Pat Green's played a Texas dance hall or two. Actually, it's closer to 10. The Fort Worth-based country singer-songwriter has brought his roots' rocking sound to quintessential Lone Star venues such as Gruene Hall, Sons of Hermann Hall, Billy Bob's Texas and many more.
He pays written and photographed tribute to those and seven others in Pat Green's Dance Halls & Dreamers, a handsome, coffee-table-sized book that's essentially a big old love letter to the smoky music rooms. In just under 200 pages, storyteller Luke Gilliam and sharp shooter Guy Rogers III vividly explore the stages, artists and other people that provide the ambiance at clubs such as Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Luckenbach Dancehall, the Bandera Cabaret and John T. Floore's Country Store in Helotes.
Each venue (or chapter) features thoughts written by Mr. Green, who bankrolled the tome.
"I totally funded the book," says the 36-year-old by phone from his home. "I started doing all this work on it. I was writing down all the stories and taking the pictures. And what I realized is I'm not a photojournalist. I'm better at writing three-minute songs. So what better guy than Luke Gilliam to write these stories? He did a fantastic job. He knew a guy named Guy Rogers to take the pictures. The book far exceeded my expectations."
The title of the book stems from Mr. Green's "Dancehall Dreamer," a song included on his 1995 CD of the same name. That tune and this book serve as benchmarks for the husband and father of two. He's always been proud of that early composition, and he's all about archiving history.
"More than anything I wanted to have something for my kids," he says. "Everything I've ever done, all you can do is listen to it. I could do a songbook, but unless you're a musician you won't be able to figure it out. I haven't done anything for the Middle East peace effort. But I have done some fun things for my kids to read later. This is my life. I got married in Luckenbach. I did a live album at Gruene. I did a live album at Billy Bob's Texas. This is huge not only for me but for our culture. It's an effort to chronicle these places."
And lest we forget, Pat Green is also a fan of Texas music. So performing at these dance halls was much more than mere gigs for him.
"As a young musician, every time I would step on a stage and wonder who had been here before in these footsteps. I might even have sung with a microphone that these guys used. It is the magic. For me it was the wild-eyed kid looking at this and thinking this is what I want to do for a living and actually getting to do it."
Promoting Dance Halls & Dreamers is a no-brainer, admits Mr. Green. Sure he's done an official book signing at Gruene Hall, but this book will be a permanent part of his merchandise table at his concerts.
"Every time I do a show we can do a book signing," he says.
Speaking of concert performances, which brings us to the subject of his music, what is Mr. Green up to in that department? After all, his last CD, Cannonball, was released in 2006. Well he's recording in Nashville with producer Dann Huff, who's best known for his work with pop-sounding country artists Faith Hill, Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts.
But don't worry, folks, Mr. Green isn't making a slick pop disc.
"It's a rock record," he says. "I've written 34 songs, but we're only four songs into recording. We're taking our time. We're looking at fall of this year for a release date. You will definitely hear a texture change. It's much more edgy and rocking. I'm aiming for Bruce Springsteen's The Rising. I think it's his best record and might be my favorite record ever. Willie Nelson's Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be) is in the number two position.
Pat Green's Dance Halls & Dreamers
Luke Gilliam
(University of Texas Press, $39.99)
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