Small bars and small towns are a staple in Texas. We all know this. We see them scattered across the countryside when we venture across this great state of ours. Often, we think of these bars as merely watering holes, and find ourselves stopping at them on hot summer days to sate our thirst with an ice-cold Texas beer. Never, and I repeat, never, do we expect to find debauchery and wild partying taking place in one. That is strictly reserved for those uptown "clubs" in places like Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin or San Antonio. But not in a place like Denison, right?!

Well, if you just happened to be one of the lucky ones to be at the Club Car in Denison last Friday night, you know that statement to be far from the truth. But of course, wherever Mark David Manders and Nuevo Tejas roam, a party is soon to follow!

First, I would like to tell you a little bit about the Club Car itself. It is a small joint, nestled in a back part of the old Katy Railroad Depot in downtown Denison. Hence the name Club Car, for in this town built by the M, K & T in the late 1800's and early 1900's, many businesses honor all things railroad. Walk through the heavy door and into the rough-hewn wood interior of the Club Car, and any thoughts that this is another notch in the belt of the railroad theme is forgotten. To your left is an old gas pump, circa 1940's, with a globe on it that was obviously made for the owners of the bar. Neon beer advertisements don the walls. There are several televisions all burning brightly with the Stars/Ducks hockey game. Wait a minutethis is a sports bar, isn't it?! But there are signs of a band setting up to the right as you walk in. Right about that time I was warmly greeted by one of the bar's owners. (This isn't something that was reserved just for me because I am special or something, the owners make it a point to greet everyone that walks through their doors.) As I make my way over to the bar for a cold Shiner, I encounter another reporter for a rival publication, and we each greet each other. Then, as I am waiting for the beer, I notice sitting front and center, Manders and the rest of the band, drinking their drinks and watching the game just like the rest of the patrons.

Minutes later the band headed out the door to presumably get ready for the show, so our party seized the opportunity and took their table, since it was the only one in view of the band area left. (The Club Car isn't very big...it may seat 60 people, but somehow I feel this number is a little on the high side.) We settled in, feeling like we had pulled off some great coup to get the best seats in the house. Little did we know that there would be hell to pay later for whoever was sitting in these seats.

Just as the Anaheim Ducks managed to push a weak goal past Belfour to tie the game, the band came back in and started tuning their instruments. By this time I was on my second Shiner, and ready for whatever the evening was going to bring. (By the way Mike, the beer at the Club Car is always ice cold!) What happened next should have foreshadowed for me the way the night was going to turn out.

We were now disconnected from the Stars game, so there was little else to do but visit with the folks at the table while the band got ready. Then I noticed a familiar sound. Russ Sherefield was playing a little ditty on the bassit sounded oddly recognizable. Then it struck me! He was playing "Play That Funky Music, White Boy," by Wild Cherry. And by now Charlie Kautz had joined in on the drums. Right then and there I should have known that this was not going to be an ordinary evening.

Next Manders reappeared, wearing a Blaine's Pub jacket and a grin the size of Dallas, and passed out set lists to the band. Then, without any fanfare or introduction of any type, the band broke into their opening number, "Blackjack Road." It became apparent with the first couple of lines that this was a crowd that was familiar with the music of MDM and Neuvo Tejas, for most of those assembled were singing right along with the band.

The next two numbers, "Telephone Song" and "Friend Like You," were relatively uneventful. It would also be the last time that anything that night could be referred to as "uneventful." For, from this point on, the set list was trashed, as was much of the audience, and wouldn't be followed the rest of the gig.

From the back of the bar came the first request of the evening, as someone, loud enough to be heard from that distance over the din of the throng, requested that monosyllabic two step tune, "Beer." (It would be reprised twice more that evening, with each subsequent playing getting louder, more raucous responses.) The energy in the Club Car, was, at this point, frenetic. (I have often been amazed at how one word songs can have this effect on intoxicated people, and it reminds me of the 70's and 80's whenever "The Cotton-eyed Joe" was played in Texas clubs and bars late in the evening, and everybody shouted at the absolute top of their lungs, "Bulls**t!") Good for beer sales. Bad for those seeking the predictable.

Now, allow me to point out at this time that the cramped spaces of this establishment do not lend itself well to dancing, for the distance from the front tables to the band is maybe 5 feet. So, with that said, you know what began to happen next. A first it was just a couple of ladies, no problem really. In fact, as they were both "lookers," it was rather enjoyable to watch them strut their stuff around the band. And the next few songs, "The Fiddle Plays," "Tracy Walls," "Three Day Weekend," and "Scars and Souvenirs," aren't really the kinds of songs that are going to start a dancing frenzy.

Then, Manders shared with the audience how the band had played at Blaine's Pub a few nights previous to this, and how the crowd there was "out of control." He compared the crowd at Blaine's to the one in attendance that night, and mentioned that by the end of the evening "they were dancing on the tables." Well, the challenge had been made, and amidst much whooping and hollering, the band broke into "Big John's Son," which is just the type of song, with its innuendo, to whip a bar crowd into a frenzy.

And of course, it was from this point on that it didn't pay to be sitting ringside. More and more people began to crowd into the narrow walkway, dancing and singing along with the band. At the same time, latecomers were still arriving, waitresses were still waitressing, and alcohol was still being consumed. What subsequently resulted of course, was the barroom equivalent of rush hour traffic on Central Expressway crammed onto a barely two lane rural road. People continued to cram and crowd through Neuvo Tejas' rendition of the Roger Miller's standard "King of the Road," as well as through such numbers as "Three Sheets to the Wind" and "Jim Murphy." And that was all before the first break!

But, the first break did come, and so did a chance to escape the smoky interior of the Club Car to step outside and get a breath of fresh air. Incidentally, just outside the front door was the only place there was for Manders to set up the merchandise. So, while I took in the air and quietly drank on my beer, I watched the patrons of Mander's paraphernalia as they clamored over which CD to buy, or whether or not they should get the "BEER" t-shirt, and then waited patiently in line to get the artist's autograph. And it was right about this time that Lance Smith, the 22-year-old guitarist of Neuvo Tejas rambled by, and I hit him with the unexpected line "You must be William Michael Smith's kid." He grinned, and acknowledged that he in fact was, and we began talking about how I knew his dad, and how, in his words, "My father is the single best promoter that I have." He told me that his dad raised him on the likes of Sonny Landreth and Joe Ely, and that it was those influences that impressed him at a time when others his age were listening to rap and hip hop and that kind of stuff. One thing I can say is, the kid can find his way around a guitar.

All too soon, the chill of the February evening began to take it's toll, and we made our way back into the bar; Lance to finish the gig, and me to get another beer and to settle back and listen.

The second set opened with Smith playing and singing "Sweet Home Alabama," and the bar jumping right in with dance and song. I guess that the 15 minute break was enough to recharge the batteries of the audience wishing to dance, because almost instantly the same group crowded to the front to pick right back up where they had left off earlier.

After this, I heard Smith and Sherefield play a few chords to "Honky Tonk Women" as the band seemed to be trying to find its direction. And that direction led directly to, you guessed it, "Beer." This time Rob Stave's fiddling seemed a little more intent on driving the audience to a peak, and as this installment of the song reached it's apex, Stave dropped right into a few bars of "The Orange Blossom Special" just for good measure.

A shot of tequila found its way to Manders at this point, purchased by one of the adoring crowd. And with a "This is tequila, isn't it" from him, it was instantly downed and the band broke into "Anne Marie."

A cover of "Milkcow Blues" was next, followed by "Three Fingers Tequila" which proved that many of the crowd were still capable of saying the numbers "one" and "three" as they crowded more and more to the front. By this point in the evening the bar was packed with at least 100 if not more people. Navigation through the place was proving difficult for all.

As the band broke into covers of Charlie Robison's "Barlight" and Rusty Weir's "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance?," the younger patrons began to shake and shimmy and do what can best be described as a country version of the mosh pit, since the crowd was so packed, all to the apparent delight of Mr. Manders. Soon he was inviting the prettier of the chiquitas to join the band in singing, and of course there were takers.

By the time the ban reached the third rendition of "Beer," all who were at the Club Car that night felt as though they had taken part in a musical orgy. "Border Blues" closed out the set and the night, and for this version, the band really seemed to be tight and cranking, as though they were determined to "leave 'em wanting more." Which is exactly what they did!

It was a fun show by a fun band, and a great time was literally had by all!

You can learn more about Mark David Manders and Neuvo Tejas at www.markdavidmanders.com.

You can contact Scott Snidow at: scott-at-rockzilla.net

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