BluesFolks.com

The WoodGrain consumes legendary amounts of booze… would any of you ever consider going to rehab?-Amber Philadelphia Pa.
Franky Fernando: Rehab’s for quitters!
Joey Black: Is there a bar there…?
Mr.Nate: No! I’ll drink myself to death first!
If your band could play anywhere, where would it be?-Dedra Lewisville Tx.
Brak: Austin City Limits
Franky Fernando: Woodstock baby! Unless you’re talkin’ serious…in which case… anywhere in Amsterdam!
Kunkle Whitebread: Hillsboro Ks., or either Fillmore… east or west. How ’bout a Jim Beam distillary…
Mr. Nate: WoodStock, the first one…
Joey Black: Inside the ocean, in a submarine, near the bottom of the Marianna Trench… or Figi…
What was the first song you ever wrote and why?-Sherrey Plano Tx.
Joey Black: Well, I know that the first song Mr. Nate EVER wrote was “Blackwater (Hide what I done)” & he taught it to me pretty early on. It’s about ditchin’ your old lady’s dead body in a river… so… one can only guess why he came up with it. Uh… as a complete group the first original that came together for us was “Come Back Soon”. I wrote it one day after my wife left for work & her perfume lingered in the air making me miss her. It’s a good, sexy tune.
How long has Joey Black been playing the guitar?-Cindy Cleburne Tx.
Joey Black: All together about 18 years, but playing seriously… about half that time.
What are some interesting trivia facts the fans of The WoodGrain would like to know about the band?-Ashley Carrollton Tx.
Kunkle Whitebread: How LITTLE time we spend on our hair…?
Joey Black: Uh… I watch some total chick shows on TV with my wife. Ugly Betty & Desparate Housewives to name a couple.
Mr. Nate: I can build musical instruments…
Franky Fernando: All of our music is raw, uncut emotion…
How many original songs does The WoodGrain have?-Cynthia Arlington Tx.
Joey Black: Thirteen…? I think… Sweet Elijah, I Don’t Give A Fuck, In the Doorway, Blackwater, I Don’t
Like the Blues, Walkin’ Into the Rain, New Boogeyman Blues, Cranberry Juice, Come Back Soon, Highs been Low, Black Shoes Brown Hat, Buyou, & Stay Down ’til ya Come Up
What artists have the greatest influence on each of the band members?- Ashley Carrollton Tx.
Franky Fernando: Micheal Shrieve, Chad Smith, Quest Love, & Buddy Berry
Joey Black: Well, I’m fanatical about Jimi Hendrix, but with regards to THIS band…my greatest influence has definitly been Mr. Nate.
Kunkle Whitebread: Waylon Jennings & Mickey Rapheal, Willy’s harmonica player.
Mr.Nate: All ’60’s R & B… uh Rye Cooter, Taj Mahal…
Brak: Townes Van Zant, Steve Earl, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Beck, Willy & the boys… old rock & roll… new shite… a little of everything I’ve ever heard…
Where do babies come from?-Scott Carrollton Tx.
Joey Black & Mr. Nate: From gettin’ fucked up with your girl at a WoodGrain show… we hope!
How do you think fatherhood affects being a rocknroller?-D.Z. Fort Scott Ks.
Franky Fernando: It doesn’t. You gotta keep’em separated.
Joey Black: I try to keep my family life separate from my rocknroll life, but as my son gets older it has been nice to him come to a couple of shows & help out. He’s old enough now to kind of know the score, & as much passion as I have for playing mucic in The WoodGrain, spending quality time with my son is my real passion. I live to watch him play sports!

This past Friday (Aug. 7th) myself & Franky Fernando did our parts to help Don O & the 89.3 knon Texas Blues Radio show raise a little bit of money. We dominated the phone lines with witty banter as blues lovers from across the galaxy called in to donate money so that beloved blues artists like the late great Robert Ealley can still be heard over the airways. It was a great experience. Don O is a hell of a guy, & we hope to hang with him in the studio again soon. We’re hoping that once we have better quality recordings of our original blues favorites “In the Doorway” & “Stay down ’til you come up” we too may also grace that same air. Until then, we gon’ keep gettin’ good wood on it. See you all soon!

PThe air was heavy. Hot…& heavy. Not heavy ‘humid’ but…the kind of heavy that tells you something is coming. The kind of air that tells you that there’s something big around the corner. Last night…the air didn’t lie.
We, WoodGrain opened the show with a sweat soaked enthusiasm that seemed to make everything taste…salty… made everyone feel just a little more…wet. The first set closed with howling renditions of our own ‘In The Doorway’ & ‘Blackwater’.
The smoke billowed high behind the backstage fence at LoneStar during brief WG breaks. There was a purple haze sighting. There was a Devil with a blue dress on. The later performing bands were beginning to unload. Confidence was high…everyone was …high. The show…must’ve gone on.
WoodGrain closed it’s portion of the evening with a barrage of whiskey soaked house tested jam’s and blues that got some of the women hotter than the asphalt today at 4pm.
Up next was Hats & Statues. A very large group with a sound that I called “Americana meets… pissed off at The Violent Femmes”. When confronted with this assesment, the frontman for Hats & Statues (whose name escapes me) errupted into laughter and invited me to have a beer with he and his crew. Speaking of that crew…there was a lovely lady who took a picture of me kissing my beautiful wife Andrea. I do hope she forwards it.
Anyway, just when the air seemed lighten, one might’ve been given the impression that a small plane out of nearby DFW had crashed into the back corner of LoneStar. Knocked out of the sky perhaps by the Paranoia Dance Party  frontman (Matt). He’s not a big guy… But at times, with the brutal ska metal exsplosion goning on behind him, he resembled King Kong climbing his mic. stand. These guys, Paranoia Dance Party, are based out of Tampa Fla. & are just wrapping up a month long tour. I’m currently working on arranging an interview with bass player (Spencer) in The Dallas County BlueNote. Look forward to that because these guys ROCK!!!
Just when we all thought it was safe to go to…therapy… Informant took the floor & put on a show that just made perfect sense given the way the hot summer night had transpired. They gave everybody one last thunderstorm of sweat & ska. Frontman (Chris) oblitterated his frustrations of the daily grind by bouncing, whaling, and blowing his horn with steally eyed determined enthusiasm. He and his horn sort of reminded me of Tony Montana with a machine gun at the end of Scarface. “You wanna play rough?!? OK!”
Informant however didn’t play ‘rough’. They were as tight as ever. Never letting the crowd lose that salty taste in their drinks.
Lastly, thank you to all of the friends and fans of each group who played their guts out last night. Special thanks to Hats & Statues, Paranoia Dance Party, & Informant. All these guy’s really spilled their buckets last night. I know I’ll never forget it.

ps WoodGrain @ The Ridglea Theatre on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth WED. July 29th 8:15 pm $5 cover ALL ages welcome WE NEED YOU THERE!!!!!