{"id":45,"date":"2015-08-21T20:00:37","date_gmt":"2015-08-21T20:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=45"},"modified":"2015-09-25T16:08:03","modified_gmt":"2015-09-25T16:08:03","slug":"willie-watson-mcgonigels-mucky-duck-houston-tx-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2015\/08\/21\/willie-watson-mcgonigels-mucky-duck-houston-tx-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Willie Watson – McGonigel’s Mucky Duck – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Eddie Ferranti<\/p>\n

\"Image\"One of the interesting parts of covering live music for Houston Music Review is taking a chance on an artist.\u00a0 When Lauren Novik of Big Hassle Media hit us up to cover a gent by the name of Willie Watson at the fine McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston, we took the bait and ran.\u00a0 Rose and I knew nothing of the artist, but love to take chances especially when we are familiar with the venue.\u00a0 It was a 9:30pm gig and we were surprised to see it SRO when we arrived. Come to find out that WW was the former singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player for the chart topping alt-country band Old Crow Medicine Show and is now out on his own.<\/p>\n

Hittin’ the stage looking like he was 17 and thinner than a pencil, Watson showed a distinctive vocal twang with good range and strong guitar pickin’ on “Take This Hammer”.\u00a0 The usually sedate sit-and-listen music lover crowd at this venerable institution quiclky turned into a “red dirt” younger and vocal crowd with a bellowing “Hot Damn” screamed at the end of the first tune!<\/p>\n

It continued all night long as Watson’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics on the likes of\u00a0 “Long John Dean”, “Mexican Cowboy”complete with killer banjo licks and “James Attitude” had me thinking of Adam Carroll’s style of corny story telling.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I was really impressed at what an authenic entertainer he was, handling the drunk crowd very well and delivering tune after tune from his debut album “Folk Singer Vol.1”.\u00a0 Absolute excellent song he did was “Keep It Clean” with his coca-KOLAH, lemon soda and bowl of ice cream lyrics staying with this reviewer long after the gig.\u00a0 His songs are all folk songs whether new or old and it was refreshing as all get out to see a young Arlo Guthrie type chap in the house.\u00a0 The songs were all deep in the lore of famous folk singers, but WW wore them like an old flannel shirt and made them his own including his new composition “Birningham Mill” about young ladies working in sweat shop environments. A tailor made ditty was in order with WW saying: “It wouldn’t be a folk concert if there wasn’t a sing-along” which was the stellar “Stewball”! Watson shifted to some sweet blues on “How You Want It” which threw in a gospel feel as well.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"Watson takes no prisoners and really seems comfortable by his lonesome delivering an enthusiastic and fierceful delivery packin’ a harmonic punch, too when need be.\u00a0 The “Willie we love you” crowd really hooped it up when he delivered an ode to his old band with a bad ass blues version of “Midnight Special” followed by “T for Texas”..<\/p>\n

All in all this was more than a fun night and Watson left us laughing when yet another over-served patron yelled” Put on your hat” which he had sitting on stage the whole night.\u00a0 He smiled waggin’ his head NO as he stated he lived in LA and when Justin Bieber was spotted wearing his lid, he had to quit wearing it!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Classic.\u00a0 It really pays off to get off your duff and go see some stuff my friends.\u00a0 Try it sometime<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Eddie Ferranti One of the interesting parts of covering live music for Houston Music Review is taking a chance on an artist.\u00a0 When Lauren Novik of Big Hassle Media hit us up to cover a gent by the name of Willie Watson at the fine McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston, we took the… <\/p>\n

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