Lifestyles
25 Smokin' Figurados burns up the stage at Ruta Maya
Roger Farnsworth (ElkTwin)
Austin, Texas
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The band 25 Smokin' Figurados returned to Austin Thursday night to
release their new CD, "Divine Spirits, Holy
Smoke" in style
at the Ruta Maya (http://www.rutamaya.net) night
club. Over the course of the evening they welcomed party-goers to a
pre-launch fete at the Habana House (http://www.showmeyourash.com) shop
in the rear of the eclectic club, exchanged pleasantries with a sizable
crowd of happy fans, and threw cigars from the stage as they belted out
some old-fashioned rock for the appreciative crowd.
The pre-launch party was low-key but well-attended; Jennifer Vanderslice, the PR rep for the band, was
handing out cigars from the event sponsors Reyes Family Cigars and
Vegas de Santiago, and Habana House shop hostess Erica
was graciously welcoming customers and offering
significant discounts on the sponsors' cigars. Band members Timothy
Abbott and Gregg Kirk were there for conversation and photo
opportunities and the atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed as people
mingled and smoked their cigars. Habana House is tucked into the back
corner of Ruta Maya, a locally famous coffee house/roastery and live
music venue. The cigar shop features a large walk-in humidor,
comfortable seating, a very polite staff and a wide selection of
accessories.
Conversation continued and more cigars were distributed and smoked as the two opening bands, Message From Space and Worse Than Hippies, played their sets. Both bands were a lot of fun to watch and provided a nice prelude to the coming show.The cigar store closed at 10 and unfortunately smoking is not allowed in the club, but a large number of folks congregated at the comfortable table seating along both outside walls to enjoy cigars and freshly roasted coffee. As the band set up, family members sold t-shirts and CDs at a table in the rear of the club.
The band hit the stage and lit into a set that instantly energized the
fans. After thanking everyone for helping to launch their new CD, Tim,
sounding a lot like Fred Schneider for this cut, lit into a fiery
version of Way Around Me. The crowd was on its feet as the
band ripped their way through this and a few more enjoyable songs. In
an emotional moment, Tim dedicated the song Jimmy Died Yesterday to
Zappa drummer, local favorite and friend Jimmy Carl Black who recently
passed away. The band got tighter and more comfortable as they went on,
and by the time they got to the funky and lighthearted Wiggy
they were clearly having a blast. The tight bass riffs of Johnny Big
and the solid guitar work offered up by Brian Anderton really stitched
the set together. Another crowd favorite, Tourmaline, turned
out to be a very enjoyable song about the allure of absinthe.
The band played a solid set, to the delight of the gathered fans. And after the lights came up and the band had torn down, Greg and Tim wandered through the club shaking hands and visiting with the folks who stayed to the end of the thoroughly enjoyable evening. Down-to-earth and very talented, 25 Smokin' Figurados should be on the playlist of any serious cigarophile.
![]()
The pre-launch party was low-key but well-attended; Jennifer Vanderslice, the PR rep for the band, was
handing out cigars from the event sponsors Reyes Family Cigars and
Vegas de Santiago, and Habana House shop hostess Erica
was graciously welcoming customers and offering
significant discounts on the sponsors' cigars. Band members Timothy
Abbott and Gregg Kirk were there for conversation and photo
opportunities and the atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed as people
mingled and smoked their cigars. Habana House is tucked into the back
corner of Ruta Maya, a locally famous coffee house/roastery and live
music venue. The cigar shop features a large walk-in humidor,
comfortable seating, a very polite staff and a wide selection of
accessories.Conversation continued and more cigars were distributed and smoked as the two opening bands, Message From Space and Worse Than Hippies, played their sets. Both bands were a lot of fun to watch and provided a nice prelude to the coming show.The cigar store closed at 10 and unfortunately smoking is not allowed in the club, but a large number of folks congregated at the comfortable table seating along both outside walls to enjoy cigars and freshly roasted coffee. As the band set up, family members sold t-shirts and CDs at a table in the rear of the club.
The band hit the stage and lit into a set that instantly energized the
fans. After thanking everyone for helping to launch their new CD, Tim,
sounding a lot like Fred Schneider for this cut, lit into a fiery
version of Way Around Me. The crowd was on its feet as the
band ripped their way through this and a few more enjoyable songs. In
an emotional moment, Tim dedicated the song Jimmy Died Yesterday to
Zappa drummer, local favorite and friend Jimmy Carl Black who recently
passed away. The band got tighter and more comfortable as they went on,
and by the time they got to the funky and lighthearted Wiggy
they were clearly having a blast. The tight bass riffs of Johnny Big
and the solid guitar work offered up by Brian Anderton really stitched
the set together. Another crowd favorite, Tourmaline, turned
out to be a very enjoyable song about the allure of absinthe.The band played a solid set, to the delight of the gathered fans. And after the lights came up and the band had torn down, Greg and Tim wandered through the club shaking hands and visiting with the folks who stayed to the end of the thoroughly enjoyable evening. Down-to-earth and very talented, 25 Smokin' Figurados should be on the playlist of any serious cigarophile.