January 14th, 2011
The Weekend: Family game night time of year

Whiskey Myers will be at Cheatham Street Warehouse on Saturday night.

BY HAP MANSFIELD
Scene Editor

These cold, dull, post-holiday, pre-Super Bowl nights always remind us of “family game night” instituted by our mother (and grudgingly accepted by our father) to while away the chilly nights and, so she thought, be somewhat festive.

We didn’t have many board games, but the ones we had got hard use: Monopoly, Trouble (with the “pop-o-matic” dice under a plastic dome), a few 3M bookshelf games (Stocks and Bonds and Jumpin’) and a beat up checkerboard. We lost most of the checkers, so players were forced to use buttons, which was confusing, or pieces of licorice, which generally got eaten mid-game.

We had a few card games, including our favorite, “Authors,” which is sort of like rummy with pictures of famous authors and their works. We had a big crush on Nathaniel Hawthorne with his curly blonde locks and mustache. Our dad didn’t care much to play cards with children, though, and he would never be seen playing with our goofy colored “Crazy Eights” deck.

No, dad liked the Stocks and Bonds game, and we were often forced to play it many times in a row when one of us kids would win and he would not. Mom usually excused herself to make cookies around the third or fourth time we started to sleepily play. No one was going to bed until he won. The same “rule” went for Monopoly, as well. This somewhat sucked the life out of “family game night.”

Family game night is a wonderful idea, though. It’s fun to play a game with one’s parents, who are normally so serious or busy. However, our advice is that if your children win the game, just congratulate them. Kids need to get some sleep, too.

There are many other ways to take the chill out of the evening and enjoy the weekend here in San Marcos. We offer just a few suggestions.

Friday, January 14

The evening starts off with the Joel Hoffman Band at the Triple Crown (206 North Edward Gary Street) at 6 p.m. These early gigs are a great way to start off the weekend. Hoffman’s band has some well-honed chops and is always worth hearing.

Speaking of games, there’s always the Friday night bingo game at the Wimberley VFW (Veterans Park on Jacobs Well Road). The night features fun prizes, interesting games, good company and tasty snacks sold by the Ladies Auxiliary. The basket starts turning at 7:15 p.m. for the early bird game.

The Texas road house sounds of Bo Porter will rock Riley’s Tavern (8894 FM 1102) tonight. The band is lively and the music will make your feet want to dance away the night.

The Cheatham Street Warehouse (119 Cheatham Street) will showcase the extraordinary songwriting prowess of Slaid Cleaves. With fans like writer Stephen King and Chicago Reader music critic Peter Margasak, Cleaves has won a following of faithful. His songs are subtle, powerful, polished gems, and you’ll be glad you heard them mixed with the venerable old cotton warehouse’s mellow acoustics.

The Triple Crown has a triple threat show with the solid rock of Devil’s Hollow, Dertybird and Holding Spaces. The show starts up around 9 p.m.

The Gray Horse Saloon (1904 RR12) features the stellar work of the StandOuts tonight. We urge you to see them. They are smokin’.

Saturday, January 15

Wimberley Habitat for Humanity has scheduled a big build day for the house on 49 East El Camino Real, right off RR 2325 and Woodcreek Drive. The group is hoping to frame the walls in one day. Experienced builders will be on hand to help. Community volunteers aged 16 and older are welcome to help. Lunch will be served. For more information, visit www.wimberleyhabitat.org. The work will start up around 8:30 a.m., so eat a good breakfast before you go out to help.

If you haven’t been to the LBJ Museum (131 North Guadalupe Street), but you’ve been meaning to go, today might be a perfect day for it. The Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the displays are fascinating. We love that LBJ hat.

The Wimberley Community Center (14068 RR 12) will host a Healthy Fair sponsored by the Wimberley Mayor’s Fitness Council. There will be health-oriented vendors and health screenings available. The event is free and open to the public. The fair will go from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Texas State women’s basketball team will take on McNeese State Cowgirls at Strahan Coliseum. The Bobcats have had a week off so, they’ll be rarin’ to go. Tickets are $6. Tip-off is at 4 p.m.

Of course, there are professional football playoffs today. At 3:30 p.m., the Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens in what should be a pretty rough and tumble game on the route to the AFC championship on CBS. At 7 p.m., FOX will show NFC contenders Atlanta Falcons facing the Green Bay Packers.

The Geronimo VFW’s (6808 North SH 123) Saturday Night Country Dance will host Jason Arnold and the Stepsiders. The band will play some old music and some new for your country flavored terpsichore. A $7 donation is taken at the door. The proceeds will go towards the post’s many veterans’ programs. The dancin’ starts at 8 p.m. and goes until midnight.

The Gray Horse Saloon features the music of Henry and the Invisibles and Helix. Riley’s Tavern will host JWW and the Prospectors. Music at both venues starts up around 9 p.m.

Whiskey Myers has the distinction of being one of the most well integrated syntheses of rock, blues and country that ever was. The infectious grooves, acidic guitar work and classic country vocals are a mighty intoxicating blend. The band writes a powerfully good song, too. You can hear it tonight at the Cheatham Street Warehouse.

The Triple Crown features local favorites Winter Dance Party tonight. Joining in is the always rockin’ Turbo 350. Great night of music.

Sunday, January 16

Well, the Chicago Bears will face the Seattle Seahawks in the continuing NFC divisional playoffs at noon today. The New York Jets, who beat the Indianapolis Colts last week, will square off against the New England Patriots at 3:30 p.m. These games are getting more and more interesting, aren’t they?

If you’ve a mind to do some singing, both Riley’s and the Triple Crown can supply the open mic tonight to make your pop star dreams closer to reality. You could head over to the Gray Horse Saloon for some karaoke with hosts Amanda and Cassie, too.

Tonight, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs will play the Denver Nuggets on ESPN at 8 p.m. The ABC Family channel will show the classic Roald Dahl tale “Matilda,” which, quite frankly, we’ve always liked a bit more than Willie Wonka. See if you can spot PeeWee Herman in the movie, which starts at 7 p.m.

On NBC tonight, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will honor various film and television achievements at the Golden Globe Awards. The bright spot in another dismal awards show may be host Ricky Gervais, who promises to keep the proceedings amusing.

Oh, and you could always try for family game night.