Robert Ellis in Concert; Thursday, May 7, 2015

Posted on March 23, 2015 by gus

ROBERT ELLIS [Tickets], The Musician’s Biography; Videos
The Lights From The Chemical Plant

“I want this record to be more about the Paul Simons and the Randy
Newmans and the other half of my upbringing,
which is very much rooted in pop.” – Ellis recently told Rolling Stone

Robert Ellis is the kind of songwriter who only comes along once in a great
while. With his first two albums, a promise was made. With his new
record, The Lights from the Chemical Plant, that promise has been delivered
and fully realized. The music, like the artist, refuses to accept the confines of a
box, and burns white-hot from the inside out. But what seems even more
striking about this record, this musician, even at a first glance, is that feeling
of unyielding authenticity.

With every remarkable cut, with every twist and turn, Robert’s life and his
experience, shine through. His days growing up in a small industrial town in
Texas, his move to Houston, and now as a 25-year-old man, when not on the
road performing around the world, living with his wife in Nashville.

The Lights from the Chemical Plant, produced with great care and precision by
Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, Norah Jones), and recorded at Eric
Masse’s Casino studio in East Nashville for New West Records, is an album
that has a way of grabbing you by the hand and pulling you in so that it can
play with your soul. –Read More–

2-Bit Palomino Rides Again!

Posted on March 3, 2015 by gus

Saturday, March 14, 2015, at 7:30 PM; Advanced tickets, only $10!!

201 N. Davis Street; Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 903-342-1854

Yes, they’ve completed their latest musical works, and plan to bring it with them to Sulphur Springs, for a performance in the Chambers Listening Room–Historic City Hall.

About 2-Bit Palomino

2-Bit Palomino Awarded Texas Vocal Group of the Year for the Second Time!

2-Bit Palomino is a Trio of Houston Singer/Songwriters Andi Renfree, Ren Renfree and Bill Ward. Founded in March of 2010, 2BP (as their fans call them) have made huge strides and are quickly becoming a household name in Texas Music, and across the country. 2-Bit Palomino is the 2011 and 2013 recipient of the Vocal Group of the Year award from the Academy of Texas Music, and is currently on the US Americana Terrestrial and Internet Radio Charts with over 40 Stations across the country playing their music.

Each of the members brings their own flair and style to the group. Their music is a blend of all three coasts; West Coast, Gulf Coast and East Coast. This diversity lends to a very wide range of styles that somehow all come together to form a unified sound that is uniquely 2-Bit Palomino.

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band!

Posted on August 1, 2014 by gus

This is concert #2 for Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room, inside the Sulphur Springs Historic City Hall Council Chambers, and it will certainly be a good test for the room’s sound. I’m really looking forward to this performance, which will help us determine what the room can handle, and therefore what acts we can book for the balance of 2014 and into 2015. Please join us for what promises to be a brilliant night of classic tunes!

Saturday, August 23, 2014. 7 PM Doors/~7:30 Start time [approximately]

Click here for tickets.

Dave Walser, &
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Bluegrass Band.

Dave Walser- guitar/vocals
Bach Norwood- bass/vocals
Reggie Rueffer- fiddle/vocals
Gerald Jones- banjo/mandolin/vocals

Kinky gave Winnsboro both barrels!

Posted on September 30, 2013 by gus

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”

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!

Billy Joe Shaver brought the MAGIC!

Posted on September 4, 2013 by gus

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 🙂

2-Bit Palomino Rides Again!

Posted on August 25, 2013 by gus

Yes, 2-Bit Palomino made a return visit to Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room, loaded with new songs, stories, and their latest CD, “2-Bit Palomino Rides Again.” I couldn’t help but use the title for this post, too! Click on the title to go their website, buy a CD, or learn more about Bill Ward, Ren & Andi Renfree–the three truly talented individuals that make up this band.

We opted to go without an opening act, which proved perfect. 2-Bit Palomino led the crowd through a night filled with tight harmonies, great music, stories of the road, and even some insight into what inspired some of the songs they’ve written.

All three members of the band contributed to the songwriting for this latest recording, “2-Bit Palomino Rides Again.” We highly advise getting a copy! You’ll see some of the other artists that co-wrote or contributed songs, including East Texas’ very own Lindy Hearne, who co-wrote, with Andi, the opening selection entitled, “My Own Backyard.” Tulsa Tempest will get you moving in your seat!

“The Buffalo Grass,” recorded by Chris Ledoux, and written by Andi Renfree, is not on the latest CD [Rides Again], but you can hear how Bill Ward has made it his own, as the three of them really grabbed the room’s attention during last night’s performance! Click on “The Buffalo Grass” and catch last night’s rendition on Crossroads’ YouTube!

Thank you, 2-Bit Palomino, for sharing a piece of your musical journey with all of us in attendance! Below photos: 1st: Andi (l) and Ren (r); 2nd: Bill Ward on keyboard; 3rd: Ren, trying out his custom Ayers mandolin.

Fall Concert Series 2013!

Posted on August 7, 2013 by gus

Hope to have all tickets for all the shows available in the Crossroads Store by the middle of August, so keep checking back! ~Gus

Claudia Nygaard put a smile on everyone’s face!

Posted on June 9, 2013 by gus

Crossroads was very fortunate to catch Claudia Nygaard on her way through East Texas, as she headed towards Kerrville. Claudia shared her wonderful spirit with the crowd, infusing her sharp wit in the songs she performed, and the stories she shared on how certain songs came to life.

She performed songs from her newest release, “Let The Storm Roll In,” along with tunes from her earlier CDs and even songs yet to be recorded. The appreciative audience really didn’t want the night to end. Claudia had to get a very early start the following morning, in order to get to Kerrville in time for an afternoon commitment. Otherwise, I’m quite sure the music would have continued even longer!

For those of you that may have missed it, we’ve posted a couple tunes on our YouTube channel: [Click below]

A Little Bit of Texas

Big Country

Jive Jumpers; Johnny & the Nightcrawlers

Posted on May 19, 2013 by gus

Saturday night at Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room on May 11, 2013, and we had a “roomful” of Blues!! Not only was the listening room FULL of Blues, but it lasted for over THREE HOURS! Pretty cool, I must say!

This was a co-billing between the Jive Jumpers [formerly known as Diddley Squat Blues Band] and Johnny & the Nightcrawlers. By the end of the evening, BOTH bands were on the stage together for one HUGE joint encore!!! Click on the band name for a taste of what you missed!

The dynamics & song presentation of the Jive Jumpers really stood out–very tasty! Johnny Simmons & the Nightcrawlers were really enjoying themselves on the Crossroads stage, and it was quite apparent with all the cuttin-up between tunes. Both bands have a great time while performing, and it shows–excellent chemistry!

Crossroads Music Company in the News!

Posted on May 2, 2013 by gus