A Night at Patsy’s Cowgirl Café with the Balons

A Night at Patsy’s Cowgirl Café with the Balons

Shannon Sedgewick

If you haven’t heard about Patsy’s Cowgirl Café yet, it is the brainchild of Shannon and Michael, the driving and creative forces behind Austin’s long-running satirical review, Esther’s Follie’s. It’s recently opened on E. Ben White. Take the Woodward exit, proceed through some construction, and you’ll see it on the right hand side past Catfish Parlour. The food is southern comfort-based and the drinks are stout. And the entertainment is just starting to roll.

Patsy’s has also marked the return to the local music scene of my daughter Jennifer and I after an almost 2-year hiatus. We’ve played several Thursday nights there and they plan to have us back. It’s great being up on stage again. The sound system there is terrific. And nothing is cooler than to be able to make music with your own daughter.

Our last gig there was great fun. Jennifer and husband John had ordered Chicken Fried Steaks and were chomping down on them when I arrived. Far be it from me to interrupt anyone’s dining pleasure. So I opened solo for about four songs. Don’t know why but I plucked Harry Chapin’s classic tune “Taxi” out of the mothballs and started with that: still a damned good tune after all these years. Next was Mark Cohen’s “Walking in Memphis.” I love the line where she asks him if he’s a Christian and he says, “Ma’am, I am tonight!” Then I reached back for John Lennon’s “You’ve Got to Hide You Love Away,” and finished with one of my own tunes, “An Older Guy and a Younger Girl.”

I had not done a solo set since my performance last summer at Angel’s Ice House in Spicewood. Jennifer had gotten some kind of facial peel and her face was like post-war Dresden. She simply couldn’t move her mouth enough to sing so she had to bail at the last minute. So I bonded with the locals, took requests, filled up the tip jar, and had a blast.

Just when I was freaking about what the next song was going to be, Jenn finished her meal and appeared on stage and we rolled into “Brown Eyed Girl.” Then quickly into Don Henley’s “Last Worthless Evening” and we were off and running. The two hours just flew by and we were back. Harmonies were tight; Jenn’s vocals as usual were soaring. And even the old man hung in there pretty well.

Playing at restaurants can be problematic for musicians. The crowd is not necessarily there to see you. And they’re not always attentive. It’s kind of like Class C ball in the minor leagues.

One night at Cedar Street we had the unique privilege of playing at a promotion called “Bring Your Dogs and Cats to Happy Hour.” Somebody in California (of course) had the idea and the Cedar Street management wanted to try it in Austin. So there we were, in the courtyard, playing away, for our canine, feline and human audience. When low and behold, Jennifer’s ex boyfriend showed up with his huge Lab. The lab heard Jenn’s voice, got excited, and rushed the stage. The other dogs followed. Soon, we were engulfed by about twenty excited pooches and I’m in the middle of Billy Joel’s “Matter of Trust.” Jenn broke up laughing and everything kind of disintegrated. In all my years of playing in college bands and for one summer professionally on tour, I have never had anyone rush the stage. Until that night.

But we had them on that Thursday night at Patsy’s. It was a mixed group: a large office party, several couples, bunches of singles. They sang along. They made it fun. And even the one lady who requested “Puff the Magic Dragon” understood when I politely declined. We closed with Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac” and my original “Those were the Days.” The audience bought some of our CD’s, there was a great vibe, the house was happy, and then I finally got to eat my Chicken Fried Steak. It was quite good.

I will post our next appearance at Patsy’s on www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com. We hope you’ll come out and see us.

First Report on Mario Batali’s B&B Ristorante

We got to try Mario Batali’s new Vegas restaurant B&B Ristorante while at the Wine Spectator Grand Tour. Batali, in partnership with Joseph Bastianich, has set up court on the so-called restaurant row at the Venetian.

The place is fun, I will say that. It is also loud. We complained about the level of the rock music but were told that “Mario likes it that way.” Okay.

In fact, I have never been to a restaurant where the staff, from manager to wait person, were more full of themselves. They refused our request for grated parmesan because they felt it might “compromise” the flavor of the clams presented with the pasta. They were condescending, smug, and rather annoying. That being said though, the food was great.

The calamari with sautéed cauliflower was rich and delicious. My sweetbreads were off the charts: the crisp texture was perfect and the sauce was amazing. Ditto for the linguine with clams, even sans grated parmesan.

Now if the staff can just get over the Mario thing and realize that even at B&B Ristorante, the customer’s needs must prevail, they just might make it.