Hey ya’ll, I’ll be writing more on this fantastic show soon but for now enjoy these pic of the Possum and Mr. Kristofferson.

Yeah those weasels at the CMJ denied yours truly a press pass to attend their precious conference (don’t they know that tens of people worldwide read this blog?!) but who cares there’s only one show I want to  go to anyway and it’s open to the public and CHEAP! from the label:

BLOODSHOT 11th annual CMJ BBQ
Saturday, November 4th @ Union Pool in Brooklyn (Williamsburg)
Sponsored by KDHX, eMusic, and Oskar Blues Brewery.

Tickets $10 or $7 with a CMJ badge.
Public welcomed and encouraged.  No invite needed!!!
Beer, BBQ and goodies provided
Doors at noon, music PROMPTLY AT NOON!!

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (Chicago IL) (chamber folk punk)
Mark Pickerel (Seattle WA)
The Silos (NYC)  New CD in Feb 2007
Deadstring Brothers   (Detroit MI)
Scott H Biram   (Austin TX) (That dirty ‘ol one-man band-Twang)
Bobby Bare Jr  (Nashville TN) 
THE MEAT PURVEYORS  (Austin TX)   LAST SHOW EVER!!!!!(RIP dammit-Twang)

I feel like a boob. I’m just learning about this and now have to scatter for a freakin ticket! If you have an extra drop the Twang a line.

From CMT – George Jones and special guest Kris Kristofferson will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Oct. 31. Jones last played the famous venue in 1962 when he appeared with Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family and Tompall and the Glaser Brothers. “I think we were one of the first, if not first, country shows to go in there. … We had a great time. The place was packed and sold out,” Jones said.

Edit: I got a great ticket from the box office. They still have some on sale for the show.

Some people give me grief for posting about the Dixie Chicks. These people can kiss my ass. The Chicks were anti-Bush before anti-Bush was cool. Anyhoo, the new movie “Shut Up and Sing” from two time Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple and Cecelia Peck that chronicles the lives of the Dixie Chicks from 2003 to the start of their 2006 tour.

All the highs, lows and death threats that occurred just before and for the three years following “the incident” are all here. The personal attacks, personal growth, a changing world, making music, having babies, receiving death threats, and even a fair amount of laughter.
I did then, do now and always will back my girls from Big D.

also check out the Chicks on VH1 Storytellers.

Well this is some sorry shit!!!

Repost from the band:

Sometime between 11am and 3pm, Oct. 27, 2006, th’ Legendary Shack Shakers’ trailer was stolen here in Nashville. This is a partial list of equipment that we lost. Anyone with any info please contact us here or on the official website.

Gretsch White falcon Bound in silver
Gretsch custom shop 6120 (orange)
King Doublebass Road King Red Sunburst with Metal Flake red on the sides.
fender 800 pro head in Star Case rack w/ korg tuner, Fishman Pre and assorted cables etc.
2 fender 810 pro cabinets
orange pearl drum kit with “shack shakers’ kick heads
fender supersonic head and 412 cabinet
Germino guitar head with marshall 412 in ‘destroyers’ roadcases
Tweed Twin reissue custom shop guitar amp
Fender 59 bassman 410 guitar amp (tweed reissue)
Red 1981 fender P-bass (fernandes neck plate, jazz bass special neck)
hundreds of t-shirts and cds.

Thanks,
JD

Some treats coming out next Tuesday:

Willie Nelson – Songbird (Produced by Ryan Adams)

Doug Sahm and Band

Cross Canadian Ragweed – Back to Tulsa: Live & Loud at Cain’s Ballroom

Coming to a city built on attitude and pretense Wayne “the Train” Hancock would have none of it. Instead he won over the packed and adoring crowd at the Rodeo Bar with his signature brand of straight-up hillbilly swing in support of his current Bloodshot Records release “Tulsa.” Wayne Hancock is the real deal. No attitude, image consultation or arrogant disdain for his fans. Wayne was a genuine gentleman when I introduced myself and shook his hand (as was his smoking band – Eddie Biebel on lead guitar and the rhythm slappin’ Jake Erwin on Doghouse Bass.)

Rebellion by way of tradition is part of the typical Hancock MO. A tough ex-Marine, Hancock has likened himself to a stab wound in the Nashville fabric of country music. Playing his standard 2 1/2 hr plus show and good-naturedly hamming it up with his band and taking shouted requests from the refreshingly rowdy Manhattan crowd (Yeeehaw booooeeey!) Hancock and his band tore up the stage with a Texas-sized attitude. Hancock covered most of his career, burning through versions of “That’s What Daddy Wants”, ” Highway 54″, “Flatland Boogie” All songs done without a net , no set list, songs called out on the fly or taken from the audience. Near the break Mr. Mark O’connor joined the band onstage for a few songs and a killer version of the fiddle classic “Orange Blossom Special.”

Wayne’s voice has some of the same characteristics as Hank Williams, grandson Hank III likes to say that Hancock sounds more like Hank than Hank did, but Hancock is far too modest to take that compliment to heart. Wayne said in a recent interview: “I always say that’s a nice compliment, when people say that, but could you keep your voice down a little bit?” he says, laughing. “That’s kind of a silly thing to say. How can you sound better than the person who sang it? You can’t. It’s a nice compliment, but it’s like, ‘Geez, man, get a life. Is there a bull’s-eye on me or what?’”

But the sound and style are there, there’s no doubting it. For some of the best in no-bullshit Texas honky-tonk music done with style, passion and grace you can’t do any better than Mr. Wayne “the Train” Hancock.

Alt.country fans hold on to youre hats. Gob Iron(British slang for harmonica) is a collaberation between Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo) and Anders Parker (Varnaline) and their new release “Death Songs For The Living” will be released on October 31 through Transmit Sound/Legacy.

Each track off their upcoming record offers a different take on a song by early American folk singers like Stephen Foster and the Reverend JM Gates.

Jay and Anders, along with Mark Spencer, will head out on tour this November and
December. Anders will open the night (in support of his new self-titled LP out Oct. 31), Jay will follow with a solo set and the evening will close with a Gob Iron set.

They play Northsix in Brooklyn on November 8th, one day before Jay sings a Bob Dylan song at Avery Fisher Hall. All tour dates below…

GOB IRON | 2006 TOUR DATES
November 3rd, 2006 The Parish Austin, TX
November 5th, 2006 Park West Chicago, IL
November 7th, 2006 Paradise Boston, MA
November 8th, 2006 Northsix Brooklyn, NY
November 9th, 2006 Avery Fisher Hall New York, NY The Music of Bob Dylan – benefit for Music for Youth Foundation – Jay will perform one song
November 10th, 2006 Black Cat Washington, DC
November 11th, 2006 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
December 2nd, 2006 Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
December 3rd, 2006 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
December 4th, 2006 Slim’s San Francisco, CA
December 5th, 2006 The Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
December 6th, 2006 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO

Presale is available.

In case you forgot how lame pop-country charts/radio/TV and the big Nashville labels have become I just noticed on one of those homogenous “top 20 Video Count Downs” that Mr. Achy Breaky himself (comin in at #5 no less), Billy Ray Cyrus has got him an image consultant, used some awesome Maxim hair dye and a three-day beard and crept back on the charts with limp little piece called “Average Joe.” (I guess he got tired of being a doctor on TV.) This is a new low even for this pathetic fucking bunch!

Now it’s time for some family props. My dad, Jerry Max Lane, has written and performed Country music for over 30 years. He’s had his songs covered by the likes of George Strait. Now he and my talened step-mom, Jeannie, have a song (him writing, her singing) on the soundtrack for the new Ashley Judd movie Come Early Morning. Also on the CD are cuts from Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson & Emmylou Harris and Billy Joe Shaver. That ain’t bad company to be in!

The song is great and Jeannie sings it with heart.