Jason Boland, Aaron Watson team up for Texas tour
Monday, March 10, 2008 – Texas country acts Jason Boland & The Stragglers and Aaron Watson will join forces for a series of dates in their home state in April and May as the Fiddles, Steels and 18 Wheels Tour.
Both acts have toured heavily throughout Texas. The idea of Fiddles, Steels and 18 Wheels is to "create an event for fans who champion the traditional sound of country," according to Boland's publicist.
Watson is set to release "Angels & Outlaws" on April 1. Boland will play songs from his upcoming CD, "Comal County Blue," slated for release Labor Day weekend.
"I'm excited to work with Lloyd (Maines) again. There is a both a comfort level with Lloyd and an energy level that he captures," said Boland. "The records we have done in the past really reflect that. It's that same core, along with the new songs that has me really excited."
Tour Dates are:
April 10 El Paso- Take 5
April 11 Odessa- Dos Amigos
April 12 Ft. Worth- Billy Bobs
April 16 Huntsville- Jolly Fox
April 17 Spring- Big Texas
April 18 San Angelo- Graham Central Station
April 19 Victoria- Schroeder Hall
April 20 Killeen- Starlight Station
April 25 Austin-Midnight Rodeo
May 1 Denton- Midnight Rodeo
May 2 Amarillo- Midnight Rodeo
May 3 Lubbock- Midnight Rodeo
May 8 Corpus Christi- Brewster St.
May 9 San Antonio-Cowboys
May 10 Stephenville- City Limits
More news
CD reviews
Comal County Blue
Jason Boland and the Stragglers show greater sophistication than at least one better-known band in assailing a fellow Texan. "You bet they'd sing a different tune if a flood had hit D.C.," Boland asserts in the Hurricane Katrina critique Sons and Daughters of Dixie. Throughout the Stragglers' fifth studio release, the references are oblique, the attitude cool, the musicianship sharp - thanks partly to the production of Lloyd Maines - and the lyrics insightful. »»» |
Angles & Outlaws
Aaron Watson is equal parts, neo-traditional and top 40 country, and the Amarillo, Texas mines some new territory on his seventh studio album. He helped write 11 of the 14 songs and performs covers as diverse as Waylon Jennings' "Tulsa" and John Mayer's "Heart of Life." He gives the former a rollicking spin, and the latter can't be mistaken for anything but a country song when coming out of Watson's pipes.
The rest is strong, yet predictable. »»» |
San Angelo
Amarillo, Texas product Aaron Watson is a cookie-cutter honky-tonk singer with a smooth sound and a hard twang. Despite the catch in his voice - you can almost see the arch in his eyebrow at times - the 13 songs here, 9 written by Watson, lack a real hook.
He throws in a few elements calculated to bring the cowboys a-runnin' - songs by Willie Nelson and Bruce Robison, guitar work by sessions wiz Lloyd Maines and Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson - but nothing terribly original, though. »»» |
Editorial: American Idol's Carrie Underwood can sing –
If anyone saw the Super Bowl – what a great great game that was – they would have heard American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood sing the National Anthem. Underwood did with her voice what Kelly Clarkson did last week with her written words – give it to Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Records,, who tried defending Taylor Swift by knocking American Idol performers. »»»
Concert Review: McBride, Adkins shine sometimes –
As Martina McBride pointed out, the pairing of the country singer with Trace Adkins on their current jaunt was surprising. After all, she's of diva-quality voice, petite, non-controversial unless you call singing songs that empower women controversial. Adkins, on the other hand, has not been afraid to speak his mind with a kick butt attitude.... »»»
Concert Review: Eilen Jewell wears her musical hats well –
Eilen Jewell wears a lot of musical hats. The Idaho native, who now lives in Boston, fronts the Eilen (ee-lin) Jewell Band, a pretty much traditional country band. She's a member the Sacred Shakers, an octet doing gospel country with a country beat. And she has yet another project, Butcher Holler, covering Loretta Lynn songs.... »»»
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