Reviews

Luke Olson, however, is standing out. The 17-year-old senior at Alamo Heights High School has a new CD, "Maybe Someday," on the market. The Disc, produced locally at Oh So Good studios by Matthew Gallegos, features 11 tunes with words and music by Olson and arrangements by Gallegos. The Olson kid, who I swear barely looks old enough to cross the street alone, is an excellent writer and singer. That the album includes the music of instrumental monsters such as fiddler Ron Knuth and harmonica honker Jim Smorto doesn't hurt, but Olson is blessed with plenty of talent of his own. Songs such as "Old Mexico" and "Goodbye" show poise, balance, soul and chops galore. Not content to release an album and be done, Olson is taking his folk/country/rock to the public.

Gruene Hall has the Sarah Pierce Band tonight, The Luke Olson Band on Thursday. Olson, from Alamo Heights High School and San Antonio College, is a young singing songwriter who is spending the summer playing his personable country, folk, etc. in front of growing, appreciative audiences. Like his heroes — performing songwriters such as Robert Earl Keen and Jack Ingram — Olson, accompanied by a top-flight band, books shows, promotes them and then punches in and goes to work. While many others who aspire to music business success wait around hoping for a record label to call and pave a path to the top, Olson and his ilk know that the best way to get the word out is to take it out yourself. Olson's independently released debut album, "Maybe Someday," is still selling well while garnering airplay on Americana stations.

For a young guy, Luke Olson has had an awful long career. That's because he started in the music business at the age of 8. "Red River Blue" continues his unique brand of casual country that has made him a popular concert draw. Plus, Olson has also appeared with everybody who's anybody in the Texas country music scene. Luke Olson's songwriting is country through and through. His lyrics are straightforward and to-the-point. And the San Antonio native shines in the fun, country anthem "Gone Fishin." Two other standouts are also songs written by Olson titled "Everyday" and "Hello My Old Friend." But it is the cover version Chris Knight's "Me And My Road" that showcases Luke Olson's country-tinged vocals the most. This is an excellent track that should be released to country radio. The production quality on Olson's "Red River Blue" is sterling, and the pitch-perfect vocal performance was obviously honed from his constant touring schedule and the fact that this is the fifth album of the Texas Tech graduate. The final track of Luke Olson's album is "Tryin' To Make The Yellow Lights." And this excellent album proves that Luke Olson is more than capable of encountering a long string of green lights in what promises to be a long career ahead.

The Luke Olson Band is working tonight at the Laboratory Brewing Co. Olson, a fairly recent graduate of Alamo Heights High School, is now calling Lubbock — and, allegedly, Texas Tech University — home. A singing songwriter who is a devotee of Texas performers such as Robert Earl Keen, Jack Ingram and Jerry Jeff Walker, young Olson goes beyond aping his influences. Often wise beyond his years, at least in the writing department, Olson has shown an uncanny knack for penning songs that sound as if they were written by a person who has kicked around, and has been kicked around, for a few decades. Olson's debut album, "Maybe Someday," featured a load of fine songs and a band full of excellent local players, most of whom will be on the bandstand with him tonight at the Lab.