I know “Cover Me” is not a very creative title, but I could care less. It’s the best title for this weekly segment that will feature Bruce Springsteen covers performed by unknown artists. I plan to scour the web looking for the best versions of great Boss tunes. There are so many great musicians out there who are never heard and I plan to use this blog to help some of them find an audience.
I know this is shameless, but up first, is me. I am the lead singer of the Houston rock band, Orange Is In. Back in 2010, I did my first ever solo gig at a place called Bohemeo’s in Southeast Houston. It was a small Mexican restaurant/bar that had a great vibe and great owners. On the setlist that night was “Real World,” an excellent love song from Springsteen’s Human Touch album. While the album version is a little over produced, the acoustic version from the 1990 Christic Institute show is beyond amazing. That is the version I tried to capture on that hot July evening.
Feel free to send links to Springsteen covers you would like to see featured in this weekly post. We welcome all comers.
“Real World” by Bruce Springsteen (1990 Christic Institute Show)
Andre Johnson hopes to be a big factor against the Ravens.
UPDATED – With more video and MP3 goodness!
Are you ready for some football – playoff style? We in Houston sure are: our hometown team the Texans made history this year by not only achieving the playoffs for the first time in their 10 years as a franchise, but they also won this first-ever playoff game.
So now the H-Town boys are gonna face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and of course the winner of that game will go on to play for the AFC Championship and the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Tim Tebow and the Broncos may have the Lord on their side, but the Texans have some talented musicians in their corner. And we’re not talking about country hat-hack Clay Walker – we mean serious rappers like Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Chamillionaire. Here you go, have a little taste of this:
If the Geto Boys were still around, everyone in Baltimore would be really frightened. Ah well. Here’s another one, I honestly don’t know who the hell created this but the video is WAY better than the music.
This one is called the “Texans Red White and Blue Song” and from the looks of it, it’s officially sanctioned by the team. But we could be wrong.
No music to speak of here … just cheerleaders!
Until 1996, Houston’s football team was the Oilers. Here’s a taste of that freakin’ Oilers fight song.
And this one is done by George Kovacik and Jeff Balke of Orange Is In, this blog’s house band.
We understand you may not necessarily be a Houston Texans fan. We don’t know why, but we understand anyway. So for those few of you out there who are not Texans fans, here are some other favorite football songs for your listening pleasure.
If you’re in the Austin or Houston area, here are a couple worthy events to keep on your radar screen.
Chris Gray Day – Saturday, Jan. 14, Continental Club complex, 3701 Main, 10 a.m.- 2 a.m. Almost 100 acts will perform to help defray medical bills for Chris Gray, a well-known music writer for the Houston Press who had a serious heart attack last year.
You can purchase tickets or make a donation at this Houston Presswebsite . Organizers have created an event blog that is being updated with the latest news on the benefit. Go there and check out some of the awesome stuff they will be selling and/or auctioning off to help the cause.
YouTube: Hayes Carll “KMAG YOYO”
YouTube: Orange Is In “Time Is My Enemy”
YouTube: Little Joe Washington at the West Alabama Ice House, Houston
Esme Barrera benefits – This weekend and Jan. 28, Austin. Esme Barrera, a 29-year-old music fan, teacher and community activist, was murdered in her Austin home New Year’s Eve or in the early hours of Jan 1. Many Austin-area acts are banding together to raise funds for her family this weekend and at other events later this month.
Follow That Bird, Love Collector, The Dead Space, Foreign Mothers, Kingdom Of Suicide Lovers, Neighbor, Ichi Ni San Shi and Eric Static will play a benefit for the family of Esme Barrera at the Scoot Inn on Thursday, Jan. 12 from 7 p.m-2 a.m. Cover is $5-10, with all proceeds going to Barrera’s family. More info here.
Other benefits taking place include a Jan. 28 show at Beerland with Ted Leo, the Crack Pipes, the Golden Boys and Grape St. and a New York show with Kelli Scarr, Golden Ghost, Jo Schornikow and Shannon Barnett. A compilation of local and national bands is also in the works.
The Austin Chronicle has up-to-date information about the many Esme Barrera memorials and benefits. The Austinist blog also has information about a benefit in Los Angeles. Austin policeare still seeking information about Barrera’s murder; let ’em know if you have something.
We forgot to mention Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., shown here during their day party on Thursday.
As Ricky Ricardo used to say to his hapless wife Lucy, “you have some ‘splainin’ to do.” Indeed we do, and we admit some apologies are also in order. First up, we want to apologize to you, dear reader, for leaving South by Southwest (SXSW) two days early. Without going into too many details, let’s just say we had to make the call to throw in the towel quite reluctantly. Even though we were in the SXSW slipstream for barely 24 hours, it was still a fruitful visit.
We didn't see Wild Flag, but we caught OMD in Lance's bike shop!
So, let’s get started. We want to apologize to the band Wild Flag, which we had every intention to see during SXSW. The new quartet’s members have been in a number of bands, most notably Sleater-Kinney and we loved guitarist Carrie Brownstein’s new TV show “Portlandia.” So why didn’t we see ’em? I couldn’t find Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, the actual bicycle shop owned by Lance Armstrong. Wild Flag played a show for KEXP-FM in Seattle and we missed it because I’m a terrible navigator. However, I found the place in time to see ’80s synth-rockersOrchestral Maneuovres in the Dark the next day, and I’m glad I did.
Also apologies are due to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., whom we saw at the Paste magazine day party on Thursday. It’s hard to describe the band’s music, despite the numbing stupidity of its name (which is brilliant, by the way) but let’s just say this Detroit three-piece puts out the least wimpy pop-rock we have heard since, well, never. I heard ’em playing in this place on Sixth Street and walked all the way across the street and actually had to flash my ID to enter and hear this phenomenal music up close. Josh Epstein, singing and flailing on his bass guitar while Daniel Zott kept the beat, cranked out some exceptionally tuneful rock that has me looking online for something more to download. You can start with this one, it’s legal.
Irish band Two Door Cinema Club perform at the MTV Woodies Award show. (Photo by Lily Angelle)
Despite being on the scene only two days at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, we could already detect the storylines vibrating through the air. Oh, okay, not really. On the other side of the world angry nuclear reactors are threatening to burn their way through the Earth, so who gives a shit about what they’re talking about in Austin?
The thousands and thousands (and more thousands) of people visiting the central Texas city this weekend are here to listen to music. More or less. The occasion is supposed to be about hearing unknown/unsigned/unheard acts and yes, there seem to be an awful lot of established stars around who don’t really need the publicity. Or do they?
Unknown and unsigned on the sidewalks of Sixth Street.
So over the past few days we’ve experienced a perfect storm of big name vs. no name, badgeholders vs. nothing-holders, the need to hear music vs. the need to eat and sleep. Some of the usual storylines: who’s gonna play at Perez Hilton’s party? Why couldn’t we get in to see the Foo Fighters? Is R.E.M. gonna play a surprise show? A few people are grumbling again about Austin cops and fire marshals roaming around and strictly enforcing capacity codes and noise restrictions – the theory is that “official” SXSW is somehow leaning on the city to lean, in turn, on places hosting “unofficial” free side parties, or cracking down on noisy establishments hosting outdoor parties. The usual stuff.
Real life gets a little ugly when it nudges its way onto center stage at SXSW. Like on Thursday, the officially sanctioned outdoor show by the Strokes almost ended in disaster as the crowd got unruly. On Friday, a camera boom fell on some spectators during a set at the Stubb’s venue. Minor injuries were sustained in both cases, but residents are starting to ask questions. The usual stuff, including “has this all gotten too big?”
Houston’s own, Orange Is In, will be the first band up at Guero’s Taco Bar, 1412 S. Congress, tomorrow (Sat. March 19) at noon. As with most sets at SXSW, it will be a short one. Just 35 minutes. Bring it on.
The Houston Texans are 2-0 for the first time in the team’s history, and heading for 3-0 against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. I figured now was as good a time as any to pull out my Texans fight song. My musical partner (see Orange Is In), Jeff Balke, and I wrote and recorded, “Houston Texans Number 1,” in 2000 before they even had the name “Texans.”
We had hopes that the team would adopt it as its fight song and we would all live happily ever after. However, they chose to go the route of popular country music star, Clay Walker (check out a sample). You win some, you lose some. Anyway, check out the tune and let us know what you think.
“Someone Came To Help Me,” a new tune by Houston rockers Orange Is In is now available oniTunes. The song was inspired by transplant patients and donor families. If iTunes isn’t your cup of tea, it’s also available on Rhapsody, Lala, Limewire, Napster, Nokia, Zune and eMusic. Bassist Jeff Balke and vocalist George Kovacik will perform the song at the following events during Donate Life Month in April:
April 15 – LifeGift Donate Life Month event – Texas Medical Center Commons, Houston – 11:30 a.m.
April 16 – The Methodist Hospital Transplant Center event – Marriot/Texas Medical Center, Houston – 11 a.m
Houston rockers Orange Is In are back with “Someone Came to Help Me,” a single that tells the tale of a transplant patient and organ donor. It was inspired by the patients, donor families and caregivers at The Methodist Hospital Transplant Center in Houston.
BassistJeff Balke and vocalist George Kovacik played at a “Donate Life” event at the hospital two years in a row and the third year we thought it would be good to write a song for the event, and this is the result. Guitarist Chris Rogers added his special touch on guitar, banjo and behind the boards, both as engineer and mixer. The song will be available for download on a variety of services, including iTunes, in mid-March.
30 Days Out 