J.J and the Mystics at The Live Oak Listening Room...

It's not that I don't like Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones or Beyoncé. It's just that they have enough money, I don't need to give them any.  Mick Jagger, the 80 year old front man for the Stones probably never thought when he was a teen and trying to emulate American rhythm and blues that he would be filthy rich and I do admire him for recent statements that he would give profits from the sale of his back catalog to charity because, "my children lead comfortable lives." 

Last night we hit the Live Oak Listening Room, located in Nacogdoches, TX for the up and coming band J.J. and the Mystics. J.J. based in the Austin area shakes up a bunch of rock, soul, funk and reggae influences, adds in a powerful voice and some hot guitar and comes out the other side of all that with a hot band and some really good songs with danceable beats.     

If you don't know the Live Oak it's an old church which is also a home where the residents have turned the old sanctuary into a concert space. There's a nice foyer, comfortable seating and decorations by local artists. There's no admission but people are welcome to support the season as you would any fine arts program or since we all know what a show is worth in the big city to contribute by tip jar or venmo. As noted the Rolling Stones won't ever say, mudbelly, where were you last night? My friends call and say "are you going to the Live Oak tonight? There's a good band."     

 Music at the Live Oak starts at 7pm but the evening begins with a pot luck dinner at 6pm. Yes I know, they expect a donation and you have to bring your own food but I think last night had some of the best eats I have ever tasted there. Lots of good home cooked food with some of it made from things folks had grown in their garden. I know I had a piece of butter nut squash pie, made by a friend that grew it in her garden and it made me say to heck with pumpkin spice, this is a taste of fall right here. 

I made an eggplant casserole. I arrived, set my dish on the buffet table, walked 50 yards over to my friend Anne's house where we performed stand by assist duties while she got to her wheel chair, attached the electric motor and returned to find that them old hippies had fell on my cooking and just about ate it all maybe even licking the pan. They will do that you know. Me and Cathy got a serving each and that was it.    

Check out some J.J. and the Mystics. Support live music especially up and coming artists. Eat food your friends cooked. It's comfortable.