Lake-Conroe-Fun

Year–Round Fun at the Best Lake in Texas!

How exactly do you find the ideal location with boat slips?

Friday, October 14, 2011
Finding a Marina with boat slips meeting you and your boat's needs can be a demanding task. There is a bit of advice that will help you find your next boat slip. The first is to know your boats dimensions without them you will not be able to ensure you rent the right size boat slip. Makes perfect sense right. What you will need to now are your boat's width, height and draft. 


Now the next piece of the puzzle is to know the accessibility to your boat slip. You need to know are there any obstacle that will prevent you from getting to your boat and the water in which you intend to travel. A few things to look out for are bridges and what is the water level and will it impede you from getting under these bridges and back to your boat slip.


If you have a big boat don't forget to make sure you slip is in deep water. Some marinas and slip rental places do not offer deep water slip rentals. If you can't find a deep water slip you may have to put your boat in dry dock.


If you are renting a slip from a marina there is a whole slew of factors to consider.
For example do they offer:
• Does the facility have fresh water
• Electrical hookups
• Liveaboards allowed
• Fuel at marina
• Laundry
• Internet sccess
• Groceries
• Boating supplies
• 24 hour access
• Parking
• Security
• Showers
• Lodging for guest
• Bathrooms
• Work area
• Clubhouse
• Restaurants


Waterpoint Marina offers all of these amenities. 

If you are looking for slip for you boat. 

Contact us at:
(936) 788-2628 (BOAT)
15264 Highway 105 West, 
Montgomery, TX 77356
www.waterpointmarina.com
www.facebook.com/waterpointmarina
www.twitter.com/waterpointmarin


Finding the Best Marina For Your Needs

Monday, September 26, 2011
Being able to find a great marina can be a challenge sometimes, whether it's for boat slip rentals or just for a quick fill up for gas and groceries, it's of the most vital component for a pleasant boating experience. There are plenty of marinas out there to choose from which can make your decision difficult. If your trying to choose a marina for boat dockage or just a boat rental for the day there is plenty to think about. Learning the best way to choose a marina that fits your needs can save you a bit of time.

Here are a few points for you consideration:

What are you going to need from the marina? Just looking for a home for your boat? Your needs could be minimal. If you planning on staying a while or are going to be planning a big trip it will be essential that you plan ahead and have a marina the offers all the services you need.

Here's a quick list of services to consider:
1. Are pump services available?
2. Is there marine fuel available?
3. Are there repair technicians available?
4. Is there a ship's store with essential boating supplies?
5. Are there restrooms and showers for guest use?
6. Is there overnight boat dockage at the marina?

How about resort style marinas? Here's a few thing to look for:
1. Is there a main club house with restaurant?
2. Are there outside lounge areas for relaxing and enjoying a meal or drinks?
3. Are there available on-site laundry facilities?
4. Are there recreational activities available such as a pool, outdoor sports courts or exercise room?
5. Are there cleaning crews available to clean your boat for you?

Now this is just a short list of things to consider but should get you started in the right direction. Next time your out at Lake Conroe check out Waterpoint Marina the have all the amenities you could ever need. They also offer: boat rental, jet ski rental and slip rentals both short term and long term.

End The Season With Charlie Robinson This Friday

Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Biography

Free Concerts and Boat RentalsLet’s just get it out of the way right up front: In the five years between his last and most successful album yet, Good Times, and his new Dualtone Records release, Beautiful Day, Charlie Robison got divorced from his wife Emily (of The Dixie Chicks). So it’s only natural to assume that this is his “divorce album,” which is not altogether untrue.

But as with all devoted songwriters, Robison writes from a perspective that draws from and speaks to larger matters and issues within human experience and life in these times. And as the title indicates, even if this album is to a notable degree about and informed by the end of his marriage, there’s something different and more at work here.

Beautiful Day is ultimately an album that chronicles the processes and resulting growth one goes through and finally the redemption to be found within such a major life event. And it reflects a change in approach is the way Robison writes his songs. “In the past most of my songs were stories written from a third-person perspective,” he explains. “This is the first album where I’m writing in the first person. It wasn’t like I did it by design; I didn’t have any choice.”

Hence Beautiful Day is a musical and emotional journey that travels through a vivid landscape of feelings and moods from certain places to other ones new and wholly different. Like such certified classics as Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks and Willie Nelson’s Phases & Stages, its narrative center is the end of Robison’s marriage. Yet unlike too many divorces, where rancor and pointed anger is a key part of the mix of feelings, this story is one of two people who love each other and their children, but due to their situations, themselves and the demands of their careers, the marriage is no longer tenable. And that’s what makes Beautiful Day another significant creative work about divorce with a different tale to tell than any other.

Robison’s divorce, which was finalized in August of last year, is by no means typical. “It was a completely amicable thing,” he explains. “We didn’t even have separate lawyers. We did the whole thing ourselves, and we get along better now than we had the last four years of our marriage. We hang out all the time,” he notes.

The distinctly different nature of this break-up is clear from the opening title track, with its upbeat vibe, tempo and theme, albeit tinted with a slightly sardonic edge. And by the time one reaches the final number, Robison’s decidedly Texan reading of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Racing in the Streets,” an exhilarating sense of freedom and new beginnings is at hand.

In between one finds such compelling new Robison compositions as the psychedelically tinged “Yellow Blues,” the upbeat and spry “Feelin’ Good,” the emotionally stormy “If The Rain Don’t Stop,” the somber “Middle of the Night” and the kicking country-rock hoedown of “She’s So Fine.” As with his last album, Robison includes two numbers by one of his favorite songwriters, Keith Gattis, “Down Again” and “Reconsider,” both of which fit the album’s theme perfectly, as does Bobby Bare Jr.’s “Nothin’ Better to Do.” All told, it’s an album that takes the listener through a gamut of feelings that by its end leaves one wiser and more mature as well as wonderfully entertained.

Throughout his career, Charlie Robison has forged his own path within the country music world as well as the Lone Star music scene and popular music at large. He grew up in the small scenic town of Bandera in the Texas Hill country — known as “The Cowboy Capital of the World” — where his family has ranched the land for eight generations. Music wasn’t just a staple around the Robison household; from even before he could walk, Charlie would spend Saturday nights with his parents at The Cabaret, the local C&W dancehall in downtown Bandera. But the fare playing in the family home ran the gamut from rock’n’roll to singer-songwriters and much more. So it should come as no surprise that Charlie, his brother Bruce and sister Robyn Ludwyck all enjoy respected and critically acclaimed music careers as singers, songwriters and recording and performing artists.

While attending college at Southwestern Texas State University — now known as Texas State University, and the alma mater of George Strait and many other musicians on the Lone Star scene — Robison found he wasn’t cut out for academics, and a long held desire to try his hand at making music came bubbling to the surface. He managed to persuade his brother Bruce to also drop out of college, and the two headed to Austin.

The brothers Robison soon both landed in the band Chaparral, which in the late 1980s was a seminal act that seduced young generations of Texas to hit the dance floor to two-step, waltz and more, arm in arm in the old-school style, to a new sounds and style within the greater realms of country. It was ground zero for what became a thriving Austin scene rich with emerging talent by the 1990s. Charlie began writing songs in earnest, and after a stint in the popular Austin roots rocking combo Two Hoots and A Holler as well as a collection of local talents know as The Millionaire Playboys, he struck out on his own as an artist.

His 1995 debut album, aptly titled Bandera and released on the tiny Austin Vireo Records label, was a potent opening salvo that included such Robison favorites as the rowdy nightlife celebration “Barlight” and “Red Letter Day.” After a brief deal with a Nashville major label that ended because of his refusal to be artistically boxed-in and packaged as the latest hunky hat act, he signed with Sony Music’s Lucky Dog label and released two studio albums (1998’s Life of the Party and 2001’s Step Right Up, which hit the Top 40 of the country album chart) as well as two live recordings: Unleashed Live with brother Bruce and labelmate Jack Ingram from a tour the three did together and his own 2003 Live album that showcased Robison’s dynamic and hard-charging performing style which has made him a Lone Star State favorite and a popular national country-rock attraction.

In what now may seem rather ironic, Robison’s 2004 Dualtone label debut, Good Times, found him celebrating wedded and domestic contentment as a husband and father (of son Gus and twins Juliana and Henry). It enjoyed the best record sales of his career, and the video for "El Cerrito Place" was a Top 10 hit at CMT.

Beautiful Day promises to build upon and expand Robison’s public impact even further. But even if his divorce was amicable, the experience still wasn’t an easy one for him, as the end of any profound love is bound to be. “When I was writing this record, I was going through the quintessential divorce thing of living in a one-bedroom apartment in downtown San Antonio across from the bus station,” Robison recalls. “When it’s over, it’s over.”

Beautiful Day captures the panoply of feelings one experiences with the break-up of a marriage. “It goes through the range from, man, this sucks worse than anything in the whole world to, man, I’m really pulling out of this and really feel good. I’d be up and write a redemptive song like ‘Beautiful Day’ or ‘Feelin’ Good.’ And then I’d write something like ‘If the Rain Don’t Come Today,’ where the guy in the song wants to go out and have fun tonight, and then it fades into the reality of where you’re at on ‘In the Middle of the Night.’ You’re by yourself and you don’t feel as good as you did earlier. But I still tried to give it that Sinatra twist where even if it feels lonely and bleak, a girl walks in at the end, and you think, well, maybe my life isn’t quite over yet.”

Despite the high-profile fame of The Dixie Chicks, the Robisons managed to keep their separation and divorce out of the tabloids and gossip columns. “Although the order of the songs on the album is more musical than following any storyline, as you hear the record you’ll know what was going on with the divorce,” Charlie admits.

Beautiful Day is also a musical departure for Robison as his first self-produced album, recorded at his brother Bruce’s Austin studio, Premium Recording Service. The vibrant electric guitar work throughout is by artist in his own right as well as producer Charlie Sexton, while the acoustic guitars that fill out the sound are by Robert Earl Keen’s guitarist and producer Rich Brotherton. Longtime Robison sideman Kim Deschamps brings the colors of his steel guitar and mandolin to the mix, while the bottom end is held down with grooving solidity by the veteran rhythm section of Robison’s backing band The Enablers, bassist Scott Esbeck and drummer Keith Robinson.

“I’ve wanted for a long time to make a record that sounds like a great American rock band,” explains Robison. And just as Beautiful Day closes one emotional chapter in his life and opens another, it’s also an album on which his always strong rock’n’roll leanings come to the fore to transcend his country roots, while also bringing them along, to create a sound that is simply great American music.

All told, it’s an album of deep and rich emotional and musical content that anyone who has ever lived, loved and lost can find themselves within as well as experience what Charlie Robison has been through. And all of us, the artist included, find a redemption and the prospect of new beginnings by the time the record ends, and find ourselves better, wiser and stronger thanks to it all.

Need to dock your boat ... check out our slip rental page

Come Down and See Cody Johnson This Friday

Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Playing at waterpoint marina your place for slip rentalsThe Country genre today is one destined for the Dewey decimal system stretching on aisle after aisle with artists ranging from Hank Williams to Jewel. Establishing a pleasantly unique sound amid this influential mass is not an easy task for any artist, yet its one Cody Johnson Band has accomplished in a respectable way. Fusing country and rock is no new concept, but rarely is it done to the quality by which Cody will soon be known. Cody and the band blend County and Rock; creating something new while still respecting the roots of both genres and styles. There are times their sound seems fit for Nashville radio and others it is unmistakably Texas Country/Red Dirt. The 23 year old artist’s freshly energetic blend uniquely bridges generation gaps between fans. At his concerts you will see teenagers and parents alike singing his songs side by side. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Cody was asked to play to 6000 students at the 2007 Texas FFA Convention in Corpus Christi by several adult fans of his in the FFA administration. Also worth mentioning is when Cody and the boys played several songs with presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at a campaign rally at Texas A&M University in College Station with Huckabee playing Bass.

Cody is making good connections with other talented musicians and has opened for successful artists such as, Kevin Fowler, Aaron Watson, Brandon Rhyder, Stoney LaRue, Zona Jones, Band of Heathens, Jason Allen, Bleu Edmonson, and several others, including Roger Creager. Roger, his band, and his administration all have taken a liking to Cody and the boys and seem to have taken them under their wing providing numerous opening and networking opportunities, advice and experience.

The energy and excitement Cody displays during a concert brings to mind legendary performers such as Garth Brooks, Chris Ledoux, and even Jim Morrison. He specializes in getting the crowd involved and drawing them into the show and fans seem to all pile up at the front of the stage begging to get closer. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the intimate acoustic performances this group gives. With Cody at the center, Matt on one side picking lead and singing harmony and Nathan on the other side playing what seems like an infinite number of sounds on an African Djembe; catching an acoustic show with this group rivals an MTV unplugged session. They still play their own music but also divulge into covers ranging from Hank Williams to Seether, even applying that signature sound to the covers they play.

Cody has been playing guitar, singing and writing since he was twelve years old. Over his 23 years he has written over 200 songs. His entire family is talented in music but Cody is the first Johnson to try to make a living at it. Cody and Nathan met in Huntsville while Nathan was finishing his Marketing degree in January 2006 and they started the band in May of 2006 with Cody’s dad Carl Johnson on Bass. They played as a 3 piece for a year and released their first album together titled Black & White Label. With this album, things started picking up and they decided to add a lead guitar player so Cody turned to his old high school buddy, Matt Rogers. With the addition of Matt, they decided to record a new album at a live venue. So in May of 2007 they recorded the Live and Rocking at Shenanigans Album. Seeing the popularity of this album, Carl realized that they had grown out of just playing for fun on the weekends and was forced to quit the band for his career and family commitments. The guys put an ad on Craig’s List for a bass player which was answered by Danny Salinas solidifying the four piece for another year.

In September 2008 the band embarked on their first professionally produced album. They hooked up with producer Keith Davis in Austin and recorded Six Strings One Dream, which was released September 2nd 2009 with their debut single “Another Try” reaching the Texas Music Chart only weeks after release climbing to #28. Their second single “Nobody to Blame” climbed up to #7 and their third single “Pray for Rain” is already in the top 10 just weeks after release. What’s important to note is that the band financially backed this entire album from idea to finished product and even promotion with only their personal money through savings accounts, personal loans, gig money and part time jobs.

Members of Cody Johnson Band start with Nathan Reedy on drums. Nathan’s taste in rock continually shapes the songs Cody writes and is largely responsible for their country and rock blended “signature sound.” In fact, a majority of their songs are written and arranged in an “on the fly/improv” manner on Cody’s back porch with Cody singing and playing guitar and Nathan playing the Djembe. Nathan’s influence is most apparent in songs he and Cody wrote together such as “Take the Devil Home,” “A Bottle and a Bible,” “Texas Kind of Way,” and the song the new album got its title from and the bands first Top 10 hit “Nobody to Blame.” The prodigy Matt Rogers’ mathematical and systematic electric guitar playing gives each song its flavor, while his harmony vocals flawlessly blend with Cody’s voice. Danny Salinas on bass shakes the walls with the grooves he and Nathan hammer out in the pocket. 2010 along with the release of Six Strings One Dream has brought on additional key members. One is Jody Bartula on Fiddle. Jody began playing at the age of 7 and has shared the stage with artists such as Daryl Dodd, Jarrod Birmingham, Zona Jones, Django Walker and many more. For the past year he has been playing for Texas singer/songwriter Jason Allen touring regionally and in Europe. The second is the power house addition of Jeff Smith on lead guitar. Jeff started playing guitar at 8 and performing live at 9 years old as a singer/songwriter. He lived in Nashville for 3 years as a recording artist for Showtime Records where he learned crucial fundamentals about the music business and what it takes you to be a successful musician. His talent has been demonstrated in the presence of the industry’s most familiar artists such as Merle Haggard, George Jones, Tracy Byrd, Jason Aldene, Mark Chestnut, Gary Stewart and Asleep At The Wheel just to name a few. For the last 10 years he has been traveling North America and overseas with Nashville Recording Artist Zona Jones until recently committing to the CJB full time. The calculated mixture of these 6 members and the talent and experience they bring with them has been the vital part of the bands recent quick and upward movement.

You can hear Cody Johnson Band’s music, browse photos, buy merchandise and see their schedule at www.thecodyjohnsonband.com, and www.myspace.com/codyjohnsonband. You can purchase digital copies of their music through itunes. Their music can also be bought on ourtracks.com where they are always in the top 3 selling artists. Be sure to call your local radio stations to request their music, or log on to radiofreetexas.org and bigstar97.com. They shouldn’t be hard to find because no matter where you go in Texas lately, there’s a lot of talk and buzz about Cody Johnson Band. As Andrew Griffin from the Red Dirt Roper described them, “A relatively new face on the Texas/Red Dirt scene that is bound to gain increasing attention in 2010.

Check out our boat rental and slip rental pages

Midnight River Choir Plays With Shy Blakeman This Friday

Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Take the Guadalupe River, add 27 people, 6 rafts, a full moon, and some good music, and what do you have? The Midnight River Choir. At least when 4 guys out of the 27 decide to form a band. The band's primary form consists of Eric Middleton on rhythm guitar and vocals, Justin Nelson on lead guitar and harmony vocals, Mitchell Pyeatt on drums and harmony vocals, and Jeromy Yager on bass and harmonies. But, all four members play multiple instruments so its common for them to switch positions on stage all night long. Add the different songwriting styles of all four of them and this band will have you laughin', cryin', two steppin', and rockin' out, sometimes all in the same song.

Buster Jiggs To Play This Friday With Josh Fuller

Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Come on down and enjoy some FREE live music this friday! Buster Jiggs is going to put on a show ...
your not gonna want to miss it!

BIO
Originally formed by now husband and wife team, Scott Muennink(drums/songwriter) and Kristin (singer/songwriter), the then garage band played their first show on the infamous Executive Surf Club stage in 1999. Cody Braun and David Abeyta of Reckless Kelly produced Buster Jiggs' self-titled album, which had a few Texas Music Charting songs, and sat at #3 on the XM Radio's Country chart in 2005. In 2007 Kristin gracefully and commandingly became the voice of Buster Jiggs, debuting her vocal talents on the EP Miserably Happy; which was produced by Joseph Deeb, formally of Micky and The Motorcars. He also produced the latest album, Smith release, Heartache Jubilee (2009) which was the band’s first album in four years. At the end of 2010 Kristin and Scott teamed up with some old friends and veterans in the scene, lead guitarist Coby Wier (Rusty Wier, Bleu Edmondson) and bassist Jimmy McFeeley (Reckless Kelly, George Devore). So be on the lookout for Buster Jiggs in 2011, they put on a show and have a sound that you will not want miss.

"Kristin offers a rich, full-bodied Red Dirt Vocal performance that is never forced. Texas music rarely offers exceptional female solo artists or lead singers, and Kristin's fine vocals set Buster Jiggs apart from the current crop of Texas Bands." -CountryChart.com

"Listen to the songs "She's Gonna Break Your Heart", "Pretty White Wings", and "Heart of Mine" you will hear great vocals along with great lyrics, and a band that knows how to play a song" -TheExaminer.com

The band is named after a character from the poem "The Sierry Petes (or Tying Knots in the Devil's Tail) written by Gale Gardner in 1917, from which the band's logo of a boot wearing, guitar wielding devil was created.

Bio was provided by Buster Jigg's MySpace page.

Cory Morrow Set To Play This Friday Night

Wednesday, August 03, 2011
cory morrow plays at waterpoint marinaRedemption through music is something Cory Morrow knows well after surviving nearly two decades in the rough and tumble music business. Battles with personal and professional demons inform Morrow’s music in a manner that many performers don’t have the experience to draw from. His wide ranging life experiences allow him to be a consummate singer/songwriter. He has the ability to write a tale about heartbreak as effortlessly as he can pen one about a carefree goodtime. That truth and authenticity is balanced by his infectious optimism and excitable personality.

A native of Houston, Morrow began playing guitar at a young age, but did not get serious about his music until attending college in Lubbock. Here, he was inspired by Texas songwriting greats like Robert Earl Keen and Townes Van Zandt. Spurred by this musical inspiration and a youthful vigor, Morrow moved to Austin in the early 90’s to build his own career. Amidst a sea of night clubs featuring line dancing and Nashville hat acts dominating radio playlists, Morrow set about creating personal music that harkened back to the heyday of Willie Nelson’s progressive country movement in the 70’s.

Through several years of breakneck touring that featured Morrow’s special brand of emotional and energetic live performances, he began to develop a large grassroots following. Coupled with the release of several successful independent albums and Morrow was really beginning to make a name for himself around Texas. By 1999, the music he was making with peers like Pat Green and Owen Temple was becoming a booming cottage industry and gaining nationwide notice. An acclaimed double album and a duets record with Green cemented Morrow’s place in Lone Star lore.

Yet, he was not satisfied. The intensity that was found in his hallowed live performances was spilling over into his personal life. The depths he reached while reclaiming his life made him a more well-rounded artist. Over the next several years, Morrow grew his sound by working and writing with dizzying array of successful songwriters and producers.

Now, an elder statesman of the Texas scene he helped create, his latest album Brand New Me showcases an artist in complete control and making some of the best music of his storied career. Music started Morrow’s journey and music has reinvigorated him. Behind these new songs and surrounded by a band of touring musicians among the best to be found anywhere, Morrow shows no signs of giving up his throne as one of the best Texas has to offer.

No Justice to Tear it Up This Friday ... Don't Miss It!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Judging by the company that NO JUSTICE keeps it is easy to see that Steve Rice, lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, had some pretty pivotal insight early on. It is silent knowledge that when you are coming out of Stillwater, Oklahomas Red Dirt depot, it had better be about the music. A rather small place on the map known for spawning large talent like Jimmy LaFave, The Great Divide, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Jason Boland and The Stragglers (just to name a few), it is quickly understood that in this neck of the woods a man is only worth his weight in song. Rice recounts, When I first moved to Stillwater, I was introduced to the Red Dirt genre. It was something I had never heard of before. Being that Red Dirt is a genre of music that stands as an equal opportunity employer to all styles of music, the sound is difficult to describe to someone looking for the comfort of labels. With hammer in hand Rice hits it on the head, and many will agree, that Red Dirt music is, Something that is more of a feeling than a sound. That feeling is honest music.

As it is with any good organic creation, there is an aging process that needs to occur in order to harvest the perfect blend. Though the band was formed in 2001, it was in 2004 that all the different flavors settled in and NO JUSTICE came into peak season. Rock tones weave in and out of the bands solid new self titled release thanks in part to Brandon Jackson, vocals/guitarist, Jerry Payne, guitar, along with newcomer Joey Trevino adding vocals/bass. Tunes like Never Come Back, and Bend But Dont Break, lead with the southern rock badge of authority, but gives way to the funk fusion prowess of drummer/ percussionist, Armando Lopez. Lopez shines on Dont Walk Away providing smooth groovy touches in all the right places, and on Breath, a melodically addicting ballad, alive with pop essence and a funk pulse. Rice tops it all off with acoustic overlays and a vocal concoction brewed from little grit and a lot of soul. Produced by JJ Lester of Stillwaters The Great Divide, and Grammy award winning engineer, Eric Delegard, the bands self-titled February 2006 release on Smith Music Group is a rich tasty mixture that goes down easy.

Despite their name, the bands 2003 freshman release Far From Everything did the band justice garnering them a Texas size hit with The Toast. The single hit the Texas Music Charts Top 10 and remained there for 27 straight weeks (2005) and was also number 15 for 2005 most requested songs, a major accomplishment for the only independent artists on the Top 10 chart at that time. Far From Everything was included in Gruene With Envys Top Ten list (2003) and voted Best Album of the Year at the Payne Country Line Music awards show (2004). Far From Everything has also ranked number 2 on LonestarMusic.coms top selling albums. Fulfilling their Red Dirt obligation to uphold with their music, the band also took home the title for Best Red Dirt New Comer of the Year (2003).

You can also read this bio here: http://www.jambase.com/Artists/31150/No-Justice/Bio

Gardner Smith Plays this Friday

Wednesday, July 20, 2011
With 6 top ten singles, 3 tours in Iraq and Kuwait to play for the American Soldiers and 3 shows at the White House (including two performances for the President himself), Granger Smith is well on his way to leaving a large footprint on American music.

“Music is what I do,” says Granger. “If I can help someone get lost in the moment of a song long enough to forget the worries of the world, or long enough to remember what’s most important, then I’ve done my job.”

Since his early teens, the native Texan has been writing, singing and honing his craft as a musician. Granger taught himself to play the guitar at 14, using the booklet inside the case stashed in his closet which showed him where to put his fingers.

Granger’s musical contributions are not limited to exotic travels or remote locations. At 19, his work paid off by landing him a deal with EMI Music Publishing in Nashville. Granger followed his dream to what would be a five-year stay in Tennessee. “That experience at 19 years old was critical in developing who I am today as an artist,” says Granger. “I tried to soak in the craft of songwriting like a sponge from the older guys I was paired with. I credit so much of my learning to those mentors.”

Granger signed a new publishing contract with Universal South recording artist Phil Vassar in 2004 and returned home to the Lonestar State in order to ground himself as a Texas artist. A former member of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, Granger re-enrolled at Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in between three album releases and performances across the state. In 2006 he released "Livin' Like A Lonestar," which features "Colorblind," his first single and first top 10 on the Texas Music Chart. To develop his signature sound, Granger records and produces his albums in his own home studio with his own band. “The freedom to take our time in the studio with my own band is priceless,” says Granger.

In appreciation for his alma mater, Granger wrote "We Bleed Maroon," in 2007 which has been adopted as a modern day anthem for Aggie fans. Proceeds from the song go towards a scholarship fund for incoming students that show exceptional spirit. The song can be heard at all Texas A&M home football games, while the video plays on the jumbotron. “We Bleed Maroon” reached a new high, literally, when it was played on the Space Shuttle Discovery at the request of Astronaut Michael Fossum, a fellow Aggie, and the STS-124 Crew in 2008.

The reputation continued to grow with the 2009 launch of the highly anticipated "Don't Listen to the Radio"--ironically titled, considering it received more airplay than any other previously released album by Granger Smith. The title single held tight to its spot at #5 on the Texas Music Chart and remained in the top ten for 14 weeks. The follow up single, "Gypsy Rain" soon became the band's 3rd top 10 radio single in a row.

Smith showed a softer side of his songwriting when he released "I Almost Am" to radio in Feb of 2010. His then fiance, Amber (married in the same month) was featured in the music video which aired on GAC and CMT that year. The upbeat summertime single, "Superstitious 17" was followed by "5 More Minutes", written about his grandfather who was a pilot in WWII. It released in the fall of 2010 along with a riveting music video and proved to be one of the most sentimental, heartfelt songs on the year. The music video begged to ask the question, "If you had 5 more minutes with someone you love, what would you say? What would you do?"

2011 is proving once again to be the biggest year yet. With his newest self produced album entitled "Poets & Prisoners," we once again take a journey with Granger with a dynamic new record from one of Texas' favorite artists. Heart touching melodies, fresh and honest lyrics to fall in love with- all brought to you through warm lead vocals, soaring guitars, funky mandolin & thematic piano highlights. Once again, this project comes straight from Smith's home studio featuring all of his road players and is led by the lyrical honesty of the radio single, "Sleeping On The Interstate."

Granger is an adept presence – on stage and through the speaker – and with his continued rise in popularity, he will soon be a household name in music. But Granger insists he will always keep pushin' the pedal.

"I think that, five years down the road, I'll probably still be striving for something else that I'm not quite getting. I'm always looking towards the next step."

This bio was take from their website: http://www.grangersmith.com/about.html

Choosing The Right Boat Dock For Your Needs

Thursday, July 14, 2011
What type of boat dock is best for your boat?

Boat Dock RentalFirst a few things to think consider before you go out and choose a boat dock. What type of boats or watercraft do you own? Are you planning to buy anymore? Does the water experience much fluctuation in water levels? Say from a drought or from one season to the next. Are there big waves the dock will have to endure? Here are the major types of docks: floating, stationary, portable and slip docks. Most of the time there are combinations of dock types that will work all needs.

Stationary and standings docks are best for salt water and places that experience repeated wave abuse. The waves can pass through the standing legs and most of the time the docks are built with wooden pilings that will not easily corrode.

Floating docks are great for deep water such as lakes and marinas. These also work well where the water levels are continually fluctuating or if the bottom is soft. This type dock should stay in the water. The typical "U" shape of floating docks stand up well to heavy waves or boat wakes from boats coming and going from a marina. Floating docks also come in "T" and "L" shapes and can be anchored in numerous ways.

These floating docks also have many types of floatation device that are used to keep them on top of the water. Make sure these are resistant to gas, saltwater and oil. If you're looking for a floating dock at a marina then most of the time you don't have to worry about all of the options but rather trust the pros and just park you boat at the dock and enjoy your slip.

This last type of boat dock is a wheeled boating dock that is ideal for a location that goes through freeze thaw cycles. This type of dock can be wheeled away when the weather changes and the water is about to freeze. There is a bit of a caveat though. The conditions need to be near perfect to use. A gradual slope to wheel it into the water and a firm lake bottom with minimal elevation. These can be handy but may be tough to find a spot perfect for one.

Armed with this advice you can go and make the right choice for your conditions. There are many options available. You can choose docks with slips that are convent for parking right at your dock/location. Most of the time these have nice decks so the suer can enjoy their time at the waterfront. Ever see a dock with a sundeck on top? These are nice for those who plan on entertaining, cooking and general fun. There are limitless combinations these are just a few so get out there and start enjoying your boat dock, sun and water.

 Need a boat slip rental? Check out our boat slip rental page here: http://waterpointmarina.com/slip-rentals.html

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