Brent's Alt Country Blog

"The I Walk The Line" Movie Could Make November a Good Month for fans of Johnny Cash

With the I Walk The Line movie due to be released on November 18th and the "Night For Johnny Cash" TV special a couple of days before, November could turn out to be a pretty good month for Cash fans.

I've got to admit.  I'm still skeptical, but from what I'm hearing this movie about the Man in Black could turn out to be all right.  Or maybe I'm just getting caught up in the hype. 

I remember reading CASH: The Autobiography a few years ago, and thinking ok, this is going to be a movie someday, and I immediately started dreading that day. 

The problem is there's no actor that can accurately capture the charisma of Cash.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Joaquin Phoenix is a great guy and a great actor, and maybe he's THE actor who can MOST portray Cash's persona, but he won't capture all of it.  He can't.  No one can, and without that you don't have a story. 

I mean, you'll definitely get your three act structure of a country singer who comes up out of the depression, fights epic battles that would've tested even Homer's credulity, and somehow emerges at the end, maybe not unscathed, but at least unbeaten.  But Hollywood stories like that always turn out too believable, and simple, and neat on the screen. 

There might not have been a more complex man around than Cash.  He at least deserves as many movies as Lord of The Rings.  His battles were real. 

I hope this movie is good.  Even if it's not, with all the hype we'll at least hear Cash's music all over the place this month. 

Brent Hoodenpyle and A Loner Open for Danny Santos at the Woodstock Folk Festival Fall Benefit Concert

Brent Hoodenpyle and John Ballantyne will serve as the opening act for this year's Woodstock Folk Festival Fall Benefit Concert featuring Austin, Texas based singer-songwriter Danny Santos on Friday October 28th.

Santos is an accomplished singing and songwriting troubadour who draws his influences from the likes of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and John Prine.  He's played all around the country--around the world for that matter-- at spots such as the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Club Passim in Boston, the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas, and Mahogany Hall in Bern, Switzerland. 

As if that alone wouldn't be enough to get you dialing the ticket line, read what other musicians and critics have said about him...

Here's what fellow songwriter Slaid Cleaves had to say...

"Love songs.  Murder songs.  What more could you want?  Danny sings his evocative songs with a pure and natural tenor.  He's one of my unsung heroes of the Austin singer/songwriter scene."

And Santa Fe New Mexican music critic and rocker Steve Terrell...

"His true strength is his songwriting... his song 'Desperado' puts the Eagles' song to shame."

And Mario Tarradell from the Dallas Morning News...

"...his storytelling is straight out of the Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt school of songwriting."

You can find out a whole bunch more about Danny by visiting his website at http://www.dannysantosmusic.com.

And to kick things off in the evening, I'll be there with lone Loner John Ballantyne to perform a set of our country and folk originals with a cover or two mixed in.

You, of course, can find out more about us by clicking over to our website at http://www.brenthoodenpyle.com.  While you're there, sign up for the Alt Country Vault (it's FREE!), and you'll be able to download 10 or so songs from us and some of our friends (also FREE!), and I'll make sure you get the monthly newsletter.

The Woodstock Folk Festival Fall Benefit Concert takes place October 28th at 8:00 pm at the Stage Left Cafe, located on the square at 125 Van Buren St in Woodstock, IL.  Tickets are $10 for Adults and $7 for Seniors and Students. 

For reservations or more information, go to http://www.woodstockfolkmusic.com, or call (815)479-9933.

See you there!

Can't make it so the show?  Buy Danny's CD's here!

Kenny Chesney, Renee Zellweger, and Jack Sparks

With a New Look to His Alt Country Blog and a Re-Energized Attitude, Jack Sparks Cracks the Kenny Chesney - Renee Zellweger Fraud Case

I'm really disappointed in myself for not keeping the blog up better this month.  Mostly, though, I'm upset that I missed commenting on the Kenny Chesney - Renee Zellwegger Fraud case.

As soon as it broke, my phone was ringing with people calling to tell me about it and to ask if I'd heard anything from our buddy, Jack Sparks.

As usual, he was on the ball and didn't disappoint.  Check out his post here...

http://blogs.citypages.com/jsparks/2005/09/res_ipsa_loquit.asp

(The one before it entitle "Sigh II" might be my new favorite.  Read that one while you're there, too.)

In case you're new to this blog and this is the first time you've heard of Sparks and his Other Side of Country Blog, I've mentioned him in these posts before.  If you're a fan of traditional and/or alternative country and can't stand to hear what mainstream country is doing to our form of music, you'll enjoy what Sparks has to say.

Here's the link to the Hank Williams rejection letter I stole from Sparks...

http://altcountrybrent.typepad.com/brents_alt_country_blog/2004/10/hank_williams_r.html

Here's Sparks play-by-play commentary on the  38th Annual Country Music Association Awards...

http://altcountrybrent.typepad.com/brents_alt_country_blog/2004/11/an_alt_country_.html

And here's the uhhh, "slightly unstable" response it prompted from Kenny Chesney's producer...

http://altcountrybrent.typepad.com/brents_alt_country_blog/2004/11/the_kenny_chesn.html

Enjoy!