Friday, March 08, 2024

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Up until 24 hours ago I had no idea this existed. The Cardigans? Tom Jones? Performing together in this fever dream cover of the Taking Heads' "Burning Down the House"? I find it weirdly unsettling... but, I must confess, I am also fascinated by it. It's as if watching it amounts to participating in an involuntary cult initiation. You have been warned.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... The Smoke.

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Chicken Ranch Central

Friday, February 23, 2024

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Scott Cupp introduced me to The Smoke, a somewhat obscure British Invasion band from York (they only had one album and a handful of singles), during a road trip to Aggiecon back in 2010. It's a fun band with a catchy sound that deserves wider recognition than it receives. Here they are on a live television appearance performing "She Put the Hurt on Me." Enjoy.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Patty Loveless.

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Chicken Ranch Central

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Success Made to Last

Success Made to Last podcast
Okay, I've got a bit of egg on my face here. No excuses, this is embarrassing: I did a podcast interview with the Success Made to Last podcast for their "Author's Corner" feature to discuss the new edition of Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch. We did the interview quite a while ago--last fall, if I'm being honest. They did a great job with the questions and editing and getting it published online... and I completely forgot about it with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

My bad.

I've remembered it many times since then, but always when I was driving someplace or falling asleep at night, pretty much any time where it wasn't convenient for me to share. Well, it's only taken me three months to get around to sharing. I hope you give it a listen--it was a fun interview and we discuss some topics my previous podcast interviews haven't touched on.

Listen to "Success Made to Last Author's Corner with Jayme Blaschke, Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch" on Spreaker.

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Chicken Ranch Central

Friday, February 16, 2024

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Patty Loveless was absolutely dominant in the 80s and 90s, but has pretty much vainished these days. This woman sang at George Jones' funeral and everything she sang turned into a hit until country radio decided to move on. Which is a shame, because she could switch between traditional country and crossover stuff without blinking an eye. Case in point: "I Try to Think About Elvis." I mean, really, she makes it look so easy.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... The Chicks.

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Chicken Ranch Central

Friday, February 09, 2024

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

For some reason this song's been stuck in my head all week. Here are the Chicks with "Not Ready to Make Nice."

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Billy Joel.

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Chicken Ranch Central

Friday, February 02, 2024

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Billy Joel has released his first new song in more than a decade with "Turn the Lights Back On." I like it a lot. Now, as an unapologetic Billy Joel fan who's seen him live twice, I'm not particularly objective here. It's not the best thing he's ever recorded, but it's a thoughtful, well-crafted piece with an elegiac theme that is as self-aware as "Famous Last Words," which closed out the last album he released more than 30 years ago now. Musically (if not themeatically) the new song would feel right at home on his later albums, "Stormfront," "The Bridge" or "River of Dreams." It really does sound like classic late-period Joel, in more ways than one. I was particularly struck by how his voice hasn't audibly aged like some other singers I dearly love who are getting up there in years. That is remarkable. I just hope this leads to a new album, because it's been too long.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Kitty Wells.

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Chicken Ranch Central

Thursday, February 01, 2024

Chicken Ranch anniversary: Happy birthday Aunt Jessie!

On this date in 1885, Fay Stewart was born in Waco. She would've been 139 years old today. Stewart would later adopt the alias of Jessie Williams and operate a small brothel in Austin's Guy Town district before moving to La Grange in 1913. In 1915, she bought 11 acres of land outside of city limits and opened what would eventually become known as the Chicken Ranch. Known locally as Aunt Jessie, she ran the brothel until selling it to Edna Milton in 1961.

Fay Stewart’s parents came from Georgia or possibly Nashville, moving to Waco well before she was born. The family lived for years on Franklin Street. While it is entirely possible that Stewart learned the ropes of prostitution in Waco's infamous Two Street vice district, there’s scant evidence she was successful enough to own her own brothel there.

Curiously enough, despite the fact Aunt Jessie spent nearly three decades in La Grange and was as well-known a civic benefactor as anyone in Fayette County, I have found no photographs of her. Zero. Nada. Which is strange, since I know photos of her exist somewhere. So in lieu of Aunt Jessie's photo, we'll have to settle from the 1958 edition of the La Grange phone book. Think that cover art is coincidental? Or was someone with the Yellow Pages making a not-so-subtle joke? In any event, here's to Aunt Jessie, the woman who turned a number of shoddy prostitution operations into the brothel remembered today as the Chicken Ranch.

Buy Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch to learn more about Aunt Jessie and the brothel that became the infamous Chicken Ranch!

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