Fred Andrews "This Side of Crazy"

I have been driving by Franklin Barbecue just off I-35 at East 11th Street in Austin at lunch time for the last 6 months, seeing this incredible line waiting to get their daily meet. Franklin’s started as a well-respected food cart in 2009, and when this building became available, they jumped at the chance of having a brick and mortar establishment. They opened right around SXSW 2011, if I recall correctly, and there were lines from the start. There is a total buzz on this place; Bon Appétit magazine named them best in the country during the summer. Now you know I love my Q, but I was having a hard time looking at the people waiting for two hours to eat. Then I tried some brisket and some smoked sausage, quite heavenly. Still I think it is a tad crazy to wait that long to get your lunch.

Steamboat time is upon us. Music Fog is not attending this year, but I am on the mountain with fond memories. Last year, we had the honor of doing another edition of the Gondola Concert Series™ where we bring our cameras and audio recording gear, tweet for a contest winner to take the ride with us, and grab a game artist to serenade us. Last year, Fred Andrews was our ski-lift crooner. Now it happens that Tuesday was the release date for Fred Andrews and Honeybrowne’s new album This Side Of Crazy. Take the virtual ride with Fred, as he does a solo version of the title song from the brand new album.

- Jessie Scott

Midnight River Choir "Mile Marker"

After eleven years, Momo’s in Austin closed its doors suddenly on Tuesday night, yet another club loss in the Live Music Capital of the World. One has to wonder about the mission of all the downtown development. People move into the new high rise buildings for the eclectic quality of the town, then they complain about the noise and the ‘riff raff.’ Downtown parking is becoming too pricey for a night of musical exploration, especially as the clusters of clubs get thinned out. One wonders what will happen to all the shows Momo’s was to play host to during SXSW, as they were an official showcase venue as well as being a favorite destination for media darling day parties. Over the eleven years, I have seen many a remarkable artists there. Not only is this a huge loss for the people that worked there, losing their jobs just after Christmas, it is a loss for the city of Austin. A friend of mine used to say setbacks are made for comebacks. They're currently looking for a new location to house the Mo. Here’s hoping.

Beginnings, ends, mile markers, indeed. We bring you the marvelous Midnight River Choir, as we are getting dang close to chalking another year up to history. They are playing at The Gig tonight in Beaumont, TX. New Year’s Day, they are at legendary Gruene Hall. Have a Bloody Mary to clear the cobwebs, and head over for their set at noon. Eric Middleton, Justin Nelson, Mitchell Pyeatt, and Jeremy Yager head ”up the mountain” after that, to MusicFest at Steamboat, where Music Fog filmed them last year. Here is “Mile Marker,” which we got to record in advance of the release of this year’s Welcome To Delirium? album.

- Jessie Scott

Gary P. Nunn "The Last Thing I Needed, the First Thing This Morning"

I am on a plane that I needed to get up at 4am to make my way to the airport. I yearn for the days of late night flights, of sleeping and winding up at one’s home airport in the misty morning hours. Getting up to head out at 4am is hard. Now I had to do that when I was doing the morning show on the radio in various cities, but honestly, it is not my favorite thing to do. And today, December 26th, the day after, is gonna be one heck of a migration day, getting back home, whether by plane, train, bus, car; whatever. I always find it so ironic anyway, walking into an airport at 5 am to encounter the ’bustling city effect,’ lines at the counter, security checkpoint, vendors; and all this under cover of darkness while the rest of the population is asleep.

Hope you had a lovely day yesterday. We bring you Gary P. Nunn today, whom we filmed last year at The MusicFest in Steamboat Springs. I think that Gary’s appearance gave birth to this coming year’s MusicFest tribute being offered to the Lost Gonzo Band. They formed in 1972, an iconic fraternity of musicians. Back in those days, they were the backing band for Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphey. They can tell lots of stories that speak of another era, and too many twists and turns of the road to account here. Suffice it to say that their history is a great read, and it will be so much fun to celebrate their legacy as the 2012 MusicFest Artists’ Tribute to a Legend Honoree with Dr. Gary Hartman, Director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University. Click here to read the tribute notes on The MusicFest website.

Here is a classic from Gary P. Nunn, “The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning.”

- Jessie Scott