{"id":952,"date":"2011-09-02T20:00:43","date_gmt":"2011-09-02T20:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=952"},"modified":"2015-10-13T19:48:34","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T19:48:34","slug":"michael-oconnoradam-carroll-old-quarter-galveston-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2011\/09\/02\/michael-oconnoradam-carroll-old-quarter-galveston-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael O’Connor\/Adam Carroll – Old Quarter – Galveston, Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Daniel Barker<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sep 02, 2011 at 08:00 PM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"Sometimes an upcoming show just shines like a diamond in a goat\u2019s ass. Michael O\u2019Connor and Adam Carroll at The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston, Texas is a show I never want to miss. However, to attend this show was going to take some unusual effort on my part. This show was falling on the September 2nd<\/sup> – the Friday of Labor Day Weekend 2011. I own a recreational beach equipment rental company on Crystal Beach so I would have to negotiate the dreaded holiday ferry line after a day of sun and surf going into one of the busiest weekends of the year. Yeah right. That\u2019s what I get for thinking.<\/p>\n

Lee was not only the bartender on the evening of the show but also a named tropical storm that had ruined any chance of me having a successful weekend in business. The media did the rest of the job leaving Bolivar baron and the Old Quarter quiet. The show now served as an escape from my severe cabin fever after several Monk marathons on Ion.<\/p>\n

This impromptu hurricane party would also serve as a regularly scheduled CD release party. Michael O\u2019Connor released \u201cThe Devil Stole The Moon\u201d August 2nd<\/sup> on Bare Knuckles Recordings Label produced and engineered by Jack Saunders at his White Cat Studios in Houston, Texas. Adam Carroll has co-writing credits on three of the ten songs so it was a treat to have him here to support MOC tonight. OQA is owned and operated by the legendary sound tech Wrecks Bell who made his way to the stage to introduce the two Texas troubadours. Wrecks enjoys having either of these two in town but when they are together it\u2019s always twice the agony. MOC played on Wrecks CD and all three are very close friends.<\/p>\n

MOC started the night with \u201cThrow a Nickel\u201d off the Hard Times disc that he and AC released in 2009. I reviewed the CD release for that album the last time we were all in this same building – #5 – Adam Carroll & Michael O’Connor – Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe – Galveston, TX<\/u><\/a> . AC began his end of the song-swap with \u201cGirl With The Dirty Hair\u201d \u2013 a song he would have named \u201cGalveston\u201d if Glenn Campbell had not beat him to it. A lyric about his brief stay on the island and often covered by OQA alum Hayes Carll. Wrecks loves to give AC hell \u2013 \u201cAdam Carroll is the man that put Hayes Carll on the map\u201d.<\/p>\n

In keeping with the Galveston\/Hard Times theme, MOC busted out another one off that disc \u2013 \u201cBernadine\u201d. A song which holds a line that is one of my possible epitaphs \u2013 \u201cOff a run down, low rent, Gulf Coast loser like me\u201d. Despite all the pomp and circumstance tonight, MOC and AC are storytellers that drag their nets in the Bay of Real Life – two grown men who toil over syllable and rhyme for hours, days, weeks and\/or years until they present their prized catch to the other sullied seamen.<\/p>\n

An OQA jersey wearing, Jake-leg limping, and Starbock drinking AC segued into the reason for Labor Day. LABOR \u2013 imagine that. Organized labor that is with \u201cAFL-CIO\u201d and talk of bumper stickers that say \u201cThe Union Gave You The Weekend\u201d. AFL-CIO is a song about him sitting in on a bluegrass jam with union plant workers. The Labor movement and folk music are blood brothers and even though unions seem to have fallen out of favor it is\u00a0good to be reminded by Adam Carroll and Otis Gibbs of the sacrifices workers made for the work benefits\u00a0we\u00a0take for granted. That is if you are lucky enough to have a job today.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m learning that MOC is like Elvis-freakin\u2019-Costello when it comes to Texas music knowledge. He drops all sorts of names which I jot down and intend to research. The one name that was in the spotlight tonight was Rocky Benton – a blind black man born in Silsbee that spent the better part of 20 years blowing the prison whistle in Corpus Christi\u2019s blues scene before he died in 2009 at age 57. MOC wrote \u201cBurn\u201d in honor of his friend. A harmonica player that wore harps of all keys in a waist belt and was revered for being able to sit in right on time and in key \u2013 every time \u2013 3 and 4 gigs a night. AC\u2019s harp playing on this song was soul piercing and the best I have ever heard him play \u2013 even if his D harp had been broken the night before.<\/p>\n

Still feeling the sting from his fresh upper arm tattoo of his latest album\u2019s cover, Michael O\u2019Connor was busting balls in a way that only he can. It did not help that there were only 25 paid attendees max when a couple in the back row sitting next to me began to irritate our host. In her defense, I had been overhearing the lady try to explain the intricacies of what I have laid out earlier in this review to her tool of a date. MOC stopped mid-song and stared their way \u2013 \u201cI can hear everything your saying baby!!\u201d The two walked out shortly which lead MOC to deliver the punch line \u2013 \u201cI thought they were never gonna leave!!\u201d Short laughs were interrupted when someone told O\u2019Connor there was a speaker outside\u2026.without missing a note he joked throughout the next few songs until the lady came back in by herself to hear the rest of the show. She sat and shouted toward the stage \u2013 \u201cI am here because of you!!\u201d MOC had met his match and thanked her for being able to take a joke\u2026.It was a classic!!!<\/p>\n

Other highlights of the night for me were hearing MOC play \u201cGetaway Car\u201d. A superb song that I was introduced to by Slaid Cleaves on his \u201cUnsung\u201d album many years back. MOC plays guitar for Slaid on tour. Also, AC played a new song he has been working on that deals with a guitar that only has one song in it and he wrote it for a love\u2026.rough and unfinished but undoubtedly AC will toil over before serving on CD.<\/p>\n

I would have to say that I was once again taught that just when you think you have it all figured out you eventually will be humbled. Some people just need to be more humbled than others. Actual results may vary. Until next time, I will see you out supporting live music.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Daniel Barker Sep 02, 2011 at 08:00 PM Sometimes an upcoming show just shines like a diamond in a goat\u2019s ass. Michael O\u2019Connor and Adam Carroll at The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston, Texas is a show I never want to miss. However, to attend this show was going to take some… <\/p>\n

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