ROAD DOG REMINDER: HAWKINS OIL FESTIVAL IS THIS WEEKEND
By Brenda Kippa

Your faithful road dogs have been burning up the roadways lately.
It's as if a portal has opened and all of our favorite touring bands
have scheduled concerts that are within our reach. Last weekend alone,
we attended three major shows, traveling nearly 500 miles to get it
done.

The Band of  Heathens pulled out all the stops in Shreveport on
Friday. Appearing at a venue that is new to us, called Strange Brew,
the band continued their pattern of delivering a show that's better
than any show they've done before. Strange Brew is a hole-in-the-wall
kind of place that provides just the right amount of space and a
stellar sound system.

On Saturday, we had front-row seats at the Liberty in Tyler for a
delicious show by the legendary Ray Wylie Hubbard, which was topped
off on Sunday afternoon with another legendary performer, Billy Joe
Shaver, who appeared at Love and War in Plano. Both of these
well-seasoned artists always pack the house and leave their audiences
renewed in a way you can't understand unless you love great Texas
music – and we most certainly do.

Full disclosure forces this old road dog to admit that the whole
circuit wore me out by the time we pulled into the driveway Sunday
night. However,  even though our tails are dragging, we are always
energized by the music.

Now comes the long-awaited weekend when great music comes right here
to us. Yes, folks, this is Hawkins Oil Festival weekend!

For those of you who start your days early, you'll be rewarded with a
parade and delighted with a custom car show. Craft booths and food
vendors will entice you all day long. And at noon, the music will
begin, and it will continue non-stop until the festival is over.  By
order of appearance it will be Rafael Espinoza, Shinebox, The Bigsbys,
and Stefan Cotter and the Rastabillys. Wow! So come one, come all, and
enjoy!