Texas Monthly: Jesse Dayton by: Jeff McCord
USA Today: Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh, Holdin’ Our Own by: Brian Mansfield
Austin Chronicle: Jesse Dayton and Brennen Leigh are Holdin' Their Own by: Doug Freeman
Austin Chronicle: Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh Reviewed by: Jim Caligiuri
Hardchargers,
Hayes Carll called me a few weeks ago about being in the video for his new song, "She Left Me For Jesus." Get this: the concept was that Jesus was gonna steal my girlfriend, and a camera-crew (including Hayes as the sound-engineer) and a host from the reality TV show "Two Timers," would be following us around when it all comes crashing down. How Hayes and manager Mike Crowley pulled off getting Universal Records behind this is still nothing less than amazing. This isn't your typical Nashville-formula video by any means (it just came out a few days ago and there's a great buzz on it w/ Youtube, radio and TV shows right now) not to mention, we had the time of our lives filming it. I've been on shoots for videos, TV, movies and regular photo-shoots that turned out to be a big weird stress-pit, but this was so much fun from start to finish my freakin' face hurt from laughing AND it went smooth. Might not be any Oscar winning performances here, but it's hilarious. Check it out here and look for it to start popping up everywhere.
Looks like we're gonna be doin' a JD "HONKY TONK AND HOT ROD SHOW" at the Continental Club in Houston w/ the ROADKINGS headlining on Nov. 1st....more details on bands and times to follow soon..
In the next 2 weeks we'll be releasing a statement about a new film project we're involved in. This is gonna be a big one.....
This week we are in the studio recording and mixing, then three shows.....THURS. NIGHT @ THE BROKEN SPOKE in South Austin from 9 to 12 we play the Solid Chrome Dance Party. Even though I had a bad sore throat last week, we still did the gig. Thanks to ringer country journey-man Billy Dee for helping me out last week on the vocals. Have no fear, the ol' golden throat is back this week.
SAT. we're playing a private show up in the D/FW area.
SUNDAY is an afternoon show with BRENNEN LEIGH @ THE CONROE CAJUN FESTIVAL. EARLY SHOW YA'LL @ 2:15. We'll be pullin' out songs from "Holdin' Our Own", as well as a few of my songs...a few of hers...and of course... other "Country Gold Duets." Country legend Johnny Bush plays right after us....braaang it!!
adios mi amigos! JD
p.s. yes the rumors are true...our tour bus, BOOKER (named after Booker Noe of the Jim Beam family) is up for sale. We've decided to move onto another coach. We've had a blast w/ Booker and have been all over the country in it, but it's time to move on. If you're interested please contact us here Stag Records Email. We just put it up for sale this weekend and we've already fielded several serious offers. We're gonna throw one last party on him as a send off! JD
For real? JD and LA band Shurman w/ John Popper from Blues Traveler jammin @ the Saxon Pub last week? Yea, I know, it's a weird mix, BUT it's Austin. Ya never know whose gonna sit in? Myself and engineer to the stars, Steve Chadie, were producing a song for a movie for Shurman while they were in town, and Popper happened to be a big fan, so he jumped in on it. There's a live bootleg recording of it floating around that sounds killer.
Other stuff...we are making plans to start recording a video for the "Welcome Home" CD for US troops in Iraq/Afghanistan. Regardless of your political affiliation (remember, it's America folks, our strength is in our diversity so please don't send us wacko right-wing or conspiracy theory left-wing stuff to the site) this new song was written for the soldiers over there just trying to do their job and get back home in one piece.
In other news...our deal w/ the Hard Rock Casino in Vegas is done, so look for a run of shows in Sin City starting in Nov. and Dec., and carrying on into the new year. These will be weekend fly dates, so they will not effect our tours OR Thurs. @ the Broken Spoke.
The Hayes Carll video, "She Left Me For Jesus" w/ yours truly (yep, I'm the guy who gets his girlfriend stolen from the sandal wearing robed one himself...c'mon, the guy turns water into wine?...even Elvis couldn't compete w/ ol' JC!) will be released this month, so look for it online and on TV.
Also, I spoke w/ club owner Wrecks Bell of the Old Quarter on Galveston Island, and even though they got over 8 ft. of water in the place, he's definitetly gonna keep it open. He said when he got back on the island it looked like King-Kong was on a bad speed trip and just started throwing cattle, buses, cars, trees, boats, you-name-it. A total of 67 people have died from Hurricane Ike. Bolivar, Galveston and Beaumont is where I spent my whole youth. A benefit show will be announced soon.
This THURS. we play THE BROKEN SPOKE from 9 to 12 (last week was crazy...great seeing all you out-of-towners) for the Solid Chrome Dance Party. Two step lessons w/ Terri White from 8 to 9.
SAT. night it's a private show in HOUSTON.
Braaang it y'all.
best, JMFD
p.s. thanks to all the Hardchargers for making it a great show @ Hanks Sat. night up in North Texas...kick-ass crowd!
I'm sitting in my hotel room at the LaMothe House Hotel in the French Quarter in New Orleans feeling like vampire LeStat...this place is amazing....like Paris in the 20s'. After a loooong weekend in Nashville playing guitar with Glen Campbell, Jason Ringenberg, Raul Malo, Jim Lauderdale, Chuck Meade, Dave Gonzales, Randy Weeks, Keith Gattis and Greta Gaines, and then the next night playing @ One Eyed Jacks in Nawlins' w/ CC Adcock, the RoadKings, Dickey Landry and George Porter, we're finally chillin'.
Highlights of the weekend: jammin' w/ Glen Campbell at soundcheck; .playin' "Gentle On My Mind" w/ Jim Lauderdale on banjo; listening to Raul Malos' other-worldly voice while we played "Witchita Lineman"; writing charts w/ Dusty Wakeman; hangin' backstage in New Orleans w/ 2 of my heros, Dickey Landrey and George Porter. BUT, now it's time to take it on back to the casa, lick my wounds and heal up. Sometimes walkin' away means living to fight another day y'all (pretty good lyric, huh?)....
Keep an eye out for film-maker/rockstar Rob Zombie's upcoming movie "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto" (which features JD music w/ animated Banjo & Sullivan characters!) It will be in theaters soon...
This week we return to the legendary BROKEN SPOKE in South Austin on THURS. NIGHT where we host the Solid Chrome Dance Party from 9 'til 12 (every week we pride ourselves on playin new material. Probably throw in a couple of new originals and some Glen Campbell tunes for the hell of it.
FRI NIGHT we play a blow-out Shelby Cobra rally at RAILROAD BLUES in ALPINE TEXAS from 9 'til they kick us out. The Alpine/Marfa area of Texas is unlike anything in the state. If you've never been, you need to make a roadtrip. It's a whole other country out there and this will be a throwdown....and oh yea, the American car building genius himself, Carroll Shelby will be there in person hanging out.
SAT. NIGHT we're back up in North Texas in McKINNEY, TEXAS @ HANKS'. This place ain't nothing but f-u-n. If you live in D/FW/Plano, and you're in jail, you need to break your ass out and come see how the fans at Hanks roll. What a great time....
Alright, time to go grab a cup of joe at Cafe Du Monde before we go to the airport....brang it!
"Laisse le bon temps rouler!" JD
Hurricane Ike put a serious ass-whoopin on my old stompin' grounds. My peeps evacuated out of Beaumont and have been hangin' in Austin. The homestead is okay, but there's no electricity in Beamount and parts of Houston for maybe 2 weeks. Crystal Beach (right outside of Beaumont) is pretty much long-gone from a huge wave/surge. My local buddies are calling it "Sabine Past" instead of Sabine Pass.... Downtown Galveston was completely under water (the legendary Balinese Room, and some others like it, are gone) and they are not allowing anyone on the island. Wrecks Bells' club, The Old Quarter, is totally washed out w/ over 4 ft. of water. I spoke w/ Wrecks this morning and we're definitely gonna do an "OLD QUARTER BENEFIT." Check back for details about the line-up 'cause this will be a great show to come out and support. Look at this "Brang It" picture on a boarded up house we recovered!
This week we return to our usual home away from home, THE BROKEN SPOKE on South Lamar in Austin Tx., on THURSDAY NIGHT from 9 to 12.
SAT. NIGHT I'm playin guitar at the AMERICANA MUSIC CONFERENCE in NASHVILLE, TENN. for a GLEN CAMPBELL tribute (pretty weird, I've been brushing up on the song "Galveston" the last few days) that will host Glen and several great singers including Raul Malo, Dave Gonzales from the Hacienda Bros/Paladins, Jim Lauderdale, Chuck Meade from BR549, Jason Ringenberg from Jason and the Scorchers and of course the Witchita Lineman himself, Glen Campbell. Show starts around 10:00 at the Cannery Ballroom.
SUN. NIGHT, the ROADKINGS (me, Jason and Eric) play BAZZ FEST in NEW ORLEANS LA. at ONE EYED JACKS, located at 615 Toulouse St. This show has a stellar line-up of Gulf Coast musicians including George Porter, Dickey Landry, Lil' Queenie, John Mooney and CC Adcock. Show starts @ 4 pm and goes 'til 2am....braaaaaang it!
Vio con dios mi amigos! JD
We're busier than a one-legged man in an ass kickin' contest. Our publishing company, Hardcharger Music, just licensed yet another song, "Tall Walkin' Texas Trash" (from the Country Soul Brother CD). It will be featured in the network TV show about a biker gang, "Sons Of Anarchy," on the FX channel. God Bless the LA/NY Film and TV world for all the love they continue to give us, but believe it or not there's some killer stuff happening in Nashville for some JD songs. We'll let ya know the specifics in the comin' weeks...
Goin' to play guitar for the Glenn Campbell Tribute Show in NASHVILLE on Sat. the 20th during the Americana Music Conference. This will be a big show w/ Glenn doin' some hits..."Witchita Lineman", "Galveston", "Rhinestone Cowboy" and some new songs off his latest Capitol release, some written by Tom Petty and also in the line-up will be Raul Malo, Jim Lauderdale, Chuck Meade, Dave Gonzales and a few other killer talents that have almost confirmed. We'll let ya know who they are soon. The next night (Sun. the 21st) the ROAD KINGS will be playin' in one of my favorite cities on the planet: NEW ORLEANS. We just booked the show and there's gonna be a bunch of cool N.O. musicians on this bill (some of the Meters, Little Band Of Gold, CC Adcock and the Lafayette Marquis) The show is at ONE EYED JACKS, and kicks off at 7:00pm.
This week we're playin a private show in Austin TUES. NIGHT.....THURS. NIGHT we play the greatest honky-tonk of' em all, THE BROKEN SPOKE from 9 'til 12 in SOUTH AUSTIN.
SAT. NIGHT we play THE ARMADILLO PALACE (on Kirby St., next door to Goode Company BBQ) in HOUSTON TEXAS. This place goes off every time we book a show here. I'm pretty sure the on-duty cops won't let the crowd pass the Jim Beam bottle around like last time, BUT goshdamn I gotta give ya'll hero points for trying. Get there early for a decent seat 'cause this one goes off.
SUN. AFTERNOON we play an early show at the oldest dancehall in Texas, GRUENE HALL from 5 to 9. Gruene, Texas is about as nice as it gets and this being a 5 o'clock show we'll totally miss the heat and you can still be home in time to catch MadMen...or you could just TIVO it like me and drink one more Lone Star.....braaaaaang it!
p.s. our good friend from Houston, Chris Bell, is running for the Texas Senate. What can I say? He's self-made. He walks the line for his family and friends, and has already done so much for the people of Texas while in Congress. He ran for Governor of Texas and came close to winning (myself and Hayes Carll we're the only musicians who openly supported Chris. Most of them backed Kinky or Perry, but we knew that if a category 5 storm like Katrina hit Houston, which it very well could have, we didn't need a silly songwriter for Gov. and the joke of voting for the Kinkster would not be all that funny anymore, nor did we need an out-of-touch rich-guy like Perry.) Now he will continue helping the great State of Texas by running for a Senate seat. As I always say, politics is something I NEVER discuss during my shows, but as a proud Texan I can't impress upon you enough the legitimacy of Chris Bells' dedication to the people of our great State. Take your drivers license and go register now. Be a part of your community, your state and your country. This will empower you and give you a voice. Check out www.chrisbell.com
See ya on the road, J
Me and the band just got back from playin' the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The Governor of Colorado was supposed to come onstage, give a short speech welcoming the Texas Delegates, and then introduce our band. instead the Lieutenant Governor comes out and announces that Willie Nelson was playing a private show (there we're tons of famous musicians and actors workin' all these different parties) across the street and that he's sorry but they couldn't get Gov. Ritter off of the back of Willies' bus! Hey, we'll take the Lieutenant Governor. Besides, if Willie was smokin' the killer around Gov. Ritter, there's a good chance the Lieutenant is next in line for the job anyway... Big thanks to Beth and Marlon from the Solid Chrome Dancers for baiting all those politicians...
This week we're back in the studio tweakin' the new Mike Stinson record (one of the joys of having our own studio is we don't have to be in a hurry because of money and scheduling) and finishing up another track for the "Welcome Home" record, which is a new compilation CD to benefit soldiers returning home from Iraq. We are in talks right now with the label about releasing our song as the first single w/ a new video as well.
This week we return to the legendary BROKEN SPOKE in SOUTH AUSTIN on THURS. NIGHT from 9 to 12 where they also have 2 step lessons before our show from 8 til' 9. We'll be around town for a while workin' in the studio, so look for us @ the Spoke until we leave for tour dates in Nov. and Dec. Some on the West coast with Social D front man Mike Ness. Tickets for the El Rey show in LA are already on sale.
FRI. NIGHT in HOUSTON. TEXAS (b/t/w...what a kick ass crowd @ the Continental in Houston last weekend. RoadKings we'll be next...) a few mintues before actual game time myself and Brennen Leigh will be duet-singing the NATIONAL ANTHEM at the ASTROS game at MINUTE MAID PARK. As most of you know, I've been an old school 'Stros fan since I was a kid. As nerve-rackin' a gig as it is, I'm sure the honky-tonk super-powers of the Country Soul Brother and the Hillbilly Princess will kick in. Keep your fingers crossed and braaaang it!
Adios! JD
p.s. the Hayes Carll video shoot we just did in Austin for "She Left Me For Jesus" is gonna be hillarious. Can't wait for y'all to see this.
p.s.s. Look for me on KVUE in Austin at 5:00 for an interview about the Spoke and the Democratic Convention.
This week I'm hookin up w/ my ol' amigo Hayes Carll to be in his new video "She Left Me For Jesus". Hayes and I go way back to his earliest beginnings at Wrecks Bell's Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe. He's some how been lumped into the whole Texas Music thing, and although he's accessible to that scene, he just doesn't sound like them. He literally sounds like Townes Van Zant, Guy Clark and Ray Wylie all mixed into one. His song "She Left Me For Jesus" has gained massive controversy from the religious right w/ Jerry Falwell condemning it in his latest newsletter, (I thought that ol' coot was dead?) and radio talk-show host Don Imus saying "it's one the best country songs ever" and the satyrical Onion Newspaper goin nuts over it. Like Hayes, the script has a wicked sense of humor so look for this video soon.
The new Mike Stinson record we've been producing has some of the best songs you've never heard. The songs are so hooky that I literally wake up every mornin' with a different one stuck in my head. The Stinson project has more goodwill around it than anything I've ever seen and because of the caliber of songs, quite a few heavies have stepped up and said they wanna be on the record. We'll let ya know who they are after we push the record button.
This week we return to our legendary dancehall show, THURS. NIGHT at the BROKEN SPOKE in SOUTH AUSTIN, (there's no better place for 2 step lessons, from 8 to 9...and the band plays from 9 'til 12), where we always throw in new songs. Last week was on fire...
SAT. NIGHT in the beloved big city of HOUSTON, TEXAS (w/ our ol' friend Justin Kolb on upright bass), we will blow the doors off of the CONTINENTAL CLUB on Main St. (opener starts around 9:30). Maybe it's from my old RoadKing days there?. Maybe it's just that Houston doesn't give a rat's ass about the cool contest and knows how to get sweaty and throw down? (more Jim Beam will be sold Sat. night at the Continental than anywhere in the city) Either way....I'd just like to let ALL of our loyal Houston fans know that I have been asked to sing the National Anthem at the HOUSTON ASTROS game next week (Aug. 29th). As y'all know, this is a big deal to me 'cause I've been a Stros' fan my whole life....braaaang it!
and oh yea...Hook'em Horns! JD
p.s. We have a few spots on the guestlist for two-step dancers for our show at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Regardless of your politics, this will be one hell of a historical time to be in Denver, Colorado. If you are a true Solid Chrome Dancer, and are interested in comin' out to Denver (or maybe you live there already?), on Monday night to be our guest, please contact us on myspace.com/jessedayton
p.s.s. R.I.P. Jerry Wexler!
If you're looking at our tour dates wondering what's up (yep, we're usually criss-crossing the country...and we'll be doin more of that for sure) well, we've been busier than you might think...
Just got back from writing some new tunes in Nashville w/ my amigo Trent Summar.
Been in the studio mixing the new Mike Stinson record (the songs Mike wrote for this record are just simply some of the best out there. Willie Nelson just recently raved about Mike in an interview when asked about what new artist he was listening too. And there will be some "surprise guests" on this record as well), and it sounds like a cross between Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" and Willie Nelson's "Phases and Stages".
In other news, two JD songs have been added to Rob Zombies new movie "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto" starring Paul Giamatti and Rosario Dawson. "Dick Soup" from the Banjo & Sullivan CD that I co-wrote w/ actor-friend Lew Temple, and "Roys' Ramble" will be used as the end credits song. Hopefully "The Lost Tapes" (unreleased Banjo & Sullivan) will be released before too long.
Also, if you read The Onion Newspaper (a great source of comedy for sure...the first editor who started the paper is now the head writer for the John Stewart show) look for a special story on me and Sam of Sams' BBQ in Austin Texas, w/ pictures of us at the legendary east-side BBQ joint.
And two things that just happened; we've accepted an offer to perform at the Democratic National Convention in Denver Colorado. I don't talk politics at my shows (go see Steve Earle & Ted Nugent) because I have alot of friends and family who are Democrats AND Republicans. Like my religious beliefs, they are not open for discussion with any Constitutionalist, Conspiracy Theorist, Radical Right OR Left Wingers, or even my smart Libertarian amigos. But all in all, regardless what side you're on, it's gonna be one hell of a historical convention. Last but not least, I'm goin' to Nashville next month to play guitar for Glenn Cambell....remember "Witchita Lineman", "Galveston", "Gentle On My Mind", "Southern Nights".....braaaaang it Glenn!
THIS WEEK...TUESDAY NIGHT in AUSTIN at the CONTINENTAL CLUB for the BUCK OWENS BIRTHDAY BASH, (this show has been goin on for years....it host a big cross-section of musicians playing Buck Owens songs all night w/ a killer back-up band). It benefits the Center For Child Protection.
WED. NIGHT in SPRING, TX, I'm playin' PUFFABELLYS' w/ Davin James starting early at 8:00 pm (this will be an acoustic guitar throwdown...get there early for a good seat)
THURS. NIGHT the JD Band will be hosting Solid Chrome Dance Night from 9 to 12 at the legendary BROKEN SPOKE in AUSTIN w/ new songs!
Adios Mi Amigos, JD
Check out Jesse's list of most influential records, as posted by Artist Direct. Jesse gives his take on each of these classic recordings, from George Jones to the Clash. JD on Artist Direct