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SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS CARTEL – BRIGHT MINDS FROM CENTRAL TEXAS

An ongoing series of Mini-conferences and meetups about current trends, methods and frameworks in software development – from new advanced hardware devices to a simple app, using an awesome framework to build a web app in no time or hacking an AR Drone in javascript. Developers having fun practicing their craft, and learning new stuff.

Our purpose is to create a space where developers form can come and share their professional and personal experiences with any technology available. By sharing this experience, we hope to create, maintain and grow a community of curious and passionate developers while fostering and promoting best practices in software development and dev frameworks/tools.

Presentations start at 6:30pm (doors open at 4:30pm)

Official Website: http://softwaredeveloperscartel.com

Jaeger Wells, an indie rock singer-songwriter from Houston, Texas, has years of performing and songwriting under his belt. After releasing a successful EP earlier this year, Wells is hitting the road to bring his acoustically driven pop music to life.

Wells is a veteran in the music scene. After 7 years and 4 EPs, Wells has the art of songwriting and recording down. Skipping over songs that don’t mean something to him, Wells prefers to tackle more personal struggles and experiences, like a lovechild of Motion City Soundtrack and Ed Sheeran. Wells faces this heavy subject matter straight on with an upbeat and bright outlook. His songwriting talks about the real life struggles of love and loss, with the goal of showing listeners that they are never alone.

Jaeger Wells released his most recent EP, Fever Dream Anthology, earlier this year and has proven that he is staying true to his goal of inspiring and encouraging his fans. The overarching theme of strength shines through most clearly in his latest single, “What it Feels Like.” Jaeger Wells’ uplifting message and catchy lyrics help to remind his fans that even with life gets hard, you have to keep going.

Jaeger Wells, with special guests Kyle Cook, Anna Montie, and Leavenworth, promises to deliver an amazing live show. Get your tickets here and come out to Grand Stafford Theater on Thursday, December 10 at 7:00pm for a night of awesome music!

The Hot Club of Cowtown is an energetic and lively western swing and hot jazz trio that formed in 1997 in the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin, Texas. It was in 1996 when Elana James (vocals/violin) listed a classified ad in the music section of New York’s The Village Voice, seeking to join a band, that the fate of the trio begun to unfold. Whit Smith (vocals/guitar) answered the ad and the pair begun to play music together in New York City. The duo, realizing their potential, moved to Austin to pursue their hot jazz western swing music career where they solidified the group by adding Jake Erwin (vocals/bassist).

The origin of the band’s name came from the heavy influences of hot jazz, introducing themselves as the “Hot Club,”  and its twist of lively western swing that they gave it the destination of “Cowtown,” hinting at their soulful origins and country vibe. Their first album, The Swingin’ Stampede, debuting in 1998, was mostly made up of covers which sparked the beginning of their recognition, but it was their album Ghost Train, released in 2002, that truly legitimized the band’s potential in original songwriting. In 2003, with their latest album released, Continental Stomp, Hot Club of Cowtown became widely known for their joyful and energetic live performances – described as “an arsenal of technique and joy” (New York Times) – making them a must see experience. The trio continued to tour and produce music until they decided to split in 2005 though rallying together to play occasional gigs. In 2008, they finally realized that their passion to perform could no longer be stifled, so they packed up their bags and began touring and recording again. In 2011, the band released a highly anticipated tribute to the father of western swing, Bob Wills, by covering his album What Makes Bob Holler, which was then followed by their most recent album, Rendezvous in Rhythm, in 2013. The Hot Club of Cowtown’s ability to consistently produce multitudes of quality music has provided them opportunities to tour all over the United States as well as the world. Their talent has also recently won them the “Western Swing Group of the Year 2015” award by the Ameripolitan Music Awards.

It’s a joy and an honor to host this rowdy trio for a night of knee-slapping and good ol’ country fun. So come on out to the Grand Stafford on Monday, December 7th at 8 PM for an unforgettable experience! You can get your tickets here.

Grand Stafford Theater has partnered once again with the Institute for Applied Creativity and AdventGX to bring Bryan-College Station together to celebrate creativity by hosting the next quarterly event officially sponsored by PechaKucha, a global movement for informal discussions in casual settings. PechaKucha Night will occur at Grand Stafford Theater on Tuesday, December 1st.

PechaKucha was invented by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture early in 2003. It is a simple presentation format where presenters show 20 images, each for 20 seconds.

The first PechaKucha Night was held in Tokyo in February 2003, and Klein Dytham Architecture still organizes and supports the global PechaKucha Night network. PechaKucha Nights now happen in over 800 cities worldwide and provide a gathering place for people to share and show their work in a relaxed setting.

December’s presenters include Dr. Reuben Buford May, Helen DeWolf, Becky Phillips, and Renata Myers. Dr. Reuben May is a Sociology professor at Texas A&M University who spends his free time writing, recording, and performing rap music around the Bryan-College Station area. Helen DeWolf is an Assistant Research Specialist in the Conservation Research Laboratory at the Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M University. Becky Phillips is an art professor at Blinn College where she teaches painting, art history, and drawing. In 2013, her work was featured at the SEAD Gallery in Downtown Bryan. Renata Myers is a real estate agent and broker from Austin, Texas.

December’s PechaKucha night is on Tuesday, December 1st at Grand Stafford Theater. Admission is free but a $10 donation is suggested. Read more about PechaKucha nights and donate here: https://grandstaffordtheater.com/event/pechakucha-night/

The Rotisserie Chickens are a young, six-piece ska band from a suburb north of Dallas, Texas. Since the release of their first EP in January 2015, The Rotisserie Chickens have become extremely well known in the Texas ska scene.

The Rotisserie Chickens are still relatively new to the ska music scene, but they have been making big waves since the release of their first EP last January. Each member of this band has a unique musical background; some were previously in an indie folk band, some were previously in a metal band, and some just knew how to play the horns. But when they started playing music together, all six members understood that they had stumbled onto something special.

The Rotisserie Chickens released their debut EP, titled “Family Reunion,” in January of this year, but didn’t play their first show until June of 2015. After that first show, The Rotisserie Chickens spent the majority of the summer touring around Texas and recording their debut album, “Hung Out To Dry,” which was released in July. Praised for their ability to blend indie, metal, and ska music, The Rotisserie Chickens’ growing fan base shows no signs of stopping.

Don’t miss your chance to see this awesome Texas-raised band! The Rotisserie Chickens will be performing at Grand Stafford Theater on Friday, November 13.

The third installment of our fall Real Jazz Series, occurring every second Tuesday, is back this week. This month, Blue Sofa Orchestra (formerly R.G. Watkins & Friends) will be joining us for what is guaranteed to be another night of great jazz music featuring a group of extremely talented musicians!

Blue Sofa Orchestra (formerly R.G. Watkins & Friends) is a long time member of the Brazos Valley jazz scene. For the past six years, the band has served as the house band for jazz at The Frame Gallery in Downtown Bryan for First Fridays and Texas A&M University events and concerts. The band consists of Bill Clark on guitar, Laurie Clark on vocals, Richard Kent on horn, Conrad Guthrie on bass, and Randy Watkins on drums. Bill Clark, one of the performers at our first installment of Real Jazz in September, has been playing jazz guitar for over three decades. He has also studied jazz performance at William Paterson College with world-renowned guitarists. Clark is also the Head of the Political Science department at Texas A&M. Clark and his group of extremely talented musicians bring decades of jazz experience to each show they play. Each member’s individual talent paired with over six years of playing jazz music together makes for an exciting jazz music experience.

Take a step back in time with us this week and join us for jazz, swing, blues, bossa, and more. Come early and enjoy Craft Beer and Cocktails served by Cody Schilling!

Jay White, a veteran of the music industry and a long time Texas resident, has returned to what he knows best: making incredible blues music. Alongside a team of world-class musicians, White has released an 11-song blues album titled “Jaywalkin’.”

Jay White was born in California, but he moved to Texas as a young boy and has spent most of his life here. After receiving a guitar for Christmas when he was 10 years old, Jay developed an extreme passion for music. Inspired by the Jimmy Reed songs that his neighbor taught him, White was soon hooked on the blues. Shortly after learning guitar, White teamed up with  different bands and recorded many extremely successful albums. After many years of recording and performing the blues, Jay White took a small break and spent time leading worship in churches around Texas. He continued to play in blues bands after hours in many central Texas bands and, despite focusing more on Christian music,  White says that, “it all boils down to the blues.”

Jay White recently teamed up with John Mills, Allen Huff, and Kevin Hall to begin his new project, Jay White and The Blues Commanders. All of these men come from extremely impressive musical backgrounds, and, like Jay, they all know and love the blues. The band is performing in select spots around central Texas and touring to promote the release of their 11 song album titled “Jaywalkin’.” All 11 songs are original and represent the musical journey that White has experience throughout his lifetime in the music industry.

Come out to the Grand Stafford Theater on Friday, November 6th at 8:00pm for a free First Friday performance by this incredible band in Downtown Bryan. Premium passes are on sale now!