Tantra 10/30/17

Dees tree guys play gud together! I always have fun performing with Roger and Kevin. We did our regular 8p-11p show in San Marcos, TX, to a different and interesting crowd. Lots of folks I didn’t recognize, but they really, really, really enjoyed the show. I thought at one point they were going to get on stage with us, but they respected our space and just danced close to us. Fun times, indeed!

Moonshine & Ale 10/28/17

Lots of crazy people out in full costume tonight in New Braunfels, TX, for our piano & drum request show! So many good costumes that I couldn’t take everyone’s picture. Chris Wallis and David Lee once again made it easy to perform all those tunes. My brother, my sister-in-law, my niece and my wife all came to the show tonight, and I enjoyed getting to hang out with them!

Moonshine & Ale 10/27/17

Danny Smith and I gave ourselves a standing O during a tune tonight in New Braunfels, TX. The crowd was torn between Halloween and baseball, but we played all the requests we possibly could during the course of the night. There were some good costumes in the house this evening, and I’m sure there will be even more tomorrow night, and then even more on Tuesday for Halloween! See you soon!

Moonshine & Ale 10/26/17

I helped out tonight in New Braunfels, TX, with live band karaoke! Andrae, Pancho, Daniel and I backed up all the folks who wanted to sing their song. I had a good time with the fellas, and I hope to do it again soon!

Darwin’s Pub 10/25/17

After reading today that Fats Domino passed away peacefully in his sleep, I went into my show in Austin, TX with Mikey Gammon with Fats’ music on my mind. One of our first requests was for not only a Fats tune, but also an Allen Toussaint song I love. It put me in a good mood for the rest of the night! Mikey and I kept everybody entertained from 8p-11p, and I left the club happy knowing how much of a musical legacy Fats & Allen have left for the world to enjoy. 

Tantra 10/23/17

Another beautiful night in San Marcos, TX, as we played for the people under the trees. Roger Glenn and Kevin Humphrey are a great rhythm section, and they proved it once again this evening. Thanks to all who continue to come support live music every Monday with us. We appreciate you!

Rockey’s Piano Bar 10/21/17

Mikey Gammon and I headed to our second of two shows after we played a private party a few miles away. The club was full of people ready to party! We played our show from 9:30p-12:30a with tons of requests and people singing & dancing. It was great to play with Mikey on both of this evening’s shows!

I’m home now and I think I’ll head to bed soon. I’ve played 4 shows in the past 60 hours and driven a total of 838 miles. I’m ready to sleep. 

Old Settlers Hall 10/21/17

The first of two shows tonight was in Round Rock, TX for a 40th wedding anniversary party. I had Mikey Gammon on drums, and I played the poeople’s requests on my piano. It was a good group on a joyous occasion, and it made for fun start to our evening! We performed from 6p-8p, then quickly packed our gear and headed a couple miles away for our second show. 

Venezzia the Venue 10/20/17

My first trip to Brownsville, TX was for a private party with Heather Ray on drums (and a little piano every now and then). We had a great crowd, all in costume. Forest Gump & Jenny, a Swat team, Spider-man, the Addams Family, Zorro, Joker & Harley Quinn, and so many other really good outfits tonight! It was a pleasure to share the stage with Heather on another great show!

Darwin’s Pub 10/19/17

Joe Resnick and I triumphantly returned to Austin, TX tonight to perform our very first show at Darwin’s Pub on 6th Street. We had a great crowd with a steady stream of requests. It was great fun playing with Joe, and the crowd liked it so much, we played an extra half-hour for them!

Tantra 10/16/17

The weather was perfect for our outdoor weekly show in San Marcos, TX at Tantra tonight. Roger Glenn (drums) and Kevin Humphry (bass) joined me in performing another show full of original songs, as well as some randomly picked cover tunes just for fun. Good crowd and a bunch of fans made it a great night!

Jack's Roadhouse 10/15/17

Roger Glenn and I played today at Jack's Roadhouse Save The Stage 2017 show! We were part of an all-day, music filled benefit to help with ASCAP & BMI fees for a great local stage in San Marcos. We ran through about an hour of original tunes and a few New Orleans classics before surrendering the stage to the next performer, Troy Stone (who did a great solo set). Thanks to Jamie and Floyd for keeping the music alive in San Marcos!

Eagle Dancer Ranch 10/14/17

Congratulations to the newlyweds, Erin and Alex Tipps! We ran sound for their outdoor ceremony and then I played a dueling pianos show for the reception with David Lee and drummer Joe Resnick. We had lots of country requests from the crowd, and then some classic piano bar-style sing alongs towards the end. These fellas made my job easy tonight! 

Escondido Golf and Lake Club 10/13/17

We played a show in Horseshoe Bay, TX tonight for the golf ladies private party! David Lee and I were invited back from last year, and they were ready for us when we arrived. From 8p-9:30p, we took requests as the crowd danced and sang with us, and even jumped up on stage a couple times (and tried to get in my shoulders once)! It was a fun night at a beautiful venue. Thanks to Groove Labs for having us. 

Austin Bergstrom International Airport 10/12/17

I performed on the Ray Benson stage at the airport in Austin, TX with Matt Wilson Band. Matt and I have worked together many times before, but this was the first time I was able to play his original material with him and his band! It's always interesting to play for the people arriving and departing because the crowd turns over regularly. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music, and I enjoyed playing with the group!

Riley's Tavern 10/10/17

I sat in with Troy Stone and The Spent Shells tonight in Hunter, TX. I played a set of Tom Petty covers with them, plus a handful of other tunes. It was nice to gig with these fellas tonight!

Tantra 10/9/17

I've been having so much fun on Mondays with Kevin Humphrey (bass) and Roger Glenn (drums)! We had a great evening in San Marcos performing for a bunch of people outside on another beautiful night. Singer Troy Stone even joined us for a Tom Petty tune in the middle of our show! It was great to share the stage with him again. My wife, Christine, once again took some good photos for us as she hung out to hear us. After our show, we plugged my iPhone into the PA system and watched the new Star Wars Last Jedi trailer together. These guys understand me. 

Moonshine & Ale 10/7/17

We had some big fun in New Braunfels tonight! Joe, Tommy, and special guest Michael joined me for a show of requests with lots of dancers and singing loudly. I had a great time with these fellas! 

Shooters 10/6/17

I played in Cedar Park, Texas this evening with Mark Smith for Piano Punch! We played a good show, and people were requesting things all evening long, as well as playing lots of pool. The show went well and everyone was very happy with us at the end of the evening. The only thing that could've made it better for me personally was, I wish it were a non-smoking room. It's been a long time since I played in a smoky bar! Now, I'm heading home to thoroughly wash all my clothes.

Moonshine Drinkery 10/5/17

Awwooooo! Party in Victoria, TX! Chris Wallis and I had a great night with the fun folks who came out to sing with us. Not only did we have singing and dancing going on, but we also had some creative requesting happening. "Awesome Cartoon Theme" and "60s-70s-80s-90s-00s-10s" were a couple of the odd ball fun requests we played. And yes, the bar erupted in applause after I played the theme from "Muppet Babies". 

Tantra 10/2/17

It was a beautiful evening to perform outside. I had been feeling off center all day, as I'm sure most of the rest of the country was as well, by the horrific news of the shooting at a concert in Los Vegas, and then by the news of Tom Perry's passing. I was thankful to share the evening with two good friends who are both great musicians, drummer Roger Glenn and bassist Kevin Humphry. We started the night with a Tom Petty song before getting into a therapeutic set of music. My wife, Christine Barton-Holmes, showed up and took some fantastic photos. I'm feeling fortunate to be surrounded by people I love and respect!

Ernie' On The Lake 10/1/17

I performed with the Soul Supporters today in Austin, TX for the Remembrance Ride and Concert benefiting the Stevie Ray Vaughan Scholarship Fund. Guitarist Scott Unzicker asked if I'd like to do the show, and I said yes even before I realized that it was a multi-band festival which also featured a guitarist (R.J. Howson) from Florida who was in my first real bar band in Indiana in the mid 90s! The Soul Supporters featured Scott Unzicker (guitar), Ricky Rees (bass), Lauren Cervantes (vox), Angela Miller (vox), and Nico Leophante (drums). I had fun catching up with old friends and new today!

Moonshine & Ale 9/30/17

Played some drums and piano tonight in New Braunfels, while the people requested tunes for us to play. Chris Wallis joined Tommy and I at 10pm to take over drum duties. I saw lots of familiar faces in the crowd this evening, and it was nice to get some great feedback from them. Thanks everyone for making tonight fun!