Ray Wylie Hubbard
by Paul T. Mueller
Ray Wylie Hubbard’s fans tend to be an enthusiastic lot, and the most enthusiastic one at a recent gig in Houston may not have been old enough for kindergarten. Three songs into Hubbard’s April 9 gig at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, at the end of “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” the first sound that rang out was a high-pitched “Yaaay!” Laughter and applause followed, and the pattern was repeated for the rest of the show, the closing installment of the church’s second annual “Songs of Lovin’ and Redemption” Lenten music series.
Hubbard’s performance was worthy of the praise. Appearing in the series for the second year, he put on a spirited show, accompanied by his son, Lucas, on electric guitar and Kyle Schneider on drums. The show was a mix of rowdier material, such as the aforementioned “Dream,” “Snake Farm” and “Down Home Country Blues,” and songs that were more cerebral and/or spiritual, if not quieter. The latter included “There Are Some Ways,” “The Ballad of the Crimson Kings,” “Count My Blessings” and “Whoop and Holler.”
Lucas Hubbard
“Mother Blues,” Hubbard’s funny and bawdy account of his life as a young musician in Dallas in the ’60s, got a little extra shot of coolness from Lucas Hubbard’s fine playing on the very same “gold top Les Paul” guitar that figures prominently in the song’s lyrics. Extra points to Lucas for grinning at the punchlines of his father’s stories, which he has no doubt heard many times over the years.
Hubbard closed the set with a powerful rendition of “The Messenger,” his tribute to faith and overcoming fears. Called back for an encore, he and the band turned Mississippi Fred McDowell’s classic “You Gotta Move” into a sing-along before calling it a night.