First off I wanted to recognize that Free Range State has brought on the Derrick Davis Band – an amazingly talented group pf artists based in Austin headed up by Derrick Davis and Jacob Gonzalez. They are a strong addition to the FRS family and I know you will digg their sound. Check back for more info on their upcoming tour and SXSW 2010.


Secondly, the Jeff Conley Band (formerly Tin Can Tele) just released their newest album; which we are extremely excited about! Jeff and his band of renowned are currently touring the North East in support of their album so check out their schedule and catch them this spring.

Thirdly, We have been catching some quality shows as of late and wanted to give you a little taste of what you can find/expect on the Free Range State Youtube Channel.

Old Crow Medicine Show – Live @ Stubb’s


(FRS favorite) Ryan Montbleau Band – Live @ Momo’s


DumpstaPhunk – Live @ Antone’s

moe. – Live @ Stubb’s


The Will Evans Project – Live @ Momo’s

Meggan Carney & The Flying Trapeze – Live @ Momo’s

Also, here are some videos from the 2009 Naukabout Music Festival :

Pete Francis feat. Barefoot Truth

Rusted Root – Send Me On My Way


Ryan Montbleau Band – Stretch

Stay tuned for more Free Range State updates and coverage in 2010!

Hey folks great news!! The 2009 Naukabout Music Festival is officially underway. The line-up is amazing and Free Range State is lucky enough to be helping put this baby on. Also, just an FYI there are only 2000 tickets avilable for the festival so get them fast… public sale of tickets starts 5.17.09.

Main Stage-

Rusted Root
Pete Francis & Barefoot Truth
Ryan Montbleau Band
The Old Silver Band
Roots Down Below

Side Stage -

Emily Elbert
Tripping Lily
Tin Can Tele
Sam Chase
Daniel Byrnes

So get ready for fun, sun, laughing, dancing, drinking …. and anything else that you include in your festival activities

You can follow the NaukaboutFest Twitter as well as the Free Range State Twitter for updates on pre/post shows, give-aways, news and other exclusive festival info.

A quick preview of all the artists

So, we drove into downtown Austin to Mohawk’s. Found parking and paid the cover. To my surprise the inside was jam packed with hipsters, hippies, and your regular Joe. I immediately got the sense from the building energy in the room that something special was about to happen. The indoor stage was carefully organized to fit all of the various instruments into the small space(2 different keyboard set ups, drums, an assortment of percussion and wind instruments). Then emerged the band Bright Black Morning Light who were for lack of a better word “interesting” looking. The lead singer/keys wore a red knit cap pulled over his eyes with black flowing curly hair pouring out over his shoulders (very Muppet like). The rest of the band also had their own unique style that set a very powerful tone. Then the best part of the evening started – THE MUSIC!

The driving dub/psychedelic/galactic/ancient pulsating music swelled and sank with the audience holding on for dear life. The experience was almost, not it was, religious. The band feed off the energy of the crowd and vice versa. It was true synergy in action. I was blown away and knew that I was hearing something totally new and amazing – as you can tell I was a fan. Come to find out the lead singer Naybob Shineywater sings with an arrowhead in his mouth to “To let his own sung words & breathe touch this stone before…ears could hear them.”. The thinking behind this statement truly encapsulates what this band is all about. A spiritual connection between the music and the people and in turn with the driving influences that shape their unique and addicting sound.

With strong believes driving their music – including a passion for the environment “We both grew up in Alabama, yet we both left for the same reason, the environmental degradation due to corporate development is staggering & unchecked, it makes us disgusted. However, in the Western USA we are gathered with the many folks to protect wilderness, rivers & oceans. Ecology has a place in the West’s culture, even if it’s on a small scale right now,” – Brightblack Morning Light is force that not only believes in what it represents, but plays a style of music that drives those points home. These guys are a must see, and I am eternally grateful for my friend dragging me off the couch to experience something that I will never forget. GO SEE THE GUYS… they are certainly a Free Range Band!

This is a good sampling of what their show aims to make you feel

Squeezing my way forward with my photographer Rick we landed slightly right of center stage. Spinning around to take in a 360 degree view the room was abuzz with conversation, pre-concert dancing, and a constant ebb and flow to and from the bar. Hipsters, hippies, and hometown Texans all must have penciled this date into their calendar because by 8:45 the room was no longer just a room it was now an organic entity alive and pulsating with anticipation. After soaking in the proverbial scene I fixed my focus on one of the cleverest and appropriate sets I have ever seen. The stage was dressed to emulate a fully operational music shop and I mean fully OPERATIONAL. Hanging on or in front of the brown wall was at least 25 different varieties of stringed instrument: banjos, mandolins, electric and acoustic bass, a cello, keyboards, a beat pad and some of the funkiest guitars you have ever seen. To the left of all the hanging instruments was a wall of strings, magazines, concert posters and music books. And in front of that was a fully equipped cash register with a credit card swiper, a set of store policies, and over 10 different types of guitar pedals. Of course standing predominantly in the middle of the stage was Keller’s mixing station and his electric bass and guitar on stands ready to be manipulated in unimaginable ways. However it was the little things that truly set the tone for an unforgettable show. Instrument price tags labeled with phrases like “arm and a leg” and signs reading “you break you buy” and “shoplifters die slowly”. The stage was literally set.


As Keller’s tech tuned the final instrument and arranged the final cords a distinctive guitar strum erupted from the darkness sending the crowd into a frenzy. From that same darkness a silhouette could be seen armed with his trusty 6 string making his way onto the spotlighted stage. Keller dawned a distinctly white-ninja like outfit with baggy, white, hemp-like pants and a similar t-shirt. This ninja-like outfit was very fitting for the musical acrobatics we were all about to witness. “Art” kicked off the set slowly picking up momentum as it organically formed its own unique structure and flow. Following “Art” was a crowd and Keller pleasing cover of Heat’s “Barracuda” laced with whistled and robot driven lyrics and solos. When the song reached it pinnacle Keller took the opportunity to Rock Out along with the crowd to Keller’s inspirational version of the cover. The next two songs “You Maybe Right” and “Chicken” blended as one making for an interesting cluck filled sing along. The tone was set and it was going to be a fun loving roller coaster ride of fluid musical creation.

As the first set progressed Keller build and deconstructed “Cornpone”, “Stupid Questions”, “Blatent” “By the Drop” and “Doobie”. All incorporating different measurements of vocal, string, percussion and lyrical elements all cobbled together into a final comprehensive formula or what is commonly know as a “song”. The equation that Keller calls “Novelty” played at one point played on the 12 string, that really doesn’t have 12 strings, was particularly mesmerizing and invigorating. “Focus on the bass” followed by a string of pointless lyrics, book ended with pulsating dance music was the formula for success on this song. The various components: 3 different types of bass, beats, vocal contortions, and a guitar masquerading as a bass weaved a seamless tapestry of rhythm that sent the crowd into motion. Following up quickly Keller moved into “Eva Braun”, “Kinky” and then into a keys driven version of Syd Barrett’s “Terrapin” that had everyone singing along as Keller made it his own.

To end the first hour and 20 minute set Keller busted into a romping version of “Mexican Fat Dance” that truly reflected many of the cultural elements found in and around Austin. The assembly of the song was both surprising and appropriate for the venue and the groovy it put out was contagious and left us all wanting more. So when Keller said “Don’t go away. I’ll be right back” to end the set we all hopped and knew he would keep his word.

The 30 minute set break allowed everyone a collective breath. Groups, people and drinks all fluxuated and found a new environment. The positioning of the crowd might have shifted but the energy and eagerness only grew. As the second hour and a half set kicked off Keller flew through “Cookies” and “Breathe” and then directly into “Caddy” into “Apologies” and then back into “Breathe”, and somewhere in the midst of all that hustle and bustle there was a “birds of a feather” sing-along/dance-along that brought a tear to many eyes in the room.

Keller then strung together a set of covers “Jeremy” “Plush” done in his own unique way followed by one of my person favorites “Love Handles”, “Tuna”, and then the classic “Gate Crashers”. “St. Stephen”, “Yoni”, and “Lifetime” polished off the set, and Rick and I squeezed our way to the back of the room to get some prospective on the crowd, stage and show.

After witnessing what would usually take 5 or 6 band members to conjure come out of a single man I was pleasantly confounded and musically satiated. As Keller re-entered the spotlight he truly embodied a barefooted ninja with his tribal version of “Celebrate the Drum”.

Standing in the back of the room, having room the move and breath, and being able to enjoy a cold beer while witnessing a packed room move with liquid like properties it was clear. Keller Williams is the modern day musical equivalent to Dr. Frankenstein, but instead of creating monsters of doom Keller creates agents of groove.

To see all the photos check out the FreeRangeState photo album.

All photos by Rick Kern

This tour supporting their latest release “Blind Man’s Hill” , put out on HYENA Records, has the band touring from coast to coast. Their stop in Austin was the 4th in Texas and 13th of their 30 date national tour. As part of this tour The Bridge invited the artists over at VORCAN to paint 26 of their gigs. If you haven’t seen live, improvised, music-inspired painting at a show before, CHECK IT OUT, because it is quite a visual experience. You can see some of the work the painters have been putting out over at 50dollarlunch.com.

The Bridge took the stage around 10 pm and launched into a set that mixed tunes from all three of their albums, as well as some tasteful covers from Little Feat, Van Morrison and The Band. In particular, the new song “Honey Bee” showcased the band’s trademark sound while highlighting how they have continued to develop and hone their songwriting and arrangement skills.
The song’s balance of bluesish lyrics, tight progression and perfectly sprinkled solos painted a perfect picture of who The Bridge is and what their sound is all about. For some, it was obvious that this was their first time seeing The Bridge. This was made evident when Kenny removed his mandolin and brought his microphone tight to his face concealing it from the audience with his hands.
Then as I expected- he beatboxed his way into a series of awe inspiring vocal contortions and melodies that stunned the crowd into a state of amazement. He even subtly snuck in a short Led Zeppelin interlude and then segued into a hip-gyrating version of “Drop The Beat” that kept Kenny, the band and the crowd busy. Overall the night was off to a great start.

As the set progressed the band kept everyone entertained in between songs as well. Their fun banter and crowd interaction made everyone feel as if the show was a personalized performance just for them. At one point in between tunes a member of the crowd ran up to the stage and placed a note at the feet of Patrick the sax player and ran away.
At the urging of the rest of the band Patrick read the “love note” aloud which asked him to Facebook the fan Brittany because it was her birthday. For everyone, except for Brittany I am sure, it was an endearing and funny moment. The band seemed to really be enjoying their second time playing Stubb’s, as well as kicking back a few Lone Stars throughout the night. This was emphasized by Kenny saying that “We all know this is the best city in Texas” which few if any could argue.

After “Diggin in the Cold Ground” -> “Into the Mystic” and another jaw dropping beatboxing “Ballad of Clear Rock” the night was seemingly coming to a close. But not before what in my opinion was the best jam of the night. Chris’s take on “Heavy Water” was nothing less than ‘Jerryesque’- the slow building spacey jam was punctuated by throbbing bass lines and elegant sax riffs.
The culmination of the song featured Chris’s fluid guitar solos driving the jam, and the rest of the band, to a almost orgasmic peak.
This “peak” was punctuated when 2 of Chris’s guitar strings snapped right as the song was settling into it’s final resting place. With that, the set came to a close. I then had a chance to glance over to see what this night of musical exploration had birthed on the canvas, and as you can see it was as unique and interesting as The Bridge’s set and ever-evolving sound.

All photos taken by Kim Hutchens

Check out all the entire FreeRangeState photo album

Peter Murner
Free Range State