{"id":2220,"date":"2012-06-25T19:00:39","date_gmt":"2012-06-25T19:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=2220"},"modified":"2015-10-20T19:07:18","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T19:07:18","slug":"doin-the-texas-two-step-malcolm-holcombe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2012\/06\/25\/doin-the-texas-two-step-malcolm-holcombe\/","title":{"rendered":"Doin’ The Texas Two Step: Malcolm Holcombe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Samuel Barker & James Killen <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jun 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One of our favorite musicians around these parts is Malcolm Holcombe. The man is intense, crafts great songs and brings it every night. What more could you want from a performer?<\/p>\n

Well, we decided to make Holcombe our latest person to get a “Texas Two-Step,” where we send two people to cover two different shows here in Texas. Let’s see where we caught up to Holcombe and what went down at these shows!<\/p>\n

Night One: The Bugle Boy in La Grange, TX
\nReviewer: Samuel Barker<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Image\"About four summers ago, Kenny Pipes from Almost Austin House Concerts told me about Malcolm Holcombe. He talked up his show and had me thinking he was overselling the guy. There was no way a guy with a guitar could be so captivating and downright awesome.<\/p>\n

I sat in his house a couple weeks later and was blown away. Holcombe had the house completely captivated and when he’d be telling a story and suddenly yell something out, everyone would jump in their seats. Then, he’d be playing, shaking his head like he was exorcising a demon and throwing out these really intricate, heart-touching songs. In the end, Pipes undersold the guy.<\/p>\n

When I saw he’d be playing at Pipes’ place the same night I’d be playing elsewhere, I was bummed out to say the least. However, I got the invite from Pipes himself to ride shotgun to La Grange to check out Holcombe at the Bugle Boy. It was an invite I simply couldn’t refuse.<\/p>\n

The drive out to La Grange was filled with conversation of music and a lot of thoughts on Holcombe as a performer and songwriter. It was another point where I was like “Perhaps we’re getting too excited about this?”<\/p>\n

We arrived at The Bugle Boy to see Holcombe hanging in his car, eating dinner before it was time for sound check. Luckily, we were led in by Holcombe and we got to see him sound check for the night, which was fun to be a part of. I didn’t bring a camera to the show, so I snapped the grainy cellphone picture you see above.<\/p>\n

After an hour of conversations with the owners and patrons of The Bugle Boy, cups of coffee and a couple smokes, Holcombe hit the stage. He squinted at the audience, tossed his hat on the stage and kicked the show off with Becky’s Blessed.<\/p>\n

For the first set, Holcombe leaned heavily on his newer material, which was a nice treat, since I haven’t had a chance to see a lot of it performed and besides, it means a second set loaded with old favorites. Songs like Baby Likes a Love Song, For the Mission Baby and Mountains of Home filled the air with good vibes, big smiles and Holcombe’s tireless picking of the strings.<\/p>\n

The most amazing thing about Holcombe is how he changes keys and never uses a capo or anything. He’s almost like a jazz musician throwing in chord changes to accompany the melody rather than relying solely on the vocals to lay it out. There are rarely moments he simply strums a chord, but when he does, it is to emphasize a point in a way finger-picking couldn’t.<\/p>\n

The picking style is just one of 3 major components to one of Holcombe’s songs. He’s a great story-teller. At times, the stories seem like they don’t end and just exist to fill space, but when the lyrics come in, it finishes many of the tales. All of the songs are made up of the setup, the words and the attack of his guitar that lays out a beautiful tale. It’s something missing from a lot of musicians these days who are content just to beat it out and let the story stand on its own. Both have merits, but both styles are much more appreciated when the other exists.<\/p>\n

The second set was highlighted with a blistering version of To Drink the Rain. It was a moment where the intensity was impressive. I’ve seen hardcore bands filled with youngsters who believed every single word they sang with every fiber of their being. They were intense. Holcombe can be just as intense with just his voice and guitar. He believes in his songs, he lives the life and loses himself each night in what happens on that stage. He tells you what it is like to see the world as Malcolm Holcombe.<\/p>\n

The songs flowed wonderfully. For the younger couple in the audience that was about to get married, Holcombe did Dressed in White, which is always a beautiful tune. He touched on a good bit of A Hundred Lies in the set with Who Carried You and A Far Cry from Here.<\/p>\n

As he hit the last notes and stood up, the audience applauded with as much heart-felt praise as Holcombe showed them. With that, he picked up his guitar, thanked everyone for being so kind on behalf of himself and his family, then he played Sparrows and Sparrows as a “Good night” to everyone.<\/p>\n

The drive home flew by much better than the drive up there. Seeing something like a Malcolm Holcombe show fills you with life and makes everything a bit easier to enjoy.<\/p>\n

Night Two: Almost Austin House Concerts
\nReviewer:\u00a0 James Killen<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen a lot of great musicians that play songs well. I\u2019ve seen some that can choreograph a show like it was made for Broadway. It is rare, indeed, that I get the chance to see a performing artist that actually \u201cbecomes the song\u201d and nobody \u201cbecomes the song\u201d like Malcolm Holcombe. When MH plays, it\u2019s as if every fiber of his being is pushing out the notes and lyrics. It seems that the music is going on around him like a merry-go-round all of the time and when Holcomb takes the stage, he\u2019s hopping on for a ride.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the sound is gentle and sweet and sometimes it\u2019s the merry-go-round from Hell rocking him almost out of his chair, shaking his head and driving the sure fingered notes out of his guitar rapid fire. On this night, as the sold out crowd was settling into their seats, I noticed Malcolm settling in on stage and cinching up his belt one more notch as if strapping in for the ride.<\/p>\n

The show started out with the sentimental, \u201cMountains of Home\u201d, followed in quick succession by \u201cWhere I Don\u2019t Belong\u201d and \u201cNot Forgotten\u201d. The first three songs were followed by an abrupt holler of \u2018SLOW DOWN!\u2019 After a couple of Malcolm Holcombe shows, the listener will come to expect sudden loud outbursts between and even during songs, just to make sure that you\u2019re paying attention. Something else that you come to expect is the story telling. The stories are part of Malcolm Holcombe\u2019s quirky sense of humor and cover a wide range of subjects from sing-a-longs where you can\u2019t remember the words to how to handle \u201cthe creeps\u201d.<\/p>\n

The show continued with \u201cMama Told Me So\u201d and \u201cMighty City\u201d which featured the intense finger picking and strumming style that is like no other guitarist that I\u2019ve seen. Holcomb hits every note like he means it. He often quotes Lonesome George Gobel, saying, \u201cYou play the parts you know loud\u201d. The first set continued with \u201cHannah\u2019s Trading Post\u201d , \u201cDown in the Woods\u201d, a foot stomping, head shaking \u201cA Hundred Lies\u201d, the almost scat singing of \u201cOne Leg at a Time\u201d. Finishing up the set was a sad, gentle \u201cFor the Mission Baby\u201d and \u201cGone by the Old Sunrise\u201d.<\/p>\n

After a chain-smoking intermission, Malcolm mounted the stage and faced the audience with a cold steady stare before breaking into \u201cWho Carried You?\u201d, \u201cComes the Blues\u201d, and \u201cDrink the Rain\u201d with scarcely a breath between the three songs. Eddie Ferranti quoted Malcolm saying \u201cYeah, that was like drivin\u2019 a tractor trailer through a can of sardines!\u201d After a heartfelt \u201cStraight and Tall\u201d Malcolm introduced \u201cSparrows and Sparrows\u201d as a song about \u201cpigeon shit\u201d after which he rolled into the rollicking \u201cBack to Hell in a Greyhound\u201d. Malcolm stopped long enough to explain how to handle \u201cthe creeps\u201d as a way of introducing the song inspired by his wife, \u201cBaby Likes a Love Song\u201d, followed by a particularly gravelly voiced \u201cReckon to the Wind\u201d. The tempo picked up again for \u201cThe Station\u201d intensified by the outbursts of HEYAH from Malcolm and slowed again for \u201cWhenever I Pray\u201d.<\/p>\n

Malcolm stopped again for a quick story, but this time instead of playing mind tricks on the audience, he made what I believe to be a rare social comment by saying, \u201cWe need to get our guys out of Afghanistan. I don\u2019t think we need this war shit!\u201d. That comment shed a whole new light on the last song of the set, \u201cA Far Cry From Here\u201d, as a longing for the return of our service members on duty overseas.<\/p>\n

Malcolm didn\u2019t get far before the room applauded him back to the stage for the lightning fast finger picking of \u201cMarvelene\u2019s Kitchen\u201d and a melancholy \u201cNever Heard You Knockin\u2019 \u201c. Holcomb seemed drained from the evening\u2019s activities, but no one was left dissatisfied after being taken along for the ride. Some people love him and some people are just a little intimidated by him, but nobody says that Malcolm Holcombe doesn\u2019t give his all to the performance. He\u2019s a bit of Americana everyone should see at least once.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Samuel Barker & James Killen Jun 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM One of our favorite musicians around these parts is Malcolm Holcombe. The man is intense, crafts great songs and brings it every night. What more could you want from a performer? Well, we decided to make Holcombe our latest person to get… <\/p>\n

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