Another Good Pedal Steel Player in Austin

Tom Middleton · Post by **Tom Middleton** » 14 Apr 2008 8:22 am

As we all know, this town has lots of great steel players. This weekend I discovered a new one. HIs name is Burton Lee. I saw him backing up a kid named Leo Rondeau. He was playing a push pull Emmons D10 through a Fender Twin with a 15" speaker. Has anyone else seen this kid play?

Marty Muse · Post by **Marty Muse** » 14 Apr 2008 6:31 pm

Oh no! Not another one.

Randy Gilliam · Post by **Randy Gilliam** » 14 Apr 2008 9:07 pm

Keep him in Austin . SanAntonio Is Still Overstocked $:\$

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 14 Apr 2008 9:21 pm

Don't send him out here ....there's only enough work for ME !!!!

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 15 Apr 2008 11:08 am

If it's the same Burton Lee,he used to live around Fort Worth about 1.5 years ago and he had just started playing steel and it was an Emmons in fact.

I saw him once but he had only been playing maybe 9 months I think.

He had put and ad in the jobs section wanting to join a major road act if my memory is correct but that was the last time I heard from him.

Tom Middleton · Post by **Tom Middleton** » 15 Apr 2008 2:24 pm

I believe it is the same person since he attended the University of North Texas.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 16 Apr 2008 6:46 am

Tom,

Yep,that's him,he lived in Denton TX. He's about 28 years old and around 6'2"

The night I saw him he was working with a band I had subbed in with a few times. Nice guy.

Burton Lee · Post by **Burton Lee** » 26 Apr 2008 6:42 am

That's awfully nice of you guys! I'm glad you saw me play with Leo, Tom. I love his songs and am really proud of that band. Did you introduce yourself at that show? If you did, it's a blur now, so please come say hello if you catch us again!

I've been real fortunate to find a scene of excellent country players in Austin who tolerate my steel playing and keep me busy. I'm playing in 8 regular acts in town right now and the occasional pickup gig.

I play with Leo Rondeau, Horse Opera, Suzanne Hall, The Catfish Hunters, Sea Legs, Johnny Cashdraw, MIke and the Moonpies, and Burton and the Buffalo, and anyone else who will have me on a free date.

There are a handful of excellent young steel players in town. I love Ben Massey's playing with the JWW Prospectors Thursday Nights at the Scoot Inn. Great western swing. Nathan Flemming plays steel for Jesse Dayton and is a total mother.

This summer I'll be booking the Wednesday night Alt Country Showcase at the Hole in the Wall while the Lonesome Heroes are on tour. There'll be a lot of steel playing at those shows. If you're in town, you should come check out what the country kids are doing in ATX.

http://www.myspace.com/burtonlee

Here's a YouTube clip of a show I played last Sunday with Suzanne Hall:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvV7LFrH4D4

Come on out to a show and tell me when you're playing! I'm always looking to meet more players in Austin!

Dave Biller · Post by **Dave Biller** » 26 Apr 2008 10:48 am

Burton, i haven't had the pleasure of meeting you or hearing you play live yet, but Ben and Nathan are both buddies of mine. in fact, Ben and i play in a band together. (he plays guitar in that one) i'm glad to know you're out there and i hope we can meet up one of these days, although it sounds like you're as busy as i am. i'll be looking for ya!! daveb

Burton Lee · Post by **Burton Lee** » 27 Apr 2008 2:07 pm

Hey Dave!

You play with Ben in Lucas' band, right? I have heard quite a bit about your steel playing. You've got something of a mythical legend surrounding you. It usually goes something like "You HAVE to see him play! He's the best guitar player i've ever known and he picked up the steel for the first time like 2 minutes ago and now he's the best steel player in Austin!"

Been meaning to catch one of your gigs. I'll make a point to reserve one on the calendar!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 27 Apr 2008 8:19 pm

makes me wish i was younger and had a car to get to austin!
has anybody run in to a guy named bob pearce yet? a sacramento friend...talented in many directions from sacramento..plays steel. banjo, guitar etc, songwriter..

Larry Howe · Post by **Larry Howe** » 27 Apr 2008 8:47 pm

I keep waiting for the great Ken Metcalf to surface in the Austin steel guitar world ????????

Dave Biller · Post by **Dave Biller** » 27 Apr 2008 10:23 pm

Burton, holy mackeral!! i certainly can't live up to that kind of status! come on out sometime and say hello. i'd love to meet you, but more importantly, i need to come hear you play.

i haven't heard of the other gentleman mentioned here, but i'll certainly keep a lookout for them. makes me wonder how many steel players there really are in this town!

Burton Lee · Post by **Burton Lee** » 28 Apr 2008 8:48 am

If any of you guys have some free time this week, I'm playing:

Wednesday at Hole in the Wall with Horse Opera

Thursday at Scoot Inn with Leo Rondeau

Friday at Poodie's Hilltop with Leo

and Sunday all day at the Oaks for Shotgun Party's Chili cookoff. I'm playing with Leo at 3, I think, Mike and the Moonpies at 8 or 9, and Team Austin bluegrass jam at 10. Then Beeerland with Horse Opera around midnight or whenever we're done with The Oaks.

Just throwing it out there!

Justin Douglas · Post by **Justin Douglas** » 29 Apr 2008 11:57 am

Wow, that's a full day man! I'll be at the Mean Eyed Cat on Thursday, but I own a studio about 50 feet from the Scoot Inn - I'll have to pop by some time. I'd like to hand with some other Austin steelers.

Cheers!

justin

Steve England · Post by **Steve England** » 29 Apr 2008 2:24 pm

Hi Burton, I think I have shared the bill with you a couple of times at Jovitas, you have the same guitar as me (1970's Walnut Emmons Push Pull) except for the leg extensions.
You sure are getting a lot of work, It was only when I started playing with Casey Gill and J W of the Prospetrorsin Lucky Tubbs band that I realised there was a whole new scene in Austin for country music.

Good luck

Burton Lee · Post by **Burton Lee** » 29 Apr 2008 2:56 pm

Hey Steve! I remember you from those dates. I see Casey every now and then at shows and he mentioned at one point that you were playing in Lucky's band. Good for you!

Justin and anyone else-- come on out to a show and be sure to say hello! There's so much good going on in Austin and we all need to be sure we're linking up with each other and giving our crowds a chance to see new bands!

Also-- Justin, what studio is that near Scoot? I remember seeing a warehouse building on the block directly east of Navasota on the north side of 4th street that looked interesting but I couldnt figure out what it was. Is that your place?

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 29 Apr 2008 3:20 pm

you guys have over reached your quota and we are gonna have to make some corrections. In order to balance things out we are gonna have to send down some really bad steel players (me) and your gonna have to send a couple of your aces up this way...now which one of you wants to swap houses and jobs with me?

Cody Russell · Post by **Cody Russell** » 29 Apr 2008 7:15 pm

I saw Burton play with Jonny Cashdraw at SXSW in a hole in a chinese resturant. This Cashdraw is a hoot now let me tell you. A true southern gentleman. Oh ya, great steeling too.

Burton Lee · Post by **Burton Lee** » 29 Apr 2008 9:09 pm

Johnny Cashdraw! A true gentleman.

That experience was highly formative in my philosophy of play anywhere with anyone-- you never know when you'll be seen!

Thanks for saying the steeling was good, but the draw is definitely the man up front. The dude is a riot to hang out with!

If anyone wants to drive to Manor, TX on Sunday and see what the new country scene in Austin is like, the chili cookoff at The Oaks is the big big show. Many very talented acts are playing, and there will probably be some hot parking lot picking if you're into that kind of thing. If you come, don't miss Leo Rondeau at 1pm, but the other acts are really top shelf stuff and you are guaranteed to like just about any of them.

12pm The Fundamentalists
1pm Leo Rondeau
2pm The Shake Em Ups
3pm Brennen Leigh
4pm Steve James
5pm Shotgun Party
6pm Rosie Flores
7pm JWW & the Prospectors
8pm Mike & the Moonpies
9pm Dustin Welch
10pm Team Austin

$10 bucks at the door, all the chili you can handle (while it lasts), and live music all day. Can't beat it!

Justin Douglas · Post by **Justin Douglas** » 30 Apr 2008 5:25 am

Hey Burton,

The warehouse is actually a PA rental company and live music venue called the Compound. Super cool guys there. I'm directly across the street from them at Shine Studios (http://shinestudiosaustin.com)

Cheers,
jd

Burton Lee · Post by **Burton Lee** » 30 Apr 2008 6:28 am

I thought your photo looked familar, Justin! We played together briefly when I first came to town two years ago in Leo Stokes' band. It'd be cool to reconnect! I need to come hear Loxley soon!

Justin Douglas · Post by **Justin Douglas** » 30 Apr 2008 6:31 am

oh man, i totally forgot about that, that's right! good to run into you again!

Cody Russell · Post by **Cody Russell** » 30 Apr 2008 12:33 pm

For all you Austinites. I'll be in town with my band Charliehorse June 26th at the Mean Eyed Cat. That's quite a ways away but hope to see ya there. Cody