What took me to Asheville was that a great Outlaw Country band was playing at the local music hall. Tonight they’re playing in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium. I don’t know why they’d come through this area to get there: I-40 is closed, and the route to Tennessee is far harder from Western North Carolina than once.
The band has been recording and touring for 15 years now, and they’ve really matured in the last few. Their sound has deepened and sophisticated. I’ve heard that they spent some time with the last of the Waylors while Waylon’s old band was still alive, and learned how to make the rich sound that that band used to make in the ‘70s. Whether that’s true or not, they’ve now had time to fully integrate their approach. They really sounded good last night.
They also had some kind words for the audience coming out to see them during such a hard time, and played multiple encore songs.
In spite of the reputation of Outlaw acts and the promotional material promising a ‘rowdy’ show, it was a friendly crowd. A guy in a cowboy hat offered to buy me a beer. I thanked him and said I was ok. An hour or so later I walked to the bar, and another guy insisted on buying me a beer. Everyone was happy and there was no unpleasantness at all.
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