Wade Bowen & Randy Rogers to Release “Hold My Beer”
That’s right, the long-running legendary Texas country tour, and the long-anticipated album complimenting the collaboration is finally happening. Hold My Beer, a studio record featuring A-list Texas country talent Randy Rogers of The Randy Rogers Band and Wade Bowen trading licks back and forth will be released on April 26th, and some songs have been made available immediately, including an excellent little honky tonk number called “Good Luck With That,” and two acoustic songs recorded live from one of their many road excursions.
For many years, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen have been embarking on self-proclaimed “Hold My Beer And Watch This” acoustic tours, purposefully playing smaller rooms, without their bands, in between bigger tours and festival commitments. It’s a way for the two to stay connected with the music, the people, and the places where they came from when they were just opening acts for the bigger Texas stars. It’s been officially called the “Hold My Beer And Watch This” tour for the last seven years or so, but acoustic tours with the two have been going on even longer than that. The length of the tour depends on availability of the two artists, varying from year to year.
“We met in San Marcos when Wade’s band had a gig in town,” Randy Rogers recalled to The Dallas Observer this summer. “I had a house there and a keg on that particular night, so after the show I invited him and his band over. I hosted these pickin’ parties for a bunch of us to sit around and play some songs for each other. I had just recorded [Rogers’ 2002 debut album] ‘Like it Used to Be,’ and Wade listened to the whole thing that night and we pretty much became great friends from that point. Our bands were also around the same age and the timing was really good for all of us.”
“We both like the idea of showing loyalty to the venues we played when we were getting started and for the people who supported us during that time,” Randy Rogers continues. “Our bands have outgrown the venues we played back then, so this is a great chance for us to play in rooms like Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, where I first started. It helps us to stay grounded and true in that sense.”
Though both The Randy Rogers Band and Wade Bowen are known for blending rock sensibilities into their music, the first “single” from the new album is nothing short of a foot-stomping, steel guitar-drenched hot honky tonk number sure to get your country music juices flowing, while the two acoustic bonus tracks give you a taste of what the “Hold My Beer” live experience is all about.
The album can be pre-ordered on Bandcamp, with an immediate download of the three songs. This long-anticipated collaboration has got to be one of the most sought after releases in Texas country in 2015.
NOTE: Wade Bowen will be performing on Conan Monday, 1/12.
***Pre-Order Hold My Beer on BandCamp
TRACK LIST:
- In The Next Life
- I Had My Hopes Up High
- ‘Til It Does
- Good Luck With That
- It’s Been A Great Afternoon
- I’ve Got Standards
- El Dorado
- Hangin’ Out In Bars
- Lady Bug
- Reasons To Quit
- Lost & Found (Acoustic Bonus)
- Trouble (Acoustic Bonus)
January 12, 2015 @ 4:18 pm
I enjoy both of their music so this is going to be good to listen to, and so far, about halfway into Good Luck With That, I like what I am hearing! Nice to see TX country acts getting so recognition on here! Like always, keep up the good work!
January 13, 2015 @ 12:46 pm
I hope it doesn’t come across like I ignore Texas country acts here most of the time. I think I do a fair job covering a lot of the big and important releases, and a lot of the smaller acts as well. I wrote dozens of articles about Texas country acts in 2014. Unlike a lot of the outlets that cover Texas country, I also cover other stuff, which has kept me sort of on the outside looking in when it comes to the Texas country cool crowd. But I try to do my part, and look to hopefully covering more Texas country in the future.
January 14, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
Sorry I just saw the reply, and I feel you had a good assortment of Texas Country acts. I have discovered many great musicians due to this site, it is nice to come to a place where there are several other people that share a common interest of keeping real country music alive! The best part about this site, you can read about Jackson Taylor to Luke Bell to Jason Boland to JP Harris.
February 24, 2015 @ 8:25 pm
I second that… If it wasn’t for this site with not just your contributions, but the comments here also, I would not have been introduced to so many of my favorite artists that i know follow and i realize that people do still make real country music somewhere! Thanks to all of you! As far as Texas country, since I don’t live in Texas I was actually introduced to the Texas/Red Dirt scene by this site. Some of the artists I really like while others I’m trying to warm up to but haven’t yet.
January 12, 2015 @ 4:40 pm
Good stuff right there!
January 12, 2015 @ 5:13 pm
Going to see Randy Rogers tonight in Seattle!! Been looking forward to this for months
January 12, 2015 @ 5:39 pm
I love this sound. I’ve been wanting music like this for a long long time
January 12, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
Been waiting for this one! Can’t wait!
January 12, 2015 @ 9:36 pm
Good Luck with That: Dare I say it, it’s very reminiscent of the tail end of the 80’s borderline Class of 89 even but it works out well
January 12, 2015 @ 10:30 pm
I agree with Taylor. It is nice to see some Texas acts getting some love here.
These guys have been making great music for some time now and have built up quite a regional following. If the rest of the album is as good as these tracks it’s bound to be a good one.
January 13, 2015 @ 5:25 pm
This is my most anticipated album this year. It’s my favorite show of the year as well. The ” Hold my Beer and Watch This ” tour every year is predominantly in the heart of texas but the last three years they have added a show each summer for it in Little Rock, which is the closest drive for me. So every summer we drive around 300 miles to see this show. It completely never disappoints. Will continue to keep goin every year too. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise 😂
January 14, 2015 @ 10:59 am
I have been going to this show since it first started. Its nice to see artist that appreciate where they came from and make it a point to keep playing the venues that gave them their start, even if its an acoustic tour. This is really what TX music is about, country music or not. Musicians that appreciate the freedom to express themselves and have venues that allow them to play and give that that shot. Living in Austin, I’m seeing more and more great venues being forced to close their doors due to city growth. Cheatham Street Warehouse is such a special place for TX music and its great that you can still go there and have acts like Randy and Wade still play but at the same time, giving new guys a place to play. I was even told George Strait made it a point to say his thanks to Cheatham Street on his last tour. I highly recommend this tour to those of you who have not been to it and I can’t wait for this CD to come out.
January 14, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
Never heard of them until now…not bad!