The weather wasn't perfect, but for those who weren't scared of a few light raindrops, Texas Chili Fest provided a fun way to end the weekend. The large parking lot behind the Granada Theater in Dallas became a more-than-capable festival site, with two stages for music, six tents for chili chefs, and plenty of room for beer vendors, food trucks and even a trendy Topo Chico tent. GuideLive was a sponsor of the event.
At first blush, it was easy to view the impressive music line-up as simply a twangy Americana or a classic Texas country bill, but as the afternoon rolled into the Daylight Savings Time-enabled early darkness, one thing was quite clear:
The musical meat of this festival was gritty, greasy southern rock.
The Roomsounds from Dallas dug into a groove thick enough to make folks take their raincoats off and stay in for a while. Led by Ryan Michael, this group isn't new but is still very much on the rise, as evidenced by their excellent, recently-released record, Elm St.
There was an even higher gear for things to be kicked into, however, once Denton's Slobberbone scratched out the opening notes to "Barrel Chested." Even though some of the songs, such as "Dunk You in the River," are two decades old, every note and beat burst with urgency and gristle.
Lead singer Brent Best, with his long graying hair, white beard and scuffed-up black electric guitar, is still every bit the backwoods punk storyteller he's long successfully been. "Placemat Blues" and "Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today" had plenty of attendees near the stage shouting along. It's now been more than two years since Slobberbone's original guitarist Jess Barr left the group, but band's coals still burn hot.
When discussing the Texas country and red dirt music scene, the names Cody Canada and Charlie Robison can't be left out.
Even though it's been six years since Canada's first band, the celebrated Cross Canadian Ragweed, called it quits, that group's legacy looms large still.
For a few years, Canada understandably dodged his Ragweed days while he forged a groove-heavy, soul-tinged new path with a new band. But since the release of the Departed's fantastic 2015 full-on rock record, HippieLovePunk, the songs that made Canada a bonafide rock star across the United States have reemerged.
From under a green trucker cap, Canada even let the appreciative crowd know the set would mainly consist of songs from the Ragweed back catalog. "Cold Hearted Woman" and the set-closing "51 Pieces" were scorching. "All Nighter" and "Soul Agent," sung by bassist and former Ragweed member Jeremy Plato, balanced the set with a welcome dose of calm.
Ever since 1998, Bandera, Texas, native Robison has admirably filled the role of headliner for day-long festivals such as this.
Thanks to iconic tunes such as "My Hometown," and "Barlight," Robison became one of the first real stars of the Texas country scene.
Opening his set at 6:45 p.m. under a dark and dry sky, the always-chill Robison led his band into the hard-charging "Nothin' Better to Do," a Bare Jr. cover from his 2009 album Beautiful Day. From there, rightfully beloved songs "Good Time," and "New Year's Day" displayed his knack for mischievous writing and an outlaw country attitude. A reworked take on his most-requested song "My Hometown" faithfully carried the tune's spirit while injecting it with relevant new life.
