may be the most professional slick band I’ve seen in Austin, and while that usually annoys me, it suits their music – they’re local but touring in support of the New York Dolls – lots of soul, some wah-wah 70s funk and then some Chicago blues – a brass section of saxes and a trumpet, two guitars, drums, etc. etc. – whole assemble was having a good time – Joe Lewis’ voice isn’t remarkable but he has a pleasing innocent fun demeanor on stage – he supposedly started as a blues singer in Austin with the likes of Scott H. Biram but found his success with the addition of the Honeybears

First SXSW show of the year !!!!!! – (although this was a daytime in-store and he isn’t even here for an official SXSW showcase) – the crowd was already delicious and probably exactly what Austinites hate (why? why?): vain self-aware rocker dudes, serious Europeans with totes and badges and indecipherable conversations, and (at least at this old Austin record store) some old drink-weary hillbillies throwing “y’alls” all over the place – 10:1 male:female ratio and free homemade gumbo, cheap sodas and finally Shiner – I, not having adapted yet to music-time, was annoyed that the show was some 40 minutes late – but all was okay when I caught sight of a shrunken ancient black man with round cheeks and a big white smile (surely false teeth) being led in by a biker-punk and a shaggy-Comets-on-Fire- t-shirt guy –he circled the entire cramped store and shook people’s hands – he sat down, tuned his guitar that had tacky stickers spelling out “T-Model Ford The Taildragger,” smiled big and said “It’s Jack Daniels time!” – whiskey was produced from somewhere, he took a little swig and started playing – he’s just the real deal – I discovered him on my internet radio stations and took note because I was always pleasantly struck by his sound – Delta blues roots but all electrified up and fast – approximates Scott Biram, Possessed by Paul James, etc. but is their forefather in reality – he wasn’t so fast today and eventually said his fingers were stiff – he’s 88 and playing another gig tonight at Emo’s! – he finished his first song and drawled, “It’s Jack Daniels time” – he flirted with the girls in the front row – he had a trick of making his blues-par-excellence voice drop into a quick growl and then could make it swoop up into a tenorous “whoooo – eee” – he was darling and not just in the way old men can be to younger girls

an amalgam of people play there every week and the bartender makes up a new name for them each time, this week there were two people from Chicago and they were playing hard blues, there was a 19 year old on stage too

only heard a few toots from the saxophone from him – took forever to get started and we had to leave, older black man with gold earrings – the real thing if you will