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Sarah McQuaid
Friday October 23rd

September 21, 2015 5:27 pm ⋅

Sarah McQuaidClick here for more information or to RSVP

International performer Sarah McQuaid makes a rare Lubbock appearance on Friday October 23rd in an intimate HubCityMusic.com house concert.  All the way from England, Sarah has found a broad audience in the United States, and is in the midst of a nationwide CD release tour, introducing her fourth solo CD.  Entitled “Walking into White”, this newest release is receiving rave reviews.  Here are a few samples of the response this CD is receiving:

“Luminous … a soft but forceful record whose urgency is sometimes masked by the music’s acoustic serenity.” —The Boston Globe

“The more we spin this one, the better it sounds.” —BabySue

“Jaw-droppingly beautiful … tender and gorgeous.” —Invisible Ink Music Blog

We are extremely fortunate and grateful that Sarah’s schedule makes this concert possible.

Sarah’s voice has been likened to malt whiskey, melted chocolate and “honey poured into wine”. Her new album Walking Into White (2015) is her most honest and adventurous work to date, with a depth and texture of soundscape that are reflected in her beautifully crafted live shows. A captivating performer, she seduces her audience with cheeky banter and stories from the road, as well as with stunning musicianship; in her hands, the guitar becomes much more than merely an accompanying instrument.

You won’t want to miss her unique vocals and accompanying guitar, as well as the sound magic that accompanying sound technician Martin Stansbury brings to the room.  It will be an amazing performance!

Visit Sarah’s website here: www.SarahMcQuaid.com

Click here for more information or to RSVP

Admission is $20/person, with 100% going to our guest musician.
Concert information:
Sara McQuaid at Paul Johnson’s house
Friday October 23rd, 2015 from 7:15pm till 10pm (doors open at 6:30)
Location: Paul Johnson’s house (RSVP to receive directions)
BYOB
Complimentary snacks and bottled water will be provided

Click here for more information or to RSVP

 

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John Batdorf
Wednesday March 4, 2015
(with Junior Vasquez opening)

January 4, 2015 5:39 pm ⋅

P1060923-Adjusted - 300x230In 1975 John Batdorf headlined a concert as Batdorf & Rodney in the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. Opening for them that night was Junior Vasquez and Peyote. Many of you were at that concert. If you loved the Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash, and America, you should know that Batdorf and Rodney were part of that whole music scene.

Now 40 years later, history has repeated itself, as John Batdorf again headlined a Lubbock concert, which again was opened by Junior Vasquez. These two great musicians have each evolved over the years, but their music remains as complimentary as ever.

This is the first HubCityMusic.com house concert to ever have an opening act.

The weather outside was frightful – snow and freezing sleet all afternoon the day of the show.  But the fans braved the weather and showed up anyway, and John and Junior provided a magical evening of music and conversation.  For Junior Vasquez, this was a rare opportunity to perform all original songs, and he showed that his songwriting ability is as polished and professional as his singing and guitar work.

And when John Batdorf took the stage he demonstrated a commitment to excellence in vocals and guitar play that is second to none.  Seriously, you won’t hear a more flawless performance than John delivered on that snowy night in the warmth of our living room.

Watch this page for videos from this concert, to be posted soon.

Wednesday March 4, 2015
at Paul Johnson’s house

Click here to see our previous post about John Batdorf.

Visit John’s website and Facebook page:
www.JohnBatdorfMusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Batdorf-Music/279578037051
https://www.facebook.com/Soundtrax2Recovery

Visit Junior’s website and Facebook page:
www.myspace.com/therealjuniorvasquez
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Junior-Vasquez/80815053180

Watch John’s newest video on YouTube:

 

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Wendy Colonna
Saturday February 7, 2015

January 1, 2015 3:18 pm ⋅

What an amazing concert!  And what a treasure Wendy Colonna is! She kept us captivated with her wonderful music and stories.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWendy Colonna had a phenomenal 2014, releasing a new CD (“Nectar”) to national critical acclaim, having her music chosen by Starbucks for national play in their stores, and having her song “A Happy Song” chosen by Coca Cola to back a national TV and movie theater ad campaign.  Recent highlights of Wendy’s trajectory also include: selection as a Wall Street Journal pick for “Best Music Acts” at SXSW 2014; featured co-vocalist in the Grammy/MusicCares All-Star Showcase; and interviews on both NPR’s Beale Street Caravan and WFUV’s Sunday Breakfast (NYC).  (and those are just a few of her many 2014 highlights!)

Wendy is looking forward to an even more amazing 2015, and we are blessed that she has chosen to include Paul Johnson’s house in her early-2015 touring schedule.

Wendy has long been one of our favorite musicians. A blend of blues, rock, soul and folk, Wendy has a surprise waiting around the corner with every song. She will take you from sultry and slow, to rockin’ and rollin’, and everywhere in between, with an emotional delivery that few artists even attempt. She gets lost in her delivery, and believe me, you will too.
Wendy Colonna is on her way to a very special place, all her own, in the music industry.  If you haven’t hitched your musical exposure to her star yet, get on board now.  It will be a wonderful ride!

Saturday February 7, 2015  7:15pm
at Paul Johnson’s house
$20 admission at the door
BYOB.  Complimentary snacks and bottled water are provided.

Watch Coca Cola’s new commercial with Wendy’s song “A Happy Song”:

Watch Wendy’s fun new “Dirty Things” video:

Here, in one of my favorite performances, Austin’s Wendy Colonna performs her original “Vacancy” at a previous HubCityMusic.com house concert:

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Sarah McQuaid
Friday October 24, 2014

October 1, 2014 12:02 am ⋅

Requested by popular demand, Sarah McQuaidwe were pleased to host vocalist and singer/songwriter, Sarah McQuaid, in a HubCityMusic.com house concert on Friday October 24, 2014.  Sarah kept an enthusiastic audience spellbound with her silky smooth vocals, and engineer Martin Stansbury made his own unique and artistic contributions to the amazing sound.  Sarah McQuaid definitely delivered the most unique voice to the HubCityMusic.com stage that we have ever experienced, and everyone who was in attendance was entranced.  We will be hosting Sarah again in October 2015 for a CD release tour appearance, and you won’t want to miss that return visit!

Coming to West Texas all the way from England, Sarah was born in Spain, raised in Chicago, spent 13 years in Ireland and currently lives with her family in Cornwall, England.  Ireland is where she started her music career, and it is clearly a place that means a lot to her: “I do love Ireland. I lived there for 13 years, my children were both born in Ireland and my husband’s from Ireland.”

Sarah has toured all over the world, in places such as Ireland, England, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and across the United States.

She has released 4 albums, all to great critical acclaim, and has also authored a book, titled “The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book”.

Sarah McQuaid’s voice is amazing, with a range from low and sultry to sweet and high.  In many ways her voice is reminiscent of Carly Simon, as well as Joni Mitchell, and also reminds me of another vocalist from England with incredible vocal range, Julia Fordham.

But of course, despite inevitable comparisons, Sarah is her own artist, with her own unique sound.

A few quotes regarding Sarah:

“Rising star Sarah McQuaid’s voice has been likened to malt whiskey, melted chocolate and “honey poured into wine”.

Sarah’s third solo album, “The Plum Tree and the Rose”, has drawn critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic: “Impeccable” wrote fRoots (UK), while Midwest Record (USA) called it “low key but glorious and incendiary”, and Hot Press (Ireland) said it “should feature on many end-of-year best-ofs.”

Check back here for video clips from her October 24, 2014 HubCityMusic.com house concert.

Listen to samples of her music here:  http://www.reverbnation.com/sarahmcquaid/song/12437827-lift-you-up-and-let-you-fly

Watch this video of her song “The Sun Goes on Rising”:

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John Batdorf
Wednesday October 15, 2014

September 30, 2014 12:03 am ⋅

John Batdorf retro - 240x306

If you loved America, Crosby Stills & Nash, Dan Fogelberg, Loggins & Messina, and the Eagles in the 1970’s, chances are you also heard a group called Batdorf and Rodney. Great songwriters, with a sound very much like the above groups, Batdorf and Rodney had two very successful albums in the 1970’s before going their separate ways.

We were blessed to have this opportunity to host a rare mid-week house concert featuring John Batdorf of Batdorf and Rodney.
John has continued to write, play, and record since those early days, and his music is better than ever.  And even if you’ve never heard of him, trust me, John is an amazing musician and songwriter.  If you missed this HubCityMusic.com house concert, you missed one of the best-ever concerts we’ve had the pleasure to host!

P1060923-Adjusted - 300x230

 

Some notable background – In 1975, John Batdorf visited Lubbock when Batdorf and Rodney played a concert at the (then) Lubbock Municipal Coliseum (now City Bank Coliseum), and shared the stage with opening act Peyote, headed by local music legend Junior Vasquez.

John & Junior - 300x225

So in a full-circle sort of coincidence, John and Junior once again shared the stage, this time to close out John’s house concert, performing an impromptu duet of “For What It’s Worth”.  What an incredible experience it was to see those two on the same stage together almost 40 years later!

Watch for a video of John Batdorf and Junior Vasquez performing “For What It’s Worth”, on this page in a week or two.

Visit John Batdorf’s website:  http://johnbatdorfmusic.com/soundtraxlyric.html
Find him on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Batdorf-Music/279578037051

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5th Annual Harvest Moon concert!
Friday 9/5/2014 with The Hat Trick
Mike Pritchard, Mark Wallney,
and Mike Boyd

July 16, 2014 11:49 am ⋅

Our 5th annual Harvest Moon party!

Sold Out!

Just like last year, this year’s event sold out in about 24 hours.  And the concert was well worth all the anticipation.  Mike, Mark, & Mike never sounded better!  Their vocals were spot-on, and the musicianship was unsurpassed.  And they performed several new songs they have never done in public before.  We can’t wait for next year!  In the meantime, check back here in the next few weeks for a few videos from this 5th annual Harvest Moon concert.

3rd Annual Harvest Moon House Concert

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 5 years since we first hosted The Hat Trick in our living room!  This concert is our 5th annual celebration of life, love, and friends, at the time of each fall’s Harvest moon, the full moon closest to the Autumnal equinox. Often, the harvest moon seems to be bigger or brighter or more colorful than other full moons, so it’s a great time to enjoy a romantic concert. And it marks the beginning of the change of seasons, reminding us of the passing of time, and how important it is to share our time with those we love.

The inspiration for this extra-special house concert is taken from Neil Young’s song “Harvest Moon”, which The Hat Trick performs better than ‘ol Neil himself.

TheHatTrick2No disrespect to Neil Young, but let’s face it, Mike Pritchard’s voice is so much smoother and stronger than Neil’s warbly falsetto, and Mark Wallney’s guitar mastery is similarly superior. Their performance of this romantic and seasonally appropriate song sets the stage for a relaxing evening of undeniable musical and vocal talent by Mark Wallney, Mike Pritchard and Mike Boyd.

The Hat Trick needs no introduction to Lubbock music fans, as these guys are literally musical legends in Lubbock. All three have musical chops and talent that anyone can appreciate, a point well-proven when none other than the legendary Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills, and Nash and The Hollies) joined The Hat Trick on stage to perform with them! As Mike Pritchard would later say, “It was surreal performing “Bus Stop” with they guy who wrote it!” Mark Wallney added “Wow, we are still excited about the show and honestly fulfilled one of our childhood dreams, playing with one of our greatest music heroes. Most of you know that CSN is one of our biggest influences that even got the Hat Trick started in the first place.”

Here is a video of their performance of “Helplessly Hoping” from their 2013 HubCityMusic.com Harvest Moon house concert:

Here is a video of these guys performing “Harvest Moon” at the prior year’s HubCityMusic.com annual Harvest Moon house concert on 9/29/2012:

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Wendy Colonna
Friday June 13, 2014

May 3, 2014 2:04 pm ⋅

Wendy ColonnaWendy Colonna is one of our favorite musicians. A blend of blues, rock, soul and folk, Wendy has a surprise waiting around the corner with every song. She will take you from sultry and slow, to rockin’ and rollin’, and everywhere in between, with an emotional delivery that few artists ever even attempt. She gets lost in her delivery, and believe me, you will too.

Naturally, we feel like all of our house concerts are “don’t miss” events. But this one was truly special. Accompanied by the versatile musical genius Cary Banks, Wendy lit up the stage, with emotive energy that matched the breadth and depth of her songwriting.  There’s just no one genre to contain this lady, and she brought us through a range of emotions and feelings, ranging from the upbeat joy of her surprise hit, “A Happy Song”, through the sultry recall of another era in “Dance With the Moon”, to the decidedly Texas-influenced “Texas Summer Love”.  As if that weren’t enough variety, she swung us to another shade of the musical spectrum with the ballad “Bring Me Water”, and definitely got the house rocking with “Dirty Things”.  And she kept us riding this roller coaster of emotional diversity all night long.

Wendy Colonna is on her way to a very special place, all her own, in the music industry.  If you haven’t hitched your musical exposure to her star yet, get on board now.  It will be a wonderful ride!

Visit www.WendyColonna.com to learn more.  If you would like to support Wendy and have special access to new music, videos, and other perks not available to the general public, you can support her directly at www.patronism.com/WendyColonna

Update on 6/12/2014 – Wendy’s song from the Coca-Cola commercial has now been released as a full-length single!  Get “A Happy Song” on CD Baby at this link: https://origin.cdbaby.com/cd/wendycolonna22

Breaking News!  Wendy has just announced that Starbucks Coffee has requested songs from her new CD, Nectar, for spin in their stores Nationwide.  How cool is that!  Be sure to listen for Wendy next time you’re in a Starbucks, and be sure to come to her HubCityMusic.com house concert June 13th!

MORE Breaking News!  Wendy was the featured guest on WFUV’s “Sunday Breakfast” show in New York City on Sunday 5/18. John Platt did a great interview, and Wendy played some of her favorite tunes. Give a listen! Here’s the link: http://www.wfuv.org/audio/archives/fuv-live/wendy-colonna-sunday-breakfast-2014 (Click the “Listen” button)

WOW! Still MORE Breaking News!  Coca-Cola is now airing an awesome animated television commercial in which Wendy both wrote and performs the music! Sweet! Watch it here:

Just released!  Wendy’s new “Dirty Things” music video.  This is a fun video!  Watch it here:

Here, in one of my favorite performances ever, Austin’s Wendy Colonna performs her original “Vacancy” at a previous HubCityMusic.com house concert.

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Christopher Williams
April 24, 2014

April 4, 2014 2:11 pm ⋅

Christopher WilliamsNashville singer/songwriter/recording artist Christopher Williams added a last-minute HubCityMusic.com house concert to his current tour, and an appreciative audience was treated to a host of new songs.  These newest songs are among the best CW has written, and has us waiting with great anticipation for a new CD!  Although no firm plans have been made for that new CD yet, it is surely highly anticipated.  In the meantime, we will post videos from this concert at the end of this entry.  It may take a week or two to get them produced, so check back every few days.

Christopher first performed in Lubbock more than 15 years ago, at Durham’s Coffee House, and since that time has gone on to become a prolific songwriter and performer, releasing a total of 11 CDs, to great fan and critical acclaim. An in-demand performer, Christopher has toured all over the U.S., opening for, and playing with noted performers such as Jars of Clay, Arlo Guthrie, Phil Keaggy, David Wilcox, Bebo Norman, and many other well-know performers.

It is an honor to have someone of CW’s stature perform in the warm, intimate environment of our HubCityMusic.com living room. Although he remains as down-to-earth and accessible as ever, Christopher is no stranger to celebrity and success.

Christopher earned accolades as the Southeast Regional Round winner for the 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong contest, and in 2010 his song “Anything But Fail” won the Independent Music Award for Best New Contemporary Christian Song, at the same time as his live CD “Something As Simple” was nominated for Best Live Recording in the Independent Music Awards.

But it is his direct connection with his audience that makes Christopher such a compelling performer. By the end of the evening, each person in the audience felt a personal connection to CW.

Here is the first of several videos we will post from this concert, a song he just finished (but started 15 years ago!) called “Know of Love”.  Beautiful!  (Watch full-screen in HD if possible, and be sure to turn the volume up.)

Here is the song that followed “Know of Love” in this concert, a song he wrote for his son called “Stone Water Wood Light”.  Watch full-screen in HD if possible, and be sure to turn the volume up.  Listen carefully for his quiet remarks after the applause.

This song is the most relaxing, reassuring song I can imagine.  Christopher’s newest, and for now his favorite, “Everything You Need”.  Relax and enjoy!

Here is a video of Christopher’s original “Good Thing” from a previous HubCityMusic.com house concert.

Visit Christopher’s website: www.ChristopherW.com

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Brother Sun
Sunday Nov.10th 2013

October 1, 2013 2:50 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

BrotherSunLogo238x182One thing I’ve learned about house concerts is that if you don’t ask, you will not receive.  I figured it was a long shot that we would ever get these headline performers from New York, Chicago, and Boston to come to our living room in Lubbock, but I asked anyway.  And guess what?  They were doing a concert in Austin in November, and were able to stop in Lubbock along the way!  Wow!

After main stage performances with standing ovations at both Kerrville and Falcon Ridge Folk Festivals in 2011 and sold out concerts throughout the US, this summer they earned not only return invitations to Kerrville and Falcon Ridge but also invitations to Old Songs Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival and Kerrville Wine & Music Festival.

So, what an opportune time to come to Lubbock – right on the heels of the 2nd annual Lubbock Folk Festival.  And what a concert they put on, in what might be considered the crowning finale of a weekend of great music!  They were in fine form for an extremely appreciative and attentive audience.
The beautiful and creative Melissa Grimes, whose own Rockin’ Box 33 house concerts have served as a model for how to do house concerts right, was in attendance, and I must say I’ve never seen her more enthusiastic about a performance!  Now that’s a great compliment to these performers!

BrotherSun2-300x200This trio weaves three-part harmonies as well as Peter Paul and Mary or Crosby Stills and Nash, and they are each amazing songwriters as well.  The result is an astounding blend of music and message.  Fusing folk, Americana, blues, pop, jazz, rock, and a cappella singing, Brother Sun is an explosion of musical diversity and harmony, in the finest of male singing traditions.  Joe Jencks, Greg Greenway and Pat Wictor celebrate the amazing power of singing together, their rich voices blending on a well-crafted foundation of guitar, slide guitar, bouzouki and piano.

Brother Sun’s self titled album debuted at No. 2 on the Folk DJ Charts (it stayed on the charts for 8 months) and was named the No. 8 album of 2011 on FOLK-DJ, and their newest CD, “Some Part of the Truth” has just been released to rave reviews in 2013.

If the compilation of Brother Sun song samples didn’t play automatically when you came to this page, you can hear samples here:
[wpaudio url=”http://hubcitymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BrotherSunCompilation.mp3″ text=” Brother Sun samples compilation” dl=”0″ autoplay=”0″]

Visit Brother Sun’s website: http://www.brothersunmusic.com/

Date: Sunday November 10, 2013

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Jenni Dale Lord
Saturday April 20, 2013

March 29, 2013 2:53 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Jenni Dale Lord brought two awesome sets of her own original music to our HubCityMusic.com house concert on Saturday April 20th!  19 original songs – 6 from the soon-to-be-recorded new release from the Jenni Dale Lord Band, along with an intimate look at the stories behind the songs.  She was accompanied by Tony Garcia and Kevin Long.  It was such an intimate evening, and you really missed something special if you weren’t here.
Jenni Dale Lord

What a pleasure to host Jenni Dale Lord for this concert!
After rocking the ‘live music capital of the world,’ Austin, Texas, for over a decade, Jenni Dale Lord has returned to her roots in Lubbock to claim her place in the West Texas music scene where she first began her career, and she has really made a name for herself in the music world.

It has recently been revealed that one of her songs, “All Along” (from her self-titled debut CD), is under consideration by a music publishing / licensing company run by a TV music supervisor.   Every one of the songs on this CD is written by Jenni Dale, and each of these songs contains a lyrical and musical sensibility that is extraordinary.  The lyrics are tight, concise, and never forced, being at the same time credible and emotionally involving.  The music is accessible and familiar, without being derivative.  Songwriting talent like this does not go unnoticed, and when the right people notice, you will see big things happen fast for Jenni Dale Lord.

There is an element of pure country in Jenni Dale’s music, but her songwriting and performances are an amalgam of country, rock, blues, folk, and more, making her style unique and all her own.  Click the “play” arrow on each of the songs below to hear a few cuts from her debut CD “Jenni Dale Lord”. Each of these songs is completely different, and gives you an inkling of her versatility and musical range.

[wpaudio url=”http://hubcitymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/All-Along.mp3″ text=” ‘All Along’ by Jenni Dale Lord” dl=”0″ autoplay=”0″]

[wpaudio url=”http://hubcitymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Willie.mp3″ text=” ‘Willie’ by Jenni Dale Lord” dl=”0″ autoplay=”0″]

[wpaudio url=”http://hubcitymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Smile.mp3″ text=” ‘Smile’ by Jenni Dale Lord” dl=”0″ autoplay=”0″]

Be sure to “Like” Jenni Dale’s Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/JDLmusic

See Jenni Dale’s website at www.jennidalelord.com

There’s a nice story and interview with her at http://theoutlanderproject.com/post/44652795516/sami-vox-outlander-artist-jenni-dale-lord

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