Just thought I'd drop by and get everyone up to speed. This past week end we went up to the Wormy Dog in Bricktown to play their Halloween party. I love these things. So many great costume ideas I could never think of (and I'm supposed to be the creative one). I have to say, the best costume I saw would be the "Wilson" character from Home Improvement. This guy was dressed identical and even had a cardboard fence fixed to his face. It was classic. Don't tell anyone, but I WILL use this costume in the future. Maybe not next year, or the year after that, but I will be Wilson. The night was equally exciting due to the fact that we were recording the second of two shows for the Mama Sweet Live album. I’m crossing my fingers that it went well. I've had my reservations about telling the world that we were trying to do something like this. The thing is, it's not like being in a studio where you can, and do, spend all afternoon on 45 seconds of a song. In the live setting, you can't go back and you can't start over. If you screw up, that's it. Song, time, and money down the drain. Being the pack of perfectionist that is the Sweet, if we think they all suck, it will turn out to be a comedy album of all the funny shit I try to say in between songs and not have a single tune on it. Oh well, we'll see I guess. All in all it was a great night and thank you to all the folks that came out to support the Sweet. There was, however, a down side to the whole night. Carnuccio thought it would be funny to drop acid before the show to increase his musical creativity. Everything was going swell until he saw the guy in the Viking costume and totally flipped, chopped the poor Norseman's arm off with a cymbal and ran screaming into the street. The Cops found him in the alley skewering cats with his sticks. I did get a chance to record his "reaction" to the ordeal, enjoy:
Hello Everybody,
Let me tell you about last weekend. The Sweet got to do a mini tour! Well, super mini. Two nights on the road covering 500 miles and two states. It was a good time. It seems as if I hadn't a chance to do some 'road livin' with my crew in a while. The First night was in Shawnee at JT's Cowtown. This place is turning into one of our favorites in the state. You've all heard me go on and on about their amazing green room. But, the Staff there are really top notch. Jay and crew are always a joy to be around. We were doing support this time for local favorites, Fat Dixie. Despite the moniker, these guys were pretty fit and there was no Dixie to be found. Turns out that some of our people knew some of their people, so it was good to meet and/or catch up with those guys. If you get a chance, check 'em out. After that show, we crawled to the van and headed east on I-40 to Sallisaw, OK where we went horizontal for a few hours. We woke up the next day and headed on out to Fayetteville, AR. Home of the Razorbacks! Soon into the drive, Dan 'The Man' Walker gave us some heads up on the traffic delays caused by the Hogs hosting 'Ol Miss at home. He instructed us to take a little scenic detour known as US71. I would highly recommend this little stretch to anyone in the area. Hilly passes and amazing views made for an enjoyable drive. We rolled up in to George's Majestic in Fayetteville 15 mins. late. No Biggie. That night we were to do support for Bleu Edmondson and they were running behind as well. That gave us an opportunity to cruise around Dickson Street for an hour or so. I've never been to Fayetteville before and I was very impressed. Dickson St. is packed full of cool bars and restaurants satisfying just about every pallet. I sound like I work for the Chamber of Commerce. Anyway, Nooch and I stopped in for a pint at a comfy little pub and watched some football. Good times. After a bit, we wandered back to the bar to sound check. I heard this place was was the shit and it most certainly is. Arley, the sound guy, is a real pro, which seems to be a luxury these days. We had a lotta fun that night. Great crowd, considering they had no idea who we were. But, as you all know, The Sweet can warm you up rather quickly. All in all it was a great night and I can't wait to go back. After the show, it was back in the van and back to Sallisaw and our room. The rest was a blur of hotel owners, left over Arby's, and flying down I-40 westbound back to Nompton. Mini tour complete. Ready for more, please.
Granada Theater + weekend
Well folks, it was one of those week ends. Normally when I say that, it means everything was falling my way and all was right with the world. But, my friends, it pains me to say this is not the case. But before I go into that, let’s start with some positives. We played the Granada Theatre in Dallas on Friday night. This, alone, would have made up for all troublesome occurrences throw my way had it not been that horrifying of a week end. The Granada is a place I've wanted to play since the first time I saw a show there. Really cool room with great sound. It was one of those shows that makes you feel bigger than you are. Kinda like a dream and I can't wait to do it again. Hopefully, we will have that opportunity in the future. The people there were super nice (even to the 8pm act), which is a rarity in a room that pulls such big names. So, that's the bright side.
Then, things just fell apart. No, no one died and my house didn't burn down, but it was pretty damn close. I'm sure you all have figured out what I'm talking about. The Sooners AND the Cowboys lost. I don't know why it troubles me as much as it does, but it does. The Cowboys, not so much. It's week 6 of a long season and there's plenty of time to improve. But my Sooners blew it. To Texas, no less. And we all know that the way the BCS is set up, if you lose, it's almost impossible to win a National Title. We dropped to number four and the Shorthorns, ech, moved to number one. Now they think they're the cat’s pajamas. Oh well, gotta find a way to pull up outta this nose dive.
ps. My ice maker quit working. Jeez. . .
Well Hello my good friends, it's been a long time. I've pretty much missed all of my blogging duties for the month of September, and for that, I am sorry. I gonna blame it on the new football season. Between the Sooners and the (Dallas)Cowboys, I've barely eaten, let alone blog. Blog Blog Blog, if responsibility were one of my strengths I'd be a city councilman. Needless to say, September was a busy one. Let's see if I can remember, we went back to Momo's in Austin, Wormy Dog . . .oh, we played the State Fair again, that was fun. We went back to Cain's in Tulsa, played another home game at the Deli, and Alan and I played an acoustic show with Brandon Jackson. A lot has changed with us too. Dan Walker has become a full time member on the keys, which is incredible, and we lost the services of Colin Moody, which is a real bummer.So hold on to your hats, October doesn't really show any signs of slowing for the Sweet. We're gonna play the Granada for OU/TX. And we're gonna do the Wormy Dog for Halloween. There will be some great shows in between, so come say hello and have a beer. See you then. . .
Deli, Gameday, Norman, OK
It's that time of year again. When the Sooner Nation descends on our fair township to completely raise hell. From Wetumpka to Wapanuka they come. From Hilldale to Holdenville they come. From Broken Bow to BFE they come, pissing in the alleys and running every stop sign in sight; they come. And let 'em, I say. Boomer Sooner! Needless to say, the Deli is something we've done before, but on home game days, The "Smelly" seems to take on a different air. Booze fueled pride compounds with the already inflated sense of self worth that comes with being part of the Sooner Nation to create an environment that borders on hysterical. Chattanooga was no match (50 pts. at he half), but the Lord was merciful. A torrential downpour that would make Noah blush, rocked the Corner, delaying the game an hour and a half. Good news here is there was a frenzy to reach higher ground. And there is none higher than the Deli. Soaked Sooners swarmed the saloon, blood thirsty for their beloved Sweet (and tasty Red Cups). We both Rocked and Rolled. It was a great night. Sweet + Deli = Holy Shit. But, Sweet + Deli + Gameday= you had to be there. So be there.
Speakeasy, OKC
Hello faithful, we played a show at a joint called the Speakeasy in the city. It was raining cats and dogs when we got there so we sat in the van waiting to load in. Afraid of water? No. Demon lightning? Yep. Finally got in there and got ready, had some time to eat. Yum. Brisket Tacos were killer. This is a cool old house with many levels and several rooms. Totally got the "this place could be haunted" vibe. Christian Price, a videographer from News9 came out to do a little piece on the Sweet. He was with Fox when they shot that "Name in Lights" segment some time back. He's a nice guy and a great FOS. You can see the segment at News9.com (http://www.news9.com/Global/category.asp?C=116601&nav=menu681_4). Now, we need ABC and NBC to come knocking and The Sweet will have total media dominance. Insert creepy laugh here.
Woody's, Ft. Worth, TX
We got the chance to play with Travis Linville down in Ft.Worth. Joe Mack and Johnny Fullbright were there as well. It was an entire night of Oklahoma music. What a cool gig. The pool balls were not falling for yours truly. It was as if I had never touched a cue in my life. Needless to say, Boyd made quick work of me. We went on last which is usually a good thing but idle time is a Carnuccio's plaything. lil buzzed. My sister and cousin came. Which is great, cuz I hardly ever get to visit. We had a very good turn out. Lots of Ft.Worthians have taken a liking to The Sweet. TX FOS. Can't wait to see ya'll again. GO COWBOYS!!!
T-Bones, Denison, TX
Packed the kids in the truckster and headed to North Texas. Way north, i think I could see my house. We could've walked. Denison is over on the other side of the state. East North Texas. Good stuff. I took a wrong turn and drove for 30 miles in the wrong direction. That in itself is shitty. But there's a bright side. Fatback, skin attached. Actually that shit's awful. There was a Grandy's at the truckstop where we turned around. nummy nummy. Tbones is a nice place. They got good food and Fat Tire on tap. They were kind enough to to build us a bigger stage. Actually, it's in our rider that the venue MUST build us a bigger stage regardless of the size of the existing stage, but no-one ever does it.
Wallstreet, Duncan, Ok
If you don't know, I really like this place. Bill and Mary got a good thing going down there. The show was a good one. I kicked Boyd's ass in pool (again). Lots of great F.O.S. in Duncan. Sears bought me alotta shots, duh. We gonna do it again, bring it.
JT's Cowtown, Shawnee, Okrahoma
We strolled into this full on "Honkey Tonk" with the new venue butterflies. Meaning, we've never been there but we heard good things. Let me just say, "Awesome!!!" Anyone in Shawnee reading this, you better know what you have. Wicked dance floor made out of an old bowling alley, mechanical bull, billiards. All the great things that great things are made of.But if you are truly to understand and appreciate the magnitude of said greatness, you must join a band. The green room is hhmm....historical. Flatscreens, leather recliners, poker tables, refreshments, all making you feel right at home. Well, maybe Terrell Owens' home.There was some sort of "celebrity" poker tour going on up the road, so all those "famous" people showed up. So, up walks this person, "Hello, I'm t.v.'s Johnny Fairplay from survivor." Alan thought he said that he was in the band "Survivor" which got him all excited because EO, indeed, has eyes of a tiger. Anyway, this guy tells me he wants to hear "Friends in Low Places." I'll tell him to get away from me before I go "Bonaduce" on his ass.
So, last night (Wednesday) was the Unofficial DMB after party (as you may have heard). It was an incredible turn out for a Wednesday night. Of course, Eli Young Band and DMB were across the street, which helped a ton, but with the help of more and more F.O.S. (Friends of Sweet), we were able to wrangle quite an impressive crowd. I would like to give a huge shout out to Jon Holzer, his friend Patrick, and Greg Lockhart, for passing out the handbills around the ballpark. Also Jilly, and anyone else that helped support the Sweet. I hope I'm not leaving anyone out, if so, I'm sorry. It was a pretty frantic night for me. I wasn't necessarily nervous, per se, more like "hyped". I wanted everything to just right. And in my humble opinion, it did. Admittedly, by both sides, Mama Sweet is not the typical Wormy Dog act. But Phillip and the others have always been friends and we couldn't have been more excited about the opportunity. We met "the man" at sound check, but I don't think he was at the show.He probably had more important obligations, like DMB. But, we showed them that the army of FOS is strong and ready to battle. I'm proud of all of you and promise Mama Sweet will continue to work hard bringing you our brand of music and our style of party.
ps: Eli Young's prevost is kickass.
White Elephant, Ft. Worth, TX
Big Balls in Cowtown. Down to the stockyards with the Sweet. This time we took some friends. Gabe Marshall and John Fullbright came down to do some support. Bang up as always. I play with Gabe and John down at Libby's in Golsby on Wednesdays. Come see us sometime. Anyway, White Elephant is a classic saloon. You know, that game at FrontierCity where you shoot clocks and rocking chairs and robot buzzards?, it's a lot like that, without the rifles shooting beams of light. Boyd and I shot some pool and I let him win, of course. Ice cold Shiner on tap, ah Texas. Not all bad, I guess. There were plenty of Sweet fans down there. And we made a few more. Nice people down there. The show went well. John Fullbright sat in on the squeeze box with us. That kid is a true talent. There must be something in the water out in Okemah. Check him out, you'll be hearing more about him in the days to come, no doubt. I'll miss ya cowtown, have us back soon.
Grape Ranch, Okemah, OK
Well, we headed out to the land of Woody Guthrie. And lemme tell ya, it was as if Woody was still with us. Unmatched beauty, some of the best Oklahoma has to offer. I wish that land was my land. Grape Ranch has always held a special place in my heart. Not only have I wanted to be on this bill for the past three years, this winery is responsible for one of my favorite drinks; the Frozen Rose! If you've never had one, I'll pause while you slap yourself in the face. . . . We back? Good. They'll have a tent at the State Fair again this year, so I'll see your there. Anyway, it's good that the drinks were frozen because it was close to a trillion degrees in that field. Possibly the hottest day I've been out in a while. You know, us music types arenocturnal creatures. Characteristic include pale translucent skin, ability to see in the dark, cool, clammy bellies. Not exactly the "field hand" type. One hundred plus is enough to send us into some kinda heat related dementia. It was a great bill, Tom Skinner, Trav Linville, Red Dirt Rangers, and Randy Crouch were all there. You really should see Randy Crouch play a fiddle through a Marshall half stack. Killer. It was a great time and I'm sad to see festival season go. Oh well, there's always next year.
Dwight Boeckman Music Festival, Okeene, OK July 26
We woke up Saturday in Tulsa and set off for Okeene, OK. It was a good three hours away and we were pretty tired from the night before. God Bless cruise control. This festival is in it's ninth year and we were more than happy to be a part. Our good friend Jerry Payne of 'No Justice' has a hand in it and wanted the Sweet to get in on the action. Our friend Lumpy started off the festivities with his acoustic set. It's neat because he usually plays 'Truckstop' in his set. I love when people cover Sweet songs. It should happen more often. We got up and did our thirty. They had a killer pot-luck and all kinds of friendly folks. Got to meet some people that hadn't seen the Sweet, but had heard good things. I really like meeting those folks, and it's happening more and more often. Got to visit with the No Justice guys on their bus. It was air conditioned--need I say more? We didn't get a chance to stay for their set, however, had to get back to Nompton. Crazy bushed. Great week end!! Come see us in Okemah on Friday at the Grape Ranch. It's gonna be a blast. Well, until next time. Keep on truckin' ...
Dfest, Tulsa, Ok July 25
Hey, Hey, Hey, The Sweet's a comin' up! We got invited to Dfest this year. Wow, really? The Sweet? Ok then, let's do it. This was a fun little SXSW sorta party. All kinda bands over two days in the heart of downtown Tulsa OK. Lanyards, passes, hotel accommodations, all making me feel like some sorta big shot. We played the first night at ten o'clock pm, which we all decided was pretty kick ass. We played on one of the three outdoor stages and we got to open for the Red Dirt Rangers, which I thought was killer. We had a great time and the set was good. It is so goddamn hot in Ok right now. Ten o'clock and it's still 93 degrees. Sheesh! Sweatin' to the oldies. There was a VIP lounge that Colin and I hit up after the set. It had all the Vodka and Red Bull you could stomach. I can stomach a few. Colin said he was gonna throw up so punched him in the jejunum. No dice. No hurl. Nothing. We did manage to get the Dj to play Whiskey Breath. Success. Boyd and Alan met Dweezil Zappa in the lobby of the hotel. They were giddy as school girls. They're both huge fans of Dweezil and his daddy. Zappa plays Zappa and The Roots were playing on Saturday, so we were kinda bummed that we weren't gonna get to see that. But at least they got to visit.
Talequah, Ok July 18-19
This, my good friends, is what I personally have been looking forward to all year. The ILLINOIS RIVER JAM!!! For those of you who don't know, Travis Linville throws one helluvah party each summer down by the river. There's bands and camping and floating, just all around goodness. Last year there were 3 bands, this year there were ten! No telling what next year will be like. Anyhoo, we played the first night. It was hot as hell (of course), and I guess the beer and heat combined perfectly during our set as a fight broke out right in front of us. The Sweet has been known to stir emotions that certain people did not know were present. So they got that over with and shit settled back down and we finished our set. There were a lot of "out of town" acts this year, which I thought was badass. Trav did a great job in introducing acts that we wouldn't normally get to see, while at the same time, allowing these guys from other parts in the country to witness some of the more scenic parts of our great state. The Magpies and Scott Nolan were my personal favs.
So the float trip was fun. I almost died. No shit. Canoe wreck almost claimed me and mine. The water was way up due to all the rain so the river was moving a little faster that usual. There was this one part of the river that forked: to the right, wide open spaces with calm water. To the left, narrow passage with fast moving current. Thinking I'm fucking Lewis and Clark, I decide to take the road less traveled. Well, that proved to be nearly fatal. There was a tree in the way, I couldn't turn in time, then capsized. The current was unforgiving. It was slamming us into the canoe and taking us under at the same time. At one point, I was beginning to think I was in the first stages of drowning. Staring death in the face, I found survival mode and got my ass outta there. People die every summer on that river, that's a fact. That day, I saw how it happens. What is it about near death that makes a man thirsty? Safely back in the driver's seat, we began to pound the pops. Tasty 6 point Tecates flowing like wine. The sun was hot and the drunk came quickly with a blinding furry. Goddamn I love those float trips. You really should make plans to go to this party next year. I'll be there, back in my canoe, looking for my friend the Reaper.
Wormy Dog, OKC
We played a show for the Camel people; not half man, half camel, but Camel cigarettes. It's alright I guess. There's a part of me that feels like a corporate whore, dancing and singing for a product that has killed millions, and then the other part says, "Cool, free Zippo!" So it was kinda 50/50. But it is great to get up to OKC. We don't get in that room too much anymore, don't really know why, but whatev. Steve the sound guy is a great FOS (friend of Sweet). He's always been very encouraging towards what we're doing so it was good to get to visit with him. Our pal Camille Harp came up to do a little support. I can't stress enough how talented that young lady is. If you haven't seen her in a while, do yourself a favor and check her out. I vaguely remember some dancing on the bar. Not me, of course, some other FOS. Get over to the Dog and demand more Sweet. Vox populi !!!
July 12th,Okie Noddling Festival, Paul's Valley, OK:
Another exciting weekend. This time, just down the road to the Noddlin' fest. This is just about as 'Oklahoma' as it gets. If you've never been, shame on you. It truly is something to behold. I'm sure anyone reading this probably already knows what 'Noodlin' is, but for those of you that don't, check it out: you walk along the bank of a river, lake, or stream and run your hands under the rocks until you feel a big fat catfish. Then, you catch it with your bare hands. Sound crazy? It is. They've been doing it for centuries and it is still practiced in a few states, but I don't think anywhere will you find more die hards than in the state of Oklahoma. I remember learning to water ski as a little kid and watching those guys, usually in cut-off jeans and tennis shoes, wading along the shores of Elm Point, trying to pull those fish out of the water. So, when we were asked to play the festival this year, we were honored. As a born and raised Oklahoman, it's another amazing "feather in my cap." The other one was playing The Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, but I think we've already covered that one.Another great thing about this time around was that Bradley Beasley, the documentary film maker that created the first Okie Noodling movie, and pretty much put this party(which is now drawing about 3,000 visitors) on the map was debuting Okie Noodling part 2. I met Bradley down in Austin shootin pool with my friend Micah. So we're cool like that. Anyhoo, they were gonna show the movie at sunset and then the Sweet would go on. But there was some weather rolling in, so they changed it up. Mama Sweet would play for and hour, then they'd show the movie, and if there wasn't any rain, then we'd go on again. Holy shit it was hot. The sweat was pouring off my hands like a faucet running. It was something to see. They had just announced the winners and paraded those monsters up to the front of the stage when we started. Sumbitches were huge. The winning catfish was 70 pounds. I'll try to get a picture up so you can get an idea. We gave 'em all we had, and finally it was time for the film. It was even better than the first.You really should check it out: http://www.okienoodling.com/okienoodling2/index.html Well, the weather held off and we got to play for about 45 more minutes after the film. The crowd was really into it this time around. Of course, most of them had been drinking beer for about 14 hours, but whatev. Lot's of dancing and singing along. What a great time. You really should make a point to be a part of it next year. BYO-jeanshorts.
July 4th, Woody's, Ft. Worth, TX:
Well, this was the first of a series of great week-ends for the month of July. Seems like we're always heading off somewhere awesome for the next several weeks. So for Independence Day, we made the quick jump down to Ft.Worth and Woody's Tavern. It was pretty good timing also, due to the fact that the guys from No Justice were around the corner at The Horseman Club playing with Johnny Cooper. Needless to say, we didn't necessarily have a line BUT there were still plenty of great folks who know and love The Sweet that made the trip to Bryant Irving Rd. I always enjoy Woody's, Tom the sound guy, does an amazing job. It's a real big sound in that joint. The pool tables in this place are kick ass. I blew plenty of money, but Boyd must be taught a lesson. They got a shot there called a 'Key West Root Beer' that is badass. I sure the bartenders think we're a bunch of light weights, but I can't get enough of those shots. To be fair, I am kinda in a 'root beer' phase right now. So, we had a bunch of those. I would also recommend the 'Three legged Monkey.' Back to the show, we played a 90 to about half a room full of Mama Sweet fans. I was very pleased. It's always interesting to meet people for the first time at a show knowing that they found out about you on the internet or just word of mouth. The Sweet word is spreading, but we need your help to keep it going. After the show, we headed around the corner to catch the end of the No Justice set. Kickass, as always. Afterwards we had some drinks in an RV out in the parking lot. I'm pretty sure someone puked on Johnny Cooper's shoes. Happy B-day America!!!
momo's (June 27)
hello fateful. time to tell you what happened. I was just telling Alan the other day how we could do more as a band. you know, work harder, get the name out there and really put some effort into it. He then reminded me about the Momo's show in Austin. We got on the road at like, 10:30 am, which has to be some sort of record/act of God. But the Sweet would not be late for an Austin show. The drive was a cake walk. When we go to DFW we normally stop at Rumpy's in Gainsville, but on the 6 hour job, we don't stop until Waco. I like the drive; cruise on 80, two packs of cigs apiece. Got to Austin, bought some strings. Momo's has several bands per night, and this time we were the second. Well, that's counting the Happy Hour act ( which was very good by the way). So the Sweet was slated to start at 7:00pm. Hey, the sun's still up at seven. Speaking of sun, it was F-in' hot in Austin. I'm glad they have a back line or I would've died carrying Nooch's shit up the stairs. Anyhoo, changed the strings and got ready to go. By the time we went on, the was no one there. Not "Hey, man, there's nobody here," I'm talkin' bartender and doorman present. We thought we had a 60 min. set, but it turn out they only wanted 45min of the Sweet. Awesome. 6 hours, both ways, for five songs. No prob. That's what we do. As we started the show, people began to wander in. One after another, familiar faces walked through the door. Not all familiar, but they came to see us, so we played what they wanted to hear (check youtube). By the time we needed to wrap it up, I'm was just getting warm. I squeezed one more song in; 7 and a half minutes over, sorry. All and all, and getting back to my point, it was a great time. And according to Orebaugh, any band that drives 12 hours for 45 minutes of performance, is working hard. I love my life. . . .
May 31, 2008.
Tonight we played the Cowboy Luau in Y
Email: contact@mamasweet.com~ Phone: (405) 326-0512 ~ Address: PO Box 5854 Norman, OK 73070
