(Tamale Pot Records) Opened in 1942 by Mr. John T. Floore, himself, John T. Floore Country Store was not a store at all, but a unique Texas Dance Hall and Cafe. Over the past 60 years, John T. Floore Country Store has been the showcase for some of the biggest names in American music. "The Home of Willie Nelson" (Willie immortalized John T. Floore in his hit recording "Shotgun Willie"), this authentic Texas Honky Tonk has hosted such stars as Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard to name a few. Still to this day, musicians continue to flock to the revered Country Store to perform. Nathan Hamilton is no exception, and the 2000 winner of the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival decided to follow up his two previous studio releases with a live set from a performance earlier this year at John T.'s.

Live At John T. Floores Country Store features 15 tracks with songs culled from Nathan's two studio releases 1999's Tuscola and last year's All For Love And Wages, as well as a few songs from his days with the Austin band Sharecroppers, two previously unreleased songs and a few choice covers that have been staples of his live shows. 

Nathan's portraits of the struggles of small town life ("Mercantile Store," the haunting "Tuscola," and a standout take on "Cash & Tobacco"), shattered lives (the bitterness of class warfare in "Two Penny Vengence," and "Dirt In The Wound," and addiction in "Bottle In The Bathroom"), shattered relationships ("Cotton Dresses," "Bed Clothes"), and shattered dreams ("Hard Getting By") take on an even more vivid life in a live setting, thanks in great part to his crack backing band No Deal (Billy Brent Malkus on electric guitar and backing vocals, Jake Blackwell on bass, and Mark Casey on drums) who are featured prominently and play with driving passion.

The music isn't as bleak as the subject matter may lead you to believe, as they straddle the line between the outlaw country of say, Billy Joe Shaver or Waylon Jennings, and the reflective, sometimes bitter observations and resignations of life in the vein of Townes Van Zandt. As a matter of fact, Nathan hands over the spotlight and lets Billy Brent take a turn on two smoking covers. He delivers standout versions of Billy Joe Shaver's "Black Rose" and Waylon Jennings' "Waymore's Blues." The third cover, "Here Comes A Regular," Paul Westerberg's tale of disillusionment, Nathan dedicates to a recently departed friend.

The disc's highlight (along with "Tuscola") is the western style ballad, the stellar "Watertown," a tale of murder, the search for redemption and ultimate revenge. All is not quite so bleak either, as "15 Dollars" tells of a man who doesn't have much in the way of worldly goods, but still considers himself a rich man due to the love of his woman. Nathan provides a bit of twisted, dark humor in the disc closer, the driving, off kilter honky tonker "Roots," that's told from the perspective of a deadman who met with an early and unfortunate end.

Nathan Hamilton along with his band No Deal, have delivered a terrific live set of country/roots-rocking tunes that's filled with passion, edge and honesty and very short on stage chatter filler. With Live At John T. Floores Country Store, Nathan proves he's more than capable of following in the footsteps of other previous Kerrville winners such as Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett and Slaid Cleaves, and why he's quickly becoming one of the most respected songwriters on the music scene today.       

www.nathanhamilton.com

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