Riffs, Roams and Raves uncovers the creative, noteworthy and accomplished in the Wimberley Valley and beyond with tips on who to hear, where to go and what to see from staff reporter Teresa Kendrick.
Riffs: Pearl Snaps For vintage country music that only they can deliver, The Pearl Snaps lit up the stage at the Montesino Barn Dance last weekend. Lead singer Lisa Rainbolt crooned her way through Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You,” while dancers snuggled close to their partners as the song’s last mournful strains played out.
Primed for the next number, Cash’s “Burning Ring of Fire,” the crowd became amped and before long, a distinct vibe permeated the air. Love with a capital “L.” Couples primed by the bright moon, crisp air, hot band and good drink were dancing closer than ever and a thought came to me unbidden, “Someone’s getting lucky tonight.” Even the most nebbishy among the crowd had decent prospects.
One could hardly blame them. At 25 feet or more tall, Montesino Ranch’s soaring cedar pole loft barn, lined on one side of the central aisle with tables and benches, and the other with the bandstand, was a superb venue to usher in the sweetest joys of the season.
During the band’s brief break, the crowd moved to the outdoor bar, well stocked and managed by Ivy Events, where drink tickets, purchased at the door, could be exchanged for the real thing.
As people mingled, I spied Jeffrey Brown of Big Day Pictures. He helped produce and promote “Honky Tonk Heaven: The Legend of the Broken Spoke,” recently seen at WVACA’s StoryFest in October. The documentary was co-directed by Brenda Mitchell, who, along with husband Scott, owns Montesino Ranch.
The band returned with a polka, where accordion player, Steve McCarthy dazzled, both with his licks and dandy, white mustache. Driving The Pearl Snaps machine was the very accomplished John Christian on lead guitar. Lead singer Lisa, who is known for her yodeling, split the air with more than a few outstanding chest-to-falsetto riffs.
Teen girls partnered up, swing dancing or two-stepping as the music prompted. Teen boys, by contrast, stood on the dance floor, side by side, sipping soft drinks and watching the girls.
During “Livin’ on Tulsa Time,” I was joined by Pam, who coincidentally, has the same last name as Scott and Brenda Mitchell, but who is not related. Hardworking, unpretentious and friendly, she serves as the Ranch’s manager for eight of the enterprise’s operations. Montesino Ranch includes an organic farm, grass-fed organic beef, a wedding venue, lodging, film location, hiking and biking trails as well as other undertakings on the 225 acre spread.
If you missed the Pearl Snaps and need a good dose of vintage country for the holidays, you’ll find them at Mercer Dance Hall in Driftwood, on Dec. 17.
Roam: Festival of Texas Fiddling at Twin Sisters Dance Hall The 9th annual Festival of Texas Fiddling got underway this weekend in Blanco at the beautiful Twin Sisters Dance Hall. I looked forward to this roam, knowing I would rub shoulders with legendary musicians and gain a deeper and wider understanding of the cultures that have shaped the music in our state.
According to festival literature, “the fiddle traditions of the state embrace… contest fiddling, old time, western swing, Texas-Mexican fiddling, Creole fiddling in East Texas, and Texas-Polish fiddling in Central Texas.” But that only accounts for part of the gumbo. “Texas also features a stunningly wide array of fiddlers in other hybrid styles. . . even if they did not originate here.” Texas country, blues, bluegrass, jazz, and mariachi fiddling, Son Huasteco and Huapango Arribeño are some of those hybrid styles.
The festival was divided into three parts. The dance hall was reserved for performances by bands playing in a particular tradition like Swing and Traditional Jazz, Texas-Polish, Tejano, Gulf Coast, and others, while tented stages outside the dance hall featured “Texas Traditions” and rising Texas-style fiddling called “True Vine.”
Everywhere were musicians walking around toting fiddles, accordions, guitars, and other instruments while waiting to approach the stage. More than musicians, the festival attracted dancers brushing up on their two-step and polka moves or eager to learn the huapango, the shottishe, the two-step or the waltz. Dance instruction for dances on both sides of the border was led in the dance hall.
Historians and music buffs like me joined the crowd. Taking photos was the Texas Polka News journalist and publisher from La Grange, Gary McKee, who introduced me to Steve Ray, a program specialist for the Texas Music Office. Shortly thereafter, I met festival co-founder Patrick Sparks who proved so cordial that we traded contact information immediately. The other co-founder, Dan Margolis, was attending to moderator duties on the Texas Traditions stage where he shepherded musical acts playing in the Huapango tradition. Part of that presentation included Belen Escobedo and Ramon Gutierrez, masters of many hybrid styles. Read Belen’s biography on the texasfiddle. org website under Master Fiddlers and prepare to be astonished. Her story describes an “ineffable” wellspring of personality and talent.
Playing on the “True Vine” stage was 13 year old Ella Broussard who began playing when she was six. She played and sang in German, as well as performing traditional Cajun and Texas songs. McKee, who has been following her, wrote a long article in the January 2023 issue of Texas Polka News.
I took notes and consulted my program frequently. To say that Texas has a rich musical tradition is like saying the Titanic hit an ice cube. The amalgamation of culture, musical styles, language, customs and dance evident at the festival was downright electric.
Should your interest in Texas music be somewhat tepid, put the Texas Fiddle Fest on your bucket list anyway. This is one of the purest events out there that can open the door to our musical roots like no other festival can.
Rave: Comedy at The Opera House “Outlaws in the Opera House,” Jack Schutze’s pro comedy show featuring five standup comics, drew nearly 90 people last week to 7A Ranch, proving that Wimberley wants to laugh out loud.
The show opened with a strong set by Tammie Bernal who complained about not getting noticed by suitors. Among other hilarious confessions, she told the crowd that the snug jeans she wore on stage had been in place for days because she couldn’t get them off. The audience, mostly in the 50 to 80-year-old age bracket, loved the former teacher and egged her on with laughs and hoots.
The very funny Evan Lopez followed and cracked up the crowd with a chunk that began, “I like how outdoorsy everyone in Austin is. They are always out there hiking, biking and camping under bridges . . .” He scored with stories of his awkward teen and twenty-something years and demonstrated some rather spectacular Ricky Martin moves. He admitted that he was perhaps the last hetero on earth to understand that Ricky, well, wasn’t.
Other comics followed. One, caustic, and with an arsenal of old-people digs, did not fare well with the crowd.
Tanveer Arora, a Sikh from India dressed in a sleek black turban, black cargo pants and military- style lace-up boots, brought the show to a strong close. Fueled by a stellar charisma, he slayed the crowd with his observations on the strange American holiday of Halloween, on waiting for his green card, with digs at his Pakistani arch rivals, and with his dubious ability to attract officials who wanted to know more about his brown skin and turban.
If you’re ready to embrace standup comedy in Wimberley, watch for another Shutze Scores Production in January in the Opera House.
