San Angelo Band Debuts Their Live Record Tonight at The Cactus

Tonight, the Tone Pirates take a stage at the Cactus Hotel to introduce their new record, The Best of Texas Live! Pirates lead singer Dan Carroll describes the project as a tribute to the musical heritage of San Angelo as much as it is of Texas. That’s why each of the covers performed live on the record were picked.

Carroll is a professional pilot who flew for the late Ken Gunter. He loves to share stories about his corporate flying, including his many stints as a corporate pilot, shuttling clients across the country in Citation jets.

But music is his mistress. It doesn’t make as much money, but it’s just as much fun.

In his travels as a pilot, he was hired to fly Olivia Newton-John in 2012. On the flight, he handed the famous singer/songwriter a copy of the Tone Pirate’s first record, Ride of my Life. “I thought Olivia would find the first trash can at the FBO where I took her. She called the aircraft owner the next day raving about the CD. She listened to the whole thing, even commenting on particular songs,” Carroll said.

The Tone Pirates have been around for five years. They originally got together on a whim to perform at a birthday party. The group had so much fun playing together the first time that they’ve been together ever since.

Live! is their second record.

The 15-track record begins with a tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan with “The House is Rockin’”. Pirates guitarist Adam Shedd has no problem placing his own interpretation on the SRV classic, nor did Texas guitar legend Redd Volkaert, who played the alternate solo.

From the opening track, the selection meanders through some old country favorites like Waylon Jennings’ “Good Hearted Woman”, and San Angelo-connected Ernest Tubb’s “Walking the Floor for You.” to Freddy Powers’ “Let’s Chase Each Other Around the Room.”

Carroll’s baritone voice is interrupted by San Angelo artist Jeska Bailey, who makes an appearance on the record singing the Kris Kristofferson classic “Help Me Make It Through the Night” in a middle track.

True country is then pushed aside momentarily for amped-up blues-rock with the song “La Grange”, the 1973 ZZ Top classic about the amusement house that Houston’s Channel 13 Eyewitness News reporter Marvin Zindler busted in the German settlement west of the Bayou City. The blues guitar tracks are credited to the Volkaert-Shedd duo, which make a smoother interpretation of Billy Gibbons’ original riffs. And rather than droning on for hours after the point is made, the Pirates perform a suitable, more modern ending, rather than the traditional fade.

Below, a video of the live recording at the Angelo Civic Theatre in Feb. 2013.

The record was recorded live at the San Angelo Civic Theater for a fundraising concert Carroll and the Pirates were invited to headline in Feb. 2013.

Carroll said the concert was sold out the first night, and a second night's concert was added.

Before each selection, the record retained Carroll’s live description of each song and why they should matter to the audience. For example, “Last Kiss” was originally recorded by the Cavaliers. Carroll explained in the concert that the song was first recorded in the building where American Classifieds now resides. He said his wife thought the song was a Pearl Jam piece when she first heard it. The rock band also covered the song, though much later in history.

The Tone Pirates consist of Carroll on voice and rhythm guitar, Kevin Brown on tenor sax; Matt Kissko on percussion; Harvey Wanier, fiddle (Wanier was a long time Buckaroo of the famed Buck Owens backing band); John Talley, keyboards; Norris McCarty on bass; and Adam Shedd, lead guitar. Volkaert is a special guest lead guitarist who performed live for the record and makes as many shows with the Pirates as his schedule allows.

The record’s 16^th track is a 15-minute interview of Carroll with local musician Terry Mills about the record and why each song was selected.

The Best of Texas Live! is a solid piece of work with very local ties. For the listener, it offers unique, but authentic interpretations of well-known Texas-grown music that contains a very local San Angelo flair.

To see the Tone Pirates tonight, come to the Crystal Ballroom inside the historic Cactus Hotel, 36 E. Twohig, at 7 p.m. Admission is free and there will be a cash bar.