Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer (They were all taken from one angle, and so not many of Reid Perry, who was on the far side of the stage from the camera.) Click on the link below for dozens more photos.

The Band Perry, the group now out of Nashville that could be considered an overnight success, except for the 10 or so years they put in prior to gaining national attention, gave a packed Choctaw Event Center house the show of shows. Kimberly, Reid, and Neil Perry, siblings whose parents have encouraged them since they were just little rockers, were in constant motion, clearly enjoying their work, for nearly two hours of today’s continuous country music.

The audience, nay, the fans, were as versatile as an audience can get. Youngsters with cell phones kept them trained on the trio, song after song. Young ladies and young men waited expectantly in their cowboy boots, then stopped along with the band, especially on their opening song, “Done.” And the parents and grandparents took up as many chairs as did the younger generations. All there to enjoy this spectacular trio, who was backed by A-Team musicians including lead guitarists, a fiddler who doubled on keyboards, and drummer.

The set opened with a recorded version of “Done,” while the band got on stage and finished the song off live. There was none of the apparent goth influence that sometimes seeps into their CMT videos. Just lots of smiles, energy, swapping off at times from Kimberly to Neil on lead vocals, harmonies, and good times.

Opening for The Band Perry was Charlie Worsham and his band, also now out of Nashville, transplanted from Mississippi, if facts are accurate. It was a perfectly paired performance, as Worsham and his band also were filled with energy and talent.

One thing both bands did was to perform Christian songs, unashamedly. The Band Perry put harmonies to “Amazing Grace” and Worsham sang a classy “That’s How I Learned To Pray,” a song he’s also performed at the Grand Ol’ Opry.

Watch the Live Music Calendar for upcoming Choctaw events. There’s four stages at the Durant facility and two in Grant, Okla.

 

Charlie Worsham photos, click here:

The Band Perry photos, click here:

 

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer. Click on the links below for more photos.

Choctaw CenterStage (Durant, Okla.) rocked Friday night, first with Joe Diffie and his band followed by Clint Black, who is on an acoustic tour with three long-time members of his band. Both men have strings of hits over the past several decades, and are keeping country music alive and well. Both men displayed good senses of humor that connected them with the audience.

Joe Diffie, who was raised a Texan in the Houston area, brought with him a steel player, a keyboard player, lead and bass guitarists, and drummer, to back up his acoustic guitar. There were times when they also backed up his vocals. Much of Joe’s family, including his parents, are from Oklahoma, and were at the concert. His dad, the original Joe Diffie, performed a classic Johnny Cash song with him, and then an aunt sang”Bobbi McGee” both to the audience delight. The audience also rose to its feet when Joe sang in tribute “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the George Jones classic so much on everyone’s mind because of his recent death.

After a change of band equipment, Clint Black, also originally a Texan, sang many of his hits, and, as he said, some we may not have heard before. The standing ovation came after his last song… actually, after he got everyone to rise during the last song.

The quote of the night was from a female voice in the back, as Clint was talking on stage — “You are yummy, Clint!” He smiled, the dimples digging deeper, and answered back, “This is a yummy audience.” And everyone had fun.

On May 18, The Time Jumpers will be coming to CenterStage. This band consists of many musicians, and plays a mix of western swing, bluegrass, country, old-time cowboy, and no telling what other genres of music.

For Clint Black photos, click here

For Joe Diffie photos, click here

Red Steagall

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer, for more photos, click on the links below.

One person said to the other, “I didn’t realize Red Steagall was that good a story-teller.” The second person replied, “I didn’t know he was that good a singer.” And therein lies just a couple of the performance strengths of the Gainesville, Texas, native, now 74 years old and going strong.

Steagall and Dallas native Michael Martin Murphey shared billing Thursday night (April 11, 2013) on Choctaw Casino’s CenterStage in Durant, Okla.

Steagall’s stories and songs match his lifestyle and workstyle — a combination of music, cowboy skills, movies and television production, and the history of the Amerian and Texas cowboy life.  He brought with him a 9-piece band, complete with fiddle, steel, keyboards, sax, guitars and drums. Not a note was wasted.  “Little Joe the Wrangler,” “Lone Star Beer and Bob

Wills Music,” and so on the songs came out, interspersed with his poetry and narratives with personality and joy. In the end, the crowd felt as if they had a new friend in Red Steagall.

Michael Martin Murphey’s set followed, and this working cowboy also sang and talked about the life of the cowboy, his life, and the values he’s learned and (apparently) taught over the years. “Apparently,” because when Murphey explained something before breaking out into ballad, his son and a member of the band, Ryan, would nod in agreement.

Murphey took his hat off to the values his dad taught him, when he sang the description, “I Come From A Long Line Of Love,” and Ryan nodded again.

If one tried to add up the charted hits these two men, well, that would be sky-high numbers, and it wouldn’t matter if they sang the hit songs or if other musicians did instead. These cowboy singers/songwriters/poets/story-tellers keep the western music alive… not Nashville’s country music, but cowboy music, and thereby keep the cowboy alive.

Thanks, Choctaw and Overdrive Entertainment for such an incredible night of music.

And check out Steagall’s Cowboy Gathering & Western Swing Festival, Oct. 25-27, in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

For Red Steagall photos, click here:

For Michael Martin Murphey photos, click here: