Paaaaaarty, Part 1

It's times like this I kinda, sorta, almost miss working at the paper. The fall arts season is right around the corner, but not before the last big blowout of summer -- the Polk Street Block Party. This year's party is set for 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Aug. 19, between Sixth and 10th Avenues on Polk Street. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate; advance tickets are available at area United stores and Randy's Music Mart. (I already have my pass; I'm a volunteer this year -- woo hoo)

Coverage of the party was a central part of our coverage in the old days. We'll see Friday how important it is to those I left behind.

I love that the Block Party is such a fun, unstuffy celebration of Amarillo's downtown, and I firmly believe that its success over the past decade has laid the groundwork for Center City's current revitalization.

I also like how the Party has always (at least as far as I know) focused on local bands. The exposure is potentially invaluable for the bands, most of whom are mostly bar bands who don't tour, but I wish the music committee would be a little more adventurous in its selections. Would it kill them to give Bo Salling & The Brakes Are All Gone Band a shot? Or Luke Holder? (At least BSATBAAGB's playing the Golden Light on Aug. 25 and Luke's playing Bodega's on Aug. 18, the night before the party.)

Anyway, here's the lineup, with links to bands I've written about in the past:

The La Plaza Stage

5 p.m. Los 3 Kings: I don't really know much about these guys, but I do know that they've been around a while. Sorry I never got the chance to do a write-up.

6:15 p.m. The Brant Moore Band: Brant's such a genial guy and a hell of a hard-worker. I haven't seen them around in a while, so I'm not sure who's in the current lineup. If you're a fan of straightforward Texas country, give 'em a listen.

7:30 p.m. Section 8: If I remember correctly, this is a reconstituted version of a band called The Horny Toads out of Goodnight, but I might be wrong about the name. It's a family band, though, and guitarist Gabe Hanson is a key member of The Tommy Gallagher Band, which is playing later on another stage.

8:45 p.m. The Soncy Beech Bums: I featured these guys last summer in our Block Party coverage, and it was one of my more memorable interviews. These guys are a fun, old-school bar band -- absolutely no pretensions.

10 p.m. Val Caballero y La Tex-Mex Connection: Last year's party was the first time I saw this ginormous (at least a dozen members) band, and though I only saw them briefly, I was impressed. They're a good mix of Tejano and horns-driven rock -- a pretty cool mix.

True Music Stage

5 p.m. The Chancy Bernson Band: Now here's a guy desperately trying to pay his dues in the local scene. I've seen him opening up for several local bands at the Golden Light, and I've more often seen him hanging around the stage on nights he wasn't playing, hoping for a shot. Gotta admire that persistence.

6:15 p.m. Remedy: I know this name, but I don't know a thing about these guys. Can't find 'em on Google, can't find 'em on MySpace. I'm betting they're a rock band, but that's strictly a guess.
7:30 p.m. The Polk Street Disturbance: Another band I'm thoroughly unfamiliar with. It's only been three months; am I already that much out of the loop? I imagine that they're a band formed just for the party, given the name -- possibly a jam band of other musicians on the bill. Guess we'll see.

8:45 p.m. Vic Fontana & The Automatics: Now, here's a band I know and love -- and one I'm rather shocked to see isn't headlining one of the stages. And I know very well that I wrote them up a couple of years ago, but I'll be damned if I can find the story on the Get Out! site. Anyway, the band does some kickass covers of '60s rock tunes, complete with a horn section. You're likely to catch them playing at Skooterz on symphony concert weekends: The sax player is the symphony's principal clarinetist, and he shows up to the biker bar in his tux.

10 p.m. Insufficient Funds: Another band I love. I've seen these guys more than any other band in town (only BSATBAAGB comes close, I bet), and I always enjoy myself thoroughly. Maybe that's because they'll play anything I request. Maybe it's because two of its members are two of my closest friends. Maybe it's because they're just fun.