September 12, 1999
It’s been a great summer, and TNHC is the place to see it out with Sisters Morales on a Sunday afternoon to turn up the heat one last time. Sisters Morales have been rocking Houston for some time to packed houses of loyal fans. Their latest CD, “Someplace Far Away From Here”, is yet another jewel from our hometown’s best. Besides a terrific new CD, they have also completed a successful European tour, were showcased at Folk Alliance, and played Willie Nelson’s Picnic this year.

Lisa and Roberta serve up amazing harmonies with a saucy punch. From the driving beat of “It Only Gets Better” to a flowing “Sabor a mi”, Sisters Morales cover all the bases with a band that’s second to none. David Spencer is a master on lead guitar and steel riding the wave of Larry Evans on bass and Adam Mosqueda on drums. It’s no wonder that Lisa’s and Roberta’s smiles never fade while they’re on stage. Every Sisters Morales performance is an experience, but the TNHC deck is one you don’t want to miss.

Dave Nachmanoff to open
Dave Nachmanoff writes and performs with a contagious passion and intensity, bringing a “rock and roll energy” to what would otherwise be a folk performance. He grew up in the D.C. area and began performing at age nine. Dave’s belief that “music doesn’t have to be wimpy” is clearly related to his audiences as he performs across the country. Now hailing from Davis, California, Dave will be touring in Texas and we’re delighted he’ll take time to stop by and show us his stuff on the deck.

Concert Review

Sisters Morales
Dave Nachmanoff opened
September 12, 1999

What a weekend! Beverly & I went to Dallas Friday to see Ray Wylie Hubbard and Chris Buhalis perform at Uncle Calvin’s. It was a great show, followed by sitting on a friend’s deck listening to Chris, Jeff Plankenhorn, David Byboth, and Kelly Wimbish pass a Martin around trading songs until 3:00 in the morning. Then, Saturday night, back in Houston, we heard Emily Kaitz, Slaid Cleaves, Doug Clark Steiger, and Michael Rickard in West U at Second Saturday Concerts. Finally, on Sunday morning, it was time to get ready for our own show. Chairs were set, PA and speakers ready, and the reservation list was printed. Just when it all started catching up with us, Bob and Jean showed up to help finish preparations…we’ll get by with a little help from our friends.

Right on time, the Sisters showed up and started unloading. After playing Cibolo Creek in San Antonio the night before, they didn’t get home until 5:00 that morning, so they were as beat as we were. Beverly took off to pick up Dave at the airport while we set up more sound equipment. When everything was unloaded, Roberta realized they had everything except her guitar! Luckily, my new Martin was available and only needed new strings. Sound check completed, guests began arriving and Beverly and Dave Nachmanoff came through the door. All we had to do now was stay awake! Our guests started filling up the place and the table was quickly covered with a fabulous spread of goodies…here we go again.

It didn’t take long after meeting Dave Nachmanoff to realize what a genuine guy he is. He might be from California, but as he said in song, he’d “found a little Texas” in himself. What a joy to present a musician of his caliber and character to our friends. In eight songs, Dave proved his reputation was well founded. Kicking things off with “Square Peg Blues” started the crowd tapping and swaying. His invitation to sing-a-long wasn’t really necessary, it was inevitable. “Cautionary Tale”, “Firewoman’s Daughter”, and “El Nino” were a few of the real crowd pleasers, but I’ll have to admit, “RL” was my pick of the set. For a well deserved encore, Dave did “The Porim Song”, a ballad of Jewish history. Emily Kaitz told us to request it, and now we know why…what a hoot…”They tried to kill us, but we won, so let’s eat.” Our sincere thanks to Dave Nachmanoff for sharing his songs and a generous slice of himself with us. We look forward to his next trip to Texas.

No problem with fatigue now, the deck was primed and ready to rock. After a short break, Sisters Morales filled the stage with the two brightest smiles in music right up front. Lisa and Roberta chose to sit during this performance, which is the first time I’ve ever seen that happen. But, when you’re on the deck among friends, you just have to get comfortable. They started with an upbeat offering of “La Ultima Noche” clearly demonstrating that this would be a classic Sisters Morales show. An extra helping of Spanish songs mixed with stories about early musical influences set the tone for an unusually personal performance. Lisa made the comment early on, “This is so nice for us…It’s weird because the sun’s still up, but other than that, this is great.” Although she was concerned that the neighbors would send the police because they had the “drummer boy going”, nothing was held back. Like a favorite shirt, Sisters Morales fit the deck with a warmth and comfort that just felt right. As they jumped into “It Only Gets Better”, I thought , “Now, this song fits the moment perfectly!” Between the laughter, Lisa said, “We’re totally goofy today. I hope you’re with us.” Yeah, girls, I think we we’re with you. Roberta created one of the most moving moments of the evening as she explained that it had been two years since her battle with cancer. Although she had survived, there are still a lot of victims of cancer out there, and “Deeper Water” went out to them. This was appropriately followed by “A Rose and a Heart of Stone” and a few tears I noticed scattered around the backyard. Everyone needed a break.

After many autographs and a quick bite to eat, the band was back for more. One of my personal favorites, “Sabor a mi”, got the second set going in style. Laughter, song, and harmony sent the sun on it’s way as the skies began resting in the arms of another marvelous Texas Night. Dave Spencer was in rare form, as he tried to keep up with various songs that Lisa seemed to pull from the hat. Try as she might, she never stumped the band for long. Larry Evans loosened up and began wearing the signature Sisters Morales smile as he provided the bass rhythm. Adam Mosqueda, although new to the band, fit in perfectly offering the beat the band rode through the night. We heard about the all girl band that Lisa and Roberta had as kids, “The Flowerchildren”, but we couldn’t talk them into playing any of the really early stuff. They did offer up a song from their first cassette released in 1990, which I will probably incorrectly call “My Last Chance to Fall in Love with You.” It was a real pleasure to hear so much of the obscure stuff mixed with the more familiar tunes throughout the show. “I Shot the Moon”, “Don’t Stop”, and “The Goodbye Left Undone” are just a few examples of the remarkable songs rarely performed, but so wonderfully woven through the second set. The story of their dad gave us all some insight into where Lisa and Roberta’s love for music was nurtured with fur on the dash, law books, cowboy boots and tennis shorts, and a love for country music. His legacy was generously demonstrated from the deck on this incredible night under the stars. I just can’t miss mentioning the heartfelt version of “This is My House” that Roberta so lovingly embraced us all with… “Thank you.” For the encore, the girls gave up the chairs and did the final offering of “It’s All Over Now”, in their usual dancing style. It might be over now, but the after glow still warms the deck.

Lisa Morales, Roberta Morales, Dave Spencer, Larry Evans, and Adam Mosqueda, muchos gracias, mi amigos! The show was everything we dreamed it could be and more. Thanks again to Dave Nachmanoff for making the trip to Friendswood, and to our special friends Bobby and Jean for all their help. Another perfect Texas Night to remember…come back, my friends.

For the love of the song,
Barney and Beverly Goodman