McLagan and Wood, Continental Club Houston 2005
If you’ve gone to more than a few rock shows, or if you like to see musicians playing in small clubs, you probably have heard of these once-in-a-lifetime shows, where somebody really famous unexpectedly jumps onstage in an unlikely spot. I always wondered if I’d ever experience one of these unique occasions – and five years ago it happened.
December 2005: The Rolling Stones are touring behind their latest album, A Bigger Bang, and tonight’s show is in Houston’s downtown Toyota Center. At almost the same moment as the “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” cranks up its show, another group of musicians are setting up a few miles away in the Continental Club. A small but devoted crowd of people are gathered at the Continental to see Ian McLagan and the Bump Band, from just down the highway in Austin. McLagan is, of course, the keyboard genius who powered the Small Faces and the Faces in the 1960s and 1970s. And his Bump Band this night consists of drummer Don Harvey, bass player Mark Andes and guitarist “Scrappy” Jud Newcomb – crack musicians all.
Ian McLagan, left, with Mark Andes at the Continental Club in Houston
There’s a buzz going through the admittedly small crowd: will there be a mini-reunion of the two members of the Faces in town? Guitarist Ron Wood has been with the Rolling Stones since 1975 but before that he was McLagan’s bandmate in the good-timey Faces. The buzz gets louder as the Bump Band takes the stage and rip into “Little Girl,” from their first album. Seeing a music legend like McLagan up close, you can’t help but marvel at your good fortune – these guys play free happy hours most Thursdays in Austin’s Lucky Lounge and occasionally make the 165-mile trek to Houston to make even more people feel lucky.
30 Days Out 