The Best Of 2010...Live Shows In and Around ATX

We say it every year, but it bears repeating. Fuckin' A. What a great year for live music in Austin and the surrounding Hill Country. And We even missed most of SXSW.

We didn't hit up too many of the really huge shows (skipped ACL and the aforementioned SXSW miss due to vacation) but we packed in a boatload of high quality local and smaller touring acts.

Here are some of our favorite shows. Links to the audio of the shows are provided where possible.

Leo Rondeau & Mike & The Moonpies at the Mohawk on 2010.01.01 (Leo's set, Moonpies set)
Scott Miller at the Cactus Cafe on 2010.01.19
Chris Wall at Our House Concert on 2010.01.30
Justin Townes Earle at Stubb's BBQ on 2010.02.04
The Gourds & Otis Gibbs at the Cactus Cafe on 2010.02.19 (the Gourds set, Otis Gibbs' set)
Cory Branan & Tumbledown at the Mohawk on 2010.04.12 (Cory's set, Tumbledown's set)
Roger Alan Wade and Friends at the Mean Eyed Cat on 2010.04.14
The Railbenders at Herman's Hideaway on 2010.04.23
The Gourds at Threadgill's South on 2010.05.28
Mark Jungers and Houston Marchman at Gruene Hall 2010.06.18 (Mark's set, Houston's set)
James Hyland & The Joint Chiefs at the Mean Eyed Cat on 2010.07.10
Shinyribs at the Belmont on 2010.08.03
The Sons Of Bill at Emo's on 2010.08.29
Chris Knight at the Cactus Cafe on 2010.09.18
The Old 97s at the Ghost Room on 2010.10.13
Whitey Morgan and the 78s at Lovejoy's on 2010.10.21
Joe Pug at the Cactus Cafe on 2010.11.06
Various Artists performing the Last Waltz at Club Deville on 2010.11.21
Mike & The Moonpies happy hour run at the Mohawk during September (2010.09.02 & 2010.09.30)

Joe Pug & The Hundred Mile Band Live @ The Cactus Cafe on 2010.11.06 [Live Audio]

Joe Pug and the Hundred Mile Band closed out their $10 Tour in Austin at the Cactus Cafe to a young, packed room. Accompanied by Matt Schuessler on upright bass and Jordan Hamlin on electric guitar and accordian, Pug tore through a baker's dozen of his best compositions Saturday night before closing the show with a cover of the Low Anthem's "To Ohio". Of the Joe Pug shows I've seen, this was far and away the best.

If you missed it, never fear. LMA link to MP3s and FLACs and stream below. Enjoy.

http://www.archive.org/details/joepug2010-11-06.matrix.flac

Our On-Going Love Of The Boss' Atlantic City

We talked a while back about how much we love Springsteen's Atlantic City...a little too much, it turns out. This recording of Justin Townes Earle covering Atlantic City with Joe Pug turned up on the LMA (thanks NCHell & Atomic Pope) recently and we felt it would be remiss of us to not share it with you. Enjoy.

http://www.archive.org/download/jte2010-03-09/jte20100309d02t12.mp3

The Best Of 2008...Artist Discoveries

If you're gonna check out any of these folks, make it Dustin Welch, Justin Townes Earle and Joe Pug. They're all kind of at a similar point in their careers where very good things are going to happen for them / to them soon. Make no mistake, all of these artists are worth your time but a few of them don't have records out yet so just be patient and go see them live.

Leo Rondeau (myspace) Country/Folk/Americana
Joe Pug (myspace) Singer/Songwriter
Roger Alan Wade (myspace) Singer/Songwriter moving effortlessly from touching to ribald
A.A. Bondy (myspace) Singer/Songwriter
Tim Hus (site) Canadian Cowboy
American Graveyard (myspace) Alt-Country Rock
Flatcar Rattlers (myspace) large band 21st century bluegrass/jamgrass
Dustin Welch (myspace) high energy Americana Rock
Justin Townes Earle (myspace) Singer/Songwriter with a flare for the nostalgia of the past
The Diesel Kings (myspace) Rockin' Country

The Best Of 2008...Official Releases

Alt512's Top Seven:
Justin Townes Earle The Good Life
Tim Hus Bush Pilot Buckaroo
Brock Zeman Hundred Dollar Difference
Joe Pug Nation Of Heat (EP)
Hayes Carll Trouble In Mind
Adam Carroll Old Town Rock N Roll
South Austin Jug Band Strange Invitation

The Best of the Rest:
Jason Boland & The Stragglers Comal County Blue
I See Hawks In L.A. Hallowed Ground
The Gunhands Country Strange
Todd Snider Peace Queer (EP)
A.A. Bondy American Hearts
Justin Townes Earle The Good Life
Reckless Kelly Bulletproof
Fred Eaglesmith Tinderbox
Peter Cooper The Mission Door
Scott Miller For Crying Out Loud
Eleven Hundred Springs Country Jam
James McMurtry Just Us Kids
Mike McClure Did7
The Dedringers Sweetheart Of The Neighborhood

Joe Pug's Video For Hymn 101

Here's the video for Joe Pug's Hymn 101 directed by Sam Molleur. He'll be on tour this fall so get out and see him if he's coming to your town. You won't be disappointed.

Site
Myspace

9/10 South Bend, IN *
9/18 Chicago, IL Park West >
10/3 Chicago, IL The Hideout (w/ full band)
10/5 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage
10/10 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio #
10/11 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls &
10/12 Westhampton, NY Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center ^
10/14 Buffalo, NY Univ. of Buffalo Performing Arts Center ^
10/15 Harrisburg, PA Whitaker Center^
10/23 New York, NY CMJ Music Marathon @ Arlene's Grocery
11/1 Ames, IA The Maintainance Shop +
11/2 Dubuque, IA Jansen Music Hall at Clark College+
11/14 Columbia, MO Bluebird Music and Arts Festival

* with Robert Randolph
> with Kasey Chambers
# with Justin Townes Earle
^ with Susan Tedeschi
& with Railroad Earth
+ with Pieta Brown

Joe Pug - Hymn 101 from Sam Molleur on Vimeo.

More Joe Pug

We here at alt512 saw Joe Pug (site, myspace) last week here at Antone's in Austin and were really impressed especially by the songs that we're on the EP. We hope he comes back to Austin soon.

Here's some of his stuff on youtube...

"Unsophisticated Heart"

"Hymn 101"

Introducing Joe Pug & His Nation Of Heat EP

Got an email from this guy's press agent Sharyn and after a listen felt obligated to share with you. His name is Joe Pug (myspace) and he's from Chicago. Got a bit of The Boss, John Prine and Paul Simon rattling around in there. I think you'll dig it.

You can download his EP here:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/0udrfo
Or you can stream it from ReverbNation.