This installment featured a talented young lady by the name of Rachel Loy.  Aside from her being a rising artist out of Nashville (via Austin) it is important to lay out the particulars about the person she is first. Rachel had played AA last September and has found a fondness for Kenny’s passion for presenting music in the ultimate intimate fashion. That being said, she was booked for this gig to sing happy birthday to KP’s daughter Brooke on her 12th birthday. Being the talent she is and living in a musical hotbed like Nashville, opportunity came a knockin’ out of left field early in the week. RL spends most of her time playing bass in a band called “54 Seconds” these days. A last minute cancellation opened the door for her band to open for Heart at the Wildhorse ! It happened to be the same date as her scheduled gig in Pasadena.  Being the cool person she is, she chose to stick to the gig she planned several months in advance. What does that tell you about her AND the rising prominence of thee Almost Austin Series itself?

She proudly proclaimed as much as she tapped her heart on stage rubbing the brand new Almost Austin button she received that evening courtesy of Samuel Barker and this reviewer of Houston Music Review!  In fact, the overall feel of this evening was a togetherness that you could almost touch if you will. This was the 9th gig for us (if not the 10th) and it is becoming like a family get together. From the kids on hand celebrating with Brooke with cake and presents. Behaving kids, too. Having whom I affectionally call the “Godfather of House Concerts” Pete Cronquist on hand is always a treat.  Mr. Pete is the man responsible for turning me on to house gigs period. Having the badass team of regulars like Wes, Cheryl, Daniel  (delicious chili this night), Mama Carol and the now resident “heckler” Terri Salazar is very cool.

Rachel’s parents AND grandparents were also on hand.  Hell, even Mr. Pipes showed his “pipes” on stage doing Richard Bowden’s tune “Help Me Make It Through The Yard”!  Classic.  The crowds (another 40 or so) are always into the music first and foremost. As far as the music this night, it is unfortunate that I did not know a word of any of Loy’s tunes before I saw her. She showed a beyond her years stage presence and delivered her tunes with a heartrending ease throughout her ballads. The girl is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She had a chart topping hit in 2003 called “The Same Man” which she performed. She joked how in Nashville there are many real estate brokers/songwriters everywhere. Sometimes you score a winner and sometimes you don’t.

She’s released 2 albums, 2005’s “Love the Mess” and “Tongue and Teeth”, which has her mentioned as a combo of Rickie Lee Jones, The Cardigans and Shawn Colvin. Not too shabby. Again I’d like to catch this lady with her full band where she has been said to drive her bass like a pack of pit bulls!  Overall she has “spunk”, and I do not mean that in a bad way. In speaking with her about venues we visited around Nashville, she expressed a genuine interest which is big with us at HMR. In closing, I would like to state what I told Kenny myself. I had stopped at Cactus Records the night before to catch Hayes Carll’s in store gig. At the show I ran in to two folks who had been to Almost Austin in the past. They BOTH apologized to me for not coming lately. That to me is the ultimate compliment. By the way, I’m starting the groundswell to get an early December gig on the calendar!  What do y’all think?!  Life is cool and good on House Street. Come on out and see for yourself sometime soon…Later, I’m out.