Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer, first printed in The Paris News, Jan. 12,2018, edition.

About two and a half years ago, the Aaron Watson band played at the Choctaw Casino (Grant) Event Center, and held the crowd captive for nearly two full hours. He was the first to play there, of the Red Dirt genre of bands, and packed the house, He was also the first of the Red Dirt bands to play at the Grand Theater in Durant’s Choctaw Casino, about a year ago. Again, totally packed the sold-out house.

And the upcoming January 27 Aaron Watson Band concert at the Event Center in Grant is another sold-out show.

Just as the cowboys in his songs, sometimes called vaqueros depending on the subject, are timeless, so is Watson’s music. He puts the cowboy back in country. He always shows his very best side, complete with stories to go along with his songs. He keeps his individual label for his homespun recordings. His latest recording is actually named Vaquero, a 16-song set of nothing but genuine bright lights of genuine country music.

In spite of his ever-growing national fame, or maybe because of it, Watson declines to sign with a national Nashville promotions company. A song he down on his The Underdog CD, explains his choosing to remain an independent artist. He quotes Sam Houston, and uses this as his recurring line — “I’d rather be an old fence post in Texas than the king of Tennessee.”  Called “Fence Post,” the song also was written, according to the opening dialogue in the recording, “A guy who can’t even playing a D chord on a guitar, telling someone with a dream that they won’t get far. This song is dedicated to all those other dogs like me…”

A continual favorite of so many fans is his “Bluebonnets (Julie’s song),” about that broken vacated heart one has when one loses a child — no matter the age of that child — or loses any loved one. “.gone, long gone, like bluebonnets in the spring, We’re only here for a little while… Pack light and love heavy, give it all your heart and soul, so in the end you won’t regret one thing. Life is like bluebonnets in the spring.”

And that tender type song is not that unusual for Watson. He penned the much-covered hit, “July in Cheyenne” about rodeo champion Lane Frost. So many great songs about life on life’s terms.

Then he can turn around, and the band is right behind him, and belt out “Freight Train” and the listener can just hear the locomotive wheels on the tracks and the popular “Getaway Truck.” Quick and easy and full of the beat that makes a listener just have to stomp his boots on the hardwood floor.

OK, there is just a tiny tidbit of Nashville in Aaron’s shows — he often uses the same point-at-someone-in-the-crowd motion that Luke Bryan and Dustin Lynch and others of the Nashville ilk use. But then, who knows maybe Luke and Dustin are copying Watson’s “commercial appeal” stage actions. Could be, it just could be!

The Aaron Watson Band consists of the usual instruments — guitars, drums, bass— plus a fiddle. All well orchestrated and animated to make it all more fun for everybody.

Watson generally doesn’t do encores, but instead goes and stays to his merch table as long as it takes for everyone to say hello. Sometimes, it takes him a little time to get off the stage, because he often just knuckle-bumps and high-fives those down-front fans, often handing out his special guitar pick… his name on one side and “Pick Jesus” on the other side.

Aaron’s wild spirit and warm smile are identifiable and contagious. Those whose spirits are more introverted find themselves as much a fan as the extroverts.

The land that made Watson what it is, what fueled that wild spirit, is West Texas, or more specifically Abilene. And his music doesn’t stray much, if at all, from the cowhand/west Texas/family values implanted in him. Rumor has it, based on people’s statements who know him off the stage and off the road, that whenever he can, he gets home to be at church with his wife and kids on Sundays.

Aaron Watson has been professionally in the music business for more than 17 years and issued about a dozen albums, each with rememberable and emulated songs. He’s traveled through the U.S. and Europe, where they Texas music lovers can also identify with him, his songs, his values, and stomp their boots on sawdust-covered dance floors. His last CD is Vaquero. Which debuted at an unprecedented No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. A first time, ever, for an independent artist. He said that accomplishment definitely raises his own bar higher for his next recording project. Betcha he’ll continue to record those dancehall shuffle, dustbowl storm, cowboy, rodeo, family, love tales.

One of the things that contributes to his success is his work ethic. The man gets up before dawn to write his songs, and no matter what the big-dogs suggest he do or change, he doesn’t change. He is consistent in his variety of subjects and ability to create unique tunes to accent those lyrics. And then he remembers those lyrics, some that are so tough they might drive word-master Kevin Fowler crazy. And when he writes a love song, it isn’t about going to hang out on a tailgate on old dirt road.

Let’s just leave it as:  Aaron Watson is a wrangler of songs and a roper of people.

Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer, First published in The Paris News, Jan. 7, 2018, editon) 

There were several common characteristics among those who sang in Tuesday night’s Baraoke, aka karaoke with Barry Diamond as host, at The River Bar & Grill in Grant. Those would be respect, support, and commitment.

Karaoke is the art of, usually, non-professionals who like to sing and are willing to do that with a microphone and good sound system in front of an audience. They sing along to pre-recorded music and the words are on a screen on the stage.

Diamond said that he’s been hosting Tuesday night karaoke, which begins at 8 p.m., for five years now. And he’s begun hosting it at the Paris Elks Lodge, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. Diamond is also a popular on-air personality with K95.5 radio.

 

The crowd was smaller this week than usual, with 12 singers instead of the usual two or three dozen, Diamond said. Whether it was because of being right after the holidays or because of the cold weather remained an unknown, but that was fine for those who were there to sing, because instead of one or sometimes two songs, they each got at least three songs Tuesday night.

Tiffany, from Paris, started with The Judds’ 80s hit “Grandpa.” Her style set a

dynamic pace, but wasn’t duplicated. She left the corner stage and sang directly to children and others in the audience.

Tiffany said she sang in the school choir and at church as a young child. A few years ago, she tried out for American Idol and intends to make a play to get on The Voice. She sings in the car and when walking through a grocery store, out loud. But it’s the karaoke that pulled her through the toughest part of her life — the loss of her 2-day-old baby son.

“I was pregnant when I started coming out, and singing, and meeting everyone else. He was my first child. I didn’t come for a while after his birth and his death, and most of them had heard what happened. When I did return, no one asked a bunch of questions, they just all hugged me and said they loved me and have been really supportive ever since.”

So why karaoke? Tiffany said, “It’s so much fun to watch everybody and see them get more comfortable with this and that, like it did with me, carries into everything they

do. This is like family. There are so many people who can sing around our area, and it’s good to have a place where they can. I’m pretty shy, but here’s its different.” She added that her first karaoke experience was when she was 3-year-old and she literally threw up afterward. “Now I can do this. And I like to sing whatever I like, including blues.”

Diamond said that, though he has a large catalogue of karaoke background music, sometimes people ask for something he doesn’t have, but he tells them he’ll have it next week — “And I do have it for them the next time,” he said.

Johnny B, wearing a white Baraoke T-shirt, sang, “I Always Get Lucky With You,” the classic Merle Haggard song. Johnny said he’d been singing karaoke for 18 years, and been going to the one at The River Bar since it started. He’s already been to the one at the Elks Lodge, too. When asked what his best experience was, Johnny B. gave an answer that was as unique as it might come for any singer.

“I drove a cab,” he said. “And once, at a karaoke night, a guy from Denver asked for my autograph on something, and I learned he hung that on his office wall. Then, once when I was in the cab, I got a cell phone call, and it was that same guy. He said I was on speaker phone and would I please sing him a song. So I did. Then, I heard lots of clapping and shouting, and that’s when I learned he had about 150 people listening to me sing through that phone.”

Mark, who came for the first time and went before anyone could really get to talk with

him, sang a classic parenting song about being your son’s idol — “I’m Watching You, Dad, (now ain’t that cool.) Mark had as much, if not more stage presence, including use of his microphone. He didn’t stick around for a second song, and Diamond said that, wherever Mark came from, he hopes Mark will come back another night.

Colby, from Hugo, chose the classic John Anderson “Seminole Wind,” a touching song and one he delivered with the empathy that Anderson emits with he sings it. And yet it was unique to Colby. “You can be original when doing covers,” he said. What makes this Baraoke special for Colby? “This is where, besides church, is where I started singing in public. It’s the people and the atmosphere, it’s family, and so close to home.” Colby said his favorite style of music is gospel, and his second song was “I Believe.”

“The reason I started singing at all,” Colby said, “is that when I was 12 years old, I had cancer in my throat. Doctors told me I would never be able to talk, and that gave me a reason to defy. I started singing. The cancer has been gone a while now and the doctors said I really “pulled off a good ‘un.”

And Rossi, from Paris also, said she usually does the same songs, but started out that

night with “Daddy’s Hands.” A divorcee, she’s used this as a social tool to meet people and get on with her life. “I’ve been singing for about seven years. It’s funk, and the camaraderie here is awesome. The regulars, well, some are not that much fun, but most are. And here, we can break the monotony of the week.”

Rossie added, “And I love Barry’s style. He’s so personable, and makes you feel like a rock star.”

Diamond said he discovered that’s important to the singers, that it helps them, even the shyer ones, get up on the little stage and sing their hearts out. He gives each one a grand introduction and a grand thank you, asking the room to clap also. And the room does.

Diamond also said that not everybody comes here to sing. Some — usually family and friends, but also others — come to watch. “And there’s the one couple,” he said as he pointed to the back of the room, “who comes to dance.” The couple was up on their makeshift dance floor — the aisles — most of the time.

Oh, yeah… each singer over the age of 18 receives two drawing tickets and at the night, they stir the tickets up in a bingo-style wheel and draw two. Those two people receive $100 each.

Johnny B. said he was tickled when he won $100 — “Finally, someone paid me for singing,” he laughed.

 

 

 

Short story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer

For Turnpike Troubadours photos, click here

For Charley Crockett photos, click here

Now in their 10^th year together, the Turnpike Troubadours are playing more gigs and playing those gigs farther away from their native Oklahoma than they were even three years ago.

They handle fame well, still being grateful for their fans — their smiles at Meet n Greets show that — and continually bringing new and unique songs to those fans.

The Turnpike Troubadours are made up of RC Edwards on bass, Kyle Nix on fiddle, Ryan Engleman on guitar, Evan Felker on lead vocals, Gabriel Pearson on drums, and Hank Early on keyboards and accordion. And they all kick in with vocals.

The Troubadours played the Event Center at Grand Theater in late December, to a sold-out crowd. They covered many of their older tunes, but many off the new CD, A Long Way From Your Heart, of which the first release “Housefire” has already reached No. 1 spot on numerous charts.

Opening was Charley Crockett and his band. A real treat to watch and to listen to, definitely worth a trip to a Charley Crockett concert if you haven’t already seen one. If you have, you know exactly what I’m talking about!