Riffs: Sterling Drake Sterling Drake, Montana horseman by way of Nashville, served up a satisfying buffet of vintage country, Texas swing and honky-tonk at the Devil’s Backbone Tavern on Sunday, May 7.
He owned up right away to not being from Texas but said he “loved the music that comes out of here” and proved it by singing “Yellow Rose of San Antonio,” Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freight Liner Blues” and Merle’s “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight.”
Backing him was a tight and practiced band who gigged with him at the White Horse in Austin the previous night. The band included harp man Thor Davidsson, a resident of both Nashville and his native Iceland. Thor played harmonica with fellow Icelanders, KALEO, at the Grand Ole Opry during their 2022 tour. Davidsson proved his prowess by blowing a mean harmonica all throughout the set on Sunday.
Over the course of an hour, Drake’s friendly, open patter unified the sleepy crowd into a hard clapping, two-stepping, tip jar-stuffing esprit de corps.
Dancers scooted to “Bubbles in My Beer” and “Time Changes Everything” by Cindy Walker and Bob Wills in between chit chat from Drake about his current home in Ovando, MT, population 69. With the relaxed vibe of a midday show, Drake and band delivered a genuine love note to Texas music that the crowd seemed more than willing to receive.
Roam: Hope Floats in Smithville Under 90 minutes from Wimberley on East US Highway 71 is Smithville, a tiny town of just over 4,000 people. At its center are artists and a strong tie to the Texas Film Commission.
This is where the 1998 movie, Hope Floats, directed by Forrest Whitaker and starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr. and Gena Rowlands, was filmed.
Fans can easily drive by Birdee’s house, Honey’s Diner, the employment agency and other locations from the film to see the buildings used in the film. They still look pretty much the same. For a town its size, Smithville has a large historic area of wellkept historic homes. Bernie, True Grit and Sugarland Express — nearly 50 films and videos in all — chose Smithville for their projects.
The town is also a mecca for antiquing. Bella’s Cottage Antiques, It’s a Goode Thing, Texas Trails, Murphy’s Vintage are just a few of the seven places I saw to hunt for vintage gold.
There are good places to eat, too. I had an outstanding tomato basil soup with thick ribbons of Gruyere cheese and a panini made with homemade bread grilled to perfection at the Olde World Bakery on Main Street. The Front Room, Pockets Grille, Back Door Café and Coffee Shop are just several of the places to stop for a meal.
More than going in search of unique, unpretentious small town charm, my roam was to connect with artists I knew from the ‘90s. I found the gallery, Mosaic, owned by Walter Winslett and his wife Jeri Nell and David Marsh and his wife Nena. Since 1970, David and Walter and other artists have been building show-stopping folk art furniture from pine and other recycled materials and objects. I found the gallery and Jeri Nell on Main Street and caught up on 30 years of news.
From there, I went looking for Judy Paul’s Gallery, The Lumberyard. Off the square and next to the railroad tracks, this space houses Judy’s 3600 square-foot gallery, painting studio and woodworking shop. It is the epicenter for classes, creative art events and maker workshops.
A graphic designer and painter, her work continues to find its way deeply into the fabric of Texas life and beyond. Open normally on Saturdays, a tour of her place was a rich testimony of her talent and warm spirit of fun. Once University of Texas roommates, I marveled at the work ethic of my friend, producing new collections of original work for nearly 30 years. Other Smithville galleries that are unlikely to disappoint are The Smithy, the Main Gallery Smithville, Omega Bronze and Prizer at 212 Main.
For train enthusiasts, the James H. Long Railroad Park and Museum delivers a rich history of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad’s presence in the town. The nearby gazebo and park are home to a Farmers Market on Thursdays and kids of all ages will love the two cabooses on display.
Strolling Main Street to the gazebo, I felt the timelessness of this town and knew I’d be coming back to Smithville often.
Rave: Art4Water — The Sacred Springs Kite Exhibition
The wondrous Sacred Spring Kite Exhibition opened at the San Marcos Public Library on Friday, May 5 with music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
This must-see exhibition is an inspired collaboration between The Watershed Association, Terry Zee Lee and more than 30 national artists. Wimberley’s own David Baker is the founder and executive director of the association and the Art4Water event.
On entering the library’s foyer, I, like every other guest at the event, immediately swept my gaze upwards to see a universe of unique kites, united by the theme of water, mounted on the walls and lighting fixtures overhead. I joined the chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” as I stood flat-footed and astounded at their sheer diversity.
Eight of Texas’s great springs of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers provided the inspiration for the exhibition: Jacob’s Well, The Blue Hole, and the Krause, Comal, San Marcos, Barton, Comanche and San Solomon Springs The exhibition serves as an inspired teaching tool, generating the emotional incentive to care about the challenges of water systems in Texas and beyond. I hope you’ll take the time to see this impressive exhibition the next time you visit San Marcos. In my opinion, it’s well worth the effort.
