Wade Bowen, Willy Braun, Beth McCarthy

Ticket: £10.00 Buy Now
Doors: 7.30pm
Age: 14+

Texas country/Red Dirt real deal WADE BOWEN of whom The New York Times said “Earnest and direct singer who wrings feeling from a small vocal gestures and graceful songwriting with twists like small sighs”

Across five independent albums and a decade-plus of touring, Wade Bowen has amassed a string of awards and a passionate fan base. Rising to the top of the Texas music and Red Dirt circuit, and now poised to bring that independent spirit to country music at large.

With a dense and concentrated whisky-and-smoke baritone, Bowen takes command of his 100% country songs, rife with pedal steel and vivid emotion, that could easily find a home with fans of Bowen’s rock idols – folks like Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne.

On a live circuit where the overwhelming mandate is to stir up a party, Bowen has aimed to leave folks with a memory. As a writer, even one from a state with some tall literary traditions, he’s not trying to earn a PhD in poetry; he’s trying to communicate. “My style,” he says, “is more to try to evoke an emotion. I’m more about trying to leave a mark on people.”

Growing up in Waco, Bowen’s exposure to the music of Texas was limited to whatever made it on FM country radio. George Strait was king. Guy Clark was a name he’d not have recognized before getting to college. But at school, in Lubbock, he discovered the full spectrum of Texas artistry, starting with Robert Earl Keen. “He was a big changing point in my life,” says Wade. “I realized by listening to him that there was way more out there than I ever knew. So I started getting into Guy Clark and other great Texas music. But I was obsessed with Robert Earl. When we started the band we were sort of a Robert Earl cover band.”

That band was called West 84 but when Bowen channelled a lifelong love of writing into songs, he made the major decision to go solo and move to Austin. By then, about 2001, fellow Waco native Pat Green had busted out to national prominence and the Texas music phenomenon was the buzz of Nashville. It was part of Wade Bowen’s inspiration to charge ahead.

Try Not To Listen is the album Wade regards as his true debut, the project that kicked off a life and living made of 200-plus nights a year on the road and patient grassroots fan development. Then with Lost Hotel in 2006, things really began to click. The opening track “God Bless This Town” reached No. 1 on the bellwether Texas Music Chart, and to date, Bowen has had a total of 10 Number 1’s and 15 Top 5 Singles on the Texas Music Chart. He achieved another landmark in 2010, when he was invited to add his name to the roster of great artists who’ve made a Live At Billy Bob’s CD/DVD combo at the iconic club in Fort Worth.

Amazing, also, to get WILLY BRAUN (front man for Reckless Kelley) on board as well. This is the real deal, don’t miss this show!

And no songs about trucks…