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Concert

Austin singer-songwriter Colin Gilmore is building his reputation the old-fashioned way: hard work and imagination. He and his new wife’s idea of the perfect honeymoon was a tour of Japan, where he played eight cities in 10 days, complete with a different backing band at each gig. Since then he has toured the US extensively and performed at SXSW 2010. The Flatlanders included Gilmore’s song “The Way We Are” on their latest album Hills and Valleys. It quickly became the album's number one selling song on iTunes. Gilmore is now recording an album titled Goodnight Lane, set to be released in August 2010, which Grammy-winner Lloyd Maines is co-producing. Last year he toured the US, opening for such acts as Alejandro Escovedo and The Flatlanders. Gilmore’s self-described blend of “West Texas rock, with a country/punk/psychedelic/pop edge,” is also earning him a fan base – and airplay – across the US. He made more than 15,000 new fans at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. He shared the bill there and toured the country with another Texas favorite: his father, Jimmie Dale Gilmore. “I’m happy to be his son but I don’t capitalize on his name” says Gilmore. “Fans won’t stick around for music that doesn’t speak to them. You have to earn that on your own.” Gilmore was raised in the musically rich town of Lubbock, where he was influenced by family friends Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, the late Jesse Taylor and especially his mother, Debbie Fields. You can hear Buddy Holly’s impact (and that of other Texas troubadours) in Gilmore’s “Laughing Hard or Crying?” But that aforementioned edge was sharpened by other influences: the Clash, the Pogues, the Sex Pistols, Johnny Cash, and Leonard Cohen. A more recent influence is Bay Area producer Scott Mathews, an industry legend whose resume includes the names Clapton, Jagger, Richards, Orbison, Costello, Hiatt, Santana, Ramone, and Wilson. Gilmore sent Matthews his first recording, the EP Four of No Kind, which led to the two co-writing and recording three songs. Both eagerly anticipate their next collaboration. (Raves Matthews: “The world doesn't need yet another singersongwriter – it needs Colin Gilmore. In my world, he's the one.”) Gilmore has also co-written with Nashville’s Jon Tiven, who produced B.B. King and has written hits for Robert Cray and Buddy Guy. They wrote “Raindrops in July” in homage to Gilmore’s uncle Allen and Johnny Cash, who happened to die on the same day. Willie Nelson’s A&R rep thought it would be perfect for him. (Are you listening, Willie?) “I’m not set on instant success,” says Gilmore. “I’m in it for the long haul. I’m fortunate I got to hear from a very early age what real, heartfelt, good music was.” Fortunately for us, Colin is now busy making his own.

Colin will be joined by accordion player Jared Hall, http://www.jaredhallmusic.com/

Music will start at 8:00 and a $15.00 donation will be requested with all proceeds going to Andy.

For more information give a call at (530) 753-3472 or email me at wjwagman@dcn.org.