As the band was pulling out of Austin, post SXSW gig the phone rang.
“You guys wouldn’t happen to have a piano sustain pedal we could borrow? Are you still in town? We’re staying on Brazos Street.”
It was Katelynn Corll, who’s been drumming for the Michigan Americana powerhouse, The Accidentals. We doubled back and Steve ran the pedal into the hotel where they were staying while the rest of the band circled the block.
The Accidentals had a gig the following afternoon in Wimberly, about an hour out of Austin. That’s also the city where the GGs were staying all week. The Accidentals gig was a private affair, at Blue Rock Studios, nestled atop the rolling Texas terrain. The vista affords the most spectacular views of the Hill Country. The studio has a superb reputation. There are beautiful rooms for artists to take up residency while working on projects. It’s a favorite creative space of artists like Lyle Lovett.
Steve returned to the car. “They put us on the guest list tomorrow, if we want to pick up the pedal at their gig. They said there’s food and everything.”
Far be it from us, to ignore the universe, or pass up some free eats!
The glaring understatement of the entire Texas loop of this spring tour is to say that Blue Rock Studios is amazing. We were overwhelmed walking from our parking place into the party. Greeted by the most warm soul, our feelings of being somewhere we didn’t belong were erased with an enthusiastic “Welcome friends,” from a silver dreadlock-coifed gentleman. He looked like your favorite grandfather, if he were the most obsessed dead head. He told us jokes, pointed out there was stone fired pizza and Middleton Beer available for us to enjoy, and added, “Don’t be shy. Look around. Be sure you check out the view from the tower.”
Blue Rock Studios is arguably the most stunning creative space on the planet. It features an intimate performance space, state of the art recording rooms, chocked full of the best of tech and recording gear. There are enough beds, baths, and relaxing spaces to inspire a band staying at the facility, for years. We were treated to a tour before we caught The Accidentals set. The Blue Rock people were genuine, inviting, and incredibly gracious hosts. And the view from the tower was even more spectacular than promised. We can’t thank The Accidentals and Blue Rock Studios enough for an experience that was certainly one of the highlights of our week in Texas.
We could have stayed for hours, or maybe days and weeks…we certainly wished we could…but, we were pressed for time, with another gig that evening. On our way out, we revisited the silver haired gentleman whose greeting made us feel so very at home. Of course, he had a couple more jokes. We found out he is Bobby Lemons, long time FOH sound man for Willie Nelson.
We were blessed to soak in so much greatness in the hour we spent at Blue Rock. We heard magic in the stellar set put on by our friends The Accidentals. We were greeted and entertained by a legend. We absorbed a soul-soothing mystic alchemy by being in the presence of this most beautiful and enchanting space.
Thank you Blue Rocks Studios. And thank you Accidentals, for forgetting your sustain pedal!
