Cold Ale - The Blokes' Thread!

Another one you offered up that I wasn't familiar with and from Texas on top of that. I must have been out west herd'n Jackalope at the time. Duarte has that distinct Stevie RV / Texas blues influence.

This is a bit off the beaten path, so to speak, nevertheless, something I felt was necessary to share with the Blokes.
Most folks here in the States are familiar with the TV show Gunsmoke, and in particular the character Festus played by Ken Curtis, but have you heard the guy sing?..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tuCJU_1-M8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_3P53pdqrk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWR6FLnPack

I've seen SRV and Chris Duarte live several times. Both have (had) an electric-Texas-bluesy sound. As far as I know, Duarte never covered any of SRV's tunes, but they both covered some of the same tunes by other guys (Jimi's Red House, for instance). I'm no professional critic, but if I had to put my finger on it, I'd say Duarte is faster and more nimble, but Stevie played with more power and soul. Just my amateur opinion. Stevie was kind of a little guy, but he had these amazingly strong hands, and he strung his guitar with really fat-gage strings, then he'd bend notes, not just half steps, but full steps. In fact he'd bend full chords. He was truly a freak of nature.

The last time I saw Stevie was in, of all places, Fairbanks, AK. It was only a few months before the helicopter crash. He brought the house down, played Cross-Town Traffic behind his back. During one song he broke a string, and while continuing to play, he restrung his guitar, tuned it, and never missed a note.

The last time I saw Chris Duarte was in Lubbock, TX. He was so loud that we had to go out to the parking lot - sounded pretty good out there. That night this guy opened for him, had a 3-piece band - himself, a dude with a big bass fiddle, and a guy on drums:

Teddy Morgan and the Sevilles:

http://youtu.be/N17QXUu4Hjs

First things first; in recognition of Memorial Day... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6MjvUrE_K0

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Some trivial backstory on Stevie; we grew up in the same part of Dallas known as Oak Cliff, not the we ever crossed paths, although he and a brother in law brown bagged it together at the HS cafeteria, before Stevie dropped out in pursuit of the blues.

I saw SRV in concert one time in 1988 at the Cotton Bowl, he (double trouble) along with his brother(fabulous thunderbirds) opened for The Who.

Here's a video I stumbled on some time back with the brothers playing together on a double neck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSjRggiSBrU

Gilliatt: surely you went here on Memorial Day?

http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa...ield_draw.html

Speaking of epic Texas-size concerts, I was a little young for the granddaddy of them all - Z.Z. Top's 1st Annual Texas Barn Dance and B-B-Q. It was held in Austin at the Univ. of Texas Memorial Stadium on Labor Day in 1974, and evidently it was hotter than hell. Turns out it was also the Last Annual Texas Barn Dance and B-B-Q due to the damage done to the playing field. A friend of mine was there; he was down on the field and he said it was so hot that people started slicing up the astro turf and making tents out of it for the shade.

A Greek guy we used to know gave me a SRV CD about 15 years ago. Very good it was.

So the allotment is coming on nicely with my first earliest flowering and the broad beans not far off picking. I've had a good day today as my bike has been fixed by the nice man in the bike shop. The frame broke a few weeks ago so he replaced it for me. This means that my 5 year old bike has had everything changed except the seat and the handlebars. This does pose a philosophical question as to whether it is the same bike although it has been in continuous use.

I also got my new Kindle Fire from which I am making this post. My former kindle's battery packed up. This is a superb bit of kit.

Haha

Reminds me of the old joke about the guy who claimed he owned the original hatchet that George Washington used to cut down the cherry tree - of course he'd had to replace the handle three times and the head twice, but other than that...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sancho

A friend of mine was there; he was down on the field and he said it was so hot that people started slicing up the astro turf and making tents out of it for the shade.

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Now that's showing some class!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Atheist

Gilliatt: surely you went here on Memorial Day?

http://blog.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa...ield_draw.html

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Thanks for sharing that, after reading, I realized it's been far too long since I checked up on our boys from east Texas.
Formally known as the TBRC (Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy) they recently adopted a new name; North American Wood Ape Conservancy (NAWAC)
http://woodape.org/
Bonus! - looks like they still have a link to the Texas Bigfoot Conference my son and I attended in 2013.

Stevie Ray was awesome. My friend Rich and his sister were at the Alpine Valley show, then heard about the crash while driving home.

I went to an award ceremony last night representing our allotment group. The secretary refused to go - I did wonder why - as there was food, wine and a turn.

Well it's a good job it was held in St Mary's Guildhall - a building around at the time of the Tudors and which housed Mary Queen of Scots on her trip to London for trial. There was lots to look at - the stained glass windows are superb, and the armour and stone statues are great.

After 5 minutes at the meeting, my wife wrote a note to me asking if we could go to the pub. Unfortunately, I had to be there to receive the 3rd Prize for the best kept site on behalf of the secretary. (It's quite a nice cup, and I've been telling everyone that I got most improved player in the hope that they don't ask me at what).

The meeting dragged on, the awards moved through briskly, and the turn, a presentation called Know Your Weeds, was actually the best bit of the whole thing - apart from the samosas.

After eating we quickly left for a local pub - we gave The Golden Cross a miss, despite the distinct possibility that Shakespeare may well have been in there after watching Coventry's mystery plays - and settled on a Wetherspoons. I had a strawberry and lime cider which rounded the night off rather nicely.

I don't think my wife will accompany me next year if I get asked to go again... or ever probably.

http://www.fleetwoodtownfcct.com/wp-.../06/brasil.jpg



http://www.online-literature.com/for...World-Cup-2014

Hang on, should that be an an S or a Z?

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

I went to an award ceremony last night representing our allotment group. The secretary refused to go - I did wonder why - as there was food, wine and a turn.

Well it's a good job it was held in St Mary's Guildhall - a building around at the time of the Tudors and which housed Mary Queen of Scots on her trip to London for trial. There was lots to look at - the stained glass windows are superb, and the armour and stone statues are great.

After 5 minutes at the meeting, my wife wrote a note to me asking if we could go to the pub. Unfortunately, I had to be there to receive the 3rd Prize for the best kept site on behalf of the secretary. (It's quite a nice cup, and I've been telling everyone that I got most improved player in the hope that they don't ask me at what).

The meeting dragged on, the awards moved through briskly, and the turn, a presentation called Know Your Weeds, was actually the best bit of the whole thing - apart from the samosas.

After eating we quickly left for a local pub - we gave The Golden Cross a miss, despite the distinct possibility that Shakespeare may well have been in there after watching Coventry's mystery plays - and settled on a Wetherspoons. I had a strawberry and lime cider which rounded the night off rather nicely.

I don't think my wife will accompany me next year if I get asked to go again... or ever probably.

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Or was it after watching Coventry City's FA Cup final win against Spurs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

I went to an award ceremony last night representing our allotment group...
...be there to receive the 3rd Prize for the best kept site on behalf of the secretary. (It's quite a nice cup, and I've been telling everyone that I got most improved player in the hope that they don't ask me at what)....

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"Tales from the Allotment" I do enjoy your updates.
If I were a betting man, I'd put it on the improvements to your sheds.
You did make those improvements, right?
Congratulations.