2016 Concerts

January 2nd, 2016 (7 PM) - Billy Crockett

Most folks in the Hill Country know Billy Crockett as the producer, mentor and creative director of Blue Rock Recording Studio, but he is also an accomplished singer, songwriter and guitarist, in fact he has been performing concerts and making albums for the past four decades.

Gail and I got to know Billy through Blue Rock, and we were fortunate to get to be in settings where Billy pulled out his guitar and shared a few of the heartfelt songs he had written. We also saw him play at Folk Alliance International conferences. We knew immediately that we wanted him to share his gifts with the Sycamore audience.

Billy’s aptly titled Passages (Blue Rock Artists, 2006), is an album of original classical guitar pieces. His followup album, Wishing Sky, features folk-pop story-songs and appearances by Jon Dee Graham, Ray Bonneville, Pierce Pettis and Lloyd Maines.

He is currently planning to record an album in 2016, but you won't have to wait for the album to hear Billy's recent material, you need only secure reservations for the first Sycamore Creek concert of 2016 and join us for an INCREDIBLE evening of music and fellowship. What better way to start the year?

You can visit Billy's website to listen to a sample of his songs.

February 6th, 2016 (7 PM) - Lost and Nameless Orchestra

They may call themselves Lost & Nameless, but all it takes is a few notes for listeners to recognize this foursome is anything but. With original compositions featuring complex, turn-on-a-dime arrangements and performing histories dating to childhood, the members of this Austin-based band are seasoned professionals who whip up an unforgettable sonic whirlwind wherever they play. On their new release, Empty Spaces (March 18, 2014), there’s a song title that sums up their contemporary folk-rock sound perfectly. It’s called “Little Tornado.” Filled with staccato rhythms and instrumental intrigue, it’s a charmer — just like the band that performs it.

Gail and I first saw this incredible group at Blue Rock Studios, then later at Fischer Fest. We knew immediately that we wanted to share them with the Sycamore audience. It has taken us a while, but the time has come. You are invited to join us for one awesome evening of music with the Lost and Nameless Orchestra.

You can hear a sample of their music at: www.lostandnameless.com.

March 12th (7 PM), 13th (3 PM) 2016 - Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines

We unfortunately had to cancel the October 2015 Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines concert. Fortunately, that concert has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 12th, 2016 and Terri and Lloyd have agreed to play a second concert on Sunday, March 13th.

They last played at Sycamore Creek in 2009. Those of you who were there will remember that as an enchanted evening.

Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines are as good as it gets. Terri was recently recognized by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of the “20 essential Texas singer-guitarists helping to write America’s story,” She defies musical pigeonholes by weaving folk, pop, country, blues and swinging jazz into an eclectic style all her own. Partnering with Lloyd Maines, she has formed a duo that simply blows the doors off of every venue they play. Couple incredible musicianship with impeccable harmonies and you have the magic that will fill Sycamore Creek on March 12th & 13th.

It is doubtful that any of you are not familiar with Terri & Lloyd, but if you would like to sample some of their music, you need only go to Terri's website.

Currently, Terri has launched Project 5.

Project 5 is a collection of five distinct but thematically linked projects — four new albums and a book — that sh'll be releasing throughout 2016.

Her first album in this series is called "Love You Strong." It came out Feb. 5, 2016. Each component of Project 5 will be released approximately every three to four months, concluding in December 2016. Please read about Project 5 at Terri's website.

April 23rd, 2016 (7 PM) - Greg Trooper

Gail and I are so excited to introduce the Sycamore Creek audience to Greg Trooper. We first met Greg in 2015 at the Folk Alliance International conference. We went into a room to see the artist following Greg, and heard Greg's last two songs of his set. We grabbed him as soon as he came off stage and asked if he would be interested in playing Sycamore Creek. Lucky for you, he enthusiastically responded, "Yes!"

It’s not surprising to learn that artists from Steve Earle to Billy Bragg are Greg Trooper fans. Trooper, A New Jersey native now based in Brooklyn, excels at character studies, painting wonderful portraits of people living through good times and bad times. His matter-of-fact delivery – as both a singer and a songwriter – bring a sense of realism to the tales that he tells. His music lives at the intersection of Memphis soul, Greenwich Village folk and Texas troubadour. As a live performer he’s been described as articulate, quick-witted, extremely musical, outrageous, compassionate and kind.

His songs have been recorded by numerous artists including: Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Robert Earl Keen, Maura O’Connell, Lucy Kaplansky, Tom Russell and Walt and Tina Wilkins. On previous albums he’s had help with harmony vocals by the likes of Emmylou Harris and Rosanne Cash.

Trooper spends more than half the year on the road playing festivals, theaters, listening rooms and house concerts.

Greg Trooper’s thirteenth album, Live At The Rock Room, is a recording of a single performance in January 2015 in Austin, TX. This collection of 14 songs delivers a cross section of Trooper’s work over the years as well as the brand new heartbreaker “Broken Man”.

Quotes
“After listening to Live At The Rock Room one can see why Greg Trooper has been bracketed with greats such as Townes Van Zandt and Tom Russell for his dramatic ability to spin chiming Everyman messages from personal narratives” – David Innes (R2)

"Trooper appeared in one of our Folk DJ showcases last year, and from the moment he took the stage we wondered why he hadn’t been part of our roster for decades. He is a master of live performance–articulate, quick-witted, superbly musical, sassy and outrageous, compassionate and kind" – Caffe Lena

"Trooper writes of troubled people, peels away at the layers of their problems and studies whether their obstacles are external or self-imposed. The songs on Incident On Willow Street are a reward for the Trooper faithful and a treat for the uninitiated" –Hyperbolium

“Greg Trooper writes great songs, including one of my very favorite songs in the world, Little Sister. On top of all that, there’s his voice – an instrument I have coveted for 15 years.” – Steve Earle

“Greg Trooper has got to be on our list of our finest contemporary songwriters.” – Billy Bragg

“Great stuff from one of the great American songwriters” – Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2.

“On Upside-Down Town all of Trooper’s skills are on display: the great storytelling, the lovely melodies, an enviable supply of wit and charm but most of all his compassion for the vulnerable and heartbroken” – Ryan Scott (The Nation)

If the above information is not enough, feel free to go to Greg's website to listen to a sample of his music.

May 14th, 2016 (7 PM) - The Bill Hearne Trio

We usually finish off our concert season with the April show, but Gail and I decided to make an exception this year and book a May show after we got a call from Bill Hearne who had heard about Sycamore Creek Concerts from Butch Hancock. We are long time Bill & Bonnie Hearne fans, so we jumped at the opportunity. Bonnie's health prevents her from traveling with Bill these days, but he has partnered up with a couple of stellar pickers, who really complement Bill's unique singing and flat picking.

Honkytonks, roadhouses, empty whiskey glasses, unrequited love are the brick and mortar of country music and there isn’t a better mason than Bill Hearne…Bill Hearne calls it ‘The Road:’ that metaphorical ribbon of honky-tonks, roadhouses, and unrequited love. Being legally blind, Bill has never actually driven The Road himself, but he sings with such authority of the tales he’s heard while riding shotgun that you’d never know it. He is also known for his Americana and folk music that bring audiences back to hear him time after time.

Bill's husky Texas baritone finds its way into a song’s interior with the mellowness of fine bourbon and the warmth of a Sunday picnic. And of course, there’s his pickin’, a style he calls ‘cross picking.’ He picked up the guitar when he was seven years old. “Since I didn’t have people to play with, I developed a style that incorporated a percussion rhythm while playing lead riffs. Basically, I tried to be a one man band,” he says. Like fellow cross-pickers Tony Rice and Doc Watson, Bill is improvisational. “I hardly ever play the same thing twice,” he says. Not only does he rarely play the same thing twice, he rarely plays the same song twice. His repertoire is as vast as Texas and New Mexico.

In the trio, Bill is backed by Bob Goldstein on lead guitar, mandolin & banjo and either Zeke Severenson or Dave Toland on bass.

October 8th, 2016 (7 PM) - Moors and McCumber

Harmony is the first word that comes to mind when we think about Moors and McCumber, but they are also incredible multi-instrumentalists. In fact, they can't fly to gigs because they play so many different instruments in their concerts they have to drive a van to haul them all. Gail and I have seen them in concert several times, and we are very pleased to introduce them to the Sycamore Creek audience.

James Moors and Kort McCumber grew up in different places and listening to different kinds of music – classical, rock, bluegrass, you name it. But when they met ten years ago they knew they’d found something golden. Since then, they’ve been cultivating their wide-ranging musical influences in songs that delve into love and life through haunting lyrics, soaring harmonies, and dazzling instrumental proficiency. As Grammy award-winning producer Lloyd Maines puts it, “These guys should be playing every major festival in the country. They bring it all to the stage and deliver it in a big way.”

November 5th, 2016 (7 PM) - 2016 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winners

It is that time of year again, the annual Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Award Winner Fall Tour.

The Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition

There is a yearly competition every May at the Kerrville Folk Festival to discover promising new singer-songwriters called the New Folk Competition. Thirty-two finalists are selected from a field of up to 800 entries to share two of their original songs in an afternoon appearance on the stage of the Threadgill Theater during the Festival. From these 32 finalists, six Award Winners are selected by a small group of well-established performing songwriters, to take home cash and other tangible prizes.
A win at Kerrville carries considerable prestige in the singer/songwriter community. This is in part due to the peer-professional judging and the festival’s long history of recognizing emerging artists who have later gone on to wider success. There have also been examples of notable performers who have appeared as finalists in the competition without ever earning a win.

2016 Award Winners are:

Addie Brownlee (Brooklyn, NY) - Addie has been performing and writing for over 10 years. Addie has licensed her songs to film and commercials, toured with Martha Wainwright and has one EP.

Joe Shields (Alto, MI) - Joe has been writing for 8 years and performing for 1. Besides being a singer/songwriter, he is also a cartoonist and animator. He has one CD.

Justin Farren (Sacramento, CA) - Justin has been writing and performing for 20 years. He has released 3 albums. Justin says that songwriting is a way of reminding himself what's important.

Emily Scott Robinson (Greensboro, NC) - Emily has been performing for 12 years and writing for 3. She has one CD. She took a leap of faith this year moving into a motorhome with her husband to travel the country and play music full-time.

Rachel Laven (San Antonio, TX) - Rachel has been writing songs for 14 years and performing for 20. She is about to release her second solo album, and has four previous albums with her family band, The Lavens.

Ben De La Cour (Nashville, TN) - Ben has been writing songs and performing for 15 years. He has two albums. Ben has lived a different kind of life. After growing up in Brooklyn, he set out to see the world as an amateur boxer, bartender, and agricultural worker. He has lived in Havana, Paris, London, Los Angeles, and New Orleans before finally settling in Nashville.

These incredible artists will play two one hour sets in the round. You won’t want to miss this one!!!!

December 3rd, 2016 (7 PM) - Kevin & Dustin Welch

Kevin and Dustin Welch last played Sycamore Creek in January of 2011, and what a show it was! So, we are bringing them back!
Please join us Saturday, December 3rd for another great concert with this father and son duo, They are both incredible songwriters and musicians. They captivate audiences everywhere they go with their great songs and charismatic presentation.

In the unlikely event that you are not familiar with Kevin and Dustin, you can visit their websites for more information and samples of their music. (kevinwelch.com) & (dustinwelch.com)