Courtesy Houston native and Austin resident Cory Morrow isn't a newbie on the stage at the Fiesta Oyster Bake.

Cory Morrow has been to Fiesta Oyster Bake — as an entertainer and as a spectator — so he'll be comfortable taking the stage on Saturday, April 19, in front of thousands of beer-swilling, oyster-ingesting San Antonians. If anything, Morrow — as a Texas country musician who came up playing in rowdy dance halls — actually prefers such an atmosphere.

Before he took the stage at Oyster Bake, Morrow talked to 210SA about raucous crowds, Fiesta and life changes he's made since being arrested in 2005 for drunken driving and drug possession.
 

So what's it going to be like playing in front of thousands of drunk San Antonians?

I love that kind of stuff. The more people, the more we're called to rise above our initial fears or nervousness and get in front of crowds like that. It's a huge rush to get them all excited, and it's a challenge to get them all fired up. It's a real accomplishment, but it means I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Everyone out there having a good time, for me, is what this is all about.

Do you still get nervous before a show?

Oh, yeah, there are always a little bit of nerves. Every day brings something different, and you never know what life brings at that moment. If things are bugging you, you let them go and flip the switch and do what you do.

Ever played at Fiesta?

Yeah, and it's been a blast. My recollection is that pretty much the whole crew knew our songs, and they were singing the words and just going crazy.

What about going to Fiesta as a spectator?

Yeah, it was a lot of fun with a lot of neat stuff going on. I drove my motorcycle through one time, got in there and the police grabbed me, like, “You gotta turn that thing off. You can't ride in here.” I was like, “What are you talking about? I have to get to the stage.” But I didn't want to mess with the law or get arrested before the show.

How much has life changed since your arrest?

Quite a bit. I found my fiancée, the love of my life, and I've grown very much spiritually with her and through her and through family as well. Relationships that suffered from my mistakes in the past and idiotic maneuvers, I've gone back and started healing those relationships, and I feel like I have a better outlook on life every day. I'm generally happier and more focused, and I'm more aware of what's going on around me, more aware of the beauty in the world and the beauty in people.

It seems like you took the arrest harder than other celebrities might?

I've always kind of been that way. I don't think anything happens by chance. It all happens for a reason. Everyone has their own belief system and religion and their way of looking at things, and, for me, it all happens for a reason. You do have to look at this (arrest) and say it's a pretty big thing, that if I don't open my eyes and figure out why I got knocked down on my ass, the world will almost crumble around me. ..... My world wasn't crumbling. I had it all right in front of me, but I was ignoring it, which is why it felt like it was falling apart. I had to be hard on myself to get myself up and running, instead of being lazy, running around being an idiot and never being fulfilled.

If you could cover any non-country musician, who would it be?

Bob Schneider, because he fascinates me, man. He gets me thinking in so many different directions, and makes me think about things I never knew were out there. It kind of really opens my mind and my heart. His music is very much a big influence on me.

CLINT HALE | 210SA contributor