Unlike many of today's "old-timey" bands, who play a wide range of folk, bluegrass and country, the Twin Cities Playboys are trying something different: rather than encompass a variety of sounds, they have pinpointed a very specific genre. Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, band leader Kevin Anthony has always been drawn to the combination of Texas and Cajun music that dominated his region growing up, and the Playboy's debut album Texas Memories plays like a tribute to Anthony's musical upbringing.
The disc begins with "Violet Two Step," a tribute to Anthony's grandmother and musical mentor, and the listener is introduced to the sound of warm Texas evenings filled with fiddle jams and impromptu dances. Other songs on the album alternate between waltzes and two steps, giving the disc a momentum that makes it easy to play all the way through. An accordion and fiddle dance together on "Galveston Waltz" to recreate the music of Southeastern Texas, with the Cajun influences of neighboring Louisiana adding a special flavor to the more traditional Texas country sound.
HowWasTheShow had the opportunity to ask Anthony a few questions about his unique band, his upbringing and his impressions of the Minneapolis scene.
HWTS: How long have you lived in Minnesota?
Kevin Anthony: I’ve lived in Minnesota about a year and a half. My girlfriend is from Minnesota and she told me about the scene here.
HWTS: How did you first become involved with music in Minnesota?
Anthony: I first got in involved with music in Minnesota through KFAI and listening to "Louisiana Rhythms" on Fridays via the web stream. Also, during our initial visits to look for a place to live I went to The Hexagon and sat in with The Country Doctors on the Sunday jams.
HWTS: How would you describe your sound?
Anthony: I would describe the sound as a blend of Texas and Cajun fiddle from the Gulf Coast area where I grew up. There are lots of people from Texas that work in Louisiana and vice versa and as a result music is a reflection of that. I like it that some songs are sung in half French and half English.
HWTS: What are your favorite things about Cajun and country music? What motivates you to play traditional styles of music?
Anthony: I love the old style of music mostly because it reminds me of my family and the music that they used to play. I spent a great part of my musical career pursuing different kinds of music and never really considered this style as anything but "ordinary." After the passing of my grandparents I felt the strong need to carry on their musical tradition. I spend a great deal of time traveling to Texas and Louisiana and playing with the older Cajun and Texas musicians when I can. There is so much that these players have to offer and I feel it’s important to learn as much as I can from them.
HWTS: How does living in Minnesota affect your ability to keep your Texas roots alive? Do you ever have the tendency to modify your sound into something more contemporary, and how do you stay true to what you want to do?
Anthony: Living in Minnesota is interesting in that there seems to be a great love of Texas and Texas culture. (Not all of it I realize, but musically speaking.) When I first starting playing this style of music up here folks seem to be respond to it positively. There are lots of country bands here on the scene and it’s funny when I sit in with a band and they play a "Texas" song. Their reference is usually a more modern artist that has done a song a certain way. But I feel proud of the fact that I can usually show other players a different version, usually the original version of the song. A good example is "Whiskey River" made popular by Willie Nelson. I know the version that was written by Willie’s drummer Johnny Bush. Same song but a distinctly different "Texas shuffle" flavor.
On being true to the music, I get lots of comments from folks that suggest that I should add an electric guitar picker to the band. I can appreciate that style of music but to me that’s not part of what I’m doing. That sound is a Nashville sound and not one that I’m schooled in. I’d feel the same way about playing Bluegrass or Old Time music. It’s not part of my background so I don’t think I could do it justice.
HWTS: How did you meet your band mates?
Anthony: I met my band mates through the Cajun music scene here in Minneapolis/St. Paul. There’s a Sunday Cajun social dance that happens every Sunday at The Half Time Rec and there are about six bands that rotate on the schedule. I also started up a Saturday morning Cajun jam where everyone gets together to play what they’ve been working on. A little coffee and some good times. I’m carrying on the jam tradition of Fred’s Lounge in Mamou, Louisiana which starts at 9am on Saturday. They can drink beer at 9am though....
HWTS: Tell us a little bit about your grandmother and her musical history, and your relationship with her.
Anthony: My grandmother, Violet Anthony was my source of the music. We had Sunday get togethers with family and there would always be a "jam." Before she was married she played with her father in a family band and made the radio station circuit throughout SE Texas. She passed away in 2002 so she never got a chance to see the "Texas Memories" album. I know she’d be proud, though!
Unlike many of today's "old-timey" bands, who play a wide range of folk, bluegrass and country, the Twin Cities Playboys are trying something different: rather than encompass a variety of sounds, they have pinpointed a very specific genre. Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, band leader Kevin Anthony has always been drawn to the combination of Texas and Cajun music that dominated his region growing up, and the Playboy's debut album Texas Memories plays like a tribute to Anthony's musical upbringing. 
HWTS: What are your favorite things about Cajun and country music? What motivates you to play traditional styles of music? 
