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TCU grad Stephen Pointer brings a fresh, old-fashioned approach to radio country.
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| Sat with James McMurtry at the Aardvark, 2905 W Berry St, FW. 817-926-7814. For tickets, go to www.frontgatetickets.com. |
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Stephen Pointer
By Anthony Mariani
Most music lovers reflexively hate mainstream country. They often say stuff like, “I listen to everything — except country.” But what a lot of ‘em don’t realize is, first, that the genre has the DNA of interesting music and, second, that what’s hella spun on most commercial country radio stations and CMT is pure distortion; it’s simply pop with twangy vocals and the occasional pedal steel guitar. A cursory look in Fort Worth’s backyard would reveal a wealth of quality contemporary C&W talent, including upstart Stephen Pointer.
Trained as a classical guitarist, the twentysomething TCU grad began playing music professionally a few years ago as a kind of poor man’s Pat Green/Toby Keith/Roger Creager/take your pick. His work was good and strong like a stiff drink but mostly forgettable. (The name of his first c.d. is Panhandle to Padre.) While Pointer still likes to fill dance floors, he’s grown more contemplative. He appears to have realized that expressing complex ideas and emotions in both instrumentation and lyric is as important as the symbiotic concepts of drinkin’ and breakin’ hearts.
Pointer has been playing his ass off recently, creating — bit by bit — an audience for his forthcoming third full-length and building on the momentum generated by the addition of Austin Barker, former six-gun-slinger for alt-country darling Collin Herring. Whether solo or backed by a band, Pointer is old-fashioned in that he’s eager to step aside and let his music do the talking.
Sat with James McMurtry at the Aardvark, 2905 W Berry St, FW. 817-926-7814. For tickets, go to www.frontgatetickets.com.
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