In this age of streaming where the vast majority of artists do not get traditional radio play, it can be difficult to pinpoint a recipe for success. Texas artist Charley Crockett has risen rapidly in the last few years with a style of country-soul that he sings with a smooth baritone while often leaning into hard country and honky tonk. He dresses like a slick cowboy singer from country’s golden era and seems to embody that lifestyle. All of these factors – not to mention his prolific musical output – seem like he would garner critical respect but not necessarily catch on with a wider audience. Yet, here we are in 2022 and whatever the winning formula may be, Crockett’s music has clearly been heard far and wide. He is selling out large venues in front of fans who likely haven’t heard of Buck Owens but sure as shit appreciate his tunes, mainstream country be damned. What’s even more impressive is the cross-section of fans he attracts, which was evident by the eclectic mix of cowboys, rednecks, hipsters, punks and normies that filled the Crystal Ballroom on the chilly evening of Monday, December 5th to catch Crockett for a sold-out show.
One of Austin’s finest bands – Greyhounds – held court first with a set of rip-roaring blues, funk and soul music to get the evening started. Contrasting the deeply smooth vocals of Anthony Farrell and the feisty swagger of guitarist Andrew Trube, the group brought the party magic of an intimate club show to the big stage. Trube unloaded biting solos that veered from hot Texas blues-rock to slinky and rambunctious funk. Ferrell laid down his own brand of soul, channeling the likes of Sly Stone throughout the set. To ratchet up the fun and get the party in full swing, the group even invited Samuel Grey Horse – an icon of Austin known for riding his mule around town – to sing the comedic tune about, you guessed it, riding a mule. They would put the cherry on top by inviting Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin to the stage to lay down a ripping saxophone solo.
Charley Crockett and his dapper looking band hit the stage to massive applause, backed by the kind of gold velvet curtain and front of stage lights that brought to mind a country performance from the 60s. “Cowboy Candy” – with its infectious twang and ranch hand yips – immediately signaled how much Crockett’s band was in the pocket, while “Time of the Cottonwood Trees” showcased his silky smooth vocals. Throughout the set, Crockett would demonstrate how he has masterfully drawn from every important era of country music to build his own style. He would even cover plenty of tunes from the masters, including George Jones’ “Between My House and Town,” the late great and tragically underrated honky tonker James Hand with a medley of his tunes, Tanya Tucker’s swooning “Jamestown Ferry,” and the haunting Jerry Reed tune “I Feel For You,” among others. Crockett also showed off his own style throughout the set on songs like his beer-sipping honky tonk anthem “Jukebox Charley,” “Music City USA” with its saloon-ready piano tinkering, and the swooning Leon Bridges-esque soul of “I Need Your Love.” While Crocket angled his guitar like a rifle, spun around, and strutted across the stage, his band maintained the kind of well-oiled country groove that would make bring smiles to the likes of The Tennessee Three and Waymore’s Outlaws.
As if to prove his Texas bonafides, Crockett would pack more geographical references to Texas into the set than one ever thought possible. Early in the set he played the titled track off his newest album The Man From Waco with the band adding loads of twangy pedal steel and Spaghetti Western trumpet to add to the cowboy mystique. The catchy and clever “Odessa” was as much a soul song as it was country, “The Valley” was a loping and vivid tribute to his hometown of San Benito that spun into a boot-stomping honky tonker, whiel “Trinity River” layered in a touch of New Orleans jazz. Just before the latter tune, Crockett donned a banjo for the heartfelt waltz “Dear Lilly” and the old timey “Round This World.”
Coming in at just under the two-hour mark, Crockett would close out the night in grandiose fashion with a handful of tunes. After wrapping his set with the help of Greyhounds on the soul-funk tune “In The Night,” he returned to encore with a cover of another legendary Texas artist. His take on Townes Van Zandt’s “Tecumseh Valley” sounded like his voice was coming straight from vinyl, while the story song “July Jackson” was equally affecting. Crockett and his band brought his musical tour of Texas full circle with the Western swing romper “Goin’ Back to Texas” to give the fans one more reminder of where he came from. As he closed out with what is likely the closest he has had to a hit – the catchy country-soul tune “I’m Just a Clown” – Crockett exuded the kind of magnetism that would make him a star in the golden days of country music and has certainly been capturing attention in our current time.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
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Before flipping the bird at the music industry’s mass markets and naming their album New Material, this band writes intensely anxious songs about the system and their own downward spirals.
Many people have a lot of fun with anything you can think of and write down. I’m one of those people who like what you write