It wasn’t the 10,000 plus crowd that a Randy Rogers Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed or Eli Young Band consistently know each night…It wasn’t a manipulated stage with huge trusses with blazing lights and smoke machines, it wasn’t laced with a bellowing B3 organ or overdone guitar solos…But one thing it was, it was a microcosm of something faintly found in those type of audiences. It celebrated the songwriter as he or she related to the song and not the other way around. Now, I’m sure every artist at the Rodney Hayden Music Festival(Pasture Party) held near Boerne, Texas would have loved to have had thousands of cheering fans that sang all the lyrics just perfectly…please don’t get me wrong….they would have loved a huge, energetic crowd! However, in this particular venue nestled in the towering oak trees and rolling hills, a different type of concert took place. It was an enigmatic recreation of singers portraying the stripped-down presence of their songs as they did when they first wrote the tunes. Nothing says intimate like a songwriter showing up to present their art without the band, “the lights”, “the smoke” or Autotune. It was this conclave of poets that filled the space and that made the cloudy day a lot brighter.
From the man himself, a few answers to a few questions…
What brought about this type of festival?
“..there’s a lot of music festivals out there but rarely any singer-songwriter festivals and my thought was to bring a bunch of great songwriters to Boerne and try to expose people to a whole day of music they haven’t heard before….(jokingly)it’s mainly all for me and to have fun…To bring some real songwriters together to play…”
(Rodney Hayden)
Where do you see this festival going in the future, 2-3 years down the road or longer?
“Our plan right now to do another one in the Fall…I rarely make any plans but we will see…” spoken like a true artist….but one who is optimistic about the future.
A few words from two of the artists:
Max Stalling: What made you want to be part of this festival?
“Man, the fact that Rodney called me was such an honor and pleased me to be part of it with such a topshelf line up of artists.”
Bonnie Bishop: What did you think of this festival and would you come back?
“I would love to come back, I would LOVE to come back…I’d do anything that Rodney does because it’s always fun!”
Many of the other artists I spoke with also had the same enthusiasm for being a part of such an elite group of composers/lyricists. The headliner Tom Russell was a favorite of Rodney’s because he loves the type of songwriting he employs. I had the opportunity to drive Mr. Russell and his crew to the venue, Mallory Ranch, and he shared with me his passion for music and art. He was very impressed with Rodney’s music and talent, one of the reasons he agreed to play at the festival. The music he harnesses is very deliberate and not “watered down until tastes like tea.” Tom’s songs are penetrable to every point and need of society with his own personal observations sequined along each lyric and melody. The music he creates causes the mind to really concentrate and be invited to the writer’s words in the tavern of the same.
(Tom Russell)
Some of my favorites of the day included Josh Grider whose lyrically cerebral talent employs an equally if not cooler melodic performance. His deep baritone voice permeating the ranch and his passion celebrated in each song with a slight Dave-Matthews-meets-Merle-Haggard approach. One of his and Rodney’s co-writing partners, Drew Kennedy, offered a fresh melting pot of different experiences in each chord, both that he struck on his guitar and in the hearts of his fans.
(Drew Kennedy & Josh Grider)
Other performers that captivated: Walt Wilkins- the iconic Texas legend whose words can be found on many Pat Green albums..
(Walt Wilkins)
Jason Eady-the southern blues, country fried visionary whose deep rhythms ring true to the soul, Bonnie Bishop- whose words inspire and uplift in a romantic, southern soul odyssey. Bill Whitbeck, whose first solo album came out last Autumn ignited the audience towards the beginning and rang true of his traverses as bass player with one of the Godfathers of Texas Troubadour music, Mr. Robert Earl Keen. Each performer was boldly fresh in their own unique, individualistic spirit and would had you lining up to buy their album just by experiencing only ONE song…so why wait…go to www.lonestarmusic.com and buy them today!
(Rodney Hayden w/ Bill Whitbeck)
Overall, the music was great…the food fantastic (courtesy of Matthew Martinez and his Montebello Ranch Catering crew). As a side note: The pulled pork & brisket sandwiches were the highlight of the menu, especially when the crew offered to toast the bread or tortillas for your extra delight over their BBQ-pit grill. It was a day full of remarkable sensory explosions, both to the ears and to the pallet…No one wanted to leave…The newer artists(to me) that I felt were so genuine and solid included Adam Carroll, Max Stalling, Bonnie Bishop, Owen Temple and newcomer Stephanie Briggs... brought a certain nostalgic ambiance that deepened the already oceanic presence of those songwriters already mentioned. It was so refreshing to hear their perspectives on life through the vivaciousness of their poetry.
Yes, indeed, Rodney Hayden put together quite a show that became another step towards conquering musical Jenga, placing the right pieces in the right place to build something uniquely amazing for all to behold and enjoy. Kudos, my friend, Kudos!
For more information on all the artists who played:
Twitter Handles: @rodneyhayden @joshgrider @stephaniebriggs @maxstalling @dk_music @BonnieBishop @OwenTemple @AdamCarrollTX @susanng @ThomasRussell @MightyMqs @jasoneady
Matthew A. Butter is a singer/songwriter/freelance writer/social media consultant who lives in Central Texas. For more information, visit his website: www.thebutterlife.com Follow him on Twitter @thebutterlife. (C)2010
Photos Courtesy of Kody Rakowitz Photography 2010
Photos Courtesy of Kody Rakowitz Photography 2010
