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Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room

Adam Carroll @ Crossroads!

June 18, 2015

July 25, 2015, Adam will be coming to Sulphur Springs, Texas! Advanced Tickets

A Texas Songwriter born and raised, Adam Carroll takes the events of ordinary lives and turns them into deeply moving, often humorous songs.

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With seven Indie CDs supporting regular tours across the USA, Canada and Europe as “one of the hippest songwriters on the Texas music landscape”, this engaging Americana guitar-picker has earned further critical acclaim with song placements in the Grammy nominated film, Country Strong and others.

“The core of what I do is songwriting; it’s the one thing I’m passionate about. It’s the most fulfilling and challenging job I can imagine.” explains Adam.

From his studio records produced by Grammy Award winner Lloyd Maines (South of Town, Lookin’ Out the Screen Door, Live at Cheatham Street, Far Away Blues) through to his latest releases (Old Town Rock N Roll, Hard Times with Michael O’Connor, Live at Flipnotics), the quality of his songwriting stands out.

Given a rare command of the English language and an amazing sense of melody, it’s little surprise Adam has earned enviable comparisons to Townes Van Zandt, Todd Snider, John Prine and Bob Dylan as well as being recognized as a creative influence on his songwriter peers.

Adam Carroll’s song credits include co-writes and CD or Film covers by Slaid Cleaves (Race Car Joe, Hard to Believe), Hayes Carll (Take Me Away, featured in the film Country Strong) and Band of Heathens (Medicine Man, Maple Tears).

“Among singer-songwriters, Adam Carroll is probably Austin’s best-kept secret. His tunes are marvels of economy; .. constantly inventive and decidedly offbeat .. Live at Flipnotics offers a typically low-key yet inviting overview of his career. With (Producer) Scrappy Jud Newcomb on guitar, he sparkles .. ” Jim Caligiuri, Austin Chronicle 

“Influences ? .. Adam Carroll .. I used to skip my own gigs to go watch him .. by far my favorite, somebody whose writing style I emulated in some ways.” Hayes Carll, No Depression 2011

Emily Elbert @ Crossroads – Sulphur Springs

September 22, 2014

Saturday, October 18, 2014, at 7:30 PM, with Kate Hearne opening…

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Emily performance MAR 2011

 

Kate Hearne

Details & ticket information forthcoming…

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band; Aug. 23, 2014

August 8, 2014

SS-reduced-Sgt Pepper copy-3

This concert promises to deliver a top-notch quality listening experience!  Click HERE for a music sampling!!  George Anderson will be filling in on Bass for this show, along with a special guest appearance by our own local singer/songwriter, Hannah Kirby!  Click here for tickets.

Slaid Cleaves Concert SOLD OUT!!

June 16, 2014

slaid-cleavesSOLD OUT!!!  THANK YOU FOR THE WARM WELCOME INTO SULPHUR SPRINGS!!
Slaid Cleaves lives with his wife of 19 years, Karen Cleaves, in the Hill Country outside Austin, Texas. While Karen books the shows, the flights, the hotels, and the rental cars, designs, orders and sells the CDs and T-shirts, pays the band, updates the web site, answers fan questions, does the taxes and makes dinner, Slaid writes his little songs (and fixes things around the house). They travel around the world together while Slaid plays for fans far and wide and gets all the glory. If it wasn’t for Karen, Slaid would be carrying all he owned in a shoe box, scrounging around for a happy hour gig.
tickets will go on sale at the Crossroads “store” on Wednesday, June 18th.

Crossroads 8th Anniversary Concert was Magical!!

December 17, 2013

Eight years of global entertainment in the small town of Winnsboro, Texas, boasting a population of less than 5,000 people.  CRAZY!  The original founders of Crossroads were our entertainers, and a few more joined in the fun!  This was the final Crossroads show of the year, and there are no other performances scheduled until the Winnsboro Center for the Arts works out their renovations during the Winter months, as well as what weekends THEY will be needing the stage.  I’ll post another blog addressing what lies ahead for 2014, once we know more.  For now, enjoy the pictures in the Facebook album, and don’t forget to click on the Crossroads YouTube icon on the homepage to catch of few of the songs that were performed on Saturday night!  Two songs from Saturday night!!

Below: Everyone was there!  Lynn Adler & Lindy Hearne [original founders]; Denice Barton, who climbed on board, joining owner Stephen Marshall, who took the reins from Adler & Hearne to keep things rolling along while Adler & Hearne took their show on the road!…Then came Gus Gustafson in 2010, which is when “& Listening Room” was added to the Crossroads Music Company name 🙂  Global talent, sharing their original music & connecting with their audience in a fantastic intimate listening room setting!  That is how the MAGIC happens!!

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THANK YOU to all who have shown such wonderful support over the last 8 years.  Allow us to keep you in the loop for what waits around the next corner.  Good things on the horizon!  ~~Gus Gustafson

Heather McCready, with Milo Deering!

November 14, 2013

“Refreshing” is a descriptive term that comes to mind as I attempt to describe a night filled with the vocal expressiveness of Heather McCready.  I believe this term has been used before, but it truly is fitting.  The full house was entertained from start to finish, with everything from Amazing Grace–blues style–by Love & Grace [opening act], to Milo Deering doing Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues while waiting for the train to pass!  Very well-crafted songs filled the night, and we even included a speaker on Market Street, spreadin’ the love in between the buildings downtown!  Heather was simply wonderful, performing her sweet originals like the whimsical “Give It A Day” by her & Milo, great covers like “Smile,” and injecting her personal story that revolves around her Bi-Polar disorder–a very complex brain disease, but one that can be managed by today’s mental health professionals.  Heather McCready is living proof!

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Pictured [l to r]: Gus Gustafson, Lindsey Gail, Heather McCready, & Milo Deering.  Photo compliments of Watson Photography.

Lindsey Gail shared her powerful vocals with the crowd, and it was great having her back on stage–this time, sharing the Word through new original Gospel tunes, and covering other popular tunes.  Love & Grace warmed up the audience for Heather & Milo.  There was “magic” in the air that night, from start to finish!  I hope you were one of the fortunate ones to be inside the Winnsboro Center for the Arts last Saturday night, but if not, click on some of the links above to get a taste of what you missed.  ~Gus

Jimmy LaFave, back HOME in East Texas!

October 20, 2013

 

Jimmy up close by LH

 

[photo by: Lindy Hearne]

Jimmy LaFave’s hometown of Wills Point, Texas, is actually less than sixty miles from the Crossroads Stage here in Winnsboro, Texas.  That is certainly close enough to say that Jimmy was “Home” on Friday night, playing to “His people.” [pictures] These are terms Jimmy himself used to describe some of the feelings dancing around inside this great singer/songwriter/musician/entertainer, as he shared some thoughts & some stories of the past with his band and those lucky enough to be in the audience that evening!  There was a great vibe & energy bouncing around the Crossroads Performance Hall that night! Jimmy & his band tapped into that source, and truly delivered an inspired performance! The only set list present was between Jimmy’s ears, and I believe he allowed that to change throughout the night, playing tunes inspired by the tune/story before, and trying to satisfy the requests coming from the appreciative crowd.  At times it felt like Woody Guthrie’s spirit was up on that stage with Jimmy & the band.  There will never be another performance quite like the one delivered last Friday night!  That’s an easy statement to make, since Jimmy is one of those musicians that prefers NOT to play a song the same way twice, which allows for creative MAGIC to show up during his shows–magic you can’t get listening to a CD!  In honor of where they were performing, they even did a rendition of Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues,” totally unrehearsed!  It was AWESOME, and guitarist Phil Hurley totally SHREDDED IT!!

Crossroads Music Company was honored to have Jimmy back for a return visit! ~Gus Gustafson

“Never a Moment” performed by Jimmy LaFave a couple nights ago!

Jimmy LaFave Band at Crossroads

 

Brad Davis loved the venue!

October 16, 2013

Grammy Award Winning Brad Davis was in the house on October 5th, and it was great…hope you were one of the lucky ones that came out in support of this awesome guitar player/singer/songwriter/Studio Musician of the Year; Texas Music Awards-2013!!

Brad was very comfortable in the listening room surroundings at Crossroads Music, inside the Winnsboro Center for the Arts!  We were fortunate to have him all day and night on that Saturday, starting off with a guitar clinic and ending with a great performance.  Brad’s son Landon made his presence known on the bass guitar, and did a wonderful job backing his dad’s new Spiritual originals, one of which Brad unveiled for the first time ever in public–“Sometimes Your World Will Break.”  Great tune!

Brad Davis promo 2013Brad Davis also has his friend Debbie Porter on stage for a couple numbers.  She was packin’ everything from mountain dulcimers to ukuleles, including a bass version!  Another East Texas rising star, Cole Risner, was Brad’s opening act, and it was the perfect fit.  Visit his website and get your hands on all his songs!  Cole has been writing some great new tunes…keep your eye on this young man!!

Kinky gave Winnsboro both barrels!

September 30, 2013

What can I say?  EVERYTHING just FIT together Saturday night with Kinky Friedman, logically speaking.  Singer/Songwriter music, comedy, politics, important issues brought to light–we had it ALL!

Winnsboro got a full spectrum of entertainment;  light-hearted humor, serious issues, stories from the past, comical lyrics mixed with fun melodies–it was all part of the show.  We even had Winnsboro’s new Mayor, Tom Howard, do the Kinky introduction, to properly set the stage.  Kinky plans to run for the Commissioner of Agriculture position, for the Texas Department of Agriculture, a position currently filled by Todd Staples.  We got a glimpse of his platform Saturday night, and Kinky will be a serious contender!

Kinky, performing “Rapid City South Dakota”

KF onstage

 

 

Kinky Says

 

Winnsboro’s own Kate Hearne did the honors as the opening act, assisted on percussion by Ashlyn Shanafelt.  Kate’s career is just starting to gain momentum.  Fresh out of college, she’s working on her first CD, residing in Fort Worth, and carving a place in the world of the singer/songwriter/musician–Kate is the complete package, and she certainly showed the full house at Crossroads that she’s been making great use of her time!

Kate & Ashlyn

Kate and Ashlyn

Rhett Butler Wow’d the Crowd, and added some awareness, too!

September 8, 2013

I received a fair amount of feedback regarding my inclusion of Winnsboro’s own Colby Gibson’s battle with “life after brain tumor surgery.”  Since there was so little advance notice, some of you were upset that you were unable to attend.  Fear not.

Colby Gibson, with Mom [Carol Gibson]

Carol Gibson, with 30 year old son Colby, who just suffered his 5th stroke

The Winnsboro Center for the Arts could not have accommodated everyone familiar with Colby Gibson’s plight.  This has been going on for years, and the recent FIFTH stroke has taken a bigger toll upon his body and mind.  It was the parallels between Rhett Butler’s brother Ashley’s life and that of Colby Gibson’s life that prompted the piggyback onto the show, more for the awareness factor than anything else.  It gave Rhett Butler an opportunity to discuss further his dedication to the cause, as he continues to fight for better brain tumor cancer treatments.  Rhett has written a book, and is seeking a medical degree!!  We may have another BRAIN SURGEON arising out of all this!!

So, don’t be angry.  You HAVEN’T missed your opportunity to be helpful.  You can go to Rhett’s website to learn more about the big picture, or you can go to the Crossroads site to contribute in your own backyard and help with Colby’s current therapy.  Every penny you donate will go directly to Carol Gibson & her son Colby.

Below is the original blog about Saturday night’s event.  It is MY belief that Rhett’s performance carried with it a little extra MAGIC that night, all things considered! ~Gus

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Yes, Rhett Butler plays much bigger venues than Crossroads, in front of thousands more than the 100 or so seats within the Winnsboro Center for the Arts.  But does he have as much fun?  Probably NOT!  It is truly wonderful when you get to experience the caliber of musician as a Rhett Butler [guitars & ukulele] , or Phil McNeese [bass guitar], or Martin McCall [percussion].  Top notch musicians that know their instruments top to bottom, inside & out.  What’s really cool is when they themselves allow the music to take them to places they may never have visited before.  Moments only found during a live performance, when these musicians just let the evening flow, and allow the music to dictate where the jam will lead!  The only way to experience such a series of moments is to witness a night like the one that just occurred at Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room, right here in rural Winnsboro, Texas.  This was quite possibly Rhett’s finest performance since he started playing on the Crossroads stage!  Picture below shows Rhett Butler [seated with guitar], Phil McNeese on bass guitar, and Martin McCall on drums.

RB group sep 12

When he is not performing, Rhett works with a large biotech company promoting clinical trials for brain cancer. The documentary, “Chasing Miracles”, that Rhett made about the life of his brother Ashley, a 28 year brain tumor survivor, was recognized in the Dallas International Film Festival in 2011. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in biotechnology/cancer biology from the University of Texas at Dallas and is writing his first book entitled, “Enthusiasm is the Enemy – 12 Reasons that We Fail to Improve Cancer Care.”   Ashley’s life parallels the life of Winnsboro’s own Colby Gibson, Carol Gibson’s son.  Both had brain tumors at a young age, and both had surgery to remove those tumors back in the 1980s, when the learning curve for radiation treatments, etc, was still somewhat in its infant stage.  Both Colby and Ashley received significant radiation treatments to help insure all the cancer was wiped out, with a trade-off being an altered existence.  As stated above, Ashley was a 28 year brain tumor survivor before his passing.  Colby is now 30, and is a 26 year brain tumor survivor, but he just suffered his FIFTH STROKE this past July, that took his throat & the functioning of his right side .  In need of as much therapy as possible during these initial months following the stroke, Carol is looking into more treatment than the local nursing home can provide, which is very minimal.  Because of that fact, this Rhett Butler concert was dedicated to the memory of Ashley, but also a fundraising campaign for Colby.  Those of you that are local probably have had Colby take your groceries to your vehicle at Brookshire’s, up until a couple years ago.  Anyway, proceeds from the concert will enable more therapy for Colby, and if you missed the show, you can still donate in the Crossroads store…Forgive the lack of notice for all this…assistance will be greatly appreciated, and allow Colby to continue some extra physical therapy, as well as speech therapy not covered by current health benefits.

Colby and Carol 2013

Billy Joe Shaver brought the MAGIC!

September 4, 2013

Billy Joe Shaver, Texas’ very own Honky Tonk Hero AND Preacher, shared some of his MAGIC on the Crossroads Stage!  A comfortable crowd filled the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, and our special guest Pauline Reese returned to the stage to honor Billy Joe as his opening act!  Pauline had returned from a Crossroads performance, as headliner, just a few weeks beforehand, which worked out well for those that missed her great individual performance on August 3rd.  This time, additional guitar licks were provided by J.C., out of Waco, Texas, and Pauline even invited her daughter “Sky” to the stage to sing a number.

Billy Joe Shaver hit the stage with his band, and they gave the audience a couple hours of meaningful melodies, legendary lyrics, great stories of his life, and some bonus honky tonk preachin’ to balance things out.  I hope you were one of the guests there that night, because shows like that have to be experienced to be appreciated, and there’s no better way to experience a show than up close and personal in a listening room environment like Crossroads!  If you DID miss this show, Billy Joe Shaver has a book and CDs you may want to get your hands on!  The book is filled with a catalog of lyrics from the many songs of his legendary career in the music business.

PICTURES [Top to Bottom]: Gus, Karen L., Billy Joe, & Carol; Billy Joe with Lindy Hearne; Billy Joe Shaver & his Band; His great smile during a bit of Honky Tonk Preachin’; Billy Joe Shaver with Carol & Gus; Pauline Reese w/ guitarist J.C. in the background; Pauline backing up her daughter Sky’s vocals 🙂

GusKarenBillyCarol

 

 

BJS with Lindy Hearne BJS and his band BJS honkytonkhero BJS Carol Gus Pauline and JC Pauline and Sky

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Email: gus@crossroadsmusiccompany.com

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