The TexasSelectRadio.com Shaun and Dan Show at Canuck’s in Lewisville on Thursday, March 15.
Layne Elizabeth
Cat McGee
Dan Roark
Click on the links and hear their music for yourself. Notice when they are playing, go see them play, and support live music. If you are a songwriter and would like to be on the show, message Dan to be scheduled for a future show.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Ireland Casteel
I introduced Ireland Casteel to begin the inaugural TexasSelectRadio.com Monday night Shaun and Dan show at Guitars and Growlers on February 5. Ireland is one of the better and popular young teenage songwriters in the Dallas area. Her songs illustrate her experiences and the things she has learned. Without any pretense of being older than she is. Which helps her have insights – brought out in her songs – she would not have had otherwise. I have invited her to play showcases a number of times in the past couple of years and will continue to do so. You will know what I mean when you hear her songs – which will soon be in rotation on TexasSelectRadio.com.
Cat McGee
Cat McGee is a songwriter with intense emotion. Not just in her voice or expression, but the words themselves as well. As illustrated in the song, City of Steeples, which she wrote about Charleston, South Carolina on a tragic day as she watched the community respond with determination and faith. Cat was struck with the large number of churches, hence the title. Follow the link to hear that song and others and see where she is playing.
Bill Nash
Bill Nash followed McGee and displayed his penchant – out of necessity – for using capos and alternate tunings. With his MS symptoms, his hands sometimes are cantankerous – as it were – and the capos and tunings help him to keep playing guitar and writing songs. His songs are distinctly folk, which is not surprising given his 25 years of volunteering at Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse and decades residing at the Kerrville Folk Festival. He has a song he wrote as a Christmas song that friends talked him into changing into a song about Kerrville. “But it’s still a Christmas song.” Follow the link and check him out when you can.
Clint Sherman
With most of the younger songwriters I see being girls – which is a good thing – it’s nice to see a young man such as Clint Sherman write some nice songs. Blackland Fever is the name of his band and I wouldn’t mind hearing him with them. But he does pretty well by himself.
All in all, it was a great first TSR Shaun and Dan show. Come on out to Guitars and Growlers on Mondays and be part of a fun experience. We have John Mason, Gigi Gostas, and others next week. If you are a songwriter and would like to be on the show, send me a message and we’ll find a night for you. We usually keep a spot or two open for walk in sign ups, but they go fast, so it’s best to sign up in advance.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
John Mason
New Faces Tuesday at Love and War in Texas on November 7, hosted by Shaun Outen, and sponsored – with a live broadcast – by Texas Select Radio, began about 7:30 with John Mason. His set included the title song of his upcoming cd, Branches and Leaves. Mason also played I Wanna Know – asking why we call coffee “joe.” He switched guitars and ended with Lone Star State.
Cat McGee took the stage next, opening with Summertime. Following with A Place of Their Own, and Coda. Coda and Summertime
Cat McGee
are the first and last song, respectively, of Cat’s recently released EP, ironically called, Don’t Rush Me. McGee ended with Four Guns and a Mercedes.
Dan Roark played his song for those on the autism spectrum, Hello Out There, to begin his set. Peace Be With You – written about the police shootings at the protest in downtown Dallas in the summer of 2016 – came next. Then he played Waffle House is a Mighty Fortress before finishing with I Got My Ass
Dan Roark
Kicked in Nashville.
Dave Ross, touring with Madison Rising, announced that his was an impromptu set because he hadn’t planned on performing. He borrowed Dan Roark’s guitar and started with Stormy Monday. He followed with two of Bob Dylan’s songs and one of his own about his daughter when she was about two years old.
Host Shaun Outen closed out the evening’s music. Beginning with Wear My Ring, by Bart Crow, his set also included his own single from a couple of years ago, All I Saw Was a Flash. He concluded with Holding Her and Loving You, and the Willie Nelson tune, Me and Paul.
New Faces Tuesday is always a good time for music at Love and War in Texas in Plano. Come on at and have something to eat on the heated patio while you listen to the performers. Or bring your guitar or instrument of choice and get your time on stage.
More pictures will be on my Facebook music page.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Dan Roark
The Poor David’s Pub open mic on Monday, October 23 was one of those magical musical nights when you should have been there.
Guest host, Dan Roark, welcomed everyone at 7:30. He played his set of upbeat tunes and the songwriting talent never slowed down. John Mason followed the host. His set, played on his newly acquired Taylor guitar, included the title song from his upcoming cd, Branches and Leaves.
John Mason
Harry Hewlett took the stage next with his west Texas country, including a song about the effects of drinking Everclear. Called, oddly enough, Everclear. Cat McGee, with her hypnotic voice, followed Harry with her music consisting of stories she tells so well through song.
Laurelle and 3ple were the first featured act. They began the Make It Change tour in New York and the two musical friends are traveling across the country to California and back. Based on the saying that you can do nothing or you can make it change. The two are doing what they can as they play in various cities. With tracks on computer, and 3ple on guitar, Lourelle sings her soulful music with a positive spin. They played a delightful set of inspiring, toe-tapping, heart filling music.
3ple and Laurelle
Keith Crow played his homespun songs for the audience, which included members of his family. Tracy Allen followed with a set of nice cover songs. Monk played his introspective, stories and lessons from life, songs that leave you with no doubt about how he felt at the time. His set included What’d I Say and My Mom. Rob Case followed Monk and played songs from Last Call in Texas, such as Bayou City.
Joe Cat was the second featured artist. Joe hails from Athens, Georgia, where he works the first half of the month and tours the last half. He writes songs of the heartland and the working man. He just released his new cd, Preaching Drunk, which he is working on putting out in vinyl.
Joe Cat
On one of his previous visits to Poor David’s, Joe was caught up in the spirit of the occasion and said that the PDP open mic was the only one he played anymore. I published a post on the show and quoted him. “I have to be careful what I say in front of Dan,” he said last Monday, before he told the story. “A host of an open mic called me up and asked, “You don’t play open mics anymore.”” “I said, No, wait!” He went on to play a number of his earthy songs including two of my favorites, America’s Best and Silver Thread City. He played Red Hawk from Preachin’ Drunk, which includes Americas’s Best. Follow the link and check out his music.
Scott Thornton took the stage after Joe Cat. Scott played his music that seems to be stream of consciousness at times. His songs are spiritual observations of what is happening in the world. You certainly seem to be at peace listening to him.
Craig Langford closed out the evening with his country songs that take you to the places and times he sings about. With a distinct unique voice that adds to the effect. Check his music out for yourself.
In fact do yourself a favor and check everyone’s music out. And go out and support live music. More pictures will be on my Facebook music page.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart. Peace be with you.
Bill Hook
I went to play at Guitars and Growlers at the third installment of the every other Wednesday open mic, hosted by Bill Hook on October 11. Guitars and Growlers is – to quote the website – “an adventure of Rob and Amy Baker to bring craft beer and hand crafted instruments to the great folks of Richardson Texas.” There mission is to build a new way for people to see what is going on in world of guitar building while enjoying a great craft beer. And pretty damn good food I may add. Handmade guitars hang on one wall.
So quite naturally, they would have live music. And, of course, an open mic to showcase local songwriters. A number of local songwriters and performers were in attendance to play on this particular occasion. Bill Hook opened the show – as hosts are wont to do.
Cat McGee followed Bill. John Mason took the stage next. Alex Benavides followed
Cat McGee
Mason and preceded the inimitable Bill Nash. Riley Curnutt took the stage after Bill Nash. Riley is a fourteen year old songwriter and she performs her songs nicely.
David Christian followed Riley with his own take on cover songs. Richard Hunt, Dan Roark, and Baylis Laramore ended the list of performers with Bill Hook coming back to the stage to end the evening. Links are provided so you can check their music out for yourselves. Everyone performed well, receiving ample applause.
Come to the next open mic on Wednesday, October 25, have some good food and craft beer, and get on the list to play, or just listen. Guitars and Growlers is a good venue and it’s always a good time. More pictures will be posted on my Facebook music page.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Janelle Nichole
The Dallas Songwriters Association 3rd Saturday showcase on June 17 began at 7:30 with Janelle Nichole. Janelle is a young woman from Fredricksburg with a beautiful voice and a kind spirit. She entertained the diners with cover songs mixed with her nice original songs. She is currently working on funds for a cd. From the songs she played at Angela’s, the cd will be worth getting – and putting the songs on your playlist when she’s on Spotify. It’s only a matter of when.
As host, Dan Roark went on after Janelle. I played a mixture of old and new 
songs, ending with my newest song, I Got My Ass Kicked in Nashville. The title is the first line of the chorus. The second line is “seems like all the way to St. Paul.” The first night I played it live, among the people that commented on it was a couple who happend to be from St. Paul. Go figure.
Rob Case
Rob Case ended the showcase with songs from his Last Call in Texas cd. Bayou City, Song about Texas, Last Call in Texas, and Are We Even Yet? were some of the highlights. He said there were a few he didn’t care for as much, so he wasn’t going to do those. Rob didn’t tell us what they were though.
It was an evening of songs and stories about life and events past for a good appreciative crowd. Make plans to go to Angela’s on the third Saturday to hear more good songwriters in the showcase. On July 15, John Mason and Cat McGee will be co-guest hosting. The opening songwriter will be announced soon.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Mr. Troll
The Poor David’s Pub open mic on January 16 was one of those nights when the open mic is a mutual admiration society. Fortunately, for venue owners and hosts, they do not happen all that often. But on occasion, only a few songwriters show up. Granted, it was Martin Luther King, Jr. day. But a few of us figured that playing the open mic was a good way to celebrate the day. We played a few songs that MLK Jr. would have appreciated.
But the point is we sang our asses off. It was the best show you never saw. Even Troll muscled through his set admirably well – despite coming off of a case of strep throat. Cat McGee came across stronger and more confident than I’ve seen her – and I’ve seen her a good number of times. Her voice was in powerful form. Songs such as Sleeper Awake and Suspect. But the one MLK Jr. would have appreciated is City of Steeples.
Darren Rozell followed with his original country songs, with a little blues thrown in. I took the stage after
Cat McGee
Darren and played a good solid set myself, which included Peace Be With You, my song that includes MLK, Jr. Kathleen Farris, a newcomer who hadn’t expected to play, played a few of her songs. Then Joe Cat showed up after his gig at Opening Bell. I wasn’t able to stay for his full set, so it’s a good thing he played my favorite song of his first – Silver Thread City.
It was a solid night of good music. And you missed it. As I have said previously, I am writing about the Poor David’s Pub open mic specifically, but also about open mics in general. This one wasn’t the only one you missed. To paraphrase Droo D’Anna, one of many open mic hosts, about the Wednesday night open mic at Tutta’s Pizza:
“If you’re not coming out to our [insert day] open mic at [insert venue], you need to seriously reconsider your life…all the fun is being had here.”
Keep supporting live music.
Keep writing songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Cat McGee
Are you confused yet? Or did you figure out that we had the Dallas Songwriters Association 4th Saturday showcase at Angela’s at the Crosswalk a week early this month – and last month as well – due to Thanksgiving and Christmas. This was my first showcase as the new host. As showcase director for the DSA, I have been a guest host before. But with both Buck Morgan and Harry Hewlett having life changes coming about, I became the host.
I had the sound system set up by 7:15. Despite a problem I did not discover until I was breaking down the system, everyone sounded good to the audience, except me on part of my set.
The show began with Cat McGee – after a few technical adjustments. She delivered her show in her usual humble sincerity. Cat doesn’t take herself all that seriously, but her songwriting is a different matter. That alone lends a certain urgency to her lyrics juxtaposed with the casualness of her delivery. I have known Cat a while and consider her a good friend. I have read the press on her website before, but it evades me now. But simply thinking about it while replaying her set in my mind, her songwriting and performance remind me of Judy Collins and Joan Baez. The decidedly female perspective, with self-assurance and purpose. One of my favorite songs of hers – and there are a few – is My
Tribe. Her tribe, of course, is songwriters.
Then the host, some guy named Dan Roark, came on and played his set. Which included several songs from his new cd of live songs. As well as the bonus song on the cd, What the Lord Intends. Which is also the song in his first music video which you can find on his YouTube channel.
Mark Evans, who followed me (the moment has past, if you catch my drift), has a band called Safety Meeting. Alone, on acoustic guitar – as he was at the showcase – Mark comes through as folk with a bit of an edge – albeit with a positive outlook. And a love song is simply a love song. The band’s description of Safety Meeting’s music is “alternative, americana, and pop.” Having heard them live and recorded, I can say that sums them up fairly well. I’m not exactly sure how alternative they are, as far as lyrics and music are concerned. But pertaining to their live show, I can hear alternative to a point. Listening to
Mark Evans
their recorded songs on Reverbnation before writing this, I caught a John Cougar Mellencamp feel to their songs. Hence the americana and pop distinctions. Catch one of their shows when you can. Their music deserves a good crowd.
Baylis Laramore ended the evening’s line up. Baylis‘ music is folk and americana. He’s a laid-back type of guy, and his music reflects that. He was born in Galveston and grew up around east Texas as a child. He “spent [his] teenage years living in Australia and Indonesia.” He has traveled to other places as well. Some of Baylis’ songs come from those years, such as Blonde Spanish Girls, written while he was in Spain. Other songs, like Ghosts of Galveston, are from stories he has heard and read. He also has written some humorous songs as witnessed by the song Junk Food Highway, written from a song prompt at the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance.
It was a good show. I’m sorry you missed it. Do yourself a favor and make it to the next DSA 4th
Baylis Laramore
Saturday showcase at Angela’s at the Crosswalk on January 28. I’ll have the list of songwriters who will by playing in the next couple of weeks. But you can be sure it will be a good show.
Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.
Peace be with you.
Mark Evans followed me
Thanks to everyone who came out to see the Sack Summer Hunger Concert on Sunday at Christ United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch. We raised $98 for Sack Summer Hunger. It was a small, but enthusiastic, crowd, and they very much enjoyed the show. I don’t care for the word “awesome” because it’s so over-used. But when someone uses it to refer to my music, my friends’ music, and the show, it feels pretty good.
We played the show “in the round,” playing three rounds of two songs each, telling stories behind the songs. John Mason began the round, Cat McGee followed and I ended each round. We ended the show with the three of us playing Will the Circle Be Unbroken. I would like to thank John and Cat for coming out and playing in support of Sack Summer Hunger.
Thanks again to those who made it out. The list of those who wrote checks will be included in the report given to Metrocrest Social Services with the money raised.
Peace be with you.
I was running late for the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival last Sunday. My scheduled time at the DSA booth by the Courtyard Stage was 4 – 6 p.m. I was to play at 5:30. At 2 p.m., I had to set up the sound for Cat McGee at Mercy Wine Bar where she would play a show at 7 p.m. Then I had to take my son to work. A friend, Raquel Lindemann, said she would cover for me at the booth until I got there. I finally found the yellow tag parking lot. It was in the blue parking garage – go figure.
I entered the festival and proceeded to look for the Courtyard Stage. It is easy to become disoriented in a sea of white booths. I was standing in an intersection of lines of white booths, deciding in which direction I should turn. Suddenly, a big bearded man grabbed me by the shoulders.
“Are you Dan Roark?”
“Yes,” I nodded, searching his face to figure out who he was.
“I’m John Welch. Do you remember me?”
“John, of course I do,” I replied, putting my guitar down to shake his hand. I recognized him from what little I could of his face around his eyes. There’s more than one reason I look people in the eyes when I talk to them.
To cut a rambling conversation short, he asked how we knew each other. It didn’t take but a minute to remember our mutual friend Jim Salerno, who played bongos with me for a few years. I told him I was playing at 5:30 and had to leave. He was still amazed we’d run into each other. We hadn’t seen each other for about thirty-five years. I still wasn’t where I was supposed to be. And it was getting later by the second.
I finally got good directions from someone. I was turning the corner to my left when someone grabbed my left arm. My mind was reeling at this point.
“Dan Roark?”
“Yes,” I nodded. It was getting to be a habit.
“Randy Box, remember me?”
“Absolutely, Randy, how are you doing?” I had recognized him instantly. We talked for just a minute. I told him I was playing at 5:30 and he also said he would try to come listen to me. We hadn’t seen each other in forty-two years.
I finally made it to the booth. I thanked Raquel, and took my place at the booth. Mr. Troll who
Mr. Troll
was scheduled to play at 5, started a little early because there was a lull in the lineup. I followed Troll and closed out the stage for 2016. The videos that Harry Hewlett – who also ran sound for the weekend – took of my show can be found on my youtube channel.
After I finished my set, Troll and I walked to the parking garage. I loaded up my guitar and bag and headed for Mercy Wine Bar. Cat’s show was great. The sound was better for her second set. It had been a long day and for some reason, I had trouble with her vocals. I reset everything between sets and it worked out okay. I say all that because, despite any problems I may have had with the sound, Cat’s performance was relatively flawless.
Cat McGee
You can hear Cat and myself, along with John Mason, at the Sack Summer Hunger Concert on June 5th from 5-6:30 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in Farmers Branch. Tickets are $20 with $12 going directly to Metrocrest Social Services and the Sack Summer Hunger program. The SSH program distributes food to children who receive free or reduced lunches during the school year, but don’t get anything during the summer.
Peace be with you.
Chasing After Wind 