{"id":520,"date":"2013-05-30T18:00:17","date_gmt":"2013-05-30T18:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=520"},"modified":"2015-10-08T18:17:47","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T18:17:47","slug":"billy-joe-shaver-w-brennan-leigh-discovery-green-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2013\/05\/30\/billy-joe-shaver-w-brennan-leigh-discovery-green-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Joe Shaver w\/ Brennan Leigh – Discovery Green – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by James Killen <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 30, 2013 at 07:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"Billy Joe Shaver headlined the latest installment of Discovery Green\u2019s Thursday night concert series. He brought his high octane back-up band with Jeremy Woodall on guitar, Matt Davis on bass and Jason McKenzie on drums, which is the line-up that he\u2019s been touring with for the last couple of years. The band coasted to a start with \u201cFit to Kill and Going Out in Style\u201d, but wasted no time in getting to the bawdy honky-tonk style that is Billy Joe Shaver.<\/p>\n

Mr. Shaver introduced \u201cHeart of Texas\u201d with a story of losing his virginity to a professional lady from the other side of the tracks as a young man. It was a story that in addition to being from another time, probably should have been told in another place as Discovery Green had a lawn full of onlookers including a number of families. Not to be slowed down, though, the band followed up with mega-hits \u201cGeorgia on a Fast Train\u201d and \u201cHonky-Tonk Heroes\u201d.<\/p>\n

Just when parents thought it was safe to take their hands from their children\u2019s ears, Billy Joe, offered up the inherently suggestive \u201cThat\u2019s What She Said Last Night\u201d and \u201cThe Devil Made Me Do it the First Time\u201d. Shaver sealed the \u201cR\u201d rating for the evening by introducing the song \u201cWacko from Waco\u201d, telling the story for his little run in with the law for shooting a fellow after a show. The story tells his side, saying that the other guy shot at him three times before Billy Joe pulled his little pistol and shot him right between his mother and his \u201cF\u201d word in the mouth.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"Nothing was said during the show, that kids wouldn\u2019t see on most TV networks these days, but Discovery Green is billed as a family venue. Nothing said during the show took away from the performance either, as Shaver\u2019s band is first rate. He moved onward with the religious side of his personality doing \u201cOld Chunk of Coal\u201d and a spoken word recitation of \u201cStar in my Heart\u201d dedicated to his son Eddie that dies of a drug overdose in 2000.<\/p>\n

Billy Joe flapped his wings on his way to Heaven, singing \u201cWhen Fallen Angels Fly\u201d, followed immediately by \u201cI\u2019m Gonna Live Forever\u201d. Woodall flashed a kicking guitar solo on \u201cHottest Thing in Town\u201d and Jason McKenzie played an extended drum solo on \u201cWhen the Word was Thunderbird\u201d, the band leaving him alone on the stage.<\/p>\n

The band came back to the stage to perform \u201cLove is so Sweet\u201d, \u201cRide Me Down Easy\u201d and \u201cIf at First You Don\u2019t Succeed\u201d before closing out with \u201cYou Can\u2019t Beat Jesus Christ\u201d. Billy Joe Shaver and band did a great job of putting out a great sampling of the prolific song book that Shaver has created over the years with twang and finesse. It wouldn\u2019t have disappointed any die hard honky-tonk fan, but next year parents should be aware, this is real honky-tonk music with all of the trappings.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"Brennen Leigh opened up for Billy Joe Shaver at the \u201cGreen\u201d on this evening and I was excited to see her. I\u2019ve seen her name around town for several years and heard good things about her. I was the opposite of disappointed with what I saw Thursday night.<\/p>\n

Her voice and music came from an Appalachian folk style and the lyrics were witty and poignant. She was joined on stage by Noel McKay on Telecaster and Melissa Carper (of the Carper Family) on stand-up bass. She has two records out, \u201cToo Thin to Plow\u201d and \u201cThe Box\u201d and has a third disc being produced by Gurf Morlix called, \u201cBefore the World was Made\u201d that is due out by fall.<\/p>\n

They played a number of songs from each of those discs including, \u201cBacksliding Blues\u201d and \u201cLet\u2019s Go to Lubbock on Vacation\u201d. I\u2019m looking forward to the next opportunity I have to see Ms. Leigh and friends.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by James Killen May 30, 2013 at 07:00 PM Billy Joe Shaver headlined the latest installment of Discovery Green\u2019s Thursday night concert series. He brought his high octane back-up band with Jeremy Woodall on guitar, Matt Davis on bass and Jason McKenzie on drums, which is the line-up that he\u2019s been touring with for… <\/p>\n

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