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BACK AT THE RANCH
You might have caught
them already at one of their Ranch Road Shows. They’re not your typical
musical act. From their outfits you can tell that it’s going to be
western, but what you can’t anticipate is what comes next. From the time
their shiny roach stompers touch the stage to their last song, BATR
keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. They perform Western
Swing tunes with the same passion and energy that made Bob Wills the
King. The group consists of Clover Carroll on guitar, Rachel Carroll on
upright bass as well as other musicians that join the group as the
occasion calls for. The effortless ease with which the group performs
their classic selections will, as Red Steagall says, “…knock your hat in
the creek!” The joy the group exudes is contagious and their
professional musicianship and smooth harmonies set the stage for a
first-class performance. Rachel Carroll relates the reason they perform,
“We believe art should ‘uplift the heart of man’, and that’s what we
strive to do for our audiences from stage. We want them to leave our
show feeling uplifted.”
Articles
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"Back At The Ranch"
LIVE Magazine |
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"Hearing Roots Music"
-Rockdale Reporter |
"Vintage style, Classic sound"
-Rockdale Reporter |
"Just like the old days..."
-Rockdale Reporter |
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| The rolling, bluebonnet
covered hills of Dr. Gary and Vicki Friedman’s O2 Ranch were
the site of an old-time, Texas styled party honoring our Texas
heritage. More than 300 party
goers pulled on their boots, donned their Stetsons, and
traveled down wildflower covered roads on a glorious April day
to the Friedman’s 875 acre family ranch.
Vicki and Gary wanted an event that
would bring together three Washington County organizations
which preserve and promote our Texas heritage. The primary
beneficiary of the event was Washington-on-the-Brazos State
Park Association and the affiliated Texas Heritage Ranch
Association, which provide financial and other support to the
park. The Ron Stone Foundation, another beneficiary, promotes
Texas history and historians, with its primary goal being the
upkeep of the Park, and support of the student visitation
program. Finally, members of the Washington County Fair
Association youth scholarship program were on hand. The Fair
program helps prepares the next generation of Texans to carry
on the Texas way of life. Dr. Friedman said the family wanted
to bring together people from different organizations who have
“worked hard to preserve our past, enjoy our present and
prepare for our future.”
Guests from all over Texas entered the
party down a mile long drive lined with more than 200
historical flags provided by the Washington-on-the-Brazos
State Park. A reception was held around the pool where guests
were entertained to cowboy and western music by Mr. John
Pickul. Appetizers, with a beautiful array of dip, salsa and
other hors d’oeuvres were donated by Design II of Brenham.
The main party then moved to a covered
arena on a hill overlooking a lake. There, folks were treated
to a steak and chicken dinner cooked real cowboy style. Even
the peach cobbler was made from scratch in Dutch ovens dug in
the ground. Mr. Eddie Eppler of Eppler Cowboy Catering and a
crew of 6 cowboys cooked and served with the aid of a genuine
100-year-old chuck wagon. The peach cobbler was topped off
with vanilla ice cream donated by Blue Bell (it wouldn’t be
Washington County without it!). The tables in the arena were
covered with red and white table cloths and decorated with
floral arrangements from Ellison’s Greenhouse.
Mr. Ron Stone was the master of
ceremonies and spoke on the importance of our Texas heritage
and what we can do to preserve it. Joe King Fultz, president
of the Washington- on-the-Brazos, and Tom Scaggs, manager of
the park, told the gathering about the importance of the park
and described its current needs. Sassy Stanton of the Texas
Heritage Ranch Association invited folks to join the
association and support the park.
During the meal and afterwards, the
crowd was entertained by “Back at the Ranch” with Clover and
Rachael Carroll, Matt Menke and their group,playing western
swing and cowboy music.
Allen Commander thrilled the crowd with
his portrayal of Sam Houston and the reading of the Travis
Letter from the siege of the Alamo. It was pure Texas!
Dr. and Mrs. Friedman welcomed their
guests and thanked everyone who helped make the event
possible, including Mike Hopkins Distributing of Brenham who
donated the kegs of refreshments for both the reception and
the dinner. Volunteers from the Washington County Fair were of
great assistance with parking and shuttling guests from one
site to another on six-passenger golf carts donated by
Washington County Tractor of Brenham.
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Allen Commander as Sam
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Hearing roots music ‘Back at the Ranch’
There’s
something very cool about young people who play old music.
There’s a respect or tradition there that, in many instances, is
sorely lacking from the Generation X and younger crowd. There’s
an acknowledgement of the fact that old-time country pickers
Merle Travis and Chet Atkins or a jazz guitarist like Charlie
Christian could play circles around the posers on MTV and the
big-hat guys on CMT. One cool young man with Milano
connections—Clover Carroll—will perform Friday with his band
Back at the Ranch, the western/cowboy swing group that will take
the stage with bluegrass/country specialists Karl Shiflett & Big
Country Show, who are making a return appearance. Clover and
company will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Milano
Community Center. Shiflett logs thousands of miles a year to
take his blend of bluegrass to audiences across the nation.
Admission is $12 (kids under12 get in free) and it’ll be worth
every penny. Clover is the 33-year-old son of Lee and Carolyn
Carroll, former construction company owners who retired to
Milano. Clover and wife Rachel are the backbone of Back at the
Ranch and these “young-uns” have a serious respect for the
music. They met while Clover was a Sam Houston State student,
and both had a passion for roots music. That she picked up the
bass so easily was “an added bonus,” he said. Clover said his
love of cowboy music came from youth camps which exposed him to
Texas artists such as Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett and Nancy
Griffith. He said Rachel was raised singingin country churches near her
hometown Madisonville. Clover and Rachel have had
to adjust to the newest member, seven-month-old Dixie Lee
(who, judging by her vocal chords during a phone interview, is
destined for the stage as well). He said Rachel played right up
to the day before Dixie’s delivery, so she’s a trooper as well
as a fine bass player and singer. Matt Menke, who The Austin
Chronicle hails as an “ace fiddle player” rounds out the trio.
“He’s a wonderful friend and great fiddler,” Carroll said. It’s
their first show in Milano and guitar-philes should be
sufficiently impressed. Clover says he’s now playing a 1940s
Silvertone archtop and a National Resophonic. Now with 4 CDs,
Back at the Ranch is working as hard as ever and getting the
respect of fellow musicians and ritics alike. Carroll and
company are putting together “Ranch Road Shows,” a mini-tour set
for July that should hit Frost, Jewett and Giddings. —kec—Jake
Jenkins, banjo
picker extraordinaire, used to travel with the Shiflett
band. But once marriage and children came on the scene, the road
life was not so glamorous. His mom Dorothy said he could hardly
stand to see his son waving goodbye from the front porch,
knowing it would be weeks before seeing him again. Jake is now a
fireman in Lubbock. Dorothy says he still manages to pick (and
grin) with some fellow firefighters there.
ken@rockdalereporter.com
ficrit-Gid- |
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Sept. 28, 2006
Weekly Review
News and Events from the campuses of Blinn
College
Back at the Ranch to perform at Blinn College Homecoming
Back at the Ranch will provide the Friday night
entertainment for this year’s Blinn College
homecoming weekend.
The locally based Texas-music group will perform on Oct.
13 at 8 p.m. in the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts
Center. Tickets are $15 and are available from the Blinn
College Student Activities office or by calling
979-830-4180.
Prior to the concert, a wine and cheese reception will be
held at 7 p.m. in the MRW Studio Theater in the O’Donnell
Center, sponsored by Citizens State Bank.
The performance is sponsored by the Blinn College
Ex-Students Association.
Back at the Ranch delivers a swinging blend of original
and roots-based Texas music and features Clover Carroll on
guitar and resophonic guitar, Rachel Carroll on upright bass
and Matthew Menke playing fiddle. All three members of the
band are from small towns in Texas and bear the influences
of the state’s traditional music and have a repertoire of
Western Swing and cowboy tunes.
Rachel Carroll has always been at home in front of an
audience. Raised with no television in their country home,
she and her siblings entertained one another by re-enacting
Marty Robbins, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline tunes on the
record player.
Clover Carroll’s earliest memories are of the dance
floors and polka bands at his Czech family reunions. Even
summer camp in the hill country was a musical experience,
where he was encouraged to bring along his guitar and begin
his Texas songwriting.
Menke, hailed as an “ace fiddle player” by the Austin
Chronicle, has a history of music in his German roots. The
antique fiddle he currently performs with was found beneath
the floorboards of his great-grandfather’s barn.
Back at the Ranch, whose latest project, “Meanwhile,” was
released in May 2004, has appeared with Michael Martin
Murphy, Red Steagall, Don Edwards, Mel Tillis, Johnny Gimble,
Asleep at the Wheel, Kelly Willis, Jim Ed Brown, Gary P.
Nunn and Karl Shiflett & Big Country.
The group released “Texas Routes” in July 2001, a
documentary-type recording which interweaves stories and
songs.
BACK TO
WEEKLY REVIEW
Page maintained by:
ckelm@blinn.edu
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Articles in This Section:
Launch
A Texas Dancehall Re-visited
A Texas Dancehall
Re-visited
 By
Christy Claxton
Editor-in-Chief
www.christyclaxton.com
On a warm Saturday night, I found myself abducted by the urge to
visit an old Texas dancehall that had recently been re-opened by
a couple who had relocated to the rural South Central Texas
countryside from the city. This happens often these days.
And always, we urban refugees arrive with big dreams of
enhancing the local culture. In the case of Swiss Alp
Dancehall, the enhancement came by way of a resurrection.
 I
lie about the abduction. Actually, I remembered that a
Western Swing band, that I just love, was performing at Swiss
Alp. Otherwise, I could have beaten off the invisible pull
towards a destination that would normally be a bad place to
visit for the likes of me. So off I go to hear Back at the
Ranch (backattheranch.biz)
play in an old wood and metal barn-like structure that sits very
near the edge of U.S. Highway 77, between La Grange and
Schulenburg. This old building sits peacefully along the
road, backed by beautiful rolling pastures and farmland.
As I parked and walked to the door, I could smell the grass and
summer air. Anyone who knows old dancehalls knows that air
conditioning is an unnecessary luxury. These old buildings
have big, square shuttered windows that swing up and open to let
the breeze, the bugs and the smell of summer in. This
natural coolness is enhanced by the only place in the universe
where a can of beer still costs $1.50. In fact, when the
bartender asked for my money, I just sort of stood there…
stunned.
But I should back up a bit. As
I entered this old legend of a
building, I was greeted by an
elderly couple, sitting behind a small table with a little cash
box sitting on it. They took my $7 cover and gave me my
entrance ticket. Memories of my youth flooded back to me
as I stepped into the hall and looked around. I remembered that
the door crew was always somebody’s grandparents, and I loved
that Kevin and Donna Ustynik understood how important that
element is to the true revival of a Texas dancehall. The smooth,
original dance floor was dusted with corn starch. The bar
was hosting a handful of local farmers and ranchers, and the
stage was brightly lit. The boys from Back at the Ranch
were quietly setting up. I stepped up to the stage to get
my hugs from Clover and Matthew and ask for Rachel (BATR’s third
member and kick-ass upright bass player). She came over to
visit, but had to finish sound check, so I headed over to the
bar for my buck fifty beer surprise. On my way, I was
greeted by a couple of guys I went to high school with.
Again, that comfortable buzz, that is my past, crept over me.
I visited a bit, got my beer and took up residence on a bar
stool. The rancher sitting beside me complained that the
band from the night before was awful.
“Let me tell you how bad they
were,” he said. “They were so bad that people only danced
during their break!”
“That’s pretty bad,” I replied.
I assured him that Back at the
Ranch would bring back old memories because they were the kind
of Western Swing band that played Bob Wills the way the Texas
Playboys would have played it.
This means that BATR don’t use
over-powered amps, subwoofers, and effects. They are a
stripped down three piece that consists of reso-phonic guitar,
upright bass, fiddle/dobro, and the tightest three part
harmonies in Texas. And when they began to play, I’m sure
the ghosts of early Texas settlers rose up out of those church
yards and took a spin on that dance floor.
However, to my disillusionment,
I learned that even the farmer and rancher wants to hear those
subwoofers. They wouldn’t dance! So here’s the point
of all of this rambling from c. claxton. We have let our
music heritage morph into a misrepresented figment of the past.
That old dance hall should have been alive and jumpin’.
Today’s consumer doesn’t get it. They probably never will.
Nothing. I mean, nothing! Is better than
two-stepping to western swing. Close second? That
great 70’s country music that dominated every jukebox in every
Southern beer joint around. But all that good stuff is a
thing of the past. L.A. invaded Nashville and turned the
“real deal” (as Nashville execs. described Back at the Ranch at
an industry showcase) into something that “just won’t sell.”
You want to make a stand and do
your part to hold onto the “real deal?” Stop by Swiss Alp
Dance Hall (www.swissalptexas.com)
if you ever find yourself on that stretch of U.S. 77. Go
to a Back at the Ranch show, and make sure you invite your
parents and grandparents. Joy is waiting in the present,
and it does not have to ignore the past.
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January 30,
2003
Thinking small
By LAURA
HENSLEY
Eagle Staff Writer
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Eagle photo/ Stuart Villanueva
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Back At
The Ranch hopes to add additional acts to its Oh, Brother
concert series if attendance is high. |
NAVASOTA —
Members of the trio Back At The Ranch aren’t running for
political office. But they are on the campaign trail.
The local roots music group has spent the past few weeks trying
to generate a word-of-mouth buzz about their pet project, a
concert series they call Oh, Brother, Where’s the Music? In an
effort to bring roots music to area small towns they have put up
posters, been guests on radio shows and have told everyone in
their hometowns of Navasota, Rockdale and everywhere in between
about the show on Thursday at the Brosig Auditorium.
Last weekend, the group went a step further.
Inspired by the grassroots political campaigns of the 1930s,
Back At the Ranch members Clover Carroll, Rachel Carroll and
Matthew Menke hopped aboard the bed of an old Ford truck to
spread their musical propaganda. The trio played and sang their
unique blend of folk, bluegrass and Western swing music as their
parade of one circled around Washington Street in downtown
Navasota. The spectacle drew a few people out of shops and cafes
and provoked a couple of friendly honks and waves, but mostly it
was for the band’s own entertainment.
“We wanted to do this to bring attention to our concert but
really it was just something fun to do,” said bass player Rachel
Carroll. “That’s the neat thing about independent music — you
can do whatever you want to do.”
Husband and wife duo Rachel and Clover Carroll, who incorporate
comedy into their live performances, began performing
roots-based folk music together five years ago, with Clover
picking on acoustic guitar and Rachel on a monstrous stand-up
bass. The two moved to Austin, as many musicians do, to try to
crack the competitive music scene there. After two years in
Austin, Clover was laid off from his day job. Gigging in Austin
didn’t quite pay the rent, so the Carrolls moved back home to
Milam County and released their first album, Texas Routes, in
July 2001. The duo has performed at festivals around the country
including the Old Settlers Music Festival in Dripping Springs,
The Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas and the Houston Livestock
Show and Rodeo.
The Carrolls recently added ace fiddle player and Navasota
resident Matthew Menke to the lineup and dubbed the trio Back At
The Ranch.
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Eagle photo/ Stuart Villanueva
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Back At
The Ranch's Clover Carroll (front), Rachel Carroll (back
left) and Matthew Menke prepared for their show-on-the-road
last Saturday in downtown Navasota to promote their
performance this Saturday at Brosig Auditorium. The trio is
planning additional performances in Conroe, Madisonville,
Cameron, Buffalo and Hempstead in pursuit of small-town
audiences. |
With a new
member and a new name, the Carrolls have a new project. As they
wrap up production on a new album, the group is keeping busy
with the Oh, Brother, Where’s the Music? concert series. The
name is a play on the 2001 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?,
which featured a celebrated soundtrack that marked the beginning
of a bluegrass/roots revival in popular music.
Menke said the band hopes to expand the series, taking it to
small towns throughout the area.
“We are trying to take roots music to small towns,” he said.
“There are a lot of people in small towns that don’t know where
they can get this type of music or they do know but they just
don’t want to drive to Austin or Houston for it.”
Menke said shows are being planned in Navasota, Conroe,
Madisonville, Cameron, Buffalo and Hempstead. Depending on its
success, larger acts will join the lineup.
“In small towns there really is a very limited amount of
entertainment,” Menke said. “This is not just music it’s comedy
and theater and little bit of everything. I think small town
people are starving for that kind of entertainment.”
• Oh, Brother, Where’s the Music featuring Back At The Ranch, 7
p.m., Thursday, Brosig Auditorium in Navasota. Tickets cost $10
at the door or are available in advance at Tom’s Feed.
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Eagle photo/ Stuart Villanueva |
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Clover strums the guitar and Rachel plucks the stand-up
bass while Menke plays fiddle (not pictured) driving down
Washington St. in Navasota, luring curious residents out
of cafes and shops to watch and listen.
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• Laura
Hensley’s e-mail address is
lhensley@theeagle.com
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© 2000 - 2003 The Bryan - College Station Eagle |
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June 14, 2002:
Clover and Rachel
Carroll, with Matthew Menke on fiddle
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Once we knew when and where the big Texas barbecue fandango was
to take place, the next issue was to figure out just how much
music we could deliver as a soundtrack to all that good Texas
eating. We wanted live music at as many events as possible and
some definitive Austin sounds for our guests to take home, in
hopes that the tunes would evoke memories of the weekend's
gustatory delights for years to come. Dawn Orsak of Texas Folklife
Resources hooked us up with Mel Davis and the Blues Specialists
for our Friday night opening reception. Texas blues and Texas
barbecue in East Austin's legendary Victory Grill sounded like a
perfect fit. The folks at TFR also provided CDs of a radio series
they'd produced called Texas Country Routes and Texas
Monthly music writer John Morthland located some rare
cassettes of local blues-piano legend Grey Ghost as gifts for our
guests. Rhino Records Special Projects Director (and longtime
devotee of Texas barbecue) James Austin chipped in a treasured
cache of out-of-print Rhino CDs for special prizes: an absolutely
appropriate collection of 16 tunes titled I Love Bar-B-Q
and one of their stellar Texas music compilations loaded with
Western swing and honky-tonk classics. For the Saturday night
Southern hospitality soiree in the Threadgill's beer garden, we
lined up South Austintatious honky-tonkers the Cornell Hurd Band,
on the theory that their particular blend of Western swing and
outrageous hilarity would provide a note of levity folks needed
after a hard day's eatin' on the barbecue trail.
Serendipity delivered the centerpiece for the weekend
soundtrack. Host committee member and Chronicle Food writer
MM Pack was listening to KUT's Folkways in her car one
Saturday morning and chanced to hear "The Barbecue Song." The tune
referred to some of the same historic Central Texas joints
included on our tour and Pack realized we had to have it. After
checking Folkways' online play list (www.kut.org),
she was ultimately able to track down the musicians via their own
Web site. Within a matter of days, we had arranged for Clover and
Rachel Carroll to make an appearance. The acoustic country roots
group hails from the hamlet of Milano and "The Barbecue Song" is a
cut from their independent 2001 release, Texas Routes, a
collection of roots-based folk music. (Order it at
www.cloverandrachel.com.)
Clover Carroll plays guitar and provides vocals, his wife Rachel
sings lead in addition to playing the acoustic bass, and ace
fiddler Matthew Menke rounds out the band. After breakfast on
Saturday morning, they'll treat our guests to a short set ending
with a rousing rendition of "The Barbecue Song" to whet our
appetites for the day ahead.
Related Stories:
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A
Word From The
People
"Their music will knock your hat in the creek!"
-Red Steagall
“Clover is a tremendous
guitar player in the Merle Travis finger-picking style, and together the
couple’s harmonies are pitch-perfect, Rachel Carroll being possessed of
a sweet demure voice….There’s a whole lot of the old Texas left, and the
Carrolls help bring it home.”
- Austin Chronicle
by Tim Samson 5/3/2006
Saw them in CA this past wknd. hadn't heard of them before. I was blown
away. Their show was great. They make all the audience interested in
their show, even if your not into swing or cowboy music. I can't wait to
see them again.
by David
Strickland 1/9/2006
I have seen this group several times and they always bring the house
down....They have stole the show from some of the greats in the
industry...By far my favorite group....A truly must see group...
by Chuck Busch 2/27/2005
We saw them last night in La Grange, Tx - outstanding, we didn't know
what to expect. Eventhough this is not my favorite genre, they are
professional and I would certainly go see them again.
by Curt Range 9/18/2004
I stumbled upon Back at the Ranch by accident, or perhaps I should say
by Providence. This band actually has talent & personality. I recommend
them highly.
by Jim Stanford 8/29/2004
Their show is amazing! I love the stories they tell in between songs.
They keep the audience in the palm of their hands. I also had a chance
to see them live at the Lone Star Music Headquarter in Gruene, what a
treat.
by Todd Mayo 7/13/2004
A Truly Amazing Show. I went in with high expectations and came out
amazed. I highly recommend Back at the Ranch. A truly enjoyable
experience.
by: Jack Williams Date:
9/29/04
Reviewer is from: Oklahoma
I just saw BATR for the 1st time when they were on tour through
Oklahoma. They were great. Their show is so exciting to watch. These
guys do a family friendly show. It is so hard to take your kids anywhere
these days without having them exposed to trash. I had my son with me
and I felt completely safe about their show. BATR is awesome.
Anonymous Date: 8/29/04
Reviewer is from: North Carolina
This CD has quickly become my favorite! Their Old Mexico Song is
incredible and I love Boss of the Plains. Their live show is even more
incredible.
They are the best trio I've
seen since my associate had Hot Club of Cow Town play at their
wedding... Texas Routes is reminiscent of Mark Twain's writings.
It reminded me of happy times in the rural south.
-Travis Brundon , Georgetown, TX
Clover and Rachel Carroll and friends put on a great
show of traditional acoustic Texas music. The interviews
intertwined between the cuts add depth and character to the songs.
My favorite cut "Bar-B-Que". If you get a chance catch them live.
-Texas Bob
“For anyone who likes versatility, originality and
really good music, these folks are top of the line. Whether you like
folk music, country or bluegrass with great comedy and good
storytelling, their performances are a real treat. Meeting them in
person is an honor.”
-HoustonBluegrass.com
“This is one of the best acts I’ve seen in a long
time. Back At The Ranch are fun, incredibly talented and dedicated
to the preservation of rural Texas history through folklore and music.”
- Bear Creek Concerts
“Clover and Rachel are just a joy and really appeal to
all of us who love traditional country and bluegrass music.”
-Anderson Fair Newsletter
"If you are fortunate to know Back At The Ranch as the
super people that are, I’d say you are truly lucky. Add to the fact that
they are one of the hottest acoustic country acts around, and I'd say
you've just made your own day! This awesome group continues to play to
audiences all over the states, leaving a wake of dropped jaws behind
them.
mytexasmusic.com-Jinelle Boyd, Editor
“Their performances are always filled with sparkle and
a great sense of humor.”
- The BABA Bulletin
“Folk music has always been about telling a story,
keeping true to your roots, and most of all, entertainment. Clover
and Rachel Carroll, an acoustic country comedy group, has yet again
managed to successfully provide their audience a bit of all three.”
- Joyful Review
“Clover and Rachel are one of the most enjoyable acts
in acoustic music. Great voices, great pickin’, funny stage jokes and
natural good looks, (well, on Rachel’s part anyway…) their show will win
you over in a heartbeat and a chuckle.”
-Justin Marquez
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