Just Country:
Catch honky-tonk fever
San Antonio Express-News
Country music fans across the world are eating their hearts
out.
Unless they jumped on a jet, they'll miss Geronimo
Treviño III's release party for his new album, "Trying to
Break the Honky-Tonk Fever," at Floore Country Store on
Saturday night.
The 13 songs range from a strong selection of hard-core
country originals to first-rate covers of the classic "Milk
Cow Blues" and "Walking the Floor Over You."
Here are samples from the "Across the Big Pond" section on
Treviño's Web site:
Dann Hansen, Denmark: "This CD without doubt will be
well received by my country listeners on 'Roskilde
Dampradio.'"
Mathias Andrieu, "Keep It Country Show," France:
"It's good to hear some real honky-tonk."
Andrea Stolle, "Old Stringhouse Music Show,"
Germany: "Your music is on the air now."
Big Al Watts, "Al's Rhythm Roundup," Australia: "How
in the hell could you have recorded five CDs prior to this
without me having heard something of your work? I love this
new release and can't wait to put it on the air."
Treviño's not doing anything that dance hall regulars
around Texas haven't heard him do for years — except for one
thing.
"When I worked the European market before, I didn't have a
computer," Treviño said. "This cyberspace thing just blows my
mind."
He's getting air time in about a dozen countries as well as
stations across Texas, including San Antonio's KSYM, New
Braunfels' KNBT and Fredericksburg's KFAN.
A couple of years ago, lead guitar player Tom Strauch
put together his Web site, www.txdirect.net/users/
geronimo.
A friend gave Treviño a list of e-mail addresses for disc
jockeys overseas, and he found them to be receptive.
"In Europe, they love Texas country music," he said. "That
makes it real easy for us."
It would have been a lot harder if Treviño's album didn't
deliver. The first four songs were recorded in 1989 by A.V.
Mittelstedt, the legendary Houston producer who was
helping to launch Clint Black. Most of the band members
on the recording, in fact, were hired by Black and three are
still with him, Treviño said.
One of those Treviño originals has the earmarks of a
Western swing classic, down to the wry humor in losing a last
chance to save a romance: "Drinking My Last Shot Away."
Another high spot is the heartbreaker "Playing Hard to
Forget," co-written with Nashville songwriter Hank
Cochran, known for Patsy Cline's "I Fall to
Pieces," George Strait's "The Chair" and a host of
other classics.
To round off the album, Treviño recorded two new songs with
his band at Clay and Augie Meyers' C.A.M.
Recording Studios in Bulverde.
"The band's really tight, but I guess we should be — my
bass player, Jeff Simonson, has been with me for 11
years, drummer Larry Goff for seven years and Strauch
for eight years," he said.
The album is available at Hog Wild Records,
www.lonestarmusic.com, texasmusicroundup.com or Treviño's Web
site. Opening for Treviño will be the Whoosits Big Pile
Goodtime Garbage Band.
Around town
Straight Shot is a relatively new band on the
scene. But don't mistake new for mediocre. The band made a
great showing as finalists in the KJ97 Battle of the Bands
contest and is planning to get busy with gigs in and around
San Antonio.
Tonight they'll be at the Far West Rodeo, where they
competed in the preliminaries for the contest.
The band includes steel guitar, keyboards, fiddle and two
brothers — Mike and Kevin Hoelscher. Another,
Greg, is in another band, Wildcard. They play
original numbers along with traditional and contemporary
country tunes.
