Junior Brown April 8, 2006 Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater Written by Wendy R. Williams Photographed by Mary Blanco

Junior Brown
He came to town.

Austin, Texas came to the East Village on Saturday, April 8, 2006 when multi-Grammy nominee Junior Brown and his band ramped up Joe’s Pub. It was only 7PM, but the fan-filled audience had already warmed themselves up with plenty of liquid refreshment and were dancing on the tables and wailing for their sexy velvet-voiced baritone man.

Here is a quote from the press release: “"Guit-steel" guitar wizard and multi-Grammy Junior Brown, a veteran of the fertile Austin music scene, is known for his fiery mix of trad country and western, rockabilly, rock and blues. With a rich baritone singing highly entertaining songs of heartache, hotrods and honkytonks, and awe-inspiring prowess on the double-neck "guit-steel" guitar of his own invention, Brown's music alternately swings and burns, drawing inspiration from such artists as Bob Wills, Buck Owens, Jimi Hendrix and Dick Dale. He delivers lyrics full of word play and double meaning backed up by his wife on rhythm guitar, whom he introduces as "the lovely Miss Tanya Rae."

Well, we did not get to see Miss Tanya Rae that night but Brown was amply backed up drummer Pete Amaral and bassist Jason Rathman. Brown was playing his guit-steel guitar (Brown’s own invention that features both guitar and steel guitar necks on one instrument) and every time he hit the high notes, the audience went wild, hollering like a bunch of yard cats in heat.

Bass Jason Rathman	Drummer Pete Amaral

And who could help but love a man who sings songs like: "Long Walk Back To San Antone"; "Broke Down South Of Dallas"; and "My Wife Thinks You're Dead". And if you have never heard Junior Brown (http://www.juniorbrown.com). I am going to wrap up this story with the lyrics to my favorite Junior Brown song.

My Wife Thinks You're Dead

It's good to see you baby it's been a long long while
We're both a whole lot older and seen a lot of miles
But thing are different now since the good ol’ days
And you’ve been in some trouble
Since we went our separate ways
We’ll have to say hello maybe some other time instead
Cause you’re wanted by the police
And my wife thinks you’re dead.

Somebody spread the rumor that you had lost your life
‘Least that’s the way I heard it and what I told my wife
Now here you’re showing up again and talk is getting’ round
And I can see that one of us will have to leave this town
If you think that I want trouble
Than you’re crazy in your head
Cause you’re wanted by the police
And my wife thinks you’re dead.

You never called or wrote me just up and disappeared
Nobody knew what happened
Where you been for all these years
Now trouble’s what you’re lookin’ like
Cause trouble’s where you been
And I can see the kind of trouble you could get me in
You better pay attention to every word I said
Cause you’re wanted by the police
And my wife thinks you’re dead.

So goodbye to you baby I’m glad we’ve got to talk
But I’m faithful to my wife and I don’t ever break the law
I don’t know where you’re headed for
But I know where you been
We’re reminisced now let’s just go our separate ways again
Go find another ex-sweetheart to hang around instead
Because you’re wanted by the police
And my wife thinks you’re dead.

Mom Dorothy Brown, Junion Brown and Aunt Jean Timbell
Backstage after the Show

Rock on,

Wendy