Now here’s a really depressing video. The situation for refugees around the world is just about as horrible as you can imagine. War has destroyed the lives of millions of families. People do what they can but, if you are like me, it seems that there are too many tragedies and that, in the end, you feel like just pretending that these things aren’t happening and going about your day.

Some people don’t think like me.

Thank you.

In Austin, there are many groups that actually take a hands-on approach to helping out and bring in refugee families from the far off corners of the earth to the Capitol city. My wife Tina is involved in one such group through Gateway Church. Last year she was involved with bringing in a Burundi family from a camp in Kenya. They are really cool. It is a hoot to see America through their eyes. “America is busy, busy”. Got that one right.

This year, they are helping a family from Burma. I searched Youtube and found this groovy, depressing video starring Walter Koenig (from Star Trek).

I haven't mentioned Bob Schneider in a while.  Great, consistent musician.  I wandered by his myspace page and saw this new video;

Bob Schneider - Tumblin Dice

It is pretty cool.  Wish talented people made videos of me ;).  Of course, I don't look or sound like Bob.  The video was made by someone with the Myspace handle of Mango  . Way to go Mango.  I actually wrote her and her reply was from "Cheryl" so...

Way to go Cheryl. Well done. 

And, for the thousandth time, way to go Bob.

I have been wandering around Youtube lately listening to all the wonderful musicians out there.  I came across one clip that reminded me of my early days with the Mel Bay Songbook (be sure to hang in long enough to see Mark Knopfler)...

Sidney Bechet said;

"Music's a thing that you gotta trust: you gotta mean it, and you gotta treat it gentle. The music, it's the road. There's good things alongside it, and there's miseries. You stop by the way and you can't ever be sure what you're gonna find waiting. But the music itself, the road itself--there's no stopping that. It goes on all the time. There's no one ever came back who can't tell you that."

In the beginning there was The Beatles and it was good. And they said, “Lo, look back and you will see the three pillars upon which we stand; Chuck Berry, Little Richard and The Everly Brothers.” And it was good. And we asked, “Who will we follow when you have left us?” And they begot Harry Nilsson, Badfinger and James Taylor. They then said unto us, “Take this album Revolver and create thee countless copies to feed the millions.” And the one album produced Oasis, Spoon, Todd Rundgren and millions of pop songs to fill the airwaves. And then they said, “Take this album Sgt. Pepper and create amongst you countless moody, overproduced musical epics to fill the nights of lonely boys and friendless critics.”

And so it came to pass.

And soon the land was full shore to shore and country to country. There was Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd, Kinks and Monkees, Nirvana and Arctic Monkeys.

Time passed and there was a growing unrest as the land was filled with the pestilence of Britney, Aguilera and Beyonce. And the people, in their hunger, returned to the Old Testament to replenish their souls. Once again they found the voices of Ray Charles and Ike Turner, T-Bone Walker and Robert Johnson. They sought the council of The Three Kings; Albert, Freddie and B.B.

From the desert returned the wise words of Woody Guthrie and Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan and Ramblin Jack Elliot. From the city came Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme, Miles Davis and Nat King Cole.

The songs of old once again filled their souls and they rejoiced.

And it was good.

It's that time of year again so I am reprinting my piece on MLK Day.


Well, I made it to another Monday. Today is a national holiday; Martin Luther King Day. Unfortunately, I am still working and it seems like everyone else is, too. Poor Dr. King, thirty years gone and he still can't get no respect.

It's like when you drive through a strange city. You always see a Martin Luther King Blvd. exit but next to the name on the sign, in parenthesis, will be another name for the road. Just can't give it up. It's always some expressway that cuts through the slums; MLK (15th St.), MLK (Simmons St.), MLK (whatever it was named in 1969 that the stupid, redneck city council couldn't quite give up). I bet down south you can find MLK (Robert E Lee Ave).

Where does this leave Jesse Jackson? All he has to look forward to is a hyphon road. Probably "Jesse Jackson-MLK-15th St". Or maybe "Dead Black Leaders Blvd-15th St". Sheesh.

In London, they have the perfect solution; they change the name of the street every block. Plenty to go around. You could use up all the great ethnic leaders and barely make it out of downtown. All the great white leaders already have streets named after them (and schools, and parks , and libraries, and states...) so when we run out of names we can start directly on our prized pop culture icons like Elvis Presley or John Lennon.. Maybe we could have the street intersections tell a little history. Michael Jackson Blvd could intersect Marie Presley Ave... which runs into Nicolas Cage Speedway dumping us into Patricia Arquette Road.

And every street could be six blocks or less from the Kevin Bacon National Interstate Highway System.

And yes, I can do it; Martin Luther King was in "I am Curious Yellow" with Lena Nyman who was in "Picassos Aventyr" with Lena Olin, who was in "Mystery Men" with William H Macy who was in "Murder in the First" with Kevin Bacon.

Whew.

Or, the other King; Elvis was in "Change of Habit" with Mary Tyler Moore who was in "Ordinary People" with Elizabeth McGovern who was in "She's Having a Baby" with Kevin Bacon.

I can even do; Joe Montgomery was in "Born on the Fourth of July" with Tom Cruise who was in "A Few Good Men" with Kevin Bacon.

Easy Peasy.

It is time for the annual Austin Music Poll.  Please take a few moments to vote at;

 Austin Music Poll

There are a lot of talented musicians in Austin.  I would love for you to vote for me anyway (songwriter division).  Tell your friends, tell bulletin boards, whatever. 

Thanks, Joe

p.s.  I will base my acceptance speech on this one by Jerry Seinfeld
p.p.s.  If you haven't been to Austin lately and don't know what else to vote for, may I recommend a few;

AUSTIN BAND OF THE YEAR:  Spoon or Okkervile River
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
BLUES:  Jimmy Vaughn 
FOLK:  Patty Griffin
COVER BAND:  The Eggmen
ELECTRIC GUITAR:  Gorf Morlix or Eric Johnson
ACOUSTIC GUITAR:  Monte Montgomery or me
BASS:  Bruce Hughes
KEYBOARDS:  Ian Mclagan
SONGWRITER:  Joe Montgomery
LIVE MUSIC VENUE:  Cactus Cafe
ACOUSTIC VENUE:  Cactus Cafe
ALL AGES VENUE:  Central Market North
RECORD STORE:  Waterloo or Cheapo
INSTRUMENT/EQUIPMENT STORE:  South Austin Music
RADIO STATION:  KGSR  (americana) or KUT (eclectic)
RADIO PROGRAM 
Show: Eclectica
Deejay Name:  John Aielli
Station: KUT

Here’s something that you probably don’t know.

When you visit any website, you leave a trail of electronic bread crumbs that show where you came from. Specifically, I can see what search phrases are used to bring people to this site. Very Big Brotherish, I know. Just about everyone finds this website through predictable searches like “Joe Montgomery”, “Montgomery songwriter”, “Austin songwriter” or some such.

Just about everyone.

There are a few people who end up here while searching for the strangest things..

I repeat; The Strangest Things.

Here are November’s top 11 “odd” search phrases;


Harry Dean Statton

morai pattern

joe my love home page

cancel message myspace

melodica through an amp

ride a mail train you tube dylan

every freakin day and every freakin night

bloody cat toss

joe montgomery married

Lena Nyman free sex video

hat railroad cap worn by john lennon


I hope this site was able to help them in their quest…