My first semester as a writer and a concert photographer for this station ended in a full-circle moment for me.
This was an extremely sentimental show for me as the Randy Rogers Band is the reason why I love Texas Country and Red Dirt music. I remember vividly hearing the album Trouble for the first time in my dad’s truck the week after it came out and absolutely loving it. I was hooked from that moment on and started listening to everything I could from the band. I saw them live in 2015 at a local country festival and it blew my mind. The setlist was perfect, Randy sounded amazing, and the band was just an incredibly tight unit. Friday night had been 7 years since I saw them live and I had pretty high expectations going into it.
Here’s the easiest way I think I can describe my experience. About halfway into the band’s 90-minute set, Zach (the station’s technical producer) and I walked down into the crowd to take some pictures from the audience. However, one song into being down there, put my camera away and just enjoyed the show as a fan. I probably looked like a mad man to anyone behind me or watching from the suites above the stage.
Especially during the second half of This Time Around, I went absolutely nuts in the back to that song. I was not as crazy over the setlist at this show but I still came out super happy. Some of the omissions really hurt like the band not playing Speak of the Devil, Somebody Take Me Home, or Trouble Knows My Name but it was made up for by them playing This Time Around (sorry to mention it again but it might be my favorite song from the band), One More Goodbye, and Steal You Away.
I have to use this section of the recap to stand on a soapbox though and make sure you guys are aware that Brady Black might be the best fiddle player in all of country music. This is probably just me nerding out but the only person I believe comes close to him is Kyle Nix of Turnpike Troubadours fame. For the entirety of their show, Black was consistently the most energetic and engaging member of the band. He could rip some of the best fiddle solos you’ve ever heard with ease while jumping up and down with a smile on his face. The band as a whole is full of good performers, but Brady is on a whole nother level.
The show was opened by Kevin Fowler and Ross Cooper, both of whom I’ve now seen multiple times. I saw Cooper on the second day of Cotton Fest and loved his swagger and vibes on stage. He was once again incredibly fun to watch on stage and it helped to know a handful of the songs this time. I also got to talk to him on my way down from taking pictures in the suites and he was an incredibly nice guy. I highly recommend checking out his music and seeing him live if he plays in your area.
I’ve seen Kevin Fowler 3 times and each time has gotten better than the last. He is incredibly engaging, sounds fantastic, and his stage presence is unmatched. He always cracks little jokes in songs and points out audience members. He also has a huge amount of hits that he runs through with ease. Songs like 100% Texan, That Girl, Long Line of Losers, and his biggest hit Beer, Bait, Ammo, a silly song about an experience he had in a sketchy convenience store. Also, if you’ve never listened to him before, it’s important to note that Kevin Fowler likes to sing about beer…a lot. He even joked about it saying “Last year me and the band set a world record. We set the world record for the band with the most songs with the word beer in the name.” Fowler ended his hour-long set by first reaching his mic stand into the crowd, bowing, then throwing and twirling his mic stand in the air.
This show was a great way to cap of this semester of writing and covering shows. With Midland, Cody Johnson, and Kolby Cooper on the list already for next semester, I can’t wait to continue covering shows in Lubbock and can’t thank Cook’s Garage for letting me run around their venue enough.
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