Return to Liberty Hall
by Allen Morris
Photos by Mac K. Miller III
It’s been a few years since Mouse and the Traps performed at Liberty Hall. At their last appearance, the place was packed—and it will be packed again on January 25th. For nearly sixty years, this band entertained audiences across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio. They made television appearances on the dance shows that once proliferated local markets, such as Houston’s “The Larry Kane Show” and Dallas’ “Sumpin’ Else,” hosted by the indomitable Ron Chapman, a disc jockey who had a reputation for spotting talent and songs that would become hit records.
The original members of the band were all from Tyler and included Ronny “Mouse” Weiss (who played guitar and was the lead singer), Buddy “Bugs” Henderson was the lead guitar player (and would later become known as one of the greatest blues and jazz players, in league with B.B. King), Dave Stanley on bass (who has played on sessions from Los Angeles to Nashville), Jerry Howell on keyboards (the band went through several keyboard players), and Ken “Nardo” Murray on drums (he replaced Donald “Levi” Garrett who did not want to travel).
The band was formed by Robin Hood Brians, who served as their producer and manager. “They all played on sessions at my studio,” Robin remembers, “They brought in a song written by Knox Henderson and Ronny Weiss called ‘A Public Execution’ that we recorded, and it began getting a lot of airplays. That was how the band started. After we released it, we recorded ‘Maid of Sugar, Maid of Spice,’ and through my previous connection with Harry Carlson, we got a recording contract on the Fraternity Records label.”
Today, the band includes three of the original members: Mouse, Nardo, and Dave, and they have been joined by Larry Stanley on lead guitar (Dave’s brother) and Gary Freeman on keyboards. They are one of the few bands from the 60s era still performing together. “We’ve been playing for a long time,” Ronny “Mouse” Weiss says, “It’s comfortable being onstage. We have played together for so long that we know each other’s technique and skill. We interact through the music. It’s always been about the music.”
Their onstage camaraderie is obvious to audiences the moment they start playing. As an audience member, you can feel their love for one another. It is their personal bond that gives the group its style. Perhaps a better word is “personality.” Their performances are not so much individuals playing, as it is a unified group—playing as one. “It is their musicianship, combined with their bond to one another, that makes the audience see the group as an ‘entity unto itself,’” says Robin Hood Brians. “When The Beatles first hit, people first thought of them that way. They weren’t John, George, Paul, and Ringo—they were The Beatles. That’s how the public perceived Mouse and the Traps.
As their popularity grew, they added Bob Dylan songs to their repertoire. “The main reason was because we didn’t have that many original songs of our own,” Dave Stanley explains, “We all liked Dylan’s songs, and those songs reflected the times. The mid-sixties had Vietnam and war protestors, and the big cities were experiencing riots, and Dylan’s lyrics spoke to what we were all living.”
When “A Public Execution” was released, critics immediately compared the song, and more significantly Mouse’s vocal rendition, to works by Bob Dylan. Much later when the Nuggets compilation album of 60s period music was released, in the liner notes Lenny Kaye wrote, “There are some who say that Mouse does Dylan’s Highway 61 period better than the Master himself.” Remarking on “A Public Execution,” another reviewer said it was, “one of the few rip-offs so utterly accurate that it could easily fool listeners into mistaking it for the original article.”
Because of the band’s association with the songs of Bob Dylan, they had long talked about doing a complete album of only Bob Dylan songs. When the pandemic hit, and no one could go out in public, Robin Hood Brians called the group together, saying, “We’ve talked about it for years, and I think now is the time for us to get serious and record that album!”
“We weren’t able to perform, and I thought Robin was right,” said Mouse. “We each agreed and made suggestions as to which songs we wanted to record. I came up with four or five of my favorites, some not as well-known or as popular, but songs that I liked and thought said something important.”
About the finished album, which was called Walking In Dylan’s Shoes, Nardo said, “I don’t think we recorded any song more than three times. We came into the studio and nailed it. We’ve played these songs for so long, and they’ve sort of become our songs. Take ‘Knocking On Heaven’s Door,’ for instance—I don’t think anybody does it better than we do!”
To prove that point, Mouse and the Traps will be performing a concert at Liberty Hall on January 25th, 2025. The evening will include a showing of the documentary about the history of the band called “Walking in Dylan’s Shoes” at 6:00 p.m., followed by a full concert from the band. Their playlist will include some of their old songs from the 60s and selections from their latest album, Walking In Dylan’s Shoes. We strongly recommend getting tickets in advance directly from Tyler’s Liberty Hall box office, as we anticipate a sell-out!