What do Luckenbach and Hondo’s on Main Street in Fredericksburg have in common? They are both owned by members of the family of Hondo Crouch, the Texas “imagineer” who captured our romantic hearts from the first story he ever told. I had heard of Hondo Crouch, and my friendship with his daughter, Becky, enhanced my appreciation. I met her after reading her book Hondo, My Father.  I featured her at a writer’s conference at Schreiner University, where a piece of her fabric art hangs in the library.

  Go down this trail with me. One semester I started class with a bright-eyed blonde sitting in the front row. Her name was Alice Lindsey, and she told me that her mother, Chris, was Becky’s sister. Alice and I had a great semester and a great travel course together. She was the first to point our my quick response to ideas tangential to the conversation by saying, “Now that’s ADD!” We laughed about that since she, too, was dealing with attention deficit disorder in an educational setting. We must have had similar learning styles. I’m glad my attention is easily diverted (you should see how many other things I did before starting this column); my life feels rich and textured.

  When I went to Hondo’s on December 27 to hear Monte Montgomery, I was greeted by John Graham and his wife Chris. Chris let me know that Alice had a great job in Washington D.C., and we talked of this new creation, Hondo’s On Main.

  The show, featuring Monte and his drummer, was spectacular, of course. I’ve already written about the effect of Monte’s music on me. This time he sang “Angel From Montgomery” with his mother, Maggie. Dave, my road warrior buddy for the evening said, “Not even Jimi Hendrix uses that many fingers for that many sounds.”  The venue is warm with wood and a sense of nostalgia. Photos of Hondo and Jerry Jeff adorn the wall, along with other tributes to Texas and to music. Hondo’s spirit pervades the place just has it has done in Luckenbach. See www.hondosonmain.com for the schedule. Dana Cooper plays Jan. 23, Ray Wylie Hubbard on Feb. 6 and Willis Allen Ramsey on Feb. 14. Wow.

  I see the two venues as complementary. Luckenbach, Texas, will always be a place for musicians to gather and tourists to stop by and listen. Bring that atmosphere to Main Street in Fredericksburg and you have an intimate setting for an acoustic show. Jerry Jeff tickets, at $75 each, sold out in about three days. 

  Hondo’s is a domino parlor and a beer garden, a gift shop, general store and museum. “We are not calling it a bar,” Chris added. Out of respect for our mother. The lineup reads like a Texas music yearbook.

  I spent Sunday, December 29, at Luckenbach, attending a tribute to Greg Gorman, who died unexpectedly this month. I did not know Greg, but the tribute made me feel that I did know him. He seemed to be a compilation of the Texas songwriters I love (Townes, Guy, Billy Joe and more). The tribute reminded me of how I felt about the writing of another deceased songwriter, Al Grierson. Al filled volumes of notebooks with highly literate songs. Seems Greg also had many notebooks filled with powerful songs.

  I’m listening to his first and only CD right now, “Hemingway’s Own Gypsy.” Ironic to have this new CD at the moment we lose the songwriter. And at the tribute I heard many people give a new twist to Greg’s songs. Thanks to an invitation from Robert Brandes in Fredericksburg, I didn’t miss this tribute on a gray cold Sunday when I might have just stayed home.

  I discovered Sherryl Garoute. She sang a cutting edge harmony on many of Greg’s songs at the tribute, and she is featured on the CD, where Greg says, “I read Faulkner, Steinbeck, the Bible and Hemingway is the only thing that ever stuck with me.” Ah, an English teacher’s dream writer. “You’ll know me on the streets when you meet Hemingway’s own gypsy.”

  Sherry now works at the bar at Hondo’s. Her association with Greg began at Luckenbach. Others participating in the tribute include Mike Blakely, Larry Nye, Donnie Price, John Michael Riley, Scott Martin, Cosmic Dust Devils, Ben Beckendorf, Jeff Walker, Lonesome Riders (Bart Trotter, Doug Davis), Note Gropers, and more. Neal Brown, manager at Luckenbach, emceed and produced the event. Great job.

  Highlights for me included discovering lines like “You be forever, I’ll be more,” “You be the wind, I’ll be the sail; You be the knock, I”ll be the door…” I loved hearing Mike Blakey, John  Murray Greeenburg and Thomas Michael Riley (Note Gropers) singing “Come Running,” one of Greg’s songs. Hearing Riley do a talking blues piece, saying, “Don’t put your life on hold….I’m living this time…Don’t hold back,” uplifted us all. 

  Bart Trotter and Lonesome Doug gave us some Bob Wills. Barbara Maltese of The Cosmic Dust Devils (a favorite band at the Ol’Waterin’ Hole’ in Kerrville) sang of angel’s wings, delivering her words with a Janis-like passion. Mike Blakey invited a Swiss couple to do the line dance created for his song, “Mejor Que Nada.” Blakely will be playing the Hill Country Opry this month. Don’t miss him!

  The shadow of Townes Van Zandt seemed to be lurking in the corners of this dance hall, glowing warm on a cold Sunday afternoon, along with Al Greierson’s shadow. The CD, produced by Campfire Records, can be purchased at www.campfirerecords.com. You can also e-mail apjones@gvtc.com for information. This CD has already become one of my favorites, representing the literate Texas songwriters. I happened to also love the rhythm of the road that permeates the music. Jon Inmon adds the guitar leads; Floyd Domino adds keyboard. Greg thanks God, his wife and children, a Silver cloud and the Luckenbach Gang in the liner notes. He also thanks executive producer Sam Lowery for “sharing the magic.”

  I had a weekend sharing the spirit of Hondo Crouch in two locations. Glad I didn’t opt for staying home. Off to Mexico until January 11. Happy Trails and down the road. 

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