XL Music

AM/PM: For Lange, Highway 90 is also known as memory lane

By Michael Corcoran
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Larry Lange and the Lonely Knights have built up a loyal following in their first year by playing off a simple concept: They celebrate regional hits from the '50s and '60s that traveled U.S. 90 from San Antonio to Lafayette, La. Oh, how the folks love to slowdance to the Knights' 6/8 rhythm (think "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights") and swing to the swamp pop. When the saxes of Ed Vizard and Brad Andrews are soulfully braying and guitarist Hector Watt (ex-Solid Senders) lays down a Johnnie Allan groove, it's a jolt back to the teen canteen days. The Lonely Knights peel away a layers of jaded.

On a recent Wednesday night at Shoal Creek Saloon, which has a nifty new bandstand and very good Cajun food, former Doug Sahm runnin' buddy Speedy Sparks listened to Lange sing the songs of Cookie and the Cupcakes, Bobby Charles, Sunny and the Sunglows and Roy Head and said, "They're playing my record collection."

Lange, who grew up in Victoria, hastily assembled the Knights to play a party at Mother Egan's at last year's South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival. "It came to me in a flash, because that's all the time I had," he says. "Why not play the music I grew up on?"

An exceptional bassist who made his name locally backing Stevie Ray Vaughan in the Cobras, Lange has never fronted a band before, but he takes to the Knight-leading role like he was born to it. His voice sometimes struggles with the high notes, but he gets down the feel of the songs. Go see Lange and the Knights at Shoal Creek Saloon, Evangeline Cafe or La Palapa and watch them turn those venues into a San Antonio dance hall circa 1962.

"Doug Sahm and I fished from the same pond," Lange says of the local legend who knew his way around "triplets" (which he called the 6/8-time songs). Where Sahm went on to perform much of those old chestnuts, even ressurecting the career of Freddy Fender, Lange played bass for a succession of bands, including Delbert McClinton for most of the '80s and Mardi Gras rockers the Vanguards.

He's clearly having a blast in the spotlight at last.

Rounded out by drummer Michael Christian and piano thumper Jack Payne, the Knights have already passed a couple of big tests recently. First, they got Roky Erickson up to sing a few songs at the Shoal Creek Saloon a few Wednesdays ago. Then came an even more impressive seal of approval when the Knights, the only Anglo band on a bill of Tejano and conjunto groups, bowled over the crowd with vintage regional pop hits that such cats as Gene Thomas and Sunny Ozuna almost made famous. The twin saxes were crucial.

"You could see it in their eyes," Lange says of that predominantly Hispanic audience. "The memories just came flooding back and the dance floor filled up."

All this band needs are a few more fast songs like the Sunglows' "No One Else But You" to space out the ballads, which can get repetitious over two hours (unless you're on a date).

Relationship losing its zing? Take your sweetie to Shoal Creek Saloon Wednesday night and you can cancel that appointment with the marriage counselor.

Kirk Rundstrom of Kansas band Split Lip Rayfield was supposed to unveil his side project Grain & Demise tonight at the Continental Club, but the singer/guitarist sadly had to cancel, as he's been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and has started a six-week chemo treatment. The Continental is hosting a two-night benefit for the club fave March 2-3, with the Damnations, Small Stars and White Ghost Shivers the first night and Honky, Hellapeno and more the next. . . . Grupo Fantasma has a new singer, as percussionist Jose Galeano (whose uncle Chepito Areas was in the original Santana), takes over lead vocals for Brian Ramos, who has gone on to other projects. . . . The 13th season of KGSR's Unplugged at the Grove series doesn't kick off until April 13, but the lineup has been set: April 13, Robinella; April 20, Eliza Gilkyson; April 27, Monte Montgomery; May 4, James McMurtry; May 11, Jimmy LaFave; May 18, Ruthie Foster; and May 25: Terri Hendrix. No Gourds? Who's booking this thing, Terry Lickona?

mcorcoran@statesman.com; 445-3652