Tracy's band, Tracy Weinberg and Friends, are old-timey and modern all at once. They delight with a mix of blues, swing, folk, and beyond, with a twist of humor. His closest musical friend is Gretchen McMahon, a powerful guitarist who adds spice and fire with her guitar leads, strong rhythms, and vocals. Their music includes both Tracy's and Gretchen's eclectic original songs, and their cover songs run the range from Summertime to Crying Tin and Black Magic Woman to What a Wonderful World, and many more.
Mixed with Tracy's resonator banjo and unique vocal styling, they make a talented duo. But Tracy has a lot of friends, so you never know who might join them. Percussion? Vocals? Mandolin? Trumpet? Come find out! Tracy Weinberg and Friends may remind you of many artists, but they sound like no one but themselves!
Below are recent live recordings of Tracy Weinberg and Friends. More material added regularly!
Mixed with Tracy's resonator banjo and unique vocal styling, they make a talented duo. But Tracy has a lot of friends, so you never know who might join them. Percussion? Vocals? Mandolin? Trumpet? Come find out! Tracy Weinberg and Friends may remind you of many artists, but they sound like no one but themselves!
Below are recent live recordings of Tracy Weinberg and Friends. More material added regularly!
Dance On Your Head is a song by the bluegrass jam band, Leftover Salmon and is a wonderful party song. As 2021 passes and we can now go out and play live music again, it seems to be an appropriate song for celebration. So sit back relax, and enjoy. And go dance on your head!
Tracy's song, Sunshine Right Next Door, is a jazzy tune that swings hard; it features some outstanding guitar work by Gretchen McMahon, along with cool vocal accompaniment by Gretchen and Susan Hustead, and percussion by Scottie McMahon. Recorded live at Middleton Brewing in July 2021.
Tracy's composition, Gift of Song, is semi-autobiographical, detailing how he became a musician despite being pushed away from music when young. Recorded live at Middleton Brewing in July 2021, it features outstanding harmonies from Gretchen McMahon and Susan Hustead.
Blindspot is one of Tracy's original songs, inspired by a message on an electronic billboard. After noting how many people had died on the road, it advised drivers to check their blindspot. Not only did Tracy think it good advice, but he realized a song was lurking there.
Here is Tracy's song, Snowball A-Rollin, performed at our first indoor show of 2021 at the NeWorlDeli in Austin. It's an offshoot of Tracy Weinberg and Friends, the Texas Tweedlers. The group features Russell Bellair on mandolin, Gretchen McMahon on guitar, and Stephen McMahon on percussion.
Easy to Please features Gretchen McMahon on lead vocals, singing one of her original songs, accompanied by new Friend, Susan Hustead. This is a fun song that we've added to our repertoire. We enjoy the three-part harmonies.
Don't Pretend That This Is Love is one of Tracy's newest songs. Written from the point of view of a woman, it's a common story when people are looking for love. Featuring fine guitar work by Gretchen McMahon (as always) and nice harmonies by Gretchen and Susan Hustead.
The genesis of Tracy's song, Sunshine Right Next Door, was a photo of an early morning sunrise sent to him by a friend. This jazzy tune swings hard; this duo version features some outstanding guitar work by Gretchen McMahon, along with her cool vocal accompaniment.
What a Wonderful World is the song that almost always close our live shows. It's one of our all-time favorites and allows Tracy to channel his inner Louis Armstrong.
Call of the Wild is one of Tracy's older songs, appearing on his first CD, Mountains of Dreams. In a previous life, he was an English teacher; this song shows his love for language and language play.
We perform many of my original songs, but we love classic covers, too. Here is one of our favorites, Georgia On My Mind. Too bad we couldn't get Hoagy Carmichael to write the state song of Texas, too.
Here to Stay is one of the oldest songs of mine still in the repertoire. Written over 15 years, it's based on a true tale of lost and rediscovered love after spending 25 years apart. And, yes, the duo is still together! (Apologies for the background noise, but I decided to include this good take on this song anyways.)
20-20 Vision is a light-hearted yet serious look at the year of the pandemic. It was the brainchild of Tracy's friend, Richard Haas, who wrote the lyrics for the four verses; Tracy wrote the music and added lyrics for the chorus and bridge. We plan to play this song as long as it's still relevant!
Songwriters are often advised is to write about what they know. Well, I know music and songwriting pretty well, despite being initially discouraged to do sing. The Gift of Song is my contribution to writing about these topics and based in large part on my own musical experiences.
So Many Ways is a new song to our repertoire. Written by Austin musician Kathy Murray, it's a rocking, swinging, bluesy tune that fits our style really well. Hope you enjoy it.
This video, shot live at the Court Street Cafe in Seguin in 2019, shows off a Tracy Weinberg and Friends quintet playing the lively Latin song, Sway. Though not a great recording, it sure is fun! It features Gretchen McMahon on guitar, Zach Crissman on trumpet, Chad Glass on bass, and Scott McMahon on percussion.