The musical celebration for my 15th anniversary was courtesy of Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks. Not the Dallas NBA team or the nearby high school’s mascot (McNeil is within a mile of work). I met Raul and the band at SXSW last year via Waterloo Records. Later on I helped Raul with getting him a portable for his son for Christmas; nothing illegal or pro quid quo happened, it was paid for. All I asked in return was to let me know when the Mavericks were playing Austin again. My adopted home has a long history with the group, this city has always supported acts other regions considered “too Country” to rock (aka Lyle Lovett, Rosanne Cash, Dwight Yoakam). The Mavericks did start out in the early Nineties sounding like a typical NashVegas act, namely on their hit “What a Crying Shame,” but in 1995 they busted out with Songs for all Occasions which contains a great mix of Americana, pre-Seventies Country, Tejano and Fifties Rock. I was hooked ever since. Before KGSR had to sink to a lowest-common denominator format, these guys were a staple alongside SRV, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Nick Lowe.
It was a fantastic concert. Raul gave us nice seats in the balcony with a straight-ahead view of the stage. Accompanying the quintet were up to four horn players and an upright bass player. They played their hits, “Here Comes the Rain,” “Dance the Night Away,” “What a Crying Shame,” “Back in My Arms Again,” and “Dance in the Moonlight.” There were covers, namely “Okie from Muskogee” because it was something they started playing when they opened for Marilyn Manson in 1992. Others I enjoyed, “La Bamba,” and “Boogie Shoes.”
A big treat was getting to have our picture taken with the band before the show. I had never seen the backstage areas of the Moody Theater. It’s nothing super special. They do have a nice view of Willie Nelson Way.