MUSIC

The fact that Texas music titans Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock - on their first go-round as The Flatlanders in 1972 - were completely rejected by the country music establishment is surprising in retrospect but, ultimately, poetic. That each went on to have formidable solo careers is a testament to their talent and determination. Add to this their diverse yet complimentary styles - Joe the street-wise rocker, Jimmie Dale the mystic with the classic country voice and Butch the cerebral folk singer - and you've got a story of one of the most extraordinary kinships in American musical history.

Formed in 1972 in Lubbock, Texas, the group's first major appearance was at the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Singer/Songwriter Competition, where they were one of the winners. Their first recording on the famed Sun Records went nowhere. The album was all but scrapped and, by 1973, the group disbanded. By the end of the decade, however, Gilmore, Ely and Hancock had each found success as a solo performer and rumors of their earlier obscure collaboration began to circulate. In 1991, Rounder Records issued the 1972 sessions as "More a Legend Than a Band" to great success. Word spread fast among those who knew about this mysterious band who only played occasional shows. After they contributed to the soundtrack of The Horse Whisperer in 1998 they signed with New West Records and released "Now Again" in 2002 and "Wheels of Fortune" in 2004. New West also released "Live '72," a live recording of the then-unknown country band performing at the One Knite honky-tonk in Austin, Texas. In 2009 the album "Hills and Valleys" was released and The Flatlanders stepped onto the world stage on "The Late Show with Dave Letterman."

Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock are solo stars most of the time. So when they decide to do their occasional tour we're always thrilled to have them.

More info at: www.theflatlanders.com/

Open: The Darlings - AKA, "The Nashua River Rats" are Johnny Girouard, pickin' n yellin', Ron Gagnon on the Doghouse Bass, Jack O'Brien on Banjo, Mandolin and fishin rods, Greg "C-Note" Secino on percussion, flip flops and gooma lamas. Together they play their own blend of Bluegrass, Rockabilly and Folk.