No Bad Wednesdays!

I'm honored to be the new host of Poodie's Hilltop's legendary Wednesday night open mic. Poodie Locke was a friend to Texas Music and his roadhouse has both launched newcomers to the scene and played host to some of the biggest names around. To honor Poodie's memory, we'll be paraphrasing his philosophy on life and calling the open mic "No Bad Wednesdays!"

If you're looking to play the same stage as the greats or just get your stuff heard by the folks at Poodies, No Bad Wednesdays may be your best chance to do so. Come out and pick and grin with us, have a few coldys and remember, there's No Bad Days at Poodie's Hilltop!

Here's what folks have said about Mark Allan Atwood

"Mark Allan Atwood has been an entertainer for years, and does it show! Even as a solo act, this enigmatic performer pulls the crowd in with some good ol' fashioned hell-raisin attitude and then knocks 'em flat with his rough edged, passionately delivered ballads. Even though he had success in the eighties touring with a metal band, there is no question his heart is in the Country. From his arresting choice of covers to his life-stained, gut-blasting originals, he is Honkytonk at it's best."
- Wade Phillips, Outlaw Magazine

"The Mark Allan Atwood Band is truly a different kind of band. Their exceptional musical abilities make them an act I could not stop listening to. I actually remembered the first song they played (How Country Do You Want Your Country) at the end of the night. I've never heard it before, so it says a lot that I actually remembered it. They are a real entertaining band."
- Scott Bailey, Manager and Booking Agent for The Ranch in Temple, TX

“In a mere 90 minutes, Mark Allan Atwood singed the Red ‘n Black Picnic stage, and burned his name into the Red River Red Dirt Scene. Since that time, Mark has been writing, recording and producing, “How Country,” a “taking corners on two wheels” journey from the edge of Southern Rock to down home Classic Country, which will certainly be the map that fans his musical ember to a full-on MAA raging fire! Consider yourself warned.”
-Laurie “Jett Black” Roberts, on-air talent for KICKIN’ COUNTRY, 103.1 FM , Red ‘n Black Picnic, promoter and producer

“You guys are the bona fide real deal. Can't thank you enough for coming out to play in Austin with us. Hope to make something happen again soon.”
- Eric Rasmussen, writer/lead vocalist for Big Bender Records recording artists Old Bull from Los Angeles, CA

The rest of the story

Born in Ennis, TX, the son of a crazy racecar driver who listened to old school country and a sweet-voiced transplant from California who helped pay her way through college as the vocalist for a 50’s rock n’ roll outfit and did solo performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Mark Allan came by both his insanity and musical talents honestly.

At 18, when that age would still get you into Texas bars legally, he began playing the singer/songwriter hangouts on Lower Greenville Ave. in Dallas, learning from the amazing original artists of that place in time and enjoying a host of legendary venues.

By the mid-80’s he was fronting his own rock bands that played from Dallas, TX to Aspen, CO and everywhere in between, performing many of his own compositions while finding steady work as a rhythm guitarist/background vocalist for several hard working country bands. He rediscovered his love of old school country and enjoyed playing his 70’s outlaw country favorites during this period.

The Texas metal scene of the late 80’s became the perfect invitation to party the night away while wailing through anthemic rock in front of energetic Dallas/Fort Worth crowds who were supporting one of the best rosters of talent in the U.S., second only perhaps to L.A.. By 1988, Mark Allan was fronting the first of two bands that he would tour with for the next several years, Wild Child and Wasteland, gaining statewide and regional acclaim.

As tour support for King’s X, Dokken, Slaughter, Tesla, Great White, Vince Neil and one of his personal heroes Zakk Wylde on two different tours, and garnering airplay in Europe, Russia and stateside with the original composition “Stand” (Atwood/McCarthy - Big Noise Records) and a widely distributed cover of Krokus' legendary “Screaming In The Night” (Storace/Von Arb - Steve Records), his bands played shows in front of thousands of hard rock fans until 1996 when the demands of a family and a changing music scene led to a nine-year absence from performing.

In 2005, at the urging of a couple of old friends and with his desire to write rekindled, he began penning tunes that were reminiscent of his early, folk rock work, but were edgier and more true to his Tejas roots like his favorite Willie/Waylon/Kristofferson tunes from his teen years. Soon after coming back to the stage in early 2006, after opening for Texas music favorites Cooder Graw his eyes opened to a genre and a crowd that was as exciting as the 80’s metal scene had been. He’s been performing on average at least once a week ever since.

His new album, titled after the country-rock inspired track “How Country,” is currently in production and will be Mark Allan’s first ever full-length release of his own material, despite appearances on numerous compilation albums and well-circulated EP’s from his days with Wasteland.

With a 12 oz. longneck dose of the party-inspired y’allternative sound that his audience has come to expect and enjoy, “How Country” will delight fans already familiar with his work and catch the ears of folks who enjoy crossing boundaries and genres.

Be sure to keep an eye and ear out for “How Country,” available in early 2009.

Knock, knock. Who's there?

A host of some of Texas' best pickers and brightest minds have come forward to help Mark Allan bring "How Country" from studio concept to recorded reality. They include the guitar talents of Chris Reeves (Nashville Star's John Arthur Martinez, Honky Tonk Jammers), Tim Rozelle, Robert Johnson (Robert Johnsons's Soul, VMG Records), Wayne O'Neill (Brandon Rhyder, Kyle Wayne Kutscher) and Rhoades D'Ablo (The Devil's Right Hand, Matt Begley and Bitter Whiskey), Emmett Roch on pedal steel and dobro, (Pauline Reese, Gary P. Nunn, numerous others), Dean Rimmer on banjo (Troubadillos and hundreds more), bassist Keith Scroggins (Mark Allan Atwood Band, Kyle Wayne Kutscher Band) and current MAA Band bassist Eddie Mendoza (Vagabond, numerous others) on backing vocals, keyboard wiz Uncle Mitch Connell (Ruthie Foster, Granger Smith), best friend and devious musical mind, producer Dennis Phillips (Blind Carbon Copy, Redneck Jedi), and last but certainly not least, Sergeant-At-Arms, brother from another mother and drummer for Mark Allan many times during the past quarter of a century Johnny "Reb" Kelsey (Wild Child, C.S.A., Vagabond).

The album is being recorded at the award winning Timbre Lodge Studios and engineered by owner, Stephen Meyer.

"There are only two kinds of songs; there's the blues, and there's zip-a-dee-doo-dah." ~ Townes Van Zandt

"I love songs about horses, railroads, land, Judgment Day, family, hard times, whiskey, courtship, marriage, adultery, separation, murder, war, prison, rambling, damnation, home, salvation, death, pride, humor, piety, rebellion, patriotism, larceny, determination, tragedy, rowdiness, heartbreak and love. And Mother. And God." ~ Johnny Cash

"You see things differently at 40 than you do at 31. Especially if you got to 40 the way I did." ~ Steve Earle