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- An Evening with Hayes Carll
Sons of Hermann Hall
- Dallas, TX
- 08/06/05
- By David Miller
Know this: A couple of years ago, a Dallas
area radio program director said, "I have seen the future
of Texas Music and his name is Hayes Carll."
 The
first thing I notice when I drive up to the Sons of Hermann Hall,
located in the Deep Ellum part of Dallas, TX, is that there are
no parking spaces. It's early in the evening, but I have trouble
finding a spot. That's not usual. After parking in a tow away
zone (I gave myself a 50-50 shot of not being hassled since there
were other cars doing the same) I make my way across the street
to the Hall. The Sons, built in 1910, is a two story building
that features an old bowling alley in the back of the first floor.
Recently restored to its original condition, if you ask a member
of the Sons they just might give you a tour. It's played host
to some of the world's greatest musicians, and is a great venue
for live music.
Walking through the double door entrance, I find myself flooded
with the impression that there is something special in the air.
The sensation reminds me of the feeling the character in Robert
Earl Keen's song "Feelin' Good Again" has when he "stepped
into the hall and saw all my friends were there." The downstairs
bar is filled with people enjoying a smoke before they head upstairs
to the dancehall. Since the dancehall became smoke free, the
downstairs area has become a haven for people looking to get
their nicotine fix. Noticing some people I know, I venture over
to say hello. After reminiscing on old times, I ask them what
brought them out tonight. Apparently they had become Hayes Carll
fans after hearing songs from his Little Rock CD, released
in March of this past year. No surprise there since Carll's latest
effort has garnered him acclaim from critics and fans alike since
its release in the spring, and became the first independent release
to climb to #1 on the Americana Music chart.
Heading up the twin staircases that lead to the dancehall
I stop for a moment to look at some of the signs and playbills
that adorn the walls. It's amazing to me some of the shows that
have been held there, and I enjoy glimpsing that storied past.
Hitting the second floor landing I get a view into the dancehall.
Even though I would still consider it to be early in the evening,
all of the tables are full. Well, that explains the full parking
lot. A lot of folks have come out to enjoy the show.
Sara Hamilton, a beautiful and talented artist, is this evenings
opening act. She performs selections from her debut CD, Call
My Name, and does an excellent job warming the crowd up.
The title track is a favorite of mine, as well as the waltz "Lonely
Like Me." It wouldn't surprise me to see Sara headlining
at the Sons sometime soon.
 People continue to
filter up to the dancehall, and room to move gets scarce. While
standing in line to get a drink at the bar, I overhear a couple
of ladies comment that they don't know what Hayes looks like.
It's unfortunate for them, since I notice him leaning in the
doorway watching Hamilton perform. Sporting a beard fit for a
lumberjack, and wearing a black, un-tucked pearl snap shirt and
faded, worn-out jeans, he has the look of a man that is comfortable
in his own skin. He notices me and says hello. We talk for a
moment about the rest of his current tour before he is interrupted
by the ticket taker. Apparently there were some problems with
names being left off of the guest list, and Hayes goes to straighten
the situation out. While Hayes is away, I take the time to talk
with Lance Smith, Hayes's lead guitarist. Lance has played with
a number of artists in his career, but mentions that he is enjoying
playing with Hayes. They've been traveling a lot lately, and
with shows booked for the rest of the year, it doesn't look like
they're going to get a breather for a while. Hayes returns, and
he and Lance head outside for a quick huddle with the rest of
the band before show time. With Hamilton's set soon coming to
a close, it's time for the main attraction.
An August night in Dallas is always hot, but the heat is turned
up another notch when Hayes Carll hits the stage. Backed by the
wonderful husband-wife combo of Brad Fordham on bass and Lisa
Pankratz on drums, with Smith on lead guitar, Hayes takes the
stage to a packed house. I notice the disparate crowd right away.
From neo-hippies and modern day rednecks to suburban housewives
and seniors out for an evening on the town, the group just feels
"right" for a Carll show. No one is left out when it
comes to being able to identify with Hayes' music. From rebel
anthems like "Highway 87" to irreverent slice-of-life
poems like "Down the Road Tonight," Hayes Carll's music
runs the gamut of this thing called Americana Music. And all
of it is on display this night. One thing that surprises me is
the voice of the crowd. They know the words to every song and
are not afraid to be heard. This becomes most evident in the
song "Chickens," a song co-written with Texas Music
veteran Ray Wylie Hubbard. In the sly, self-deprecating way that
Hayes has on stage, he tells the "story" of how the
song was written.
"I didn't know who he was (speaking of Hubbard), but
he (Hubbard) just kept calling me, saying 'Hayes, I really admire
you, I want to hang out with you, we need to write something,'
so finally I said ok. This is what we came up with."
The joke lies not only in what he said, since Hubbard was
a major influence on Hayes' music before they met, but the manner
in which it is delivered. The dead pan humor and demeanor that
Carll posses while onstage seems to win over crowds even faster
than his abundant musical ability.
Still wonderstruck by the size of the crowd, I talk to the
ticket taker again about how many people had come through the
door. The rough estimate was 175 paid admissions. This fact can't
be truly appreciated until I mention that the Dallas CD release
party for Little Rock was held less than nine months before
and had, at the best estimate, 37 people in attendance. A theme
that would become evident while talking to people throughout
the show is that many fans had brought along friends who had
either never heard of Hayes, or had only limited exposure to
his music. I think it says a lot about an artist when he can
inspire his supporters to be so zealous as to coerce their friends
to attend a show of someone they are not familiar with.
A two hour set flies by in what seems like minutes. The heat
and crowd have both held steady. Wiping the sweat from his face,
Hayes heads back to the merchandise booth to greet fans and sign
autographs. There is a swarm of people to work through, but he
handles it with aplomb and takes a moment for each and every
person that wants a piece of his time. A lot of the people that
I have spoken to that said they were not fans before this show
are the ones standing in line now.
If they become as ardent supporters as the people that brought
them here tonight, Hayes Carll will be well on his way to living
up to the "future of Texas Music" moniker he was given
just a couple of years ago.
Contact David Miller at: millerman-at-rockzilla.net
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