The shot heard round the world fired by Jerry Jeff Walker on ¡Viva Terlingua! echoes through the music of Dallas open-mike veteran Mark David Manders. Much like the guru of good-time Texas country-folk, Manders makes easygoing Lone Star music filled with glimpses through the windshield and homespun observations. He also bears a trifurcated handle that seems to be all but required by law to make Texas music; one wonders if he was simply Mark Manders before he picked up a guitar and hit the stage, but no matter. Like his compadre Max Stalling, Manders makes the music of a regular guy in a fashion that’s so sincere you can’t help but like him and his act. Yeah, his voice occasionally wavers and flattens, and sometimes a lyric might backfire like a clunky old car. But there’s something so genuine about Manders that the listener is ultimately tempted to give him an encouraging pat on the back.
This article appears in Nov 7-13, 2002.