Since his last appearance at the Underground
City Tavern, in December 2004, Texas singer/songwriter Billy Joe
Shaver has published an autobiography, been the subject of a live
tribute CD, had his life story produced on a DVD, been cast in a
major motion picture, released a solo CD of new original material,
appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes and NPR’s Fresh
Air, and played hundreds of live
concerts across the country. Why would a 66-year-old man want to do this
— shouldn’t he be on the golf course or in the bingo
hall or something? Well, believe it or not, Shaver is finally
getting his due after more than 30 years of struggle in the morass
of near-success. Early songwriting hits put Shaver on the lost
highway of semistardom and placed the typical abuses that litter it
in his path. Just as he was reaching his golden years, Shaver lost
his mother, his wife, and his musical collaborator and only son,
Eddy, in 2000. He says that his born-again Christian faith
sustained him through those grief-filled times, but he’s also
said that songwriting is excellent therapy and cheaper than a
psychiatrist. Known mostly for penning such classic country hits
such as “I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train,” “You
Asked Me To,” “Old Five and Dimers Like Me,”
“I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal,” and “Honky Tonk Heroes,” Shaver has just
recently come into his own as a performer. During his last visit to the
UCT stage he was thrusting his fists in the air; telling wild stories
of guns, guitars, women, and booze; and generally causing quite a stir,
all the while guiding his band through spirited versions of his songs. Macomb resident Ed Heflin, merchandise guy
for Shaver when he plays in central Illinois, considers the man a
friend and stays in contact with him and his organization. “Billy has morphed into quite the song
stylist, but the pure power of Diamondback (Shaver’s new
backing band, Diamondback Texas, billed as the “world’s
hardest-rockin’ country band”) sometimes overwhelms his
subtle readings,” Heflin says. “I have a feeling that
the past few months on the road has resulted in he and Diamondback
melding quite well. Springfield is in for a treat.”
Billy Joe Shaver and Diamondback Texas, roll
into the Underground City Tavern, 700 E. Adams St., 217-789-1530,
on Monday, Oct. 17. Their set starts at 9 p.m. 56 Hope Road, an
acoustic funk group from Chicago now in the process of conquering
the music world, stops by Mojo’s (225 E. Monroe,
217-544-3400) at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, for a CD release
party. The traveling band features Springfield native Greg Fundis
on drums and the songwriting duo of Dave Hamilton and Steve Goveia
on acoustic guitars. The CD, Once in
Our Lives, is a collection of songs
recorded at various locations during the band’s on-the-road
adventures of last year.
Dave Littrell, Dave
Carter, and Jeff Cunningham, the original pals of Three Amigos,
have made new friends and incorporated them into the band. The
addition of Tim Niemeyer and Jose Santiago does not alter the
group’s name, but certainly adds depth and variety to the
electric and eclectic music. Their sound swaggers between
instrumental funky-jazz-fusion and jam-band vocal rock, always
teetering on the edge of improvisation without getting lost in the
morass of self-absorption so often associated with free-style
playing. The group — a collaborative effort between members
of The Station, LowPhatt and the Johnny Five — plans to
record and release a CD sometime in early 2006. Check them out at
Mojo’s on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and from 7
to 8 at the Springfield Area Hurricane Relief Street Festival.
The “what” did you ask? You read
right: Springfield is having its very own Hurricane Relief Street
Festival this Saturday on Washington Street, north of the Old State
Capitol. The city of Springfield and Mayor Tim Davlin, hosts of the
family-oriented event, are donating the proceeds to Habitat for
Humanity, Salvation Army, and Animal Protective League. Music
performances by local artists run from 2 until around 10, with
acoustic singer-songwriters going first and jazz cats taking over
in the evening hours. New Orleans-type food prepared by local chefs
and beverages of assorted flavors will be available for purchase
and consumption.
The Bowling Alley Big
Band kicks off its fall season with a performance at Spillway Lanes
Lounge (1025 Outer Park Drive, 217-546-5221) on Sunday, Oct. 16,
from 6 to 9 p.m. The quite large big band, full of seldom-seen
instruments such as trumpets and trombones, is always a sight for
sore eyes and a pleasure to hear. Dancing is highly recommended.
This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2005.
