Austin Americana

Posted by Stephen Centanni | Oct 5, 2016 | Music Briefs | 0 |

Bonnie Whitmore & Her Band
Sunday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.
Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, 916 Charleston St., www.callaghansirishsocialclub.com
Tickets: $8 at the door

Over the years Austin has been a hub of the nation’s most innovative music. Amid an avant-garde avalanche, several bands are still focused on the Americana sounds that turned this quiet Texas town into a booming musical mecca.

One is Bonnie Whitmore & Her Band, who have harnessed a style combining a warm, old-school vibe with a dash of alt. country and a shot of cheap whiskey for good measure.

With a career that began at age 8 with her family’s band, Whitmore is proof female-fronted country doesn’t have to be pop-centric to appeal to a diverse audience. The title of Whitmore’s latest release can elaborate on the musical philosophy that makes this band so great.

Whitmore will introduce Callaghan’s patrons to songs from “F*@k With Sad Girls,” which the group recorded in Austin’s Ramble Creek Studio. While the album begins with the seductively haunting jazz number “Wash It Away,” “F*@k With Sad Girls” quickly shifts back to the group’s trademark sound for the remainder of the album.

With the variety of country styles woven into this release, true fans of the genre should have no problem falling in love with this music.

About The Author

Stephen Centanni

With the exception of two years spent at Auburn University, Steve Centanni has spent his life in Mobile County while focusing on his two passions: music and the written word. As soon as he was issued his driver’s license, Centanni began to explore the local music scene in the early ‘90s. He filled his weekend with visits classic local venues such as the Four Strong Winds Coffee House, Vincent Van Go-Go’s and Culture Shock, all of which welcomed those who had yet to reach 18. After high school, Centanni traded Mobile for Auburn to complete his B.A. in English with an emphasis on general writing. While at Auburn, he had the honor of studying under the Pulitzer-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, who served as the nation’s Poet Laureate in 2012 and 2014. After receiving his diploma, Centanni quickly moved back to Mobile and completed the University of South Alabama’s graduate program with a M.Ed. Eventually, he was tapped by the nationally distributed Volume Entertainment Magazine to serve as the magazine’s managing editor/senior writer. His time with Volume allowed him to exercise his love for both music and writing. As Volume began to fade, Lagniappe recruited Centanni as their Music Writer and later their Music Editor, where he has remained for a little over a decade. As far as his involvement in the local music scene, Centanni organized Cess Fest at the Langan Park, which was a mini-festival focused on original local music in a time when original local music was veritably taboo in Downtown Mobile. For a short time, he brought original music to Downtown Mobile as the in-house promoter for the now deceased venue Cell Block. He managed local underground powerhouse Fry Cook, until the members parted ways. Centanni has lent his bass to bands such as Keychain Pistol and The F’n A-Holes, and he toured nationally as a member of Abstract Artimus & the Torture Children. Currently, he provides vocals for the garage blues rock outfit Johnny No. Ultimately, Centanni’s experience in the local music scene as both a participant and an observer has allowed him to witness the ever-changing persona of Mobile’s enigmatic music scene, which continues to leave him with more questions than answers.