A 16 Island Moon February 14, 2013 Lisabellas Bistro & Bar Celebrating Coastal Cuisine 361-749-4222 Open Monday - Saturday at 5:00 pm Casual Dining at it’s Finest Make Your Valentines Day Reservations Today ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ By Ronnie Narmour [email protected] Just to put everything into perspective, Mardi Gras is behind us, Valentine’s is upon us, the Back Porch re-opens in three week and Spring Break is one month away. And with the arrival of the new season (and the stepped up live music calendar that inevitably ensues) I’m pleased to announce several new live music venues destined for these parts… four to be exact. The Upper Deck The Upper Deck is located next to the historic Tarpon Inn on Cotter Street and opened its doors on New Years Eve. It’s in the two story building that used to be Lisabella’s and is now owned by the proprietor of the Tarpon Inn, Leroy Hoskins. It’s a small room upstairs from its adjoining restaurant downstairs, The Fish House, and has a nice deck outside overlooking the flats area and the Coast Guard station. So far I’ve seen The Ones and Uel Jackson perform there and I’m told more music is on the way. There isn’t a stage here and the room is pretty small, but it is a nice new comfortable spot to hang out and hear music. The food’s really good, too. I especially liked the charbroiled oysters, the seafood cocktail and the fish tacos. Giggity’s… a veil of secrecy. According to, Edwin Myers (owner of Kody’s and Shorty’s Place), his new Port A restaurant and bar, Giggity’s, will open its doors in the near future… he just won’t say when. Myers assured me there will be live music at the new place… he just won’t say who. He also told me there will be food at his new place… he just won’t say what. I literally had to run Myers down to get that much out of him. I suppose it’s a shrewd business man who keeps his cards close to his vest… if in fact, that is a vest. The only thing that I can tell you for sure (and this is strictly from my own observations) is that Giggity’s is located on Tarpon Street in the flat’s area where Hook’s BBQ used to be and the remodel work there is impressive. They completely gutted the place, built a new bar, installed smoke eaters and covered the walls with a beautiful mosaic of weathered wood ( I stuck my head in one day when they left the front door open.) As soon as I find out something tangible, you’ll be the first to hear. And know, I’m officially on a mission. Sting Rays This one is a plan in the making. Sting Rays is the brainchild of Shawn Etheridge. If everything goes right, the building that was once home to his previous business, Lug Nutz (next to The Gaff), will eventually become a bar and live music venue. I actually got a glance at the plans he intends to submit to the city for approval and know there are many obstacles to deal with before he gets to point of breaking ground. I also know Etheridge is a big music fan and if Sting Rays does become a reality, it will rock. Shawn hopes to be open by summer. The Handsome Sailor Captain Tom Doran is probably best known for his Handsome Sailor sailboat charter which he runs out of Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass. He’s been taking tourists out on his big catamaran for years. What you probably don’t know about Tom is he’s an avid live music fan and plays a pretty mean guitar. In 2010 Tom acquired a lease to some land on the back side of the harbor, near the sailor’s memorial, and started building a marina. The plan was to build enough slips at his marina to fund his dream of building a live music venue and café next to the marina. When I first went by there a couple of years ago, I saw Tom out there working by himself and he’d point here and point there and tell me, “It’s going be big, Ronnie. You’re going to love it.” Well, I’ll be darned if he hasn’t just about put the whole thing together using 90% recycled materials and very little outside help. He did pay to have his 25 foot high palapa bar thatched…and impressive it is. In fact, I’m told it’s the largest free standing palapa between Houston and Brownsville. You can see it from the bridge going across to Aransas Pass. Tom tells me the place will be open for business by Memorial Day and I will never doubt him again. When asked what type of live acts he plans to book, Tom says he envisions a rootsy calendar that would compliment the Back Porch or The Tarpon Ice House. You go Captain. As far as I’ve seen, your word is gold. Roberta Morales… Robert Morales (San Antonio, TX) played a fundraiser for the Port Aransas Friends of Animals last Saturday night in the Port A Civic Center. I hadn’t seen Roberta perform since she disbanded with her sister Lisa Morales last year. But, I have seen the Sisters Morales play dozens of times through the years and remember feeling remorse when I first heard they were going their separate ways (musically). I did see Lisa perform without Roberta at the Third Coast Theater in Port A a while back and thought the same thing when I saw Roberta the other night… everything sounds the same except there’s none of the angelic harmonies going on that only these two sisters can do. Roberta put on a great performance full of roots rocking upbeat songs, many of which were sung in Spanish, but carried all of vocal duties alone. Don’t get me wrong, Roberta Morales has one of the strongest voices alive and can make the mountains ring, but I miss those sister harmonies. These two girls ran a weekly singer- songwriter open mic for me in San Antonio for a long time and I guess I just figured that they would always perform together as the Sisters Morales. It wasn’t broke and didn’t need fixing. But all things must pass, I suppose. This show brought back lots of great memories. DO NOT MISS LIST Saturday, February 16 th There is a lot going on Saturday, February 16 th . For starters, Claude “Butch” Morgan (Devine, TX) will play the Tarpon Ice House. Morgan is one of the more remarkable singer- songwriters/ guitarist to come out of San Antonio. He is a seasoned pro with a tow sack full of witty, heartfelt original songs and his return to the Ice House is long over due. Then, Keith Sykes (Memphis, TN) will play the Third Coast Theater in Port A. Sykes is a prolific songwriter who’s had over 100 song recorded by such diverse artists as Roseanne Cash and George Thorogood. He is probably best known for penning the famous Jimmy Buffett volcano song. Another suggestion for the 16 th is at Sharkey’s Beach Club in Port A. They put on a Mardi Gras Festival each year that goes to benefit the Jody McCormick Vocational Scholarship Fund. Music will be provided by Swamp Fever who will be performing on the outdoor stage (no cover.) There will food and merchandise vendors, wiener and small dog races, raffles all day, a cake walk, a silent auction and many more fun activities. And finally, don’t forget about the 3 rd Annual Bluegrass Festival at The Gaff. They will have the Jon Hogan Band and Get Off the Lawn (featuring our buddies from the Free Beer Band, Crawford Brown and Steve Goldstein) along with beltsander racing demonstrations, auctions, a pirate costume contest, pirate games, food, vendors, and more. And that’s the truth! Comedy Show Feb. 17th Carol Elliott Every 2nd & 4th Friday (5-7) Open Jam Every Sunday (7:00 pm) 321 N Alister * (361) 749-2337 Mike Williams Every 1st & 3rd Friday And Every Monday (5-7) Free Beer Band Every Thursday (7:00 pm) The Gaff Beer ● Pizza ● Belt Sander Races (361) 749-5970 5009 Hwy 361 Port A @ Cinnamon Shores Live Music Thursday, Feb. 14 Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House Carolyn Wonderland @ Rialto Theater John Eric @ Island Italian Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Reckless Kelly, Rankin Twins @ Brewster Street Ice House Blake Sparx @ Scuttlebutt’s Friday, Feb. 15 Mike Williams (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Trysum @ Executive Surf Club We Came as Romans, Crown the Empire, Shattered Sun @ House of Rock Chris Saenz @ Scuttlebutt’s Medicare Band @ Sharkey’s Double R Nothing @ Brewster Street Jobe Wilson @ South Texas Ice House Saturday, Feb. 16 Claude Butch Morgan @ Tarpon Ice House Bluegrass Festival @ The Gaff Stevie Start @ Coast Club Keith Sykes @ Third Coast Theater Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport After Dark Revue @ House of Rock Metal Shop @ Brewster Street Ice House David Martinez Band, Claire Stevens @ Executive Surf Club Blues Crawlers @ Dr. Rockits Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Orchestra @ UTAMCC Performing Arts Center Fabian Rivera @ Scuttlebutt’s Stuart Burns @ Coffee Waves Five Card Draw @ South Texas Ice House Sharkey’s Mardi Gras Party w/ Swamp Fever @ Sharkey’s Sunday, Feb. 17 Open Jam w/ Uel Jackson @ Tarpon Ice House Tumble Dry Low @ Bernie’s Beach House Open Jam @ Neptune’s Henry & the Invisibles @ Dr. Rockits Elvis Lives @ American Bank Center Collin Roche @ Scuttlebutt’s Sunday, Feb. 17.. continued Jason Randall Band @ Sharkey’s John Eric open mic @ South Texas Ice House Monday, Feb. 18 Mike Williams @ Tarpon Ice House Open Jam w/ Antone Perez @ Doctor Rockits John Eric @ Scuttlebutt’s Tuesday, Feb. 19 Open Mic @ House of Rock Party of Three @ Dr. Rockits Kevin Hill @ Scuttlebutt’s Wednesday, Feb. 20 PA Rockers @ Bernie’s Beach House Neil Edwards Band @ Dr. Rockits Flatbroke @ House of Rock Rich Lockhart @ Scuttlebutt’s Thursday, Feb. 21 Free Beer Band @ Tarpon Ice House John Eric @ Island Italian Antone & the All Stars @ Dr. Rockits Local Licks @ House of Rock Uel Jackson (4-7) @ Sugar Shack- Rockport Roger Creager’s Texas Fiesta @ Brewster Street Ice House Blake Sparx @ Scuttlebutt’s Friday, Feb. 22 Carol Elliott (5-7) @ Tarpon Ice House Ray T & the City Crew @ Flats Lounge Friends and Lovers Art Show @ House of Rock Justin Estes @ Dr. Rockits Stevie Start @ Scuttlebutt’s Medicare Band @ Sharkey’s Reno Perez @ South Texas Ice House Saturday, Feb. 23 Stevie Start @ Coast Club John Cortez @ Flat’s Lounge Mike Williams @ Hemingways Rockport Jason Boland & the Stragglers @ Brewster Street Ice House Lovers & Fighters @ Executive Surf Club Palacios Brothers @ Dr. Rockits Chris Saenz @ Scuttlebutt’s Zack Walthers @ South Texas Ice House Tonight Live Music Every Friday Mon-Sat 10am- 2am Sun Noon- 2am Vampires Welcome Three Chords and the Truth CLAUDE BUTCH MORGAN FEB. 16TH Keepers Horace Caldwell Pier (361) 749 - 5333 Fishing, Pole Rentals, Beer, Burgers, Wings C Coast Club Martini Sports Bar 1023 State Highway 361 + Port Aransas, TX + (361) 749-5637 Smoking on Patio Only The Ones February 8 AshVill Construction LLC Residential, Multi-Family & Commercial New Construction & Remodels Ashley R. Villarreal (210) 387-2993 Aaron Murray (361) 332- 9884 [email protected] Stevie Start Every Saturday Mondays 1/2 Price Grilled Pizzas & Wine by the Glass re-opens March 7th! The Butch Morgan will play the Tarpon Ice House on Feb. 16th. Captain Tom Doran in front of his soon to be palapa bar at Conn Brown Harbor. Edwin Myers and his wife Amy Myers will open their new bar, Giggity’s, sometime. Get Off My Lawn will play the Gaff’s Bluegrass Festival on Feb. 16th. Roberta Morales played the Yappy Dance fundraiser for the Port A Animal Shelter last Saturday. Keith Sykes will play the Third Coast Theater on Feb. 16th.