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<\/a>It was back to the cozy Americana this Thursday night for an early show. Charles Bryant started at 6PM for the last part of the 4-7PM Happy Hour. He had already brought in a number of his dearest fans and was busy saying hellos and taking requests for the show. Charles kicked it off with \u201cHere I Am Again\u201d, about Robin Williams\u2019 struggle with depression. He followed that up with five numbers from his latest disc, \u201cKiss the Sun\u201d (21 Days, Evan\u2019s Song, It\u2019s About Love, Nursing Home and The MRI Song). Next came the ironic, \u201cHappy Song\u201d, all done in major chords. It was back to \u201cKiss the Sun\u201d for \u201cKill \u2018Em All\u201d, \u201cNever Pass this Way Again\u201d (dedicated to Chris Cornell), and my request for the evening, \u201cGive You\u201d. To end his set, Mr. Bryant strapped on a banjo to do a claw hammer rendition of Ralph Stanley\u2019s \u201cI am the Man Thomas\u201d. Charles really kicked it off strong with his energetic strumming and poignant lyrics.<\/p>\nDuring the brief stage change, the Americana began to fill up with fans of Byrd and Street. Tommy Byrd was a member of the Geezinslaws and before that was a Stax recording artist in Memphis. Kathy Street was a grade school teacher and sang in several folk groups as well as performing in musical theatre productions. Tommy and Kathy met in 2001 and found a harmony together that has become a fixture in South Texas folk institutions like Kerrville and SWRFA. They write original tunes and perform their own versions of some classic hits. Their music lives at the corner of country and folk.<\/p>\n
The duo started out the set with \u201cI Need a Small Town\u201d and \u201cLightning Bugs\u201d on glockenspiel and guitar. The stories that Tommy tells sets the tone of the show, as if you\u2019ve just been invited to sit down on their back porch to swap songs and stories. It\u2019s a very relaxed show and their voices meld beautifully. Not shying away from social issues, Byrd and Street performed \u201cMan with a Cardboard Sign\u201d about a guy they passed on the roadside that held a sign that read, \u201cNot begging, just hopeful\u201d. Kathy lent her beautiful voice to the harmony of \u201cMighty Long Road\u201d after that.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>They followed that with \u201cI\u2019ve Got it All\u201d about being satisfied with what one has, and then \u201cI\u2019m Gonna Swim\u201d (out to my ship because it ain\u2019t coming in), leading in to the inspirational country gospel, \u201cHigher Ground\u201d. Kathy took lead vocals on the traditional American folk song, \u201cShenandoah\u201d, playing xylophone and pianica accompanied by Tommy Byrd on guitar and backing vocals. The set continued to entertain with \u201cRock Away the Blues\u201d about slowing things down in a rocking chair, \u201cLove Broke the Fall\u201d about how love helped someone overcome depression and turn their life around , and one of Tommy\u2019s hits from the Stax era, \u201cWatch the River Flow\u201d.<\/p>\n