Braxton Keith is Right To Take a Stand Against Beer Throwing at Shows

Random Notes 59 Comments


No seriously folks, throwing stuff at the stage at country music concerts is not cool. It’s dangerous, it’s disruptive, and it’s getting out of hand. And no, this is not a mainstream country issue. This is an independent country issue, aided and abetted by the acceptance of two primary artist within the independent country fold by promoters and fans: Treaty Oak Revival, and Gavin Adcock.

Braxton Keith was performing at Heritage Hall in Ardmore, Oklahoma, on Saturday, August 23rd when people started whipping stuff at the stage. According to concertgoers, the behavior was happening all night, and about 2/3rds through the show, Braxton Keith had finally had enough.

“Y’all, I know most of y’all are behaving yourselves tonight. But there’s a bunch of people up here that are having a good time, and then there’s a bunch of beer-throwing. I don’t come to y’all’s jobs and do anything like that to y’all. So until y’all can learn some concert etiquette, my name is Braxton Keith. Thank y’all for coming out to Ardmore, Oklahoma, tonight.”

Braxton then walked off the stage with his band, and did not return.

This is a similar situation to the one that transpired at a show in downtown Gilmer, TX on April 5th when Braxton Keith was forced to stop down the show when people started hurling beer cans at the stage, including one narrowly missing hitting him in the head while he was performing. Braxton said at the time,

“Hey listen up. I didn’t come here to get beer cans thrown at me, alright? This isn’t a godddamn Gavin Adcock concert, okay? Don’t be throwing f–king beers out here. These people at the front are getting wet up here and it’s gonna piss them off, and it’s gonna piss me off.”

Braxton Keith eventually continued and finished the show that time, but did not in Ardmore. Many fans shared their understanding with Braxton’s frustration, but felt let down that the venue did not try to kick the bad apples out, and Braxton stuck around to finish the show for everyone else.

In hindsight, perhaps Braxton could have handled the situation better. But he’s actively decided to take a stand. It’s the live country music industry, and members of the country media that are handling this ongoing issue terribly, and putting principled performers like Braxton Keith in bad positions of both having to dodge stuff constantly being thrown at the stage, as well as having to play bad cop about something he should never have to address.

Braxton Keith enjoying a beer at the Whitewater Ampitheater, August 16th.


In April, while attending the Two Step Inn festival in Texas, Saving Country Music did a deep dive into the experience of witnessing both Gavin Adcock and Treaty Oak Revival shows descend into beer-throwing nightmares where people were getting hurt, and no effort was being put out to stop the behavior. In fact, it was encouraged by the performers. So even after Treaty Oak Revival left the stage, fans continued to through beer cans, disrupting the sets of Ryan Bingham and others.

This is also what happened at Two Step Inn Fest’s sister event, FairWell Fest in Oregon in July. Once again, Treaty Oak Revival were booked on the lineup. Once again, not only did the throwing of stuff towards the stage commence during Treaty Oak Revival’s set, it persisted well afterwards, with many patrons complaining, and the festival doing little about it.

When Saving Country Music brought this issue up previously, not only was it characterized as some prudish, “old man yells at cloud” take, but folks took it as Treaty Oak Revival as “catching strays” when really it’s Gavin Adcock that’s the issue. Most certainly Gavin Adcock shows are not just permissive, but encouraging of the issue too. But Treaty Oak Revival shows are even worse, especially how the behavior is being outright condoned.

On July 29th, Whiskey Riff published an article titled, “Treaty Oak Revival’s ‘Boomtown’ Tradition Is Getting Out of Hand… & Fans Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way.”

In the article, writer Lily-Rose Lass-Korzelius brags, “The Treaty Oak crowd has a tradition that’s turning into something closer to a full-contact sport. t all starts with “Boomtown,” one of the standout tracks from the band’s No Vacancy album. It’s a certified crowd-pleaser, and for fans, it’s become a full-body experience. Especially toward the end of the song, when the audience has decided the only fitting tribute is to hurl their beers into the air like it’s fourth down in the Super Bowl. We’re talking full cans, flying with precision.”


This is exactly what was personally observed at Two Step Inn fest in April when a probably 14-year-old girl was beaned in the back of the head and injured with a mostly-full beer can, probably thrown by someone under the age of 21. Braxton Keith has also addressed young kids getting hit in the head at other shows in the past.

The Whiskey Riff article states, “Getting caught up in the moment is part of the fun. A little beer shower never hurt anybody. But if you’re chucking full cans directly at the stage, maybe think twice …But if you’re a real Treaty Oak Revival fan, chances are you’re all in for the chaos. It’s tradition, and no one’s saying it needs to stop. These shows are meant to get a little wild.”

No, artists like Braxton Keith are saying it needs to stop. Outlets like Saving Country Music are saying it needs to stop. Many fans don’t like it. Kids are getting hurt. Equipment is getting damaged. And shows are ending early. This is an industry issue, and the people and venues who are booking Gavin Adcock and Treaty Oak Revival need to address it directly lest it continue to happen even when they’re not on the stage.

Last time Saving Country Music addressed it, Treaty Oak Revival’s manager Eli Kidd actually piped up in the comments section, threatening to sue Saving Country Music for slander. So as Whiskey Riff is publishing articles encouraging this behavior, folks trying trying to address the issue are actually getting threatened with lawsuits.

This is how wild this situation has become. Meanwhile, otherwise very intelligent and thoughtful independent country fans who happen to be fans of Treaty Oak Revival are acting as apologists for the band and the behavior when if they saw it at a Gavin Adcock show, they would be repulsed.

Treaty Oak Revival’s Sam Canty slings beer on the crowd behind bassist Andrew Carney.


Treaty Oak Revival bassist Andrew Carney left the band at the end of June. “The road has taken its toll,” he said, “Touring and rocking a little too hard has done a number on my back, body and mind,” he said in part.

Rocking a little too hard has also taking its toll on independent country music. This Treaty Oak Revival and Gavin Adcock issue is effusive and contagious, and under threat of becoming endemic. It’s time that the adults and the professionals in the room step up and address it, at their shows and any others where it is observed.

Treaty Oak Revival and Gavin Adcock are both playing Born & Raised Festival in Oklahoma in September. Unless something is done, it’s almost a guarantee it’s going to descend into chaos at some point. Braxton Keith plays the festival as well.

This isn’t how independent country music behaves. We’re better. We’re more thoughtful. We set the example of how country music should be. It should be a safe place for kids to come and enjoy music. And if Treaty Oak Revival and Gavin Adcock can’t get with that program, and think it’s okay for young kids to get hit in the back of the head with half full beers, they need to take that weak shit to the mainstream country circuit.

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