VOL. 43 | NO. 13 | HOLIDAY 2022
TEXAS ON THE HUDSON
set to tell you about my new TC Electronic Plethora X5 TonePrint Multi-FX Pedalboard when I came across] and read the caption: Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan at NYC’s Pier 84, June 26, 1986. “Hey,” I says to myself, “that’s the show that Chris, Bruce and I heard from across the Hudson River in Weehawken!” We also could see bits and pieces of the on-stage action that night, but we were so far away... Stevie and Jimmie were just itty-bitty dots in cowboy boots. But really, the “1986-ness” of the photo (and the memory itself) reminded me of all of the other great Texas-based music that was in the air at that time. Besides SRV, you had the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Eric Johnson, George Strait and ZZ Top, the resurgent (thanks to Alligator Records!) Albert Collins and Johnny Winter, plus Johnny Copeland, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, Willie Nelson, the Butthole Surfers... I mean, really, 1986 was pretty much the apex of “Wow, man; there are so many great — and — Texas guitar bands!” What’s more, Pantera and Rigor Mortis were very close to making it big, while artists like the Reverend Horton Heat, Chris Duarte, Polyphia, Shakey Graves, Sue Foley, the Mars Volta, St. Vincent, Arc Angels and Eric Tessmer were still waiting in the wings. And I haven’t even mentioned the early masters like Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker and Blind Lemon Jefferson. What’s my point, you ask? Well, besides the fact that I’m easily distracted (think about my poor TC Electronic Plethora X5 story), volumes upon volumes upon volumes could be written about the importance, influence and “cool factor” of Texas guitarists. I hope you enjoy this volume.
