Languages aren't the only things Joe King Carrasco likes to mix and match.  Carrasco's veteran crew can synthesize  Tex-Mex and reggae.  When  the accordion takes the lead on "Wooly Bully," it's enough to make you want to go surfing in a sombrero.

If you want to talk about the best party bands in Texas over the past 25 years, that conversation starts with the man centerstage on Oliver Dewey Mayor Gazebo Thursday for this week's Hot Summer Nights community concert series on the Sherman Municipal Lawn.  The East Coast had the B52s.  Texas has had Joe King Carrasco since Joe and The Crowns released "Party Weekend" in 1980.

When Carrasco combines Latin and Caribbean influences into his own blend, it is a potent mixture he likes to call "tequila reggae" and those words alone can start a party weekend in some places.  But this multi-faceted artist is also known for donating his time to do public service announcements for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as well as S.O.B.E.R., a program that creates awareness about the dangers of driving while intoxicated. 

Joe is also a visual artist, with his favorite creations being small replicas of altars.  Animals also play a big part in Carrasco's life and he often travels with his Jack Russell Terriers, Anna and Peanuts.  Anna even sang one song Thusday night.

Carrasco can count Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello as fans, a pretty impressive duo of supporters, and he has jammed on Saturday Night Live.  But Thursday night, thanks the Hot Summer Nights, this remarkable Texas musician was downtown Sherman for a free outdoor performance.

For more information about Hot Summer Nights, visit  www.hotsummernights.org 

Visit Joe King Carrasco's website, http://www.Joekingcarrasco.com

July 21 at Hot Summer Nights: Troy Werner