Bob Villwock » Soul

Roxy Roca at the Saxon Pub

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:34:53 +0000

I’m having a blast playing with Roxy Roca. Super fun band with a great positive vibe and funky songs about cornbread. We played the Saxon Pub last Saturday, and it turns out everyone in there was super fun too. We had a big dancin’ love fest of soul music right through last call. Thanks to Bitter Kitten for the great pics.

New Recordings with Roxy Roca

admin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:36:30 +0000

What a fun time we had this weekend making some music with Roxy Roca. We recorded our new tune Ain’t Nothing Fancy (It’s Love) and a B-side cover of Grits Ain’t Groceries at Clockright Studio here in Austin. They have a pretty sweet collection of vintage analog and digital audio equipment there. We tracked the drums and rhythm section to tape, plus with Alex’s vintage Gretsch drum kit we got a great authentic sound.

Mavis Staples in Grass Valley

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:55:38 +0000

I couldn’t me more excited for this show tomorrow…

Experiences make us happier than possessions

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:27:43 +0000

New research from SFSU suggests that to maximize happiness for your money, you should definitely opt for the vacation, or the concert, or some other non-tangible experience rather than a new car or some other thing. Seems obvious if you think about it all, I suppose.

On the other hand, I’ve also been carrying around in my head this bit of snarky comment first made to me by a coworker at my first real job. “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” Other than as a joke, I don’t think that line of thinking has served me as well as, say, this Rush lyric, which is also carried around in my head constantly.

I’m not giving in to security under pressure
I’m not missing out on the promise of adventure
I’m not giving up on implausible dreams
Experience to extremes, experience to extremes.

Mavis Staples and Joss Stone

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:48:51 +0000

Mavis Staples and Joss Stone absolutely slaying “I’ll Take You There” at a Sound Stage performance. I love the bit at about 3:38 where it fails to end. They cannot be stopped!

Mavis Staples will take you there.

Motown Soul Show

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:21:07 +0000

What a blast we had last weekend at the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley. Fourteen soulful musicians performing a bunch of groovy tunes, and a sold-out crowd of the finest funky party people you could ask for. Another Sierra Sirens production–is there anything those ladies can’t do? I don’t think so.

Lorraine catches a breath while Larry rips a guitar solo in Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone."

They’ve always got something in the works…tributes to Ella Fitzgerald and James Taylor are both in the works, plus a Broadway revue and a night of arias. Keep an eye on the calendar at the Center for the Arts.