event

The Southgate House Revival - Sanctuary
Fri August 25, 2023 8:00 pm (7:00 pm DOORS)

Shinyribs, Wonky Tonk

$18 adv/ $20 dos
Shinyribsdefies genres as a sonic melting pot of Texas Blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis Soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock. The Austin-based nine-piece (sometimes 10-piece) supergroup is led byKevin Russell, the charismaticfrontman with colorful suits and extravagant shoes who continuously swaps out an electricguitar for a ukulele and never falls short of creating a cinematic experience with on-stage anticsthat often include him donning a light-up cloak or leading a conga line through the crowd.

Shinyribs’ new record -Transit Damage(July 2023 onBlue Elan / Hardcharger Records) is,in Russell’s words, “the record I’ve been trying to make for most of my career. This is acollection of songs that relate to each other in a myriad of ways: musically, lyrically, emotionally.It’s a real throwback to the era of complete albums, and draws from songs I’ve writtenthroughout my life. I hope listeners can take the time to fully immerse themselves in the wholething.”

To help him flesh this collection out, Russell picked producer and longtime friend Steve Berlin (fromLos Lobos) to help him arrange and recordTransit Damage. Together they chose towork at another auspicious location,The Finishing Schoolstudios in Austin. The FinishingSchool is housed in the former home of Austin legendGeorge Reiff(The Chicks, BruceRobison, Ray Wylie Hubbard) who engineered and produced Shinyribs’ debutWell AfterAwhileback in 2010. Reiff, a close personal friend of Russell’s, tragically passed away from.cancer in 2017, yet his legacy lives on. His home studio was refurbished by Band of Heathens’ Gordy Quist, and reopened a couple years ago with acclaimed engineerJim Vollentine

Berlin helped source a number of auxiliary players around town to help expand the Shinyribssound, and realize Russell’s bigger vision. Shinyribs’ bassistMason Hankameralso lent someproducing skills, helping arrange many of the songs.
 
 
 
 


 
Shinyribs
Shinyribsdefies genres as a sonic melting pot of Texas Blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis Soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock. The Austin-based nine-piece (sometimes 10-piece) supergroup is led byKevin Russell, the charismaticfrontman with colorful suits and extravagant shoes who continuously swaps out an electricguitar for a ukulele and never falls short of creating a cinematic experience with on-stage anticsthat often include him donning a light-up cloak or leading a conga line through the crowd.

Shinyribs’ new record -Transit Damage(July 2023 onBlue Elan / Hardcharger Records) is,in Russell’s words, “the record I’ve been trying to make for most of my career. This is acollection of songs that relate to each other in a myriad of ways: musically, lyrically, emotionally.It’s a real throwback to the era of complete albums, and draws from songs I’ve writtenthroughout my life. I hope listeners can take the time to fully immerse themselves in the wholething.”

To help him flesh this collection out, Russell picked producer and longtime friend Steve Berlin (fromLos Lobos) to help him arrange and recordTransit Damage. Together they chose towork at another auspicious location,The Finishing Schoolstudios in Austin. The FinishingSchool is housed in the former home of Austin legendGeorge Reiff(The Chicks, BruceRobison, Ray Wylie Hubbard) who engineered and produced Shinyribs’ debutWell AfterAwhileback in 2010. Reiff, a close personal friend of Russell’s, tragically passed away from.cancer in 2017, yet his legacy lives on. His home studio was refurbished by Band of Heathens’ Gordy Quist, and reopened a couple years ago with acclaimed engineerJim Vollentine

Berlin helped source a number of auxiliary players around town to help expand the Shinyribssound, and realize Russell’s bigger vision. Shinyribs’ bassistMason Hankameralso lent someproducing skills, helping arrange many of the songs.
Wonky Tonk

With a closet full of boots, a heart full of wander and a soul full of songs, the charming and multi-talented Kentucky “Wonky Tonk” woman releases her debut album Stuff We Leave Behind in hopes of continuing her Wonky ways with a lighter heart in lieu of finding the Neverland in all of 

Jasmine Lorraine “Wonky Tonk” Poole grew up in the hard scrabble portion of the American heartland. Kentucky, to be precise. Her world of loss and longing is familiar terrain for lovers of country, bluegrass and folk music but, just as Kentucky can be viewed as a bridge between north and south, Wonk’s music blends elements of Indie/Alternative rock with old school country. It’s hard to separate the wonk from the tonk. Nor should you try. 

Wonk’s influences, John Prine, Guy Clark, Modest Mouse and Loretta Lynn among them (especially Loretta), are apparent but her music is not derivative. Loretta, Skeeter Davis, Iris Dement and Jenny Lewis come to mind but none of her comparables quite pin her down. Wonk is her own cowgirl. “Cowgirls get up in the morning, decide what to do and do it”, she was told as a child. Fiercely independent but naturally shy Jasmine uses her alter ego and blue cowgirl boots to deal with the notion of impossibly cruel but equally exhilarating existence. 

One byproduct of youthful innocence is a constant disappointing, bewildering surprise: 

You used to call me baby 
You used to call me darlin’ 
Now you don’t call me at all 

Another is vulnerability and manipulability: 

In the greasy ballroom 
You whispered in my ear 
Darlin’ life is a gamble, romance a drug 
The whole world is dancin' 
Won’t you give in and love 


Her eleven song debut release Stuff We Leave Behind deals with the necessity of moving on at critical points in your life. Stuff that once seemed important must be cast aside, ex-lovers relegated to the shadows. “Heartbreak makes the jukebox play”, she was once told. Her song titles reflect her wandering spirit and a fascination with time and place. “Cleveland." “Denmark." “Tennessee." “Montague Road." A veteran troubadour at such a tender age, Wonk has toured Europe with the same restless drive as her native Northern Kentucky. 

Tom Robbins told us that even Cowgirls Get the Blues but all is not remorse and regret. Jangly sunshine pops through the clouds unexpectedly, such as in “Parkland Avenue” (arguably the best track). Though softly. Without the glare. 

Wonk’s lyrics are worth a read even without the music. The album tracks her evolution as an artist and a person. The gravel, rutted road to an emerging wisdom. 

Tennessee didn’t you hear 
Money’s not real and neither is fear 


Pay attention to Wonk. Not just because she is talented and beautiful. Pay attention because she has an important purpose. To help you remember. To help you forget. Or to help you remember why you chose to forget. 
With love from Kentucky, 


Wonky Tonk