Riff: Gus Clark and the Least of His Problems
Gus Clark and the Least of His Problems performed at Ghost Note Brewing, in Dripping Springs on April 9.
Clad in gimme cap and overalls and looking as if he had climbed off a tractor and onto the stage, he belted out a strong set of gritty tunes, backed by a tight, four-person band of piano, pedal steel and stand-up bass and drums to his acoustic guitar. He presented both a solid tenor vocal performance and a powerfully grounded stage presence.
In his first set, Clark played the honkytonk classic, “Baby Thanks a Lot” by Charlie Rich for Johnny Cash, later covered by Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn. That was followed by Ma Rainey’s “Dead Drunk Blues.” Next came the 1953 Hank Snow tune “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I,” recorded by everyone from Elvis to Willie Nelson to Bob Dylan.
Americana, golden- era country and western, honkytonk, pre-WWII blues, ballads and dance tunes were all on his setlist. If you’ve got a barn to burn, he’s your guy.
Roam: Marble Falls If you are restless to embrace springtime on a scale larger than your usual perspective, Marble Falls — just a bit over an hour from Wimberley — can deliver.
The name is a misnomer, though. The original falls, now submerged by the Max Starcke Dam, were limestone, not marble. However, the town sits on Lake Marble Falls, which is the middle child of the Highland Lakes — the largest chain of lakes in Texas — and a huge outdoor playground of water, rock formations and many of the state’s best parks.
The downtown perches handsomely on a rise over the lake and offers upscale clothing, décor, hand-crafted chocolates and western wear, among other things. A quirky sweet shop with costumes in the back called Ms. Lollipop’s is required shopping for the nostalgia alone. The most atmospheric coffee shop I’ve seen in ages goes by the name of Vintage Oriole. A visit to Choccolatte will not disappoint chocolate lovers.
Longhorn Cavern Just 15 minutes from the town of Marble Falls, Longhorn Cavern State Park offers a tour that will get you thinking about Mother Earth’s underpinnings.
Not sure what to expect of the cavern on a cold, rainy and windy day, I arrived with the required reservation ready. Unobtrusively displaying its Civilian Conservation Corps legacy, the park was well run and staffed by friendly rangers conversant in their fields. The 90-minute tour is a great value. No matter how jaded you might be by extensive travel, you will marvel at this place and its history. Inside the cave was warm, dry, beautiful and serene. Geologists (or anyone else) in love can have their weddings there for a fee, and goal-setting children can get a cave passport to visit five caverns within the state. For more information, go to visitlonghorncavern. com.
Sweet Berry Farm Since mid-March, strawberries have been ready for picking at Sweet Berry Farm.
Just five minutes from Marble Falls, it’s a motherlode for foodies, “fruities” and families who want to show their kids where their food comes from. It is an authentic working farm with nice people to help you have a good experience. There are many reasonably-priced activities for kids beyond berries, and the farm manages to exist without additional entrance and parking fees.
Before you go, be sure to check the Fresh News and FAQ link on their website for current and vital news. Take spare shoes and a wet towel for grimy hands. Early Thursday morning is the best time to go. Find out more at sweetberryfarm. com
Tea Thyme Café
This café, with options for vegans and gluten-sensitive people, sets out to “elevate your health” with rice tortillas, “caulipower” pizza, a fresh soup and salad bar and all kinds of tacos — like turkey, vegan, tuna, and chicken — while still offering more traditional breakfasts. You can get lattes, cappuccinos, black, green and herbal teas and cold drinks like organic sodas and smoothies that you can spike with protein powder.
Locals also like to eat at Doc’s Fish Camp and Grill, The Real New Orleans Style Restaurant, Bella Sera, Ginger & Spice and Oli’s Kitchen. Most restaurants stop serving at eight p.m., so make plans early.
Rave: The Wimberley Players For the 2023 season, the Wimberley Players chose plays written by Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie and Ten- nessee Williams — all playwrights with established staying power. Kate Hamil, while not as widely known as the playwrights mentioned above, joins this list for her adaptation of “Sense & Sensibility” by Jane Austin.
These plays resonate with audiences because their characters, dilemmas and concerns have been rendered so skillfully that watching the characters navigate their paths gives us clues about how we might navigate our own. Another chapter of the human story is told, exposing all the traits we bring to the table, often with tremendous humor and wit.
Not only do we get a personal experience by engaging with theater, but we also get the larger experience of cultural literacy. Theater enriches a community in a hundred different ways and, for a town the size of Wimberley, it is a huge asset. Kudos to the Players for offering Wimberley an ambitious season. To find out more, go to wimberleyplayers. org.
