Highway 87 is a dangerous place to be....

Highway 87 is a dangerous place to be
When you pissed off all the local boys
and your back’s against the sea....

But if you're just down there for the Stingaree Music Festival, it's not dangerous at all.

Well, I'm finally about recovered from the Stingaree Music Festival at Crystal Beach (and the broken stitches in my eye and bout with strep throat that followed), and I'd like to thank this man for making it all possible:

And that man is, of course, Hayes Carll, the best thing to happen to Texas music since Garth Brooks retired (I know Brooks is technically from Oklahoma, but I'm pretty sure Oklahoma is just a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth).

I missed the early acts on Friday, but did make it in time to see to of my favorites, Ray Wylie Hubbard:

And Hayes Carll:

Now, outdoors on the Peninsula wasn't the most pleasant place to be weather-wise on Friday afternoon and evening (it was cool-to-cold and raining), so I wasn't too disappointed about missing the other acts. A bit over two hours was just about right.

Weather-wise, Saturday was probably worse that Friday. Although the rain had stopped, the wind had picked up. A lot. So much so that it started pulling up the stakes on the Big Top, so the bands that were supposed to play there moved to the Beer Garden Stage. But somehow with the cold wind blowing and the delay entailed by moving all the equipment from the Big Top Stage to the Beer Garden Stage, it got to seeming like something a little more indoors might be a more pleasant way to spend the evening. If you want to go someplace and come away with an indelible odor of tobacco smoke, Sharky's just can't be beat. And, of course, where there's smoke, there's drinkin', which means a good time was had by all.

By Sunday, the weather had become decidedly more pleasant. The rain was gone, the wind was mild, and the sun was shining. But after a late night at Sharky's, bright sun early in the day has less appeal than you might think, given the weather from the previous couple of days. But by early afternoon, it was shaping up to be a very pleasant day.

Back at the Music Fest, I'm sure the early acts were all very good, but they did not wait for me to get there. But I did get there in time for Sisters Morales, who are very good but seemed just a tad out of place for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I expect the Sisters are at their best whooping it up on a Friday night.

What I really wanted to hear was something more in the folk/Americana vein, like Hayes Carll. And, it being his Music Festival, he obliged, this time with the bass player from the John Evans Band (I think):

And that was about it. except for the extremely entertaining Medicine Show performing on the Tiki Bar Stage on the way out:

And that's all I have to say about that. For more, you can read what Laurie was doing while missing New Orleans, and you can hear more about the weather and see more pictures at the Houston Chronicle Blog.


On another note, Hayes Carll will be performing at the YMBL Rodeo at Ford Arena on May 5, 2007. I'm not crazy about the venue, but I'm sure he'll put on a good show.

I also hear that the John Evans Band occasionally plays at The Vortex. If they come around again, I wouldn't miss them.