POWERTRANE FEATURING SCOTT MORGAN
Friends Bar
Austin, Texas
Thursday, March 17 2005
Good Afternoon,
I trust that this message finds you in good spirits.
I attended SXSW in Austin last week. I had the good fortune to see Scott Morgan and Powertrane perform.
They weren't part of SXSW proper. A few days before I was to travel to Austin, I had a look at the I-94 Bar website. I happened to look at the links page. I clicked on Scott Morgan's website. At his site, there was a posting saying that Powertrane were performing in Austin during SXSW at Friends bar on 6th street Thursday Afternoon March 17th between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.
Needless to say, I was taken aback and excited. To be sure, I was going to be at Friends on Thursday Afternoon.
When I got to the club, There was a small gathering of people. Most just drifted in from the street as there was much foot traffic on 6th Street.As I made my way through, there he was. I recognized Scott Morgan right away. I went up to him and introduced myself. I asked when he would be playing. He said in about 45 minutes. He then pointed out "There's Gary Rasmussen from Sonic's Rendezvous Band". So I went over to say Hello.
He said that he wasn't playing. He and his girlfriend/manager flew down from Michigan for SXSW andstopped by to see Scott's band. As I had some time, I wanted to check on some other stuff. So I went down 6th Street.
When I got back, Scott Morgan's gear was in place. As they weren't quite ready, I noticed Mr Rassmussen was standing outside. I spoke with Mr. Rasmussen for a few minutes. I asked about The Stooges reunion. I'd read that he was rehearsing with them at one point. Mr. Rasmussen said that Iggy had asked him to do it and he agreed. Then for a few years nothing happened. When it did come together, Ron Asheton wanted Mike Watt.
I asked about a number of things regarding the Detroit scene, Grande Ballroom, etc. Also, I asked if Sonic's Rendezvous Band played outside of Michigan. Mr. Rasmussen said "Not much, but we did do that European Tour with Iggy. Everyone went but Scott."
I replied: "The European Tour, May and June of 1978." He said, "Yes, That was a Good Tour".
I got a photo with Mr. Rasmussen, too.
I could tell that Scott Morgan was getting ready to start. So I went back inside. To tell you the truth, I didn't know what to expect. However, it was a complete surprise.
Powertrane were Outstanding! They played the best hour of Rock Music that I've heard in ages. I'm sure that I was standing there with my mouth open. Honestly, I didn't think that I'd ever be able to hear that type of music played live.
Scott Morgan is a Seasoned Performer. He played some lead guitar and harmonica. His band is well-rehearsed and tight. Their sound man got a good powerful sound for them.
I marveled at how good the songs were. I enjoyed every minute of it. They did play a song that Mr. Morgan had written with Nick Royale.
The final two songs were by Sonic's Rendezvous Band. The last song was "City Slang". They did a storming version of it, too.
Afterwards, I got a photo with Scott Morgan and Robert Gillespie. They were both friendly and talkative. I bought a CD and single from Mr. Morgan.
As I was leaving, I told him how much I enjoyed the show and how it was a pleasure to finally meet him. He said: "Maybe we can play in Tulsa sometime".
There was a small group of people who were aware of who they were seeing. Some Aussies were there, too. I spoke with one gentleman who said: "There's nothing like the originals when it comes to playing this type of music. I agreed.
This trip to Austin for SXSW was an exceptional experience. There were many great performances and I got to meet many people and made many new friends.
Certainly, one of the stand out performances was by Scott Morgan and Powertrane. Their performance, friendliness and courtesy helped make this trip that much more special.
I must be living right. I had a Wonderful Time.With Warmest Regards,
Tom D. Couch
Tulsa, Oklahoma
U.S.A.
