BuffettNews.com

Kris Kristofferson captains an earnest voyage
La Zona Rosa, Austin, March 16, 2006
By Adi Anand

AUSTIN - The reputations of legends tend to go before them. Kris Kristofferson has achieved enough in film and music to warrant a huge crowd every time he takes a stage.

And with Kristofferson just having released his first disc of new material in 11 years, his SXSW show at La Zona Rosa was comprised mainly of loyal fans of the larger than life icon.

Kristofferson took the stage around midnight to roaring applause. Accompanied by Stephen Bruton (guitar and mandolin), it did not take long for the crowd to join in the vocals as "Me and Bobby McGee" made an early appearance in the set. Inviting the audience closer, not literally, with each song, Kristofferson meddled in past favorites like "Beat The Devil" while also previewing songs from the new album, "This Old Road."

Included was a somewhat dark track detailing the Laci Peterson saga while he also found time to address the current situation in Iraq. He's done it many a time, and once again, Kristofferson held the audience in his palm during those emotional three minutes. No stranger to issues of freedom, Kristofferson seemed set in getting his point across in as he berated the recurrent Baghdad bombings on "In the News."

Contemporary musings aside, Kristofferson continued to serenade with the beautiful "Sunday Morning Comin' Down" much to the delight of the audience that included celebrity attendees, Norah Jones and the Little Willies.

Stopping to interact with the hordes continuously between songs, Kristofferson expertly performed the title track of the new record while also finding time for "Here Comes the Rainbow," "The Best Of All Possible Worlds" as well as "Darby's Castle."

Another highlight was his shout out to legends Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Janis Joplin, among others, drawing thunderous cheers from the country aligned crowd. With Bruton backing him up on vocals, Kristofferson's voice rang true as he encouraged, depressed, and then heartened again, over the course of the magical evening.

Kristofferson's songs are like journeys: each lyric twisting and turning, and moving the listener along on the path of life. Dry humor, affable sarcasm and smart wit are just a few of his many positive attributes as he combines pop melody and folk simplicity in pure form.

Multiple Grammy's are meaningless when Kris Kristofferson takes you on an earnest voyage to understanding this world and the bliss needed to survive it.


La Zona Rosa, Austin, March 16, 2006
By Adi Anand

AUSTIN - The reputations of legends tend to go before them. Kris Kristofferson has achieved enough in film and music to warrant a huge crowd every time he takes a stage.

And with Kristofferson just having released his first disc of new material in 11 years, his SXSW show at La Zona Rosa was comprised mainly of loyal fans of the larger than life icon.

Kristofferson took the stage around midnight to roaring applause. Accompanied by Stephen Bruton (guitar and mandolin), it did not take long for the crowd to join in the vocals as "Me and Bobby McGee" made an early appearance in the set. Inviting the audience closer, not literally, with each song, Kristofferson meddled in past favorites like "Beat The Devil" while also previewing songs from the new album, "This Old Road."

Included was a somewhat dark track detailing the Laci Peterson saga while he also found time to address the current situation in Iraq. He's done it many a time, and once again, Kristofferson held the audience in his palm during those emotional three minutes. No stranger to issues of freedom, Kristofferson seemed set in getting his point across in as he berated the recurrent Baghdad bombings on "In the News."

Contemporary musings aside, Kristofferson continued to serenade with the beautiful "Sunday Morning Comin' Down" much to the delight of the audience that included celebrity attendees, Norah Jones and the Little Willies.

Stopping to interact with the hordes continuously between songs, Kristofferson expertly performed the title track of the new record while also finding time for "Here Comes the Rainbow," "The Best Of All Possible Worlds" as well as "Darby's Castle."

Another highlight was his shout out to legends Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Janis Joplin, among others, drawing thunderous cheers from the country aligned crowd. With Bruton backing him up on vocals, Kristofferson's voice rang true as he encouraged, depressed, and then heartened again, over the course of the magical evening.

Kristofferson's songs are like journeys: each lyric twisting and turning, and moving the listener along on the path of life. Dry humor, affable sarcasm and smart wit are just a few of his many positive attributes as he combines pop melody and folk simplicity in pure form.

Multiple Grammy's are meaningless when Kris Kristofferson takes you on an earnest voyage to understanding this world and the bliss needed to survive it.

Surprise show kicks off SXSW
Four Seasons Lobby, Austin, March 15, 2006
By Adi Anand

AUSTIN - SxSW 2006 kicked off in fine fashion at the crack of dawn in a very hush-hush radio show even though the music from the likes of Kris Kristofferson and Jessi Colter would speak volumes to the many early birds present.

KGSR 107.1 FM, arguably the most enduring station in town had access to the best, and Friends of Dean Martinez kicking off the show had to imply more good things were to come.

Part country part space age, Bill Elm's often revolving act of troubadours awakened the crowd with an intoxicating medley of instrumentals. Creating images of tumbleweeds rolling on deserted highways and sounds of barren moors, FODM mixes folk sounds with just a twang of rock 'n' roll. Often composing soundtracks, the band conjured up country soundscapes that anyone would set their daily grind to.

But the masses were here for Stephen Bruton, Kristofferson and Colter, who all took the stage to a loud ovation from the lucky ones inside this hotel ballroom, Lyle Lovett seated and included.

A beautiful rendition of "Me and Bobbie McGee" started off the brief set as the cameras flashed and the videographers climbed. And brief it was as only two more numbers followed. Colter hit the keys on the nearby piano with help from Bruton on guitar to turn in "Why You Been Gone So Long."

KGSR stalwart Kevin Connor probed Kristofferson before the next song, the title track from "This Old Road," asking the veteran to comment on the "reflection" aspect of the new record. Kristofferson reply was short, "When you get as old as I am, that's what you do" to loud chuckles from the enthralled and fortunate audience. Some of them had come a long way for this.

The main act wrapped up by 9:45am, still the crowd left enchanted as each had witness a true to form start to four days of music and mayhem that bore no end in sight.

There's a great cover story on Kris in the latest issue of No Depression magazine:



http://nodepression.net

Saw him twice at SXSW this year and twice there last year. He's so good live. I think I like him best when it's just him, a guitar and a harmonica.

I love Kris' songwriting and can usually only take him in small doses but so far I've liked everything I've heard from his new record (which admittedly isn't very much).

Jahfin wrote:I love Kris' songwriting and can usually only take him in small doses but so far I've liked everything I've heard from his new record (which admittedly isn't very much).

It is one of my favorite albums of 2006 so far. Jahfin, have you ever heard of Tom Russell? I just bought his new and it's excellent.

jbfinscj wrote:Jahfin, have you ever heard of Tom Russell? I just bought his new and it's excellent.

Yes, I have. I own his Modern Art album which I bought on the strength of hearing his previous record, Borderland. While Modern Art definitely has it's good moments, overall I found it to be pretty weak. I like what I've heard of Borderland and his new album much better.

Jahfin wrote:

jbfinscj wrote:Jahfin, have you ever heard of Tom Russell? I just bought his new and it's excellent.

Yes, I have. I own his Modern Art album which I bought on the strength of hearing his previous record, Borderland. While Modern Art definitely has it's good moments, overall I found it to be pretty weak. I like what I've heard of Borderland and his new album much better.

I think "Ash Wednesday" and "Pugilist at 59" sound like Bruce Springsteen songs when he does his solo stuff. I only own Russell's new album and "Hurricane Season."

Kris was good as the Rubber Duck and Whistler too!!

I always thought he was a strange fit in the Highwaymen although I like his performances with them.
Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris? Merle would have been great.

sonofabeach wrote:I always thought he was a strange fit in the Highwaymen although I like his performances with them.
Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris? Merle would have been great.

Perhaps, but I imagine Kris more closely approximated the outlaw image they were after, not to mention his prowess as a songwriter.

sonofabeach wrote:Kris was good as the Rubber Duck and Whistler too!!

I always thought he was a strange fit in the Highwaymen although I like his performances with them.
Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris? Merle would have been great.

I disagree, Kris NEEDED to be the fourth Highwayman. If you look at the history of the four men, Kris fits in perfectly. Willie and Waylon were good friends and Johnny and Waylon were best of friends. It was Johnny's lawn where Kris flew a helicopter in to pitch him songs. I just don't see Merle Haggard fitting in as a Highwayman. It's almost like saying George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. should have been in the band. They were all considered outlaws in their own right, but not in the persona of The Highwaymen.

jbfinscj wrote:

sonofabeach wrote:Kris was good as the Rubber Duck and Whistler too!!

I always thought he was a strange fit in the Highwaymen although I like his performances with them.
Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris? Merle would have been great.

I disagree, Kris NEEDED to be the fourth Highwayman. If you look at the history of the four men, Kris fits in perfectly. Willie and Waylon were good friends and Johnny and Waylon were best of friends. It was Johnny's lawn where Kris flew a helicopter in to pitch him songs. I just don't see Merle Haggard fitting in as a Highwayman. It's almost like saying George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. should have been in the band. They were all considered outlaws in their own right, but not in the persona of The Highwaymen.

I don't know the history of the Highwaymen, I just figured that since Willie and Merle had some albums together.
I also thought that Kris was a lot younger and the one with the least musical notoriety at least as far as hits that he recorded. I knew he was a songwriter.
Me, I don't think of George Jones as the same kind of "outlaw", maybe in his life but not musically. And Hank Jr. was a little younger than the rest.
Doesn't matter since it didn't happen anyway. I was just sayin'.
Nevertheless they did some good stuff, my favorite being the Highwayman-esque "American Remains"

sonofabeach wrote:

jbfinscj wrote:

sonofabeach wrote:Kris was good as the Rubber Duck and Whistler too!!

I always thought he was a strange fit in the Highwaymen although I like his performances with them.
Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris? Merle would have been great.

I disagree, Kris NEEDED to be the fourth Highwayman. If you look at the history of the four men, Kris fits in perfectly. Willie and Waylon were good friends and Johnny and Waylon were best of friends. It was Johnny's lawn where Kris flew a helicopter in to pitch him songs. I just don't see Merle Haggard fitting in as a Highwayman. It's almost like saying George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. should have been in the band. They were all considered outlaws in their own right, but not in the persona of The Highwaymen.

I don't know the history of the Highwaymen, I just figured that since Willie and Merle had some albums together.
I also thought that Kris was a lot younger and the one with the least musical notoriety at least as far as hits that he recorded. I knew he was a songwriter.
Me, I don't think of George Jones as the same kind of "outlaw", maybe in his life but not musically. And Hank Jr. was a little younger than the rest.
Doesn't matter since it didn't happen anyway. I was just sayin'.
Nevertheless they did some good stuff, my favorite being the Highwayman-esque "American Remains"

No, they were all around the same age. Waylon Jennings was actually the youngest. Kris Kristofferson just didn't start his music career as early as the others.

Birthdays:

Kristoffer Kristofferson on Jun 22, 1936 in Brownsville, TX

Willie Nelson on Apr 30, 1933 in Fort Worth, TX

Waylon Jennings on Jun 15, 1937 in Littlefield, TX

Johnny Cash Feb 26, 1932 in Kingsland, AR

oh, I always thought that Kris was the youngest of the bunch by a number of years.I guess he just held up well for a while. Kris looks his age now
I did not realize that he was born in 36, Thanks

sonofabeach wrote:oh, I always thought that Kris was the youngest of the bunch by a number of years.I guess he just held up well for a while. Kris looks his age now
I did not realize that he was born in 36, Thanks

Not a problem, you should give his new album a listen, for a 70 year old he still writes some incredible songs.

Kris has always been a favorite of mine and i was lucky enough when they inducted him to the hall of fame a couple years ago to come home and see on the news that Tootsies was throwing him a party that afternoon. I told my wife and we went up there and as he exited the back doori was in the smal crowd and got my cover for "The Austin Sessions" cd signed. I of course said thank you Kris and he looked me in the eyes and with that gravelly voice said "your welcome" and gave ma a little smile. A great moment and a treasured autograph from a very good guy and my wife got a pic of me in front of him while he signed. I only hope to get that lucky with Buffett some day.

That's a special story and Toosie's must be a very special place.



http://www.tootsies.net/