My mind is in rewind this morning as I try to attach words to the Magic that took place in Luckenbach this year. What a WILD ride! More shows, more friends, more 1st timers, more old timers, more close calls, more of ALL. God showered us w/ love, humility and blessings in 2013, over and over again.
In terms of business, someone once told me if the back end is pushing the front end, you have accomplished and will accomplish great things. It's all in your people. In Luckenbach's case, it is ALL about our "Somebody's". If you could have a dream team..it would be the staff of Luckenbach Texas. WOW. just WOW. Our jokes are bad. Some days, worse than bad. We laugh. Sometimes we get a little edgy with each other. We sweat together, We freeze together. We get wet together. We HUG together. We cry together. We have sore feet together. We are "TOGETHER" . As our leader and proud supporter, Kit Patterson says.. "Viva Luckenbach". We make Memories, Friends and MUSIC..lots of music.
Hand in hand with our Somebody's in making Luckenbach the magical place that it is.. has to be the musicians. We are nothing without the music. You know that main artery in your body that pumps your heart full of blood so you can breathe? That is what Musicians are to Luckenbach. We breathe easy every day of the year. Homegrown, well skooled in "playing by ear", the music and the choice of songs that come out of nowhere will mesmerize you. If you think you are a walking talking encyclopedia of song, I dare you to come sit under the trees some evening in the picker circle....bring a note book!
And to our visitors/friends. Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach Texas! You make us who we are and to be certain, there are no two days alike. The fresh faces and personalities give us a new character everyday. Let your personality SHINE under the big 'ol Luckenbach Moon. Be who you Be. It takes all kinds of kinds. BIG Luckenbach LOVE to everyone who has ever touched our dirt.
Legends collided in 2013 when the Mavericks came to Luckenbach! Hairy-scary- two- cumb-cary was the mode for a month in advance. I met Raul Maulo on Delbert's Cruise in January and we talked about Luckenbach. He said he had to play us..I said "OK" as I was shaking in my shoes! This had to be perfect. Never before and never again, would such a band experience such a venue. We pulled it off in High Hill Country fashion! Still gives me chills. If you were there, you know what I'm STILL feeling :)
Billy Joe Shaver has been around and he IS the Hottest Thing in Town! Just to be sure, we added a little Hot Pepper to the scene. 2013 marked the return of a Chili Cook off event to Luckenbach. Needing to get
our fix of Billy Joe, the stars aligned and the date was set for his show on March 23. I pondered the idea of paying tribute to this man somehow and needing to reignite a very Hondo-esque event called the Mud Dauber Fest. Hondo loved the Mud Daubers. Snail Creek provides the best Dauber Dirt in the entire Universe. Every March, they return to stake their claim. So we celebrate. In 2013, we combined the events and called it the "Mud Dauber/Rockin Billy Chili Fest" Had to cover all bases :) Celebrating Rock-a-Billy Music, Mud Daubers, Chili, KaZoos, LoneStar Beer and Chicken Shit Bingo - a perfect day ensued. John Evans, Dale Watson, Chuck Mead, Jesse Dayton and Billy Joe Shaver rocked us way into the night; long after the new "Peoples Choice" chili King was crowned. (Lord have mercy, he had BEANS in his Chili! Every Chili is some Chili in Luckenbach. The people voted and what are we gonna do about that???) The Rockin Billy Chili Fest will happen again in 2014.. Mark your calendar, March 22. Billy Joe, John Evans, Dale Watson, Chuck Mead and this year.. Cody Jinks and Reckless Kelly are joining the fun. Take your vitamins, start practicing your KaZoo ( hum, don't blow) and bring your Chili pot!
4th of July fell perfect on the calendar this year. 4 days of AWESOME! Walt and Tina Wilkins host one of the most down home, back to the basics events of anywhere in the entire WORLD, right here in our little town. It has grown and keeps growing. We are bursting at the seems with love, magic and song on Independence Day. Walt and Tina get what Luckenbach is about to the 'nth degree. Walt had this to say OUTLOUD, to the Universe, on Troubadour Texas TV "Luckenbach winks at the World" Yes, we do WW. Thank you for articulating that! July 5th brought us a 1st with Roger Creager. (You know, he is always pushing us to re-invent and get creative, he is our #1 picker after all) RC played the outdoor stage for the first time and... he did what I personally had been hoping he would do for a long time..he sat down at the piano and played his favorite covers, RC is the ultimate entertainer. Or, maybe he just refuses to take life to seriously..Our kinda guy :) Deryl Dodd, Cody Jinks and Nate Kipp blew through town on Saturday night just like you would expect a Hill Country Saturday night to play out..Rock n Roll, a little buckle rubbin' and boot scootin' topped off with a COLD beer. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper DD night if he didn't hug every last person in town..and he did :)
October rolled around and found us plopped right smack dab in the middle of yet another incredible Harvest Classic Bike Rally. We LOVE this event. Dale Watson to the rescue with his brand of 'You will have a Good Time Or Else" show. We had the good fortune of connecting with the Republic of Texas Bike Rally (ROT) people at this event and HOLD on to yer Helmets folks.. it's COMING full speed ahead in 2014. Bikes, Bikes, and more Bikes!! Harvest Classic is a family friendly fundraiser for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation. Over the last 14 yrs of this event, Russell Duke and his band of Volunteers have raised upwards of $1,000,000.00 for this charity. It's one of the best events of any kind in the Universe. And we are PROUD to host it every year.
The holidays are here. We are thankful. We are blessed. We are humbled by the magnitude of our reach and the various ways that we touch peoples lives. Hondo bought Luckenbach so he could drink a cold beer, hang out with friends, make music and make memories. May 2014 find you and yours getting "Back to the Basics of Love". Be Somebody, wherever you are. It's a State of Mind. #Ain'tNobodyFeelin'NoPain
Merry Christmas Every Body!
Abbey Road
In terms of business, someone once told me if the back end is pushing the front end, you have accomplished and will accomplish great things. It's all in your people. In Luckenbach's case, it is ALL about our "Somebody's". If you could have a dream team..it would be the staff of Luckenbach Texas. WOW. just WOW. Our jokes are bad. Some days, worse than bad. We laugh. Sometimes we get a little edgy with each other. We sweat together, We freeze together. We get wet together. We HUG together. We cry together. We have sore feet together. We are "TOGETHER" . As our leader and proud supporter, Kit Patterson says.. "Viva Luckenbach". We make Memories, Friends and MUSIC..lots of music.
Hand in hand with our Somebody's in making Luckenbach the magical place that it is.. has to be the musicians. We are nothing without the music. You know that main artery in your body that pumps your heart full of blood so you can breathe? That is what Musicians are to Luckenbach. We breathe easy every day of the year. Homegrown, well skooled in "playing by ear", the music and the choice of songs that come out of nowhere will mesmerize you. If you think you are a walking talking encyclopedia of song, I dare you to come sit under the trees some evening in the picker circle....bring a note book!
And to our visitors/friends. Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach Texas! You make us who we are and to be certain, there are no two days alike. The fresh faces and personalities give us a new character everyday. Let your personality SHINE under the big 'ol Luckenbach Moon. Be who you Be. It takes all kinds of kinds. BIG Luckenbach LOVE to everyone who has ever touched our dirt.
Legends collided in 2013 when the Mavericks came to Luckenbach! Hairy-scary- two- cumb-cary was the mode for a month in advance. I met Raul Maulo on Delbert's Cruise in January and we talked about Luckenbach. He said he had to play us..I said "OK" as I was shaking in my shoes! This had to be perfect. Never before and never again, would such a band experience such a venue. We pulled it off in High Hill Country fashion! Still gives me chills. If you were there, you know what I'm STILL feeling :)
Billy Joe Shaver has been around and he IS the Hottest Thing in Town! Just to be sure, we added a little Hot Pepper to the scene. 2013 marked the return of a Chili Cook off event to Luckenbach. Needing to get
October rolled around and found us plopped right smack dab in the middle of yet another incredible Harvest Classic Bike Rally. We LOVE this event. Dale Watson to the rescue with his brand of 'You will have a Good Time Or Else" show. We had the good fortune of connecting with the Republic of Texas Bike Rally (ROT) people at this event and HOLD on to yer Helmets folks.. it's COMING full speed ahead in 2014. Bikes, Bikes, and more Bikes!! Harvest Classic is a family friendly fundraiser for the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation. Over the last 14 yrs of this event, Russell Duke and his band of Volunteers have raised upwards of $1,000,000.00 for this charity. It's one of the best events of any kind in the Universe. And we are PROUD to host it every year.
The holidays are here. We are thankful. We are blessed. We are humbled by the magnitude of our reach and the various ways that we touch peoples lives. Hondo bought Luckenbach so he could drink a cold beer, hang out with friends, make music and make memories. May 2014 find you and yours getting "Back to the Basics of Love". Be Somebody, wherever you are. It's a State of Mind. #Ain'tNobodyFeelin'NoPain
Merry Christmas Every Body!
Abbey Road
