Barn Dance Review - December 1997

CAPITAL CITY BARN DANCE ( number nine, number nine, number nine)

Lancaster County Prison/Terry Garland/Slack Family/Big Scotty & the Capital City Boys

Shoot, it was plumb cold walking to the Flood Zone from my car. I nearly wore my long woolies, but decided agin it since they probably needed washing from last year’s possum toss and perloo and I might offend. Big Scotty and the Capital City Boys began the show with a Hank Williams, Sr. number as is their wont. They were assisted by a few ringers from the SLACK FAMILY, since most of the DIRTBALL contingent was in Nueva Jorque to see Michael Hurley at the Bottom Line and to play at TWANG CORE NYC on St. Marks Place in the Village on Saturday with Hurley sitting in. This brings to mind the following verse from Doug Sahm:

"Lord, I'm just a country boy in this big old freaky city.."

But the SLACK FAMILY had some ringers as well. Their regular banjar and dobro were absent and some other fellers took their places and did a fine job maintaining the high standards of the bluegrass music as they always do. More and more of the SLACKs have taken to hats, by the way.

This was my first time to see Terry Garland. I had heard him on Page Wilson's radio show, but never in person. He’s a fine picker of the blues; I’d like to hear him get loose with a dobro sometime or another.

LANCASTER COUNTY PRISON was the last act and were damn good. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a country-punk band from New York City that wasn’t associated with Kinky Friedman, but I chatted with the front man, John, and the bass player for a bit. They’d been to Austin several times and knew some of the same clubs and club owners I know from back there during my misspent youth. They’d hooked up with DIRTBALL at the last Route One South and are also part of the previously mentioned TWANG CORE NYC thang. It was quite amusing hearing country-sounding tunes with metaphorically mixed images that referred to extremely urban situations and locations in NYC. Their song, I GOT A GO-CUP (IN MY PICKUP), was a hoot and a half. Wherein the singer is hauled into the calaboose on a DUI and the teetotaler across the street moves in on the singer’s lady friend who won’t go his bail. But then, such is life and all its trappings.

Next month, the Barn Dance will be held at Alley Katz. And the Flood Zone finally had a good sound mix. As I said before, such is life.

Copyright 1997. Ted B. Samsel

TBSamsel@richmond.infi.net (also tejas@infi.net)
'Do the boogie woogie in the South American way'
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