John Arthur Martinez & Kurt Baumer
Jana and I attended and evening with John Arthur Martinez and Kurt Baumer at a house concert at a friend’s home on May 22nd. This was really nice and we hope to attend more in the future. John and Kurt were great!
Fun times in Luckenbach!It was a perfect early May day, with a nice breeze and not hot (100s the following week!)Since I’m old LOL we spent extra for reserved seating, it was great, but in retrospect, our own chairs a few feet back would have been just fine. The music was fantastic from all three bands. The crowd seemed to...
By the time we heard about this show it was sold out, BUT, they added a Sunday afternoon show, so we snagged tickets and made plans to go to Austin. Never had the opportunity to see them back in the day, but have their albums and always dug the music. We had a great time, and got to enjoy a...
2025 May Always Been is the sixth solo album from Craig Finn, arriving April 4, 2025. The album was produced by Finn’s long time friend Adam Granduciel, the principal of The War on Drugs. Always Been is direct both in both music and title. As Finn says, “I’ve always been Craig Finn.” From the opener “Bethany”, a moody piano-driven portrait...
Texas Flood – SRV Tribute band. I generally DO NOT care for, or go to events with tribute bands, but hey, they were actually pretty damn good. enjoyable. Whitey Morgan and the 78s – Why I wanted to go to this local event. Good set. I enjoy his old school Honky Tonk hard rocking music, have several albums, glad to...
Always a fun show, but this one was a stripped-down version and not the full band, but it was no less fantastic. https://shinyribs.org Shinyribs defies genres as a sonic melting pot of Texas blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock. The Austin-based nine-piece supergroup is led by Kevin Russell, the...
Watching Videos, he has his own youtube account LOL He adopted us I guess. We were not looking for a pet, or really quite ready for one but he showed up. He was wearing a collar, but no tag or ID. We tried to find the owner, we checked to see if was chipped, social media, all that… but we...
For the past seven years, Robert Earl Keen has been forging a new holiday tradition with a run of irreverently themed Christmas shows. On December 2nd, the Texas singer and songwriter will kick off his eighth year of concerts with a gig in Greenville, South Carolina. As on tours of Christmases past, this trek — the Countdown to Christmas Tour...
We enjoyed listening to Lucious at Red’s while visiting Clarksdale, MS – Birthplace of the Blues. I had met and talked with him a bit the day before while hanging out at Hambone Art & Music, which was across the street from where we were staying. Yes, that really is a dude watching TV while Lucious plays, it’s Red –...
Last bike gone. Just not riding much at all, and all it was doing was collecting dust and cobwebs, and losing value. Found a great buyer who had one previously, and will enjoy the many more miles this sweet bike has left. So many miles, so many stories and adventures. Friends made, places visited, solo-trips, and great get-togethers all over...
Nick Lowe has made his mark as a producer (Elvis Costello-Graham Parker-Pretenders-The Damned), songwriter of at least three songs you know by heart, short-lived career as a pop star, and a lengthy term as a musicians’ musician. But in his current ‘second act’ as a silver-haired, tender-hearted but sharp-tongued singer-songwriter, he has no equal. photo via delius98 I’ve been a...
This show was supposed to be at the newly re-opened Heights Theater, but I guess the venue wasn’t ready and was moved to Rockefeller’s – which also has recently started having live music again after a hiatus of several years. The Jayhawks are another of my long-time favorite Alt-Country/Americana bands that I have not seen and can now check off...
Off to a new owner on October 6th, 2016. It’s been collecting dust in the garage for way to long, hopefully the new owner will get half as much as enjoyment out of it as I did. Over 100,000 miles, across dozens of states making friends, collecting memories, and exploring this great country.
We enjoyed another fine Ryan Bingham performance, free tix made it even better, Thanks Kara! From No Depression review of his latest record: Fear and Saturday Night is a mix of country, rock and roll, zydeco, and dust bowl roots that seamlessly blends together stories inspired from Bingham’s past. On “Broken Heart Tattoos,” Bingham adds harmonica to his gritty voice, imagining what...
Celebrating my birthday with Kimberlee, fun fun times at the House of Blues. The evening started with chillin’ in the VIP room, then came the Cheesy show – it was so much fun, if you have not heard Cheese – check him out! He proves ANY song from any genre can be a “lounge” song.So much fun!
Review from my photographer friend, David Clements: Photo: Frazer Harrison / Dave Kotinsky / Michael Buckner, Getty Images https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-hall-three-for-all-tour
LEGENDARY Blues band Savoy Brown, I’ve been such a fan since high school. Jumped at the chance to see them live, despite Kim Simmonds’s age, he rocked the blues hard. Sadly, Kim passed in 2022 Savoy Brown’s best-selling album was “Hellbound Train” but my favorites were Street Corner Talking and Jack to the Toad.
Three fabulous coffee table size books filled with amazing photgraphs of musical artists “Raising a Hand” for Rett. https://raisingahand.com/the-book/ If you love music, you’ll want to get all three! Please check out https://raisingahand.com/ For over two decades, Houston-based photographer Dave Clements, along with his close friend Kevin Black and Kevin’s brother, Clint Black, have been raising awareness and funds for...
Randy is Director of Operations at New Danville. New Danville is a non-profit that provides day programs and residential living for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities on a beautiful 42-acre ranch. UPDATE: 2025, now semi-retired, only working part-time at New Danville for IT Support, and mostly working remote. Life is good! Jana enjoys being a grandmother and domestic goddess after years as a...
Fun times with friends BJ & Wendy. Shinyribs was a blast as always! I’m a big fan of Ha Ha Tonka, but I suppose they figured they weren’t well known to this crowd and slipped in a lot rocking Tom Petty covers.
Purchased new in August 2013. Little did I know then, it would be the best car I’ve owned, and that includes two new Mustangs (2001, 2008). Perfect size, plenty of pep, and amazing hybrid gas mileage. Ruby Red was the great road-tripping car, and as of 2025, it’s relegated to number 3 in the fleet, but will probably be sold...
May 28 – June 11, 2011Right Half Roundup: June 3-5: Annual Gathering of the ACE 750 ~ Rat Bastard Pack. This yearly gathering takes place somewhere “right” of the Mississippi River. This year, it will be at Cumberland Falls, KY. I plan to stop in West Virginia to visit the cemetery where my Dad and grandparents are buried and to...
June 04-11, 2008Annual Gathering of the ACE 750 ~ Rat Bastard Pack.3,636 total miles The annual “Right-Half Roundup” was held in Staunton, Virginia this year. This location is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, and many historical attractions such a Monticello. I left Houston around noon on Wednesday, after working half the day. I made it to...
Even as I purchased the Honda ST1100 Sport Tourer a few years earlier, I knew it was a place-holder. I’d seen photos it’s upcoming replacement in 2003, the ST1300. To me, it was stunning from every angle. All the right specs, 4 cyl, ABS, super large gas tank for the long rides, built-in luggage and fairing with electric windscreen. A...
The ST1100 is totaled Rode through all kinds of nasty nasty weather from about FM1960 to Conroe, no biggee, the rain never really bothers me too much… I even kinda like it in the summer. Got to Conroe, went to Walgreens to pick up some photos, then over to Applebees to pick up some grub to bring home. After turning from...
I first met Andre in person in 2002 at the East Coast Roundup, we’d been online ACE 750 forum buddies since 2000. We’d be at several get-togethers over the years. Andre lived in Maryland at that time, but since moved to the Austin area, we decided to meet up for a ride through the hill country. Like me, he had...
This morning I went for a ride. Just me and my ACE. It was a nice quiet cloudy Sunday morning with little traffic. I’m lucky to be so close to many low traffic back roads. Today was different though, a little more than just a relaxing ride, this morning the odometer would make that special roll, as the the little...
June 1-7, 2006Annual Gathering of the ACE 750 ~ Rat Bastard Pack.3,045 Miles Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This year’s “Right-Half Roundup” was held in Matewan, West Virginia and planned and hosted by Willo. Previous get-togethers were held in Helen, GA, Hocking Hills, Ohio and Crossville, TN.Bill from SCRC Conroe joined...
The ACE (a cruiser) was wearing me out on long trips, which I love, my body needed a change. I moved on to a Sport-Tourer. This was exactly the bike for me. Great commuter, great on weekends and long trips, and it does not beat you up like a cruiser bike does. Great bike by many accounts, here’s one.
May 21-26, 2004Annual Gathering of the ACE 750 ~ Rat Bastard Pack.3,444 Miles Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana! (and the ACE crosses the 80,000 mile mark!) A bunch of us from the SA750 forum met in the Hocking Hills area of SE Ohio for our annual Right Half Roundup. Previous get-togethers were held in...
What a trip! One I’d been looking forward to for a long time… Big Bend National Park is a land of borders. Situated on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande, it is a place where countries and cultures meet. It is also a place that merges natural environments, from desert to mountains. Big Bend is one of the...
May 2003Annual Gathering of the ACE 750 ~ Rat Bastard Pack. I didn’t write anything up, or if I did I lost it, I’m typing this now in 2025. I remember my Friend Dave “Dragon” and his friend, who’s name I can’t recall rode together, and met up with another rider along the way, maybe Arkansas. I remember a pretty...
Southern Cruisers Riding Club – Chapter 120 Conroe, TexasOctober 9-12St. Jude Recap Conroe made quite an effort this year to raise funds for this great cause. Last year we raised $1200. We beat it this year with a total of $9,250.00 !!! Conroe has some very giving members! Making the ride to Memphis this year: Randy “Texas Ace”, John “Little...
Gettysburg, PA – May 31-June 02, 2002 Members of the Strictly ACE 750 online forum got together in Gettysburg. I was nearby, in Maryland on business, so I stayed a few extra days and rented a bike and joined up. So great to meet all the folks in person that I’d been chatting with online for a couple years. Many...