Trip to Austin......Part 5

We decided on this particular weekend in Austin because Slaid Cleaves was going to be playing at the Cactus Cafe, a small venue on the UT campus.  I discovered him when Felicia and I decided to drive to Stony Brook last October to celebrate our "anniversary of meeting."  She said "It looks like some guy named Slaid Cleaves is playing on campus."  She said she googled him and he's a singer/songwriter, who she thought she heard once on WFUV.  I said "That's enough info for me.  Get tickets and don't tell me any more about him.  Whatever it is, it is."

It is from such things that obsessions are born.  Slaid Cleaves is a singer/songwriter from Maine, who has settled in Austin.  He writes poignant, heart-felt songs.  He plays guitar and sings, and is usually accompanied by another guitar, or a fiddler, or a mandolin.  I'd say he combines elements of folk, country and rock.  I found an interview where he describes his style as "Americana".  I'll go with that.

When we saw him at Stony Brook there were about 80 people in the room.  Quite a few of them knew all the songs.  Two women sitting in front of us were crying during his song "Lydia".  Hearing it for the first time, I understood why.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PGGlepa-_U&feature=related   On first hearing, almost ALL his songs got into my head.  When that happens, all you can say is "This guy is good."  At that show in Stony Brook we bought his CD, listened to it on the way home, and were hooked.

I should add, that while it has no impact on ME, Felicia points out that "he is a really good looking guy."

We had tickets for the four of us, and my friend Phil, plus Rebecca's friend Eliza (who lives in Austin) and her Mom Debbie (who LOVES Slaid Cleaves).  We deviated from our "Tex-Mex for dinner" routine and had a great dinner of salad, gazpacho (made with fresh vegetable from Phil's garden) and pizza at Phil's house.  It was great fun for us all to get to know each other.  

I was a little surprised there was an opening act, a singer song-writer named Anthony DaCosta.  He was pretty good   http://anthonydacosta.com/  Between sets he was in the lobby selling his CD's and talking to people.  We were all trying to figure out how old he was.  I guessed he was about 30.  I suggested to Rebecca that she go talk to him, and buy a CD if she wanted to.  She did both, then came back and told us he was a 21 year old student at Columbia!!  

The Cactus Cafe was full (200 I would guess) with enthusiastic Slaid Cleaves fans.  He did not disappoint.  He was accompanied by a guy named ShoJo Jacques on fiddle and mandolin.  Here are a few youtube videos showing what he does....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNfvSIHL20s  Drinkin Days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfmkGgqQhq0  Horseshoe Lounge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TXSklbFBpU  Broke Down

Broke Down is a pretty impressive song.  Here are the lyrics....

Sherry had a pawn shop band of gold
A sink full of dishes and a love grown cold
Along came a boy, pretty as the devil
She took his hand, the whole thing unravelled

There's no turnin' round, it's broke down

Billy took the ring, jammed it in his pocket
Drove down town and tried to hock it
Down at the bottom of Lake Ponchartrain
There's a love not carved inside a wedding ring

Broke down, cracked and shattered
Left in pieces like it never even mattered
Broke down, torn and frayed, ain't nothin' left you could give away
There's no turnin' round, it's broke down

Ain't no tellin where love goes
Maybe down where the black river flows
Won't be comin' back round, it's broke down[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/slaid_cleaves/broke_down.html ]
Baby in the back seat, and another on the way
Sherry thinks of Billy at the end of every day
Spends her nights waiting for real life to start
Listening to the sound of her double crossed heart

Broke down, cracked and shattered
Left in pieces like it never even mattered
There's no turnin' round, it's broke down

On the other side of town, two lovers lie still
Cigarette smokin' on a window sill
There's a picture locked up in an old suitcase
Billy closes his eyes but he still sees her face

Broke down, cracked and shattered
Left in pieces like it never even mattered
Broke down, torn and frayed, ain't nothin' left you could give away
There's no turnin' round, it's broke down, broke down



Slaid played all the songs we wanted to hear, plus a few new ones that were pretty darn good too.  After the show he was in the lobby and we spent some time talking with him.

Yes, I AM wearing a Slaid Cleaves T-shirt.  I mean, if not there, WHEN???

After the show we went with Phil and Eliza and Debbie to some funky ice cream/gelato place near Phil's house.  We sat outside in the pleasant night air.  

So, Whole Foods, Barton Springs, salad and pizza, Slaid Cleaves, gelato with friends.  What a day!!!!