XL Inside Music

Revisiting 'Terlingua'

Thursday, January 26, 2006

• Country throwback Ed Burleson paced nervously in the wings at the Luckenbach Dancehall Friday night, waiting to join the Lost Gonzo Band, whose mission was to remake Jerry Jeff Walker's landmark 1973 album 'Viva Terlingua' with a new cast of singers. 'I mean, "Viva Terlingua" was the record that really helped create the whole Texas singer-songwriter scene,' Burleson said. 'I hope I don't blow it.'

But the Fort Worth native did a fine job on 'Get It Out!' eliciting a chant of 'Ed-DEE!' when he had done his part for '!Viva! Terlingua! Nuevo!' which will be released by the Tennessee-based Palo Duro label in a few months.

'I know it's an overused word, but I can't think of another way to describe these past two nights without calling them magical,' co-organizer Walt Wilkins told the crowd of about 300, who paid $1 admission, just as the audience did in August of '73, when Walker and the Gonzos recorded 'Terlingua' in Luckenbach (the LP was named after a chili cookoff bumper sticker). The album spawned such outlaw country standards as 'London Homesick Blues,' 'Desperados Waiting For a Train,' 'Redneck Mother' and 'Sangria Wine.' Bassist Bob Livingston, who played on the original 'Terlingua' as well as the reprise, credits the album's influence with its simplicity and its passion over perfection delivery. 'A lot of people said, "You know what? That's what I want to do," and went from being fans to being songwriters,' Livingston said. Other artists who performed at the two-night concert recording included Two Tons of Steel, Gary P. Nunn, the Derailers, Cory Morrow, Jimmy LaFave and the McKay Brothers. —Michael Corcoran

• Capital Sports and Entertainment has teamed up with Charles Attal Management to form Fourth Floor Management, a music management company boasting such acts as Blues Traveler, Ben Kweller, What Made Milwaukee Famous and the now Austin-based Jack Ingram, whose new album 'Live: Wherever You Are' and single 'Wherever You Are' are climbing the Billboard Country charts.

CSE is also in the process of acquiring Los Angeles-based publicity company Fresh and Clean Media, which is run by publicist Shelby Meade. Meade will stay in Los Angeles, but be a CSE employee. Her roster includes such acts as Moby, Blur, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. — Joe Gross

• They've been laying low for two years, adding babies like they once did ankle tattoos, but the Austin-based Dixie Chicks look to have an action-packed 2006, with a new album produced by Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash) expected to hit stores in late March and a summer tour set to begin in June. The trio of Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire should also have a big presence at the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards ceremony, where they're up for two golden gramophones for the 'I Hope' collaboration with Keb' Mo. — M.C.

• South By Southwest is going to church this year, signing up the Central Presbyterian Church at 200 E. Eighth St. as a venue. Besides a big gospel concert March 18 featuring Marty Stuart, Anointed Voicez and others, the 500-capacity church will experience full pewage with the Table of the Elements showcase March 17 featuring Germany's Arnold Dreyblatt Ensemble, Rhys Chatham of France, New Yorker Tony Conrad and many more avant-garde sound explorers. — M.C.