Over the past year, Folk Family Revival has made one of Austin’s best kept secrets their home away from home.
Creased cowboy boots shuffle across the dance floor at Sam’s Town Point as owner Ramsay Midwood entertains the crowd. Midwood’s warm blend of country and blues makes you feel right at home, like a campfire sing-a-long on a warm summer night.
Recently Vice named Sam’s Town Point the “Best Bar in Austin,” and I can’t say there’s much room for disagreement. The retro-neon advertising, low ceilings, massive backyard, friendly staff and lack of smart TVs bring you back to an era when camaraderie was king and musicians built sets to drive out all of the audience’s emotions.
Owner Ramsay Midwood performs at Sam’s Town Point. Photo by Andrew Blanton.
Midwood takes you on that journey, mixing hard-driving dancehall numbers that keep the crowd on their feet with thoughtful storytelling. There’s a nod to Jerry Jeff Walker and others that put Austin on the map, and certainly a lighter vibe with the talking blues style numbers that point to Mose Allison and Townes Van Zandt.
Splice Records and the infamous Lone Star Beer partnered to bring Folk Family Revival every week in November from their hometown just outside of Houston, and their final performance packed the club to benefit the Austin Mosaic Music Collection, a resource space that mentors artists looking to build a sustainable career.
Taking material from their latest release Electric Darlin’, Folk Family Revival’s unique sound could transform any venue. They tie Americana, blues, rock and soul together with a dreamy landscape drenched in the macabre. The atmosphere they create would fit perfectly in a Robert Rodriguez film.
Mason Lankford performs with Folk Family Revival. Photo by Andrew Blanton.
Guitarist Caleb Pace is Folk Family Revival’s secret weapon. Pace blazes a track from surf-rock legend Dick Dale to show the audience a bit of his influence. The effects that boost Pace’s guitar solos holds the group to a cohesive sound without getting too far outside of the box.
With catering provided by Ronche Meats owner’s Ronnie and Chelsea Holden, the backyard bash was a resounding success.
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