Wednesday’s WinterNights Performance
Keenly anticipated by dedicated fans filling the audience, the WinterNights Showcase opened to a full house at the Wimberley Playhouse last week. The two nights of performances presented by the Stars Over Wimberley Concert Series featured ten performing artists known for their prowess as songwriters across multiple genres. The Showcase proved to be an emotionallycharged experience among performers and audiences alike who described the gathering as “intimate,” “an amazing 24 hours,” and “magical,” within the “pearl” of the Wimberley Playhouse.
Pat Byrne opened the Showcase and was introduced by KWVH personality and host, Coach Smith, as a performer from “Far Far East Texas.” The native Irish performer embarked on a mighty set of songs, poetry and commentary that chronicled his pursuit of a musician’s life with an intimate and indelible humor. His was a powerful performance that converted many listeners, gauging from the line of people requesting his CD afterwards.
Byrne’s performance was followed by North Dakota native Brennen Leigh whose songs riveted the crowd with the air of a wry confessional layered with a potent narrative. A song from her album “Prairie Love Letter” called “The Prairie Funeral” painted a tender and nostalgic portrait of lives lived simply on the sprawling grasslands of the north. Leigh endeared herself with “The Red Flags You’re Waving,” a piercing song about ignoring her intuition that she perversely described as a “superpower.” Leigh, who was made an honorary Texan by the State of Texas, found new family in the Playhouse that night.
After the dinner break, Lloyd Maines and Terri Hendrix climbed the stage for a lively set of songs and patter made intimate by a couple of musical stops and starts and Hendrix’s disclosure of an inherited neurological condition. It didn’t seem to affect her high-octane harmonica riffs or her spirited storytelling and regard for Maines and Susan Gibson who later joined the duo on stage.
The Workshop Day two of the festivities dawned with the Winter-Nights Songwriters Workshop held in the morning hours at the EmilyAnn indoor theatre and led by six of the Showcase performers and Don Richmond, a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the bands Tumbleweed and Hired Hands, who joined the cadre of teachers.
Thursday’s WinterNights Performance
Jaimee Harris, resplendent in a glittering suit and red, heart-shaped glasses, opened the Thursday Showcase with her song, “Good Morning, My Love.” Her richly hued and hypnotic voice drew listeners close as she led into “Red Rescue,” a song about rescuing a girl from a house “where darkness lived,” and “Boomerang Town,” an affecting homage to her hometown of Waco. The mood relaxed and soon she was telling the story of how her song, “Red Rescue,” was considered for the official campaign song for the Beto O’Rourke campaign.
With Harris’ departure, Michael Hearne took the stage for his set and led with “That’s What Texas Sounds Like to Me,” co-written with Susan Gibson and Walt Wilkins at his home in San Marcos. “Texans love music every night of the week,” he sang. He followed with a sweetly self-effacing song that he dedicated to himself called,”I’m a Senior,” in which he sang, “. . . somebody help me please,” that was rewarded with a chorus of rowdy applause and whistles. Longtime friend Don Richmond joined him on stage for several songs including “She Just Loves to Dance,” and ended with “New Mexico Rain,” his most famous song that sold just under a million, he said, as the audience sang along with the chorus.
In the final performance of the series, the Red River Songwriters took to the stage. The quartet consisting of Walt Wilkins, Josh Grider, Drew Kennedy and Susan Gibson performed “Little Piece of Heaven,” from Gibson’s 2017 album, “Remember Who You Are.” Gibson’s lyrics quickly defined the tone for the final set of the series as they sang, “I’m grateful for the folk who catch us when we fall. . .” Confessions of love, friendship, loyalty and respect flowed back and forth between the artists and to Gibson who pulled together the Showcase’s songwriters. The people of Wimberley, represented by the audience, were included in the tender emotions expressed on stage. With inhibitions crumbling, the Red River Songwriters became even more relaxed as they sang songs and offered up affectionate patter. In the sheltered, intimate space of the Playhouse, the audience was welcomed into the world shared by this group of friends. Much like being on the tour bus at midnight, the performers were, at times, punchy, funny and deeply moved as they told tales of other times. It was a rare experience.
The set ended with Gibson’s “Wide Open Spaces,” with the sentiment that the WinterNights Showcase become an annual event. Kudos went out to Wimberley Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance allstars Denise and Randy Renter, Dede Taylor, Cash Edwards, Nancy Elliot, John Foster, Martha Romano, Jim Street, and Beverly Spaeth.
