Crossroads Music Company

Ultimate FingerPick and Gus Gustafson Music

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Winnsboro Texas

The magic returned yet again to Crossroads Music Company!

Songwriters

 

WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW!  Yup, it was another night of MAGIC you missed, if you chose another activity besides coming to Crossroads to witness these three wonderful singer/songwriters.  Lined up across the stage, they took turns presenting their original pieces of musical art, along with the life-experiences, moments, visions, etc, that sparked the creation of those songs.  Rather than bringing a structured song list to the table, they all allowed the songs that were played ahead of their next turn to inspire which one from their own repertoire ought to be performed next.  The magic emerged, NATURALLY!  🙂

Helene has some tunes available on itunes, including “Lucky Me,” a song about her encounter with a United States soldier in an airport.  The song has received  global attention, and drew a standing ovation from the crowd–great presentation by Helene!! She’ll be talking to folks in Nashville this upcoming week about recording her next CD–one that will reflect what she’s creating today.

Out of the three, Lisa Markley was the most “jazzy.”  Clever & witty, in both content and delivery!  Both Lisa & Helene helped us all realize how spoiled we are to have Lynn Adler in our own backyard!  Winnsboro was Blessed when Lynn Adler chose to call these Piney Woods her home, over 10 years ago they tell me…She spoke of those things in her life that inspired much of her writing–Winnsboro historical events included.

Lynn Gus Helene Lisa Songwriters in the round

 

[Top photo by Jim Willis/photo above compliments of Dave Sanders]

As “THEY” say: “You had to BE there” to truly appreciate what transpired on the Crossroads Stage last night!  Magic like that doesn’t happen while you’re listening to an artist’s CD, plain and simple…A HUGE thank you to Helene, Lisa & Lynn…CHEERS!  ~Gus

Billy Joe Shaver brought the MAGIC!

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 🙂

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

Thank you WCEC!

WCEC logo

 

A big thank you is in order for the Wood County Electric Cooperative [WCEC]!  Their generous contribution to the Winnsboro Center for the Arts [WCA] will go a long way to help keep the doors open, which will keep the Arts alive in Wood County–for the kids and the community as a whole.  This includes the performing arts, like kids Summer Drama Camp, which always ends with an entertaining community theater performance–great opportunities for the youth of our area!  As many of you know, Crossroads Music Company & Listening Room shares the WCA stage, fitting in performances by Global talent in-between the community theater events.  Thank you WCEC, for helping keep all the Arts ALIVE in Wood County!

Click on the logo above, and visit the WCEC website.

Fall Concert Series 2013!

 

 

Fall Concert Series

 

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

Crossroads Music Company presents Pauline Reese!

Click on Pauline’s picture, for a backstage interview and a glimpse into Pauline Reese.  Then come on out Saturday for a great show!

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Click on Pauline’s latest CD cover, “Just Getting Started” and visit her online store!Just Gettin Started CD cover Onstage3Aug2013

Photo above, compliments of Jim Willis, shows Pauline enjoying the crowd during her Crossroads performance last Saturday night, Aug. 3, 2013.  This time around, Pauline left her band at home, brought Road/Sound Manager Dave Gardner along to balance a full & rich acoustic performance–the PERFECT choice for a hot August night in Winnsboro, Texas!!  Pauline had a fair share of stories accompanying a strong variety of original songs, and she sprinkled in a few covers along the way.  We got a very sincere, authentic Pauline Reese, and she exposed a whole lot of Texan, even without the wardrobe malfunctions!  Those who were in the audience will understand the reference!  Even Dolly Parton would have been proud of Pauline’s poise 🙂

Anyway, by the time the show was over, it kinda felt like Pauline was, “Just Getting Started!”  Do yourself a favor, and visit Pauline’s website and follow her career.  Lots more to come for this very talented Texas Singer/Songwriter!!       ~Gus

Jive Jumpers; Johnny & the Nightcrawlers

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!

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Emily is ALL the BUZZ as she returns to Crossroads!!

 

So, Nicholas Altobelli contacted me right after I posted the return of Emily, and locked in the spot of opening act.  This was the perfect fit for what proved to be an awesome night of music in East Texas!

What can I say that hasn’t already been said??  Emily Elbert just keeps getting better, as she continues to spread the LOVE all around the world, including Winnsboro, Texas!!  You say you’d like some clever, percussive, acoustic guitar work??  Maybe some Jimi Hendrix, or Allman Brothers, or Stevie Wonder, or Willie Nelson, or Bill Withers, or even Michael Jackson?  Not a problem, and Emily puts her own signature stamp on ALL of them!  Then there’s her cleverly crafted originals, with plenty of depth and weight for even the deepest thinkers of our time!  What else do you want?  Well, Saturday night you got it all; Emily shared songs from her third CD, “Alive, in Love,” which followed her second release,  “Proof.”  Roland Elbert [Dad] accompanied Emily on keyboards, which was the perfect fit for the tunes they performed together–there was MAGIC in the listening room on this Saturday night in April!

What is that you say??!!  You MISSED this INCREDIBLE show, in this wonderful, intimate listening room know as Crossroads Music Company, inside the Winnsboro Center for the Arts??  I no longer know how to respond to these missed opportunities.

 

Emily shot used for KETR interview

Emily Elbert’s interview aired last week on KETR’s Notably Texan radio program, hosted by Matt Meinke!  It’s worth the listen [click on Emily’s interview]  Nicholas Altobelli came into Winnsboro from Dallas, to open for Emily, and the music of BOTH these fine artists aired during the Notably Texan broadcast.

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