Five Records with… Steve Berg
I recently spoke with Steve Berg, who plays bass for Dallas-based honky-tonk band Eleven Hundred Springs. Their last record, Country Jam, brought a whole new legion of fans to their legendary live shows. Their new record This Crazy Life will be out February 2nd. Five Records is an occasional feature of artists talking about the music that inspires them. Read more of these posts here.
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
“I had lost my job at a fast food restaurant right around the time I saw Dwight at the Bluebonnet Palace in San Antonio in 1986. The songs on this record showed a younger dude talking on the old stuff with a punk rock attitude — growing up, I listened to Buck Owens and Bob Wills, but Dwight was blazing his own trail, not just dusting off the classics.”
“Asleep at the Wheel never aged out of the music like a lot of western swing bands do — they are still making new music that they can be proud of, even after so long in the business. If they didn’t love it like they do, it would be hard to choke through their schedule, but they have always maintained a high level of integrity to their craft.”
“This was pivotal for me coming up — Bill Haley, Buddy Holly — that music was so special. Everybody played at once on the records, and they had a real live feel. This kept me fresh while making our upcoming record because after 10 hours of mixing fiddle and steel, I don’t exactly want to listen to Hank Thompson.”
“I wish I had written “Live Forever“, by Billy Joe Shaver. Not only is it a great song, it would make a great tattoo. When he re-recorded it, someone convinced him to put Big & Rich on the track, and that still didn’t mess it up, it’s just that good.”
“These guys have been opening shows for us since 2006 or so, and they are making a new record as well, which I can’t wait to hear. They have this Texas Tornados-type sound — upright bass and accordian, and real bluesy guitar. Great energy live. I have heard great records from artists who are real snoozers in concert — to me, the exciting artists are the ones who are able to deliver it live.”
Eleven Hundred Springs – Why You Been Gone So Long?
[...] him to put Big & Rich on the track, and that still didn’t mess it up, it’s just that good. ? – – Eleven Hundred Springs’ Steve Berg on Billy Joe Shaver’s “Live [...]
I also saw Dwight Yaokam at the Blue Bonnet Palace in Selma, TX in 1986. I was living in Austin, Tx at the time. The concert was great and during intermission, you could continue dancing or you could view live bull riding next door. There was a set of double doors which led into a small arena where the bull riding took place….Gosh, those were fun times!!!
Regarding the Tejas Brothers, I was trying to say, to the effect “I first heard them when I found them online and was able to get them to open for us in 2006″. I didn’t mean to imply that they were still opening shows for EHS. Tejas has been doing their own headlining shows for quite some time. In fact, we will be doing a Tejas / Springs co-headline show at Love And War in Plano in early spring 2010…
Regarding Billy Joe, just about all of his songs would make good traditional “image and a banner” tattoos.
And nothing against Big and Rich. What I said was kind of a compliment, it just came off making me sound a little more “fuck Nashville” / ignorant than I really am. We have all heard remakes where the original artist teams up with someone who is popular at the moment, thus fucking up the jam, which didn’t happen with the BJS / B&R version of Live Forever.
Thats all for now, I have to go get Matt’s mink coat from the cleaners, pick up our midget from his probation meeting, and get the oil changed in our helicopter.
Brother Steve I just want to know where I can get a midget.
John
Tejas Brothers