Gruene Hall Gruene, TX - February 15, 2003 ~ Anne What could possibly be so different between an acoustic Reckless Kelly show and an electric one besides the obvious volume consideration? In a word, everything. Sarah and I had just as quick a turnaround as M&MC and RK had from Friday's show in Spicewood to Saturday night’s show in Gruene. (Actually, there were a lot of folks that did the double dip). I know the way to Gruene like the back of my hand (it's attached to my arm, right?) but due to some weird distractions or perhaps it was just from us talking - no wait, it was because I had Bob Marley blaring and I was explaining to Sarah why I thought we should adopt "One Love" as the national anthem. I won't tell you that we overshot exit 191, but next time I'm gonna pay attention a little sooner. As we were walking through the parking lot towards Gruene Hall, I heard the strains of "Nobody's Girl". RK was finishing up their sound check and M&MC were unloading their trailer. It's always a good idea to go early to a Gruene show if RK is headlining the bill. You have been warned before - at this point in their career, RK will sell out for sure. Sarah and I went to the bar over at the Gristmill and I got a whiskey and we sat outside while we waited for a table. We were enjoying the brisk early evening air, when Micky's voice came wafting through the sky. It was only their sound check, and though we weren't inside watching them, we smiled nonetheless.

We were seated for dinner, inside this time, and the ambience is totally different from sitting out on the terraced tiers. We split some steak, shrimp, spinach dip, garlic bread, mashed potatoes and for dessert, strawberry shortcake. We were stuffed but ready to ROCK. On our way back up to Gruene Hall, we ran into Gary Braun and his friend Ryan, who was visiting from Idaho. We shot the shit for a while and then moseyed inside only to be surprised at how many people were already there. When Micky & The Motorcars hit the stage, the front area of the floor was loosely packed with people and all of the tables were occupied. The set was pretty much the same as the night before with two notable additions. Penciled in at the bottom of the set list was "Million Miles", the only song that Gary sings lead on. It's a song that Willy wrote back when he was in the Prairie Mutts, and it's a song that no matter who wrote it, Gary was born to sing. Sometimes it's difficult to get the full impact of how good of a singer Gary really is. He lends his voice perfectly to harmonize with Micky, but he truly shines when he sings lead on "Million Miles". More so than his brothers, Gary's singing evokes an aching, a kind of heartbreaking loneliness - as if he were standing out in the wilderness alone, looking up to the heavens asking “why does it hurt so bad?”

The second additional song was "Truck Drivin' Man" (a quintessential truckin’ song if there ever was one) as sung by drummer Travis. With his beautifully rich and deep voice, Travis gives Dave Dudley (who made it famous) a real run for his money. Travis usually sings from a seated position but we were lucky enough, in his words, to "look at his sweaty ass" at the front of the stage. As Travis was making his way to the microphone, none other than Willy Braun took over the drumming duties. Now it has been noted previously that WB is the second best drummer in the county - which county that is, I'm not sure. I have razzed Willy before that the county population must be two, but all kidding aside, Willy can hold his own on the drums. You could tell from the smile on his face, Willy was having a blast. The audience hollered their appreciation - we were all diggin' it.

Micky closed the set by singing the title track from their album, "Which Way From Here". This is such a well-written song, and the question it asks can really only be answered by the young man who wrote it. However, should anyone ask me “Which Way From Here”, I would answer with a definitive "back into the studio" – we need more, we want more. I've listened and watched M&MC close to 40 times in the past 5 months, and this particular night, this electrified night, Travis, Mark, Joseph, Gary and Micky were hitting on all cylinders.

In the minutes between MMC leaving the stage and RK taking it over we were in the center of a very busy beehive - there was commotion all around. We were making those last minute sprints to the bar for more beer, frantic runs to the restrooms and getting in the last bits of conversation with our neighbors. Timing was crucial as we jockeyed for position. There's a certain flow that we fans have grown accustomed to - especially at Gruene. Those moments before RK takes the stage we prepare ourselves - but nothing can really ever prepare us for the sonic supremacy that floods our ears Reckless Kelly style. There is not an inch of room to spare anywhere in Gruene and the only thing anyone seems to care about is that first note (and all the notes that will follow). I had a feeling that some eager fan was going to snag Jimmy's set list before the end of the show, just like I knew Kirk (RK’s road manager), with his eagle eye, was just as prepared to snatch it back. Anyway, I didn't think I was going to get it so I hand wrote down the set list before RK started. Sarah called them off for me - and she kept calling with 30 songs in all.

The lights dimmed with the throbbing pulse of "Woke Up This Morning" & cheers erupted when Cody appeared. I just love those first moments. One of the first things I noticed was Willy's purple guitar strap and I thought, “Hmmm, I've never seen that before.” Willy paced around the stage, surveying the crowd. He walked over by Jimmy and nodded to the crowd as if to say "Howdy y'all! Hope you're ready to ROCK!" It was then that I noticed a beautiful black Fender Nashville Telecaster. Now I have seen Willy subdued and I have seen him buck-wild, but tonight, he was borderline maniacal. It might have been the new guitar that had him so pumped, it might have been the energy of the Gruene crowd, but whatever it was, it was contagious. RK ripped through the first four songs and by the fifth, "Walk Out Now", Willy didn't even sing the first verse - the crowd did. When Willy introduced the song "Peace" I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I thought I had heard them sing it at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar in mid-December and I even wrote a note to Gregg about it saying it was so beautiful it made me cry. I thought that maybe I had the name wrong because I hadn't heard it since. It came as a relief and a surprise when they played it. It leaves no doubt, Willy can WRITE.

The crowd sang lead on at least four other songs and the guys looked genuinely pleased when it happened. There was a time when both Gary and Micky Braun were standing behind Sarah and I and they were singing along too. I gotta tell you that I got goose bumps when that was happening because there was Braun brother harmony coming from all sides. Every RK show I try like hell to concentrate on the totality of the music and sounds. I never pay attention to just one guy or just one instrument, and believe me, it's not an easy thing to do. They all demand equal attention for different reasons but I'll be honest with you - I never knew before how good Willy was on guitar. He's so good I never noticed. I can't talk about guitar types or monitors or delays and foot pedals. Hell, I don't even know what key they're playing in, but I do know when something sounds great and I know what touches me. I'm not a technical person, so I hope I'm forgiven. I just know that RK gives us their best. By the time they got to "So Lonely" my knees were starting to buckle from the force and volume that was being expended. I love this song because Jay always pummels the drums and literally lifts himself off his seat. He has so much strength and stamina and plays with utter joy that it’s like witnessing a miracle when you watch him. The Dylan songs are always a highlight just because of the sheer audacity it takes to memorize them and then sing them with such fervor. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" has over 327 words, and when they do "Hurricane" it has 11 verses and twice as many words. Willy rarely screws them up but it never matters if he does. "Let's Just Fall" is one of the new songs that will be on the new album and David plays the electric slide while he's seated. The whining, lonesome sound he gets from his instrument is gorgeous. I think Willy wrote this song with either Beaver Nelson or his brother Micky, I'm not sure which, but it's a beauty too.

"Hottest Thing In Town" took it’s traditional closer role - good thing we had a glimpse of the set list so we could pace ourselves because we needed the strength to get through the three encore songs. Willy and Cody were the only ones on stage for "Wicked Twisted Road" and a hush came over the crowd as Willy sang it. It was like being around a campfire with Willy singing to his closest friends. The piece de resistance was "Happy". While Willy was merely borderline maniacal earlier, he crossed the line into full fledged musical anarchy with this one. In the last moments of the song, Willy turned his back to the crowd and looked at Jay, and I imagine his gaze spoke to Jay saying "Hell yeah, this is what it's all about" and with that, he kicked the drum set so hard and swift it was lifted off the stage. It took a few days before the ringing in my ears stopped but I haven't come down yet! Chalk up another sold-out show to Reckless Kelly. An unforgettable experience!

Share your thoughts.

all non-lyric text, © Copyright 2003 Desolation Angel