Turnpike Troubadours Set to Make Austin City Limits Debut This Saturday (2-17)
No country music outfit deserved a berth on the vaunted Austin City Limits stage more than the reigning Saving Country Music Artist of the Year The Turnpike Troubadours. And that’s exactly what they got when they were finally given the opportunity on December 5th, packing the Moody in downtown Austin to tape an episode that is now set to air this Saturday, February 17th. Also appearing on the episode is Chris Stapleton, so there’s double the reason to watch. It is the final episode of the current ACL season. Check your local PBS listings for specific airing times.
This is a huge honor for a band that’s been making big waves in the Texas and Red Dirt music scene for nearly a decade, including selling out Austin’s Moody Theater for regular gigs over the last couple of years. This will be the Turnpike’s first opportunity at a national broadcast, and is well-deserved considering the size of their following, and the influence they have in the Texoma music scene.
Turnpike’s latest record, A Long Way From Your Heart, debuted at #3 on the Billboard Country Albums chart upon its release on October 20th, with strong sales behind the critically-acclaimed effort that continues to place the band near the very top of independent country music. Signed with Thirty Tigers, and with little help from radio beyond regional play in Oklahoma and Texas, they continue to show what quality music and grassroots efforts can result in.
They are led by frontman and songwriter Evan Felker who is the everyman poet of our time. He possesses the ability to make his stories feel like all of ours, and somehow give those stories the same feelings we all feel during the momentous events in our lives. Incredibly insightful, just enough troubled to make him real, and plucked right out of the Heartland with an authenticity impossible not to love.
Ahead of the broadcast, a video for “The Housefire” has been made available to wet your whistle. So make an appointment for Saturday, or get that DVR set.
February 15, 2018 @ 10:56 am
Setting the DVR right now. Really wish they would release this in an album though.
February 15, 2018 @ 10:57 am
New West has been releasing old Austin City Limits episodes in albums recently. We may see something like that in the future.
February 15, 2018 @ 11:44 am
I have a handful of them. The Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam ACL recordings are classics. I haven’t seen any of the more recent shows released in some music format.
February 15, 2018 @ 12:00 pm
Billy Joe Shaver’s one from a show in the ’80s is killer. And his late son Eddie really cooks on guitar.
February 15, 2018 @ 12:30 pm
I just watched that one again last week. Pretty great.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:20 am
I have the one by Lucinda Williams. Its great!
February 15, 2018 @ 11:33 am
About time ACL gets its act together. Been tuning in less and less recently. Doesn’t seem to be my type of music on there much anymore.
February 15, 2018 @ 11:41 am
Driving 8 hours to go see them in souix falls friday night!!! Well worth the drive cant wait!!
February 15, 2018 @ 12:02 pm
I just watched Shinyribs last night. DVR is set and ready to go for this one. Isbell recording was pretty awesome as well. This season has been better than past seasons.
February 15, 2018 @ 12:07 pm
I agree. The first half was alarming, but they stepped up in the 2nd half.
February 15, 2018 @ 1:13 pm
Not only did they step it up, but included a great local Austin act. That has been missing from past and was always fun to guess who they would pick for that spot.
Even with bands I may not be familiar with, ACL seemed to always pick bands that were entertaining and showed why the deserved to be on the bill. I hope this is something they are keeping up with so we don’t have gaps in between good and bad years. Each season should highlight great music, not what’s trendy.
February 18, 2018 @ 5:04 pm
I got around to watching the Shinyribs ACL last night. It was so good I immediately had to watch it again.
February 15, 2018 @ 1:12 pm
Good news, and will definitely try to tune in. I’m still not quite into the “Turnpike is incredible” camp, but I am trying.
February 15, 2018 @ 2:41 pm
Funny… My wife kinda said the same thing to me the other day..
February 15, 2018 @ 3:47 pm
I get that they are good story tellers, and they sound like even better guys. But, to me, especially their last album, just feels like a southern infused Counting Crows record. I don’t get how they are considered a country band. But, how they are classified doesn’t mean anything in the end (I get as tired as anyone else from all the “is this country enough” b.s., but here it really is a head scratcher). At the end of the day, I think it is just more of a personal bias against middle of the road rock, which is largely what I hear with TT.
Obviously I am in the minority, and I love that they are getting more and more popular…..and I think they have a lot of running room given the rock / crossover southern rock niche they occupy and how successful it has been as a genre in the past. I’m just not hearing anything that keeps me coming back or makes me say “wow”.
February 15, 2018 @ 8:20 pm
100% agree. TT certainly aren’t part of the “bad music” problem, but I can’t exactly get excited about them. Maybe I’m getting old. I have a bad habit of comparing anything new that I hear to the greatness that’s come before. And I just don’t find much that lives up to the classics. There seems to be a lot of excitement about acts that sound good when compared to the still coming from music row. But that’s a bad metric. It ain’t hard to sound refreshing and authentic compared to Luke Bryan, FL/GA Line, etc. It’s the Kacey Musgraves issue: “She smokes pot, acts snarky, and isn’t choreographed. Must be great”. Nope, just not as terrible.
February 16, 2018 @ 7:24 am
Here’s something I never thought I would say to you, but you have something in common with Honky. Hurts just typing it…
February 16, 2018 @ 10:52 am
you’re wife sounds lame
February 16, 2018 @ 8:20 pm
And you need a grammar class, big D.
February 19, 2018 @ 9:33 am
Not as lame as ATT on ACL.
Made Stapleton look exciting and engaging.
February 15, 2018 @ 1:13 pm
They’re playing at our Windy City Smokeout here July 15 can’t wait for this show.
February 15, 2018 @ 1:45 pm
LOVE that band, and I’m glad to see them getting bigger and bigger. My sister lived in southern OK a few years ago, and brought Diamonds And Gasoline home to Kentucky for me, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They’re the real deal.
February 15, 2018 @ 1:54 pm
Was Evan Felker channeling his inner George Straight or were his feet glued to the floor?
Love the band and their music but that video was not very engaging…
February 15, 2018 @ 2:13 pm
He always looks disinterested, comatosed. I think that’s why everyone says he’s fucked up all the time. He’s hard for me to watch especially against the backdrop of a band on fire.
February 16, 2018 @ 10:46 am
I had the same thought, not to mention some slightly awkward off-key moments in that performance, but I didn’t say anything in my comment above to avoid sounding like even more of a negative Nancy.
February 16, 2018 @ 1:42 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWDLNHJjqmk&feature=youtu.be
Turnpike Troubadours posted this clip to promote their appearance on ACL. It”s awful. Felker is so off-key. He looks aloof. The band – no one looks like they are having a good time. I can’t believe they are allowing this to air!
This is exactly what I experienced in Knoxville. Except, Felker kept looking at the the ceiling. But no energy, rushed through the set.
I’m being to think this is why these guys haven’t made it yet – they don’t translate live.
Trig?
February 16, 2018 @ 2:59 pm
From what I gather it’s 50-50 live. I hear about times they sucked, but they were absolutely awesome when I saw them. Not sure why.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:22 pm
Of course you won’t see anything but praise on this site. But hopefully trigg calls this out. Despite the odd SCM Album of the year award they received.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:24 pm
Artist of the year, I mean.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:55 pm
Okay well first off, for the “you won’t see anything but praise” comment, here’s me calling out Evan Felker for numerous drunken performances:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/fans-speak-up-after-numerous-drunken-performances-by-turnpike-troubadours-evan-felker/
2nd, I agree Felker looks a little aloof in this clip, but that’s just Evan. He’s not some engaging frontman, and that’s well documented. He’s a songwriter who somehow ended up as the frontman of a country band. He’s probably a little nervous, and not used to playing the banjo and singing as much as the guitar. Don’t hear anything off-key, though the sound is a bit strange.
So you want me to write a rant about this or something? I saw them last week at Mile 0 Fest and they killed it. Not sure what y’all are gunning for here.
February 16, 2018 @ 9:15 pm
No. I don’t want you to rant. I was just asking your opinion. It hurts me because up to when I saw them in concert, I thought they were my favorite band. But these clips (two more have been posted on your) remind me of Knoxville and that was such a disappointment.
I was coming to terms with that’s just Felker’s disposition, but the rest of the band just looks tense, no one looks like they are having a good time.
For the sake of everyone, I won’t read another article about TT.
Thanks for the work you do.
February 18, 2018 @ 8:57 pm
Again, TT is not a country band. Not sure how that argument can be made, vs. more accurately calling them a straight down the fairway 90s rock band with a fiddle and occasional steel. I have heard enough of them to have the opinion that they are overrated, especially live. The fact that we even have to do the “well I saw them at xyz and that night they were amazing, but yeah, Felker is a crappy front man a lot of the time” says a lot about the band. I also find it very telling that even on a show like ACL with retakes, they couldn’t cut better versions of some of these songs. Again, it’s the internet, and that’s my opinion. In my mind, there are better southern influenced rock bands out there, and I still don’t get all the praise for TT. And that’s just fine.
February 19, 2018 @ 9:55 am
Again, TT is not a country band.
But Sturgill’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is a country album, right? .
February 17, 2018 @ 8:10 am
I saw them live in Philly and they killed it. But that is just my anecdotal experience.
February 18, 2018 @ 1:01 pm
I saw them at a packed club in Boston (with Charley Crockett opening), and they were fucking amazing.
They absolutely “translate live” when they’re on. They might just not be polished enough to be “on” every night, yet.
February 15, 2018 @ 2:33 pm
What is with the Harmonica and Accordion? Where are hand claps and drum machines?
I don’t think these guys are Country enough, Trigger!
February 15, 2018 @ 4:55 pm
Fulbright on the Accordion, hell yes.
February 15, 2018 @ 5:11 pm
I watched on line the live taping. Seemed to start out nervous but then loosened up. Wish they had the complete hour. They are terrific.
February 15, 2018 @ 6:42 pm
This music is pretty obnoxious. It’s the same old folk crap with a fiddle.
February 15, 2018 @ 7:41 pm
Honky,
Off topic, but have you ever heard of a guy named Kevin moon? He has a few albums out. The last one he did a bunch of duets with late 80s, and early 90s singers. I think that he’d be right up your alley. He has a cover of storms of life with daryle singletary which is pretty great.
February 15, 2018 @ 8:40 pm
Yes. I like him.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:07 am
Saw them last night.
Crowd seemed more enthusiastic than the band.
Short set…wasn’t impressed and would not pay for another show unless part of a festival
February 20, 2018 @ 12:02 am
Dennix, I was at that show. First Ave, right? I may have had a few too many overpriced beers while there, but I was part of the enthusiastic crowd and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Not trying to be a dick, but what were you expecting? Evan all wired up like 90’s Garth, flying over the audience with rockets shooting flames out his ass? Not that I don’t appreciate a little stage presence, but aren’t we ultimately there for the songs/music? I’m genuinely just curious what you were expecting. If you’re in MN, I’m sure you’re aware of Cactus Blossoms. They have the same type of “enthusiasm” when they play.
February 21, 2018 @ 11:41 am
Agreed. Same thoughts about people complaining about the ACL performance. Evan is a singer/songwriter, what else should he be doing on stage? I get TT may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but what I saw, was a tight band that plays very well togehter. I’m one who likes to hear real music from real bands, even if they are off key every now and than. It’s a live show/recording, perfection is not what I’m expecting. I’ve seen TT live and was not dissatisfied.
February 16, 2018 @ 1:06 pm
I have Austin City Limits set to record every weekend. This is just a plus.
February 17, 2018 @ 7:45 pm
I watched the live stream when they recorded the show. They did seem nervous, especially Evan. They redid the first three (I think) songs at the end and it was much better. Still not their finest performance. I don’t feel any need to watch it again.
I agree, the Mile 0 show was strong. Seems like a lot of artists brought their A games that week.
February 17, 2018 @ 7:49 pm
Watching it now, they’re amazing.
February 18, 2018 @ 7:56 am
I just watched it. Agree a lot of the comments here. Evan sometimes looks aloof.. Seen them 10 times live and that’s part of the charm. I think it is a little more apparent here because of the new songs. There wasn’t enough time for the old classics that create ‘WOW’ moments when they do their full show. The sequence after the guitar solo in “Before The Devil Knows We’re Dead” is the kind of energy that happens a lot in their normal show. This is a stellar performance and I can’t quite figure out where the comments about pitch are coming from. Fullbright on keys is a bonus!
February 18, 2018 @ 11:54 am
They have a very dense sound.
It might be nice to have some dynamics, maybe some players could back off a bit now and then, ….. but
that’s how they like it so that’s fine…..
I liked this tune a lot.
February 18, 2018 @ 5:00 pm
I haven’t seen TT live but have watched a lot of clips on YouTube and I’ll agree that Evan just seemed off in that ACL. He usually has a lot more energy. I was kind of bummed by that but oh well.
February 18, 2018 @ 7:02 pm
Those spun fiberglass concert drums sounded soooo gooood. Gabe is the glue – really enjoy his playing. I thought the vocals were too low in the mix, and Evan can be as aloof as he wants to be – his songwriting and phrasing more than makes up for any lack of charisma. I think the guy is great at the art of tension & release in performance.
February 18, 2018 @ 8:46 pm
There isn’t an excuse or a pass for singing off key though.