The Lonely Telecaster

Working through a bout of allergy / sinus issues most of the day, I was on the fence about venturing into clubland to see Bob Schneider and opening act Aslyn. An invite from Aslyn’s publicist made the choice a lot easier – you don’t take comp tix for granted.
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On Friday (12/3), Jane Monheit winked, wiggled and used her considerable vocal talents to dazzle in a solid but short-feeling show.
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The Stubb’s BBQ stage in Austin on Saturday night played out like a highlight reel of favorite Austin City Limits programs, with the reunited Mavericks followed by Patti Griffin, who turned the stage over to the Old 97′s in the midnight hour.
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A buzz is building in America over the talents of this young girl from England, who stumbled into a music career after trying out for a talent show. Just shy of her 17th birthday, Stone possesses a preternaturally-seasoned voice of remarkable facility and expression, perfectly suited to the soul-flavored material on her debut album. Legend has it that her management team wisely issued early advances of the CD to radio programmers with no photo on the cover to keep non-pop programmers from drawing quick conclusions about what kind of music a cute, 16-year-old kid from the UK can make.
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SXSW Thursday, March 18th

Getting a first solid look at the South By Southwest band schedule in the context of distance and travel time can put a travel-weary journalist in a quandry: What to zero in on during the first night in town?
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