Gary Mule Deer

Dale Watson takes country music back to its simple roots, when it was a folk music that told tales of hardship and redemption, becoming an antidote to the cheesy, cliche country pop that dominates America's airwaves. Together with his band the Lone Stars, Dale Watson shows you how country is done right, displaying just that at his performance at Off Broadway in St Louis, Missouri. Watson certainly looked the part, dressed in in a stylish manner that was defiantly country. His custom made guitar was particularly eye catching, covered in various coins and other metallic trinkets. Not long into the show, Watson opened up the night to the audience, allowing them to make requests for which him and his band would play. This paved the way for a night full of fan favourites, from "Hair of the Dog" to "Silver Wings." Watson also played a number of 'drinking tunes,' most notably Merle Haggard's "Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink" following which Watson laid down his guitar against his amp, signalling the end of a night that was full of delightful music and a spectacular performance from Watson and his band. For real country, there's no need to look any further than Dale Watson and the Lone Stars.

Riders in the Sky have been a band since Star Wars IV came out, they have won numerous awards including two Grammys for their efforts and they even provided a soundtrack for “Woody’s Round Up” and “Toy Story 2” and even a short film called “For the Birds”, but can they do it live? Of course they can!

They walk on stage as though they have come straight from the Wild West with their cowboy hats and their general cowboy attire. Complete with the instrumentation of double bass, guitar, fiddle and accordion, complete with their tight harmonies and their musicality, they make a fantastic sound that caters to the masses, and this opening song “Ghost” shows off some of their best chops.

Of course, they treat the audience by playing “Woody’s Roundup” and their version of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” originally written by Randy Newman, but this crowd goes wild, applauding from start to finish. They have almost forty years of music to play so selecting the right songs must take a while, with each one sounding like a hit.

Mumford and Sons, take notes.