Doing it all downtown

I'm having a great time in Marshall, and I'm doing it all downtown.

It would be easy to point out the gas prices make it more economical to stay in my neighborhood, but when it came time to move places I was adamant about living in the place I love the best.

Hometown Computers is at 307 East Austin Street, right next to the News Messenger. 

When someone first moves into an area and doesn't have the inside track on what's awesome about it, they can be happy living almost anywhere. When I first moved here, I knew nothing and lived out on Liberty Cutoff Road. Then I moved closer in to East Rusk Street, on a transitional (affordable) block between some super nice historic homes and some not so nice druggy blocks. (Marshall has drugs. Who's kidding themselves about crime and why should I care to make it seem like we're any better than all the other places that have these problems?)

"The Good House" at 606 N. Washington Ave. I'm on the B-side again. 

My new place has been dubbed "The Good House" and was given this nickname during the move as opposed to it being called the New House or anything like that. I have some art planned to reflect this and can't wait to get moving on it. I love my new neighbors already, and I'm right down from all the happenings on North Washington Avenue for Marshall's downtown music and other stuff.

And being on the B-side, the A-side is coming open sometime soon -- a time when I hope to get A-wesome neighbors and round out our little corner of town.

I was thinking that in some cases the "hit" songs aren't the ones the musicians love performing the best and that some great music is b-side stuff is just ahead of its time. I like to think that Marshall's downtown music thing and me living on the B-apartment-side twice in a row now just means that things are falling together in a way that is a little ahead of popularity.

It really does almost come down to "and other stuff" lately because I'm very interested in seeing the growth of the music scene. In my own time I manage to attend as many of the events as possible and take my camera along with me. Most people around there have even gotten used to me having it and don't get weird about whether I'll represent them well. I appreciate that a lot more than I can say.

Here's one of me working with Ron Munden, owner/operator at EastTexasTowns.com

I have been posting photos for the jams and other music events and people on my facebook page, since we're all, already linked up there and I can tag them in these shots a little easier. Blogger has been changing and I'll reacquaint myself with its offerings pretty soon. I'm also looking at www.wix.com for some good layouts to do marketing for individuals or bands as a way to help the music movement grow up with good information available to the wide world of wondering.

Eric Gardner, Kenny Laboarde, Kelly Chambers, Rick Sims, Stanton Hoffman, Wes Jeans and Rick Reeder filming music downtown on Sept. 14, 2011, for the show Killin' N Grillin'.

See more at: Facebook Album from Killin' N Grillin' in Marshall (and more)

Telling about downtown music and keeping up with the district is a full time job, which I'm glad I can work on during my paid hours at least a little and couldn't stop caring about after the work-bell rings. OK - you can say "she went there" -- but I don't have kids and nothing like soccer practices and Girl Scout meetings to keep me from getting into just a range of things for myself and the community. It's not like I'm trying to be this thing's Mom, but more like I'm trying to nurture it in the ways I can.

I love making contacts and sharing this with people. I'm already looking forward to Randal Reeder and the show Killin' N Grillin' to come back and cookout in Telegraph Park. I've made some pretty good friends with them so far and like being called to help set things up. I'm sure I'll be giving this one a fair bit of play in the paper as well, just to share the word.

Local business owners Rodney Beal and Mary Smith have Band Stand Music and Unique Boutique on North Washington Avenue. 

I've really enjoyed being among some classy business owners, who at the same time can get down with the regulars to have as much fun making things happen as we all can in seeing the results. I have been getting to know Rodney and Mary, as well as other members of the band Diddley Squat and am proud of all the ways they are staying close to the music on the street and in other venues. 

See More from Aug. 25, 2011, at Telegraph Park

I'm also pretty sure I'm not out of line when I say there is room for more and more musicians to at least come out and test the waters. A hidden talent one day could inspire someone new the next. Mary has a fabulous voice and has been working with it to bring joy or heal the blues as the moment strikes. 

Mary Smith, Larry Tallant, Rodney Beal, Pony Bubp and Chris Dean play late on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011

See More from Sept. 1, 2011 at Telegraph Park 

One of the things that has inspired me most about all of the FREE music in downtown Marshall is the fresh spirit for creativity that it brings out. My own photography has been amplified by these great sounds and the people making them. It seems impossible that a year ago, some of us had never met, because we're really growing a community around it. I'm thrilled by the number of poets I've also seen out and down to catch the vibe. They scribble some while others shoot video on their phones or think of witticisms to pitch into the facebook phenomenon.

Pony Bubp has rekindled his love of drumming and does great stick flips with lots of flare. 

(He also posts just about every event he's going to attend on facebook and spreads the word!)

I don't have any great shots of her just now, (have to check again soon!) but Leslie Clark-Williams at Under The Texas Sun is another of those awesome downtown business owners out mixing with the people and helping them all relax and enjoy their time with the music. She and Kat are definitely part of the scene!

Since I couldn't find one, I linked this shot from Kat and Leslie'sWeb-page, 

which you can visit by clicking the shop's name above. 

That it has all been kept rocking for the past few years is the only reason we have it today. I'm into the now of it all, but I have to thank Pap, John Fox, Nick Brumley, Grady Lee, the former open-mic for Nashville Songwriters and all of their friends for making sure it has and will keep going. 

Pap Watson and some of the other local musicians have kept this going for many years. 

On a completely different side note. I wonder if cameras had been more affordable then, if we might not realize how alike we are to those who came before us and were also geniuses.

I was listening to Last.fm through XBOX Live and was into classical music while I was writing this. So, I looked up and Johannes Brahms in 1853 looked quite like our own folk virtuoso Nick Brumley. Let me know what you think about this photo comparison.

Nick playing guitar and drumming during Thursday night open jams at Telegraph Park this summer. 

Johannes Brahms

http://dickstrawser.blogspot.com/2011/04/brahms-first-years-in-making.html

This is my "no pressure" outlet for things I'm into, and I try to focus around creativity. I always have projects in the works, whether its personal or for the rest of the world.

Please feel free to contact me here or by email. It was reported to me that there were problems in commenting on the previous blog entry on music in downtown -- so I'll be working on that in the future. If you see that I have incorrectly reported a name, date or event please let me know so I can correct it.

Thanks for all you do in this world!

Terri Richardson