Paris -- Paris, Texas has a well-deserved reputation for supporting blues musicians and that was certainly the case Saturday night when Ray Wylie Hubbard came rolling into town to perform for a grateful crowd at Buffalo Joe's.
At the same time, Paris has become a favorite place to perform for acoustic musicians, thanks to a faithful and attentive audience that frequents The Listening Room at That Guy's Coffee.
"That Guy" is Gerald Hutchins, a connoisseur of fine coffee and talented musicians. Saturday night, about the same time Ray Wylie was howling the lyrics to "Snake Farm," Slaid Cleaves was sharing a stage in downtown Paris with fiddler Chojo Jaques and singing Karen Poston's poignant ballad, "Lydia."
North Texans found Cleaves a decade ago when a radio station known as KHYI The Range began playing "Broke Down," a song about the haunting memories that linger when the right love goes wrong.
On the other hand, Cleaves found the Lone Star State 21 years ago when he left South Berwick, Maine for Austin, Texas. Perhaps owing to his stoic New England upbringing, at first Cleaves was hesitant to jump on the bandwagon and write a Texas pride song to cash in on the Texas Music phenomenon.
"Austin lounge lizards say all Texans have pride...and they're proud of that pride...and they're proud of that pride," the former philosophy and English major relayed to his Paris audience with a good-natured twinkle in his eye.
Cleaves said it was exactly that mindset that led to the greatest graffiti line ever penned; somewhere in the Bronx on a bathroom wall, someone jotted down, "I hate this part of Texas!"
Only then did Cleaves offer up his own Texas pride song, "More Than I Love Texas," a lament about a lovesick boy willing to trade in his pick-up truck for a Lexus.
It was a stellar performance by Cleaves and back-up instrumentalist Jaques and another memorable evening at The Listening Room in downtown Paris.
Arkansas blues man Brian Martin comes to Paris November 3 for a show. Cas Haley will take the stage for his traditional Christmas show December 15. Then, on January 20, The Listen Room will welcome Walt Wilkins, the man who wrote "Ruby's two Sad Daughters" and "Trains I missed."
Don't miss that show.
For more information about The Listening Room, please visit www.thatguyscoffee.com or call 903-272-9687.