For further information, please contact:
Chris Edwards at 409-381-1151 or cedwardsmusic@gmail.com
or Jason Carriger at 936-275-6111
“Brass Band Barbecue” brings eclectic good time to downtown Nacogdoches
Eclecticism is the order of the day for an event that has been dubbed the “First Annual Brass Band Barbecue” on Saturday, October 24. The shindig, which will offer something for music lovers of all sorts of persuasions as well as authentic Texas barbecue, will begin at 8 p.m. and go until midnight at Liberty Hall, located on the banks of Lanana Creek at 805 E. Main in Nacogdoches.
The show will feature an adventurous lineup that ranges from traditional jazz to psychedelic-tinged blues. According to event organizer and Sabine River Brass Band drummer/bandleader Jason Carriger, the event will offer up a good time “and the guaranteed best barbecue in Nacogdoches.”
Headlining the show will be Nacogdoches’ own cult legend/folk hero Country Willie Edwards, whose classic country-sounding originals have endured him to audiences all across the country. Willie will not only perform a set of his own music, drawing from his seemingly bottomless catalog of masterfully penned tunes, but will join the event’s namesake, the Sabine River Brass Band, for what is guaranteed to be a memorable musical happening.
Another noted singer/songwriter who emerged from Nacogdoches will perform, as well. Chris Edwards (who is no relation to Willie, except to those whom he wishes to impress) will perform a set of his hard-nosed Americana with a couple of frequent collaborators called the Tamale Pirates. Edwards’ catchy and poetic songs of sin, woe, redemption and rambling have earned him a cult following through the southwest as well as some chart success in Europe.
Noise Crater, an Austin-based psychedelic blues outfit featuring SFA alums Alex Westphal and Santiago Escebedo is also on the bill. Westphal, a blues guitar wizard influenced by Lightnin’ Hopkins as well as Roky Erickson, has recently stepped into the role of singer/songwriter/frontman with the project. The project recently performed in Nacogdoches at the Pine Knot as a two-piece with Westphal and Escebedo, and is sure to draw comparisons to similar-minded modern acts like the Black Keys but offers something closer to its sixties-era antecedents.
Another recent addition to the regional music community will take the stage at the Brass Band Barbecue. 40 Watt Pine Box, which promises a set of funky blues and space jazz is led by Nick Hinson
Rounding out the night’s festivities is the band responsible for the event, the Sabine River Brass Band, a traditional, New Orleans-style jazz ensemble. Led by ace percussionist Jason Carriger and featuring a cast of some of the best musicians in the state including Reid Thomas on trumpet and trombone and tuba player Aaron “Conan” Smith, the SRBB has been together for about two years and is steadily gaining a following for its fun shows which have a multi-generational appeal.
The barbecue served at the event will be enough to satisfy even the pickiest palates. Slow-cooked brisket bathed in post-oak smoke will be available by the pound, or by the plate. Sandwiches will be sold for $6 apiece. Plates with sides are $9 and brisket by the pound is $12.
Admission to the Brass Band Barbecue is $15 at the door, but pre-sale tickets are available through the Sabine River Brass Band website (www.sabineriverbrassband.com). Pre-sale prices are $7 for students with a valid SFASU ID and $10 for everyone else.
