MUSIC NEWS
Charlie Robison rocks out at Banita Creek
01/31/2011

from The Pine Log on thepinelog.com

Though he has played in cities as large and varied as Houston and New York City, Charlie Robison, an acclaimed Texas singer/songwriter, finds playing in a smaller venue like Banita Creek Hall exciting in its own right.

"We've been playing Nacogdoches for 15 years," Robison said.  "I love it.  It's great.  Every place you're playing whether it's downtown Houston or Dallas or New York, every place has its own cool thing about it.  You don't like to play the same type of places all the time or the same kind of town all the time.  The great thing about this job is you get to play in all kinds of places in front of all different kinds of people."

Robison was in concert Saturday at Banita Creek Hall in downtown Nacogdoches.  Opening for Robison was up-and-comer Aaron Einhouse.

Robison hails from Bandera, a small town located in the Hill Country of South Texas.  Before going solo, Robison played in several bands on the Austin music scene including Chaparall, Millionaire Playboys, and Two Hoots and a Holler.  He then released his much-acclaimed solo album, Bandera, and its critical success established Robison as a new voice worth following amid a landscape littered with alt-country wannabes.  Albums such as Life of the Party, Step Right Up and Good Times followed.  

Before long, Nashville came calling, but Robison wanted no part of it.

"I did the major label stuff for awhile," Robison said.  "I wasn't really happy trying to get on the radio.  I don't really have any aspirations of being a radio star like a lot of the Texas music guys.  It's not really the kind of music I want to write.  You need to change your writing style to more of a pop format.  I just kind of refused to compromise on that stuff.  I want to write what I want to write."

Robison is an uncompromising artist in a long, proud tradition of Texas singer/songwriters who forged their own path in the music industry.

"I chose to do it as a lot of my heroes did," Robison said.  "It goes as far back as Bob Wills, Kris Kristofferson, Robert Earl Keen, Willie and Waylon, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, the list goes on and on.  All those guys that just did things exactly how they wanted to do them."

In his down time, Robison enjoys doing many things that his fellow Texans do.

 "Fishing or hunting or working on the ranch, I'm usually pretty outdoors-y," Robison said.  "I got two boats down in Rockport, and we have two ranches."

(read full story on thepinelog.com)





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