Midland Jamboree

“Well fix your hair up big as Heaven I’ll go down to the 7-11,” begins one of the Panhandlers newest creations, Midland Jamboree.

This evening , in the neighboring county of Midland, the Panhandlers performed live at the historic Ector Theater.

Keller Cox kicked off the show, opening for the Texas Country supergroup the Panhandlers. Accompanying Keller was Flatland Cavalry fiddle player, Wesley Hall.

Keller Cox announced during his set that he has been in Lubbock Texas just this week recording for an upcoming LP.

Keller T Cox With Wesley Hall Ector Theater Odessa Tx 11/19/22

The Panhandlers is made up of Cleto Cordero the front man for Flatland Cavalry, William Clark Green, Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott band, and John Baumann. I always knew these people were some extraordinary songwriters in their own right, but when the four of these guys got together to write some songs what they came up with was magical.

I discovered the Panhandlers after an introduction to songwriter Charlie Stout at the BlueLight in Lubbock by Mason Server of Mason and The Gin Line. Stout had written a song called “West Texas in My Eye.” The song was covered by the Panhandlers band. The song appears as performed by the Panhandlers on the television series Yellowstone. I was proud to hear William Clark Green give a huge shoutout to Stout tonight from the stage for his songwriting ability and work on that song. Green also explained that it was Josh Abbott who pitched the song to the group. “We’ve got to do this song,” Abbott told the others. What a beautiful decision it was for all involved.

The Panhandlers original LP has become one of my favorite albums of all time. The song Cactus Flower, penned by Cordero for his wife Kaitlin Butts quickly became “our song,” for my girlfriend and I. We were both emotional after finally getting to hear the song live together this evening.

Currently the Panhandlers have 14 original songs. In tonight’s set the group of songwriters each performed one of their own original songs. They also covered a few more. During the encore, the group did a stellar performance of the Terry Allen tune Amarillo Highway.

I had a grand time seeing these guys play. If you get a chance to see them, it’s a show that you won’t want to miss. I’ll keep listening and looking forward to more songs about the culture and class of the West Texas Caprock.

West Texas is The Best Texas

Pancho.

West Texas is The Best Texas

The Texas Country super group The Panhandlers is at it again. West Texas is The Best Texas is there latest EP and a song written by Cleto Cordero.

Cleto Cordero, member of the Panhandlers and also the front man of Flatland Cavalry, knows the best because he’s been there. Cordero was born and raised in West Texas, originally from Midland. During his college years he cut his teeth in the music scene at places like the BlueLight in Lubbock.

West Texas is the Best Texas is a moniker I’ve adopted and made my own. I first heard the term by songwriter- and world class photographer Charlie Stout. The Stout penned “West Texas in My Eye” is for sure a fan favorite song that the Panhandlers play. The song was even featured on the television series Yellowstone.

West Texas is the Best Texas,

Pancho.

Blue Light

The blue light is a wierd little place but it’s our place we like it
Blaze Butler

“The BlueLight is a weird little place but it’s our place we like it, “ Blaze Butler, bass player for Lubbock’s own Mason and the Gin Line, once told me. He was describing the iconic and historic venue nestled in Lubbock’s depot district. The BlueLight gave many a singer songwriter their first chance to play the songs that they had scribed on paper and picked over so many times a place to bounce off of fans and other musicians alike. Many success stories began in that little place. In the Texas country scene many names that we all know and love have performed on that little stage and keep that flame shining bright on Buddy Holly avenue.

Jason Boland started there. Cleto Cordero took his little band from Midland and grew it into the brand now known as Flatland Cavalry in that weird little place. William Clark Green, John Baumann, Josh Abbott have all been there. There were plenty others. Brandon Adams calls the place home so does Charlie Stout.

If you happen to be near Lubbock, Texas on any night of the week and you want something to do, the BlueLight is the place.

Bill Whitbeck, Robert Earl Keen’s longtime bass player, recently wrote a song named for this Texas Icon. The lyrics tell a story about one musician getting her start under that flame. Blue Light is a new single performed by Whitbeck and the Singer/Songwriter Robert Earl Keen.

https://open.spotify.com/track/7Ju9orKb5uBRHc2rV3vvO0?si=p7_Ur8K2RMuMiC6BGavwbw

Stream the song now on Spotify.

Pancho.

Hard Amarillo Highway

I just call my style of music Cap-Rock
Mason Server

When the original outlaw songsmith Terry Allen wrote and recorded his hit “Amarillo Highway,” I believe he set the tone for what the future of Texas Music was to become. At the same time he was only doing music the way that it had been done in those rolling plains of the panhandle for so many years before.

Amarillo highway has been covered by many of my personal favorite musicians including Robert Earl Keen and Sturgill Simpson.

So much great music has come out of the Panhandle in my lifetime. Before me, there was so many I can think of, just off the top of my head I’d pick Buddy Holly, Waylon, Delbert McClinton, and the Maines brothers.

Without the panhandle influence, I doubt that Flatland Cavalry would have the sound it does today. I mean Cleto was pretty good when he made his start in Midland, but playing places like the famed Blue Light in Lubbock honed his skill as a performing musician. The same went for Boland and William Clark Green. There’s a new breed now like Mason Server, Dave Martinez, and Travis Roberts who are still playing that little stage at the Blue Light and keeping up with that Hard Amarillo Highway on their way to pick into places like Hoots Pub or The Golden Light, Amarillo.

Before those guys were there there was an artist playing in those same pubs named Brandon Adams. He and his Sad Bastards had been there before and are still doing that same style of panhandle music today.

I saw a Mason Server and Brandon Adams show once in the Blue Light. Mason told me then that he simply called this style of music – “Cap-Rock”

I believed it then and still do today, that Cap-Rock should be it’s own musical genre.

I’m a panhandlin man handlin post holin high rollin daddy.

I don’t wear no Stetson but I’m willin to bet son…

Pancho.