Writing is my passion...
I have also been published in the Columbia Missourian for my editorial think-pieces. I have covered topics such as religion, music and education. Below is an editorial on Texas country singer Aaron Watson's concert in Columbia, Mo.
The ‘Honky-Tonk Kid’ gives fans a taste of Texas country
BY AUSTIN FAX
I am not someone who could be confused as a connoisseur of the fine arts. If I were doing a play, movie or art review, it would go over about as well Larry the Cable Guy giving a lecture on manners.
While I couldn’t tell you the artistic differences between Michelangelo and Angelina Jolie, put me in a smoky honky-tonk, and I come alive. That was the case on February 25, 2011, when Aaron Watson, the honky-tonk kid, performed at the Snorty Horse Saloon in Columbia, Mo.
Watson is a superstar on the Texas country charts, with his song, Hearts are Breaking Across Texas, reaching number one in 2008. His current single, Walls, is the number one song in Texas country according to the Regional Radio Report. But his music is relatively unknown to those outside of Texas. So it was a real treat when he made his only stop in Missouri this tour season.
With artists such as Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts dominating the music scene in 2011, country musicians are infusing their music with pop to remain relevant. Aaron Watson is a generational throwback. His influences can be traced back to the days of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard.
While performing live, the former standout collegiate pitcher brings the same energy to the stage as he brought to the baseball diamond. Watson uses his down-to-Earth personality to form a bond with the crowd. This is a concept lost on many larger acts.
Watson plays the acoustic guitar and his band, the Orphans of the Brazos, provide melodic harmony through traditional country music fixtures like the fiddle, drums, and the steel guitar.
He seamlessly transitions from foot-stomping bar favorites like Heyday Tonight to emotional heartbreakers like 3rd Gear and 17, without missing a beat. This kept the crowd on their toes all night and thoroughly entertained.
As requested by the fans, the song Barbed Wire Halo left the multitude of slow dancing cowboys and cowgirls teary eyed as the song recounted the passing of Watson’s mentor and grandfather-like figure, Deacon Shackleford. The tune mirrors Amazing Grace as the fiddle and steel guitar perfectly complement Watson’s slow southern drawl.
At the end of the concert, Watson wished his crowd a safe drive home and thanked God for his ability to bring country music to his hard-working fans. He stayed and signed autographs as an end to a perfect night.
In David Allan Coe’s classic song, The Ride, the ghost of Hank Williams asks, “Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing? Have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings? Boy, can you make folks feel what you feel inside?”
True to what Hank would’ve wanted, Aaron Watson meets all those criteria. If you are looking for country music that transcends the mainstream and speaks to the heart, Aaron Watson is the man for you.
Here are some other links to work I have done for the Columbia Missourian.
Cutting education bankrupts our human capital
Students can use spring break to focus, serve
Doomsday prophecies are unproven wastes of time
The ‘Honky-Tonk Kid’ gives fans a taste of Texas country
BY AUSTIN FAX
I am not someone who could be confused as a connoisseur of the fine arts. If I were doing a play, movie or art review, it would go over about as well Larry the Cable Guy giving a lecture on manners.
While I couldn’t tell you the artistic differences between Michelangelo and Angelina Jolie, put me in a smoky honky-tonk, and I come alive. That was the case on February 25, 2011, when Aaron Watson, the honky-tonk kid, performed at the Snorty Horse Saloon in Columbia, Mo.
Watson is a superstar on the Texas country charts, with his song, Hearts are Breaking Across Texas, reaching number one in 2008. His current single, Walls, is the number one song in Texas country according to the Regional Radio Report. But his music is relatively unknown to those outside of Texas. So it was a real treat when he made his only stop in Missouri this tour season.
With artists such as Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts dominating the music scene in 2011, country musicians are infusing their music with pop to remain relevant. Aaron Watson is a generational throwback. His influences can be traced back to the days of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard.
While performing live, the former standout collegiate pitcher brings the same energy to the stage as he brought to the baseball diamond. Watson uses his down-to-Earth personality to form a bond with the crowd. This is a concept lost on many larger acts.
Watson plays the acoustic guitar and his band, the Orphans of the Brazos, provide melodic harmony through traditional country music fixtures like the fiddle, drums, and the steel guitar.
He seamlessly transitions from foot-stomping bar favorites like Heyday Tonight to emotional heartbreakers like 3rd Gear and 17, without missing a beat. This kept the crowd on their toes all night and thoroughly entertained.
As requested by the fans, the song Barbed Wire Halo left the multitude of slow dancing cowboys and cowgirls teary eyed as the song recounted the passing of Watson’s mentor and grandfather-like figure, Deacon Shackleford. The tune mirrors Amazing Grace as the fiddle and steel guitar perfectly complement Watson’s slow southern drawl.
At the end of the concert, Watson wished his crowd a safe drive home and thanked God for his ability to bring country music to his hard-working fans. He stayed and signed autographs as an end to a perfect night.
In David Allan Coe’s classic song, The Ride, the ghost of Hank Williams asks, “Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing? Have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings? Boy, can you make folks feel what you feel inside?”
True to what Hank would’ve wanted, Aaron Watson meets all those criteria. If you are looking for country music that transcends the mainstream and speaks to the heart, Aaron Watson is the man for you.
Here are some other links to work I have done for the Columbia Missourian.
Cutting education bankrupts our human capital
Students can use spring break to focus, serve
Doomsday prophecies are unproven wastes of time