By Mark Kneubuhl
Special to LIVE!
September 1, 2007

Live music fans got a surprise last Saturday night at Blaine’s Pub (10 W. Harris St, San Angelo, Tx.). Expecting to see Zack Walther, which is enough to warrant any cover charge. San Angelo music fans were treated to two New Braunfels bands for the price of one. Trailing along as if not wanting to be left home alone, Texas Renegade opened up for Walther and company.

Actually, the group Texas Renegade hails from San Marcos. That’s close enough to same place.

Renegade has been called "the real deal" by Cheatham Street Warehouse owner and songwriter Kent Finlay. “Their style is like a combination burrito with lots of varying flavors all wrapped in a Texas country tortilla”, he said.

“We’re old friends,” said guitarist Tyson Carver. “We had a cancellation up the road and stopped in to see Zack and said okay, let’s open it up with a mini-set.”

So by the time Zack and his band hit the stage, the crowd was not only warmed up, but it was beginning to sizzle a little at the well-known Harris Street watering hole.

Not long into Walther’s first set, claims made in previous reviews were not only substantiated but some in the audience may have considered them to be understated: The Cronkites are much more than just a support band and Zack himself really DOES have that voice that some have called ‘Texas-Springsteen.’

Zack Walther and the gang play a distinctive mélange of Americana and pop-rock that begs the listener say, “he sounds just like…,” but you stop right there because it’s hard to figure out who it is he sounds like. That good!

The songwriting is equally as provocative: Thoughtful without being corny; rhythmic and simple at the same time, yet seemingly ready to burst at the seams with underlying complexities.

And as far as the Cronkites go, they can all walk and chew gum at the same time; that’s a music industry thing meaning a person who is both an accomplished musician and can sing… well!.

Lots of bands that have great material and well-produced CDs loose a little on the road where they are away from the studio with the security of multiple takes, overdubs and some wizard-geek, UT drop-out, on the mixing board.

Zack Walther and the Cronkites could have recorded a CD from their first set right there at Blaine’s Pub. In fact, their debut CD, Live at Tavern in the Gruene (June 2007) was recorded in their own home town bar to a record-setting live audience.

LIVE! caught up with Zack before the show and had a chance to ask him a few questions:

LIVE!: Tell us about the CD and your chosen singles.

Walther: The last couple of months we’ve traveled around promoting “Which Way to Run”. We’ve had a grueling schedule. Wednesday night I got home from Oklahoma city, played that night and now I’m here. “Get Up” seems to be another favorite. It’s actually a New Braunfels favorite and is played a lot on KEBT, an Americana station. “Our Corner” is another tune that has gained some strength… it’s another ballad, but I’d call it a power ballad.

LIVE!: Do you consider your music Americana?

Walther: I don’t really know what Americana is. We also play Texas country, alt-country… it’s whatever people can relate to. If they want to call it Texas country, we’ll call it Texas country, or whatever else people want to call it.

LIVE!: Where did the name for your band, “The Cronkites” come from?

Walther: My last name is spelled Walther, but it’s pronounced Walter, without the ‘h”. Thus Walter Cronkite, the famous news anchorman.

LIVE!: How did you meet your band?

Walther: They’re all musicians around town and actually all from New Braunfels. Our drummer, Chris Compton is the newest, but he and our bass, Mel (Nolte) are old hands and just blended right in. We’ve had lots of problems with guitar players… gone through a lot of them and then Luke (Leverett) came around and he… off-the-record, kicks-ass!

LIVE!: Where do you stand on the hotly debated issue of gun control?

Walther: (surprised) Oh, you heard the story?

LIVE!: Why don’t you tell us again.

Walther: Well, it was my great-great grandfather’s son, my great-great uncle that started Walther Handguns, which later became the famous Walther PPK, you know, the James Bond gun. Hand gun enthusiasts have no problem spelling my name.

LIVE! Were you born and bred in New Braunfels?

Walther: I was born in West Columbia, Texas, pretty close to the beach. I was kind of a surf bum growing up. I went to school at Southwest Texas, then after my last year there in 2002, I just kind of migrated over to New Braunfels.

LIVE!: Your town has a vibrant music scene. You must like it there?

Walther: It’s a place where you can almost make a living. It’s better than Austin for those playing Texas country and Americana. They’ve got Gruene Hall, Tavern in the Gruene, Singer Hall, which is now closed down, River Road Ice House and now there is this amazing place out on 306 called Whitewater Amphitheater. We were lucky enough to play with Stoney LaRue there. It’s huge… It holds like 5,000 people.

LIVE!: Was that a defining moment?

Walther: Oh yeah… Stoney is great, and playing in front of 1,500 people is really a trip. But making this record is also something that has changed us as a band and given us new direction.

…and that direction for Zack Walther and the Cronkites can only be one way… up!