But wait, there’s more!!!

Add to this dynamic rock-and-roll band, the 2005 Grand Master Fiddler Champion, Roberta Rast, and competition piper Matt Willis on the haunting Great Highland bagpipes, and you have all the right ingredients for a truly amazing Celtic Rock / World music / AAA / Rock-and-Roll extravaganza!

In 2002, six-time National Fiddle Champion Roberta Rast joined the band. With the title of Grand Master Champion, her fiddling journey has taken her from small-town Idaho to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and now on stage with The Killdares.

Since first appearing on the music scene over 10 years ago, The Killdares have gone from local pub performers to national touring headliners, sharing stages with an incredibly diverse range of national and international artists.

In 1998, the band released their self-produced debut CD, “Broken With A Word”. Their 2001 follow-up, “A Place To Stand”, showed exceptional growth and maturity in their song writing, and contained a higher energy that caught the attention of producer Chris Bell, who has worked with Erykah Badu, and also with other prominent acts such as U2, Kirk Franklin, Fuel and most recently the Polyphonic Spree. “A Place To Stand” would be submitted in 2001 for Grammy ® nominations in 5 categories.

The Killdares released their third CD in the middle of the following year. Simply entitled “LIVE,” this album is a snapshot of their broad live set list, and in 2002 was also submitted for Grammy ® nominations. Over the course of five albums to date, the band has delivered top-notch original numbers, and introduced fans to a roster of influences that includes Big Country, Fairport Convention, and punk pioneers The Ramones. From their signature instrumental jams, to their radio-friendly pop-rock songs, The Killdares continue to solidify their reputation as a great live band.

With the release of their 2005 full-length recording, “Any Given Element,” The Killdares continued to expand their tour schedule all over the U.S. playing hundreds of shows a year, and building thousands of new fans throughout the nation.

Finally, in 2008 The Killdares reached new heights with their 5th independently released and produced album, “Secrets of the Day”. This album has been described as “dark, captivating and experimental,” and combines electronic, acoustic and other unique instrumentation to create an exciting new sound that has attracted new fans, but continues to captivate existing fans.

Presenting a perfect blend of rock, pop, and Celtic, The Killdares have established themselves as a unique team of musicians - stretching the boundaries of independent rock n’ roll, while bridging the gap between the traditional and the cutting edge.

Experience The Killdares - the best alternative Celtic Rock band in the world - just ask their fans!

SELECT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

“Secrets of the Day” (5th album) - submitted in 2008 for Grammy Nomination in multiple categories

Nominated “Best Act in Town” - Dallas Observer Music Awards (8/14/07)

Killdares fiddler Roberta Rast wins Grand Master National Fiddle competition (10/29/05) - Nashville, TN

Shared stages with artists as diverse as Cowboy Mouth, Los Lonely Boys, Blues Traveler, Black Crowes, Lifehouse, Old 97’s, Celt-rock pioneers Steeleye Span, world-class fiddlers Alasdair Fraser, Natalie MacMaster and Eileen Ivers, blues great Marcia Ball, and surf legend Dick Dale.

Named as one of the “Top 10 Best Roadshows of 2002″ by the Austin Chronicle
(other top acts in the list include Elvis Costello, X and Sonic Youth)

Headline performance at the State Fair of Texas 9 years in a row (2008, ‘07′05, ‘04, ‘03, ‘02, ‘01, ‘00, ‘99) - Dallas, TX
168 shows in 24 days (7 shows a day)

Headline Performer at the Yahoo Sports/NBA Rhythm and Rim event:60,000-70,000 people in attendance (2002) - Dallas, TX

Nominated “Best Rock Act” by the 3rd Annual Dallas Music Awards

Headline performance at FADO Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Celebration (6 years)
(2004, ‘02, ‘01, ‘00, ‘99, ‘98) - Austin, TX

3-day Headline performance at FADO Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Celebration (2003) - Atlanta, GA

Official showcases at International South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference
Showcase performance at B.D. Riley’s (2002)
Showcase for Mothership Productions (2001, ‘00) - Austin, TX

3rd album, “LIVE” , submitted for Grammy nomination in 6 categories

2nd album, “A Place To Stand”, submitted for Grammy nomination in 5 categories

Official showcase at North Texas New Music Festival & Conference (2000, 1999) - Dallas, TX

MARS Music “Quit your Day Job” Nationwide Band Quest Contest Winner
Semi-Finalist (placed in top 5% of 3,000+ bands)

Hired to play the pre-show party for RCA recording artist David Gray

Featured performer on Starbucks 16-week “Java Jams” tour (Media sponsors: 93.3FM “The Zone” and the Dallas Observer)

Instrumentation
Tim Smith - Lead Vocals, Drums
Roberta Rast - Fiddle, Backing Vocals
Brek Lancaster - Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
Matt Willis - Bagpipes, Backing Vocals
Troy Gallaher - Bass

Discography
SECRETS OF THE DAY - CD (July 2008)

Any Given Element - CD (October 2005)
Live - CD (2002)
A Place To Stand - CD (2000)
Broken With A Word - CD (1998)

Links
http://www.killdares.com
The Killdares on iTunes
The Killdares on MySpace

Gurf Morlix from Jovita’s
SEPTEMBER 17, 2009: GURF MORLIX WINS!
Gurf was named Instrumentalist of The Year for 2009 at The Americana Music Awards at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, in Nashville, Tennessee!
Gurf has been playing lots of shows and spending lots of time in the studio as well, producing forthcoming albums for Slaid Cleaves, Romi Mayes, BettySoo, and Porter Davis.
Gurf’s new album, “Last Exit To Happyland”, is finally here. A great collection of new songs.

Grant Peeples at Jovita’s in South Austin.
Message from Grant…
Song is always in my head, impetuous and immutable. And I write every single day. Sometimes people say to me things like, “Man, why don’t you write something a little Happier, maybe?” But Im compelled to write down what scrolls across my cerebral screen. That’s the only honest way I know to do it. I’ve tried chasing stuff down, inventing songs, making-up songs, and when I do, when I finally think I’ve got it, it rings all wore-out to me—the same damn song other people have been writing over and over and over. And that don’t do nothing for me. I’d just as soon work at WalMart.

AnniOne

Betty Soo at Jovita’s

Cornell Hurd 9/24/2009 Jovita’s