A 16 Island Moon March 7, 2013

Lisabellas Bistro & BarCelebrating Coastal Cuisine

361-749-4222Open Monday - Saturday at 5:00 pm

Casual Dining at it’s Finest

Scarecrow People

March 9, 14 & 16

By Ronnie Narmour

ronnienarmour@gmail.com

Corpus First Friday Art Walk

I finally made it to the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Corpus! I’d been dragging my feet because I couldn’t imagine the Corpus Art Walk could compete with Southtown San Antonio’s booming First Friday—with its sidewalk cafes, tons of galleries and music everywhere—which I’d thoroughly enjoyed once upon a time. I was pleasantly surprised to find a thriving art community in downtown Corpus and an art walk which appeared to be a very popular attraction. My friend Roberto, who owns an art gallery in Port A, was also in a dazed by golly mode as we walked around the grounds.

Melissa Brooke is here!

As fate would have it, the first thing we saw as we walked up was our island homegirl, Melissa Brooke, who’d set up her band and just started playing. They had extension chords run over to a local business and were literally in the middle of the street. She immediately drew a nice crowd who were really digging on her music. This girl has star quality. I’ve seen her perform several times now and one thing is apparent… you can’t take your eyes off her. She owns that stage. Miss Brooke has some serious pipes and a dynamic presence. After watching Melissa, we moved on to see what else we could find. The answer was plenty!

Into the magic tunnel…The main focal point of the Art Walk is

primarily in and around La Retama Park, located on Retama Avenue near Gibson Street. The park was consumed in arts and crafts booths; bands of every genre; artists painting canvases in live performance to music; street singers; people strolling about; and a variety of food vendors selling their wares. As we wandered about, we

saw a lot of activity around the mouth of a large concrete pedestrian tunnel that connects uptown to downtown. We later learned this walkway had been closed since the mid 70’s and only reopened last summer after volunteers gave it a makeover. Inside the tunnel were art exhibits by the TAMUCC graduate art department, self described as “a sensory experience of sound and disorder.” There we found the coolest part of the whole Art Walk... called a “sound sculpture.” A fellow there, in the bowels of the city, was wearing coveralls and a specially designed helmet with a long protruding horn extending off the top of his head. He had strung what appeared to be piano wires across the top of the tunnel and affixed small gourd-like drums on each side of the walkway where only a very tall person (or someone wearing a big horn on his helmet) would be able to touch the wires. He played the sculpture by walking back and forth slowly, striking the strings with his horn. The noise it made was an eerie high to low pitched sound similar to an Australian didgeridoo. It was pure art and an amazing creation. We stayed and watched this guy walk back and forth for 20 minutes. Trust me when I say you really have to check this out. I felt like I was in a Fellini movie.

Art & Music is alive and well in Corpus…

After the tunnel, we wandered into several galleries offering wine and snacks. The K Space Contemporary Gallery on Starr Street was especially cool and had some artists from Port A displayed. So was the West Light Photography Studio on Mesquite Street. Another neat thing was the variety of bands playing on the streets, running the gamut from country to alt rock to bluegrass to Christian to experimental. Anything creative was open game. I was sincerely impressed. From what I saw, art and music is alive and well in Corpus Christi and the First Friday Art Walk is a whole lot of fun. I’ll be back and taking more friends with me next time.

DO NOT MISS LISTMusic scene on fire…

There is ton of music to tell you about. Between the Back Porch opening this week, Spring Break and the change of seasons, the music

scene is smoking. I have my keyboard set to “rapid fire” mode so hang on tight. Tonight, Thursday the 7th, the great local string band, Free Beer will play their weekly gig at the Tarpon Ice House. Also the Back Porch re-opens for the 2013 season. Their first music show is Friday the 8th, with Davin James (Spring, TX), and on Saturday, Mike Blakely y los Yahoos (Marble Falls, TX). Also on the 8th, Carol Elliott (Port Aransas, TX) will play from 5-7 at the Ice House, Ray T and the City Crew (Aransas Pass, TX) will play their regular Friday gig at the Flat’s Lounge, and Samantha Aiken and the Rodeo Band (Corpus Christi, TX) is at The Coast Club. Friday in Corpus at the Tango Tea Room (Village Shopping Center, 505 S. Water Street) they will have The Blind Owls, Swithchblade Jesus, Corpus Gold and the Golden Meanies. According to proprietor, Jeff Craft, “The Blind Owls are awesome. They play covers of old rock and roll music but with a sort of eighties pop punk feel.” The Tea Room is a very cool joint that serves vegan and gluten free food along with all kinds of tea. On Saturday, the 9th, look for Stevie Start at the Coast Club, Dallas Burrow (New Braunsfel, TX) at the Tarpon Ice House, Lyrical Bynge at the Flat’s, Stuart Burns at Shorty’s, Scarecrow People at Lisabella’s in

Cinnamon Shores; plus Max Stalling at the Surf Club and Ken Barnett at Coffee Waves. On Sunday the 10th, Uel Jackson hosts his weekly open jam at the Ice House and The Kids From Nowhere, an Israeli band in Texas for SXSW, will be at the Gaff.

Spring Break recommendations…

On Wednesday the 13th, Turnpike Troubadours is at Brewster Street and Wolfjaw is at the Flat’s with his weekly jam. This just in: Thursday the 14th, the Cody Angel Trio will play the Back Porch. Originally scheduled to play with Matt Wayne and Company, Cody informed me they recently disbanded. Also on the 14th, Scarecrow People will be at Lisabella’s. On Friday the 15th, Cruise Control is at the Back Porch, C-Plus (a great funky dance band that plays every spring break) is at the Coast Club, Mike Williams (5-7) and Uel Jackson (7-11) will play the Ice House , Three Way Street is at Shorty’s and Concrete Street Amphitheater will have their big Spring Break blow-out with Randy Rogers, Casey Donahew, Kevin Fowler and Cody Johnson. On Saturday the 16th, Six Market Blvd is at the Porch, C-Plus is back at the Coast Club, John Cortez is at the Flat’s, Todd Dorn is at Shorty’s, Matt Hole is at the Surf Club and the Tango Tea Room will host the Corpus Christi Drum and Dance Revival. And as if that isn’t enough, Sunday the 17th is St. Patty’s day!!! The VFW and the Gaff feature pub crawls on trailers and boats that go through town and stop at every bar. It’s pretty

wild. Did you get all that? Don’t worry I’ll tell you more next week. Be safe out there.

And that’s the truth!

Dallas Burrow March 9Carol Elliott

Every 2nd & 4th Friday(5-7)

Open Jam with Uel Jackson Every Sunday

(7- 11)321 N Alister * (361) 749-2337

Mike WilliamsEvery 1st & 3rd Friday

And Every Monday (5-7)

Free Beer Band Every Thursday

(7:00 pm)

The GaffBeer ● Pizza ● Belt Sander Races (361) 749-5970

5009 Hwy 361 Port A @ Cinnamon Shores

Live MusicThursday, March 7The Back Porch Grand Re-OpeneningFree Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice HouseAntone & the All Stars @ Dr. RockitsBart Crow Band, Rob Baird @ Brewster Street Ice House John Eric @ Island ItalianUel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport CC in Motion Film Contest @ House of Rock

Friday, March 8Carol Elliott (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice HouseDavin James Unplugged @ Back PorchBlind Owls, Switchblade Jesus, Corpus Gold, Golden Meanies @ Tango Tea RoomRay T & the City Crew @ Flats LoungeSamantha Aiken @ Coast ClubHamilton Loomis @ Executive Surf ClubDavid & Barbara Brown @ Coffee WavesThe Heroine, Cruz @ House of Rock Sun Salutation @ Dr. Rockits

Saturday, March 9Mike Blakely y los Yahoos @ Back PorchStevie Start @ Coast ClubDallas Burrow @ Tarpon Ice HouseLyrical Bynge @ The Flat’s LoungeScarecrow People @ Lisabella’sStuart Burns @ Shorty’s PlacePA Rockers @ Roberts Point Park (Spring Phling)Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport2nd Saturday Sing-Along Piano Show @ Brewster Street Ice HouseMax Stalling @ Executive Surf ClubKen Barnett @ Coffee WavesSteven James & the Shakedown @ Dr. Rockits Mod Sun, Cisco Adler, Tayyib Ali, Pat Brown, Choo Jackson @ House of Rock

Sunday, March 10Open Jam w/ Uel Jackson @ Tarpon Ice HouseKids From Nowhere @ The GaffNatural Vibrations, Bad Chords @ Executive Surf ClubAWOLNATION w/ Blondfire, Mother Mother @ Brewster Street Ice House

Sunday, March 10 continued...Thousand Foot Krutch, Love & Death, The

Wedding, Letter Black @ House of RockJohn Eric Open Jam @ South Texas Ice House

Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach HouseOpen Jam @ Neptune’s

Arden Park Roots w/ Beach Stone Rise @ Dr.

Rockits CC Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra @ UTAMCC Performing Arts Center

Monday, March 11Mike Williams @ Tarpon

Ice HouseBone Thugs-N-Harmony

@ Brewster Street Ice House

Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits

Tuesday, March 12Uel Jackson @ Tarpon

Ice HouseParty of Three @ Dr.

Rockits Frank Turner & Sleeping Souls, Trapper Schoepp

& the Shades, Mick Leonardi @ House of

Rock

Wednesday, March 13Open Jam with Wolfjaw

@ Flat’s LoungeTurnpike Troubadours @

Brewster Street Ice HouseOpen Mic @ Executive

Surf ClubNeil Edwards Band @ Dr.

RockitsWoe is Me, Crown

the Empire, DayShell, Glamour of the Kill @

House of Rock

Thursday, March 14Cody Angel Band @

Back PorchFree Beer Band @ Tarpon

Ice HouseScarecrow People @

Lisabella’sJohn Cortez @ Dr.

RockitsAttack Attack, Oh

Sleeper, Capture the Crown, For a King,

Indirections, Mariam @ House of Rock

John Eric @ Island Italian

Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport

Friday, March 15Cruise Control @ Back

PorchMike Williams (5-7), Uel Jackson (7-11) @ Tarpon

Ice HouseRay T & the City Crew @

Flats LoungeThree Way Street @

Shorty’s PlaceC Plus @ Coast ClubRandy Rogers, Casey

Donahew, Kevin Fowler, Cody Johnson @

Concrete StreetPalacios Brothers @ Dr.

Rockits

Tonight

Ray T & the City Crew

Every Friday

Mon-Sat 10am- 2am

Sun Noon- 2am

Welcome Spring Breakers

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OPEN10-5

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Three Chords and the Truth

WELCOME SPRING BREAKERS

(361) 749-2388www.feldergallery.com

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T IN T•Locally Owned & Operated•Specialize in Residential &Small Business Solutions

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Keepers Horace Caldwell Pier

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C PlusThur, Fri, Sat

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Port Aransas (361) 749-JOES

The Coast ClubCoast ClubMartini Sports Bar

1023 State Highway 361 + Port Aransas, TX + (361) 749-5637Smoking on Patio Only

Samantha AikenEvery Friday

(361) 749-2388www.feldergallery.com

F I N E A RT

SOUTH SWE L LW INDOW

T IN T•Locally Owned & Operated•Specialize in Residential &Small Business Solutions

361-944-0167

AshVill Construction LLCResidential, Multi-Family & CommercialNew Construction

& RemodelsAshley R. Villarreal(210) 387-2993Aaron Murray(361) 332- 9884ashvilleconstruction@gmail.com

Stevie Start Every Saturday

Mondays 1/2 Price Grilled Pizzas & Wine by the Glass

C PlusSpring BreakMarch 15-16

Re-opens March 7Davin James March 8

Mike Blakely y los Yahoos March 9

Cody Angel Trio March 14

Cruise Control March 15

Six Market Blvd March 16132 W. Cotter, Port Aransas,TX

Street singers at the Art Walk.

An artist playing his Sound Sculpture in the tunnel at the Art Walk.

The Cody Angel Trio will play the Back Porch on

March 14th.

C-Plus will perform at the Coast Club over Spring

Break.

Dallas Burrow will play the Tarpon Ice House on

Saturday.

Melissa Brooke playing on the streets of Corpus Christi for the First Friday Art

Walk.