TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS- Bowery Ballroom

Written by Backstage Bruce

      My favorite new song, for summer 2017, is 'Get Drunk, Get High, Get Loud'. I am new to the Turnpike Troubadours party, all that matters is I am there now. 

     By sheer luck, I checked Bowery Ballroom's schedule and saw the Troubadours were playing that night. There was a picture of the band, one of them was holding a banjo, another's holding a fiddle and I knew exactly where I was going to be spending my evening.  

     I researched them and listened to their music before the night's concert, I went right to their website. They are from Oklahoma and have released four albums. Their latest one, The Turnpike Troubadours, charted high in three-different charts: country, indie and folk.

     The band consists of six members. Evan Felker on vocals, guitar, harmonica and banjo, Ryan Engelman on guitar, Gabe Pearson on percussion, RC Edwards on bass guitar, Kyle Nix on the fiddle and their newest addition, Hank Early on accordion and steel guitar. You can listen to both their second album, 'Goodbye Normal Street' and their third album, 'Diamonds & Gasoline' on their website here: Turnpike Troubadours Website

     

    Listen to the first song 'Gin, Smoke and Lies' and you will love them right away. It's a country number in which a couple is having a squabble, she just got back from the bar and he doesn't want to hear it. He smells the gin, the smoke and knows the lies are coming. It's really good.  

    The album is captivating, before you know it you've listened to the entire thing. The second tune 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead' has a fantastic fiddle solo.

     'Call A Spade A Spade' is a beautiful duet with the lovely voice of Jamie Wilson. One track that reached out and grabbed me was 'Wrecked' because I seriously 'laughed out loud', after Evan sang "You wrecked my heart, you wrecked our house, you wrecked my car", you couldn't help but feel "My goodness, what didn't she do to you?" 

    You'll enjoy 'Goodbye Normal Street' so much that you'll want to hear 'Diamonds & Gasoline' next, as I did. Both albums are outstanding, I listened to them repeatedly until it was showtime.

     The Bowery Ballroom has historic landmark status, located downtown, it was built before the crash of 1929. It was converted into a premier music venue in 1998 and holds 600 people. I arrive, meet up with a friend, Jesse Baskin, a budding musician in his own right, who just got there. We walked inside, the staff was very friendly, from the security outside, to the hostess at the podium, to the ticket takers, everyone was very cordial. We get passed through all that, guest list plus one, check, we're in. The place is packed!, completely sold-out.

     The first smiling face I see is Noelle behind the bar. She is a hardcore, NYC, bartender. She has been in the club scene well over a decade from Bar 9, to Bell House and now The Bowery Ballroom. She is so awesome, she has seen it all. Her bar is 10 people deep so we decided to make our way upstairs to another bar. 

    The line wasn't as bad, we got our first beer and sought out a good viewing spot. Still upstairs we made our way over to the VIP area in the balcony. There were about five tables with chairs, behind the tables and chairs is ample standing room with plenty of space. Absolute perfect view of the stage, we're overlooking a sea of cowboy hats and trucker caps.

     We find the perfect spot, the opening performer/ band, Charley Crockett, is on his/their last song. They were stupendous, wished I arrived earlier to see more of them. Intermission comes and goes. The Turnpike Troubadours take the stage and the crowd goes crazy. The backdrop of their set was a cockfight, not an actual cockfight. The six walked on, picked up their instruments and got started, it was really fun. 

    During this first song, a blonde lady sitting a few feet away from me gets up and starts dancing, she is bringing good energy to the VIP balcony area. The next number up was really popular too, everyone knew all the words. The band played most of the song and then stopped to let the crowd sing the entire last stanza acapella. What a great start to the evening.
     

    The band was really tight. They looked great and sounded sensational. Their range was so wide: Country, country rock, blues, Americana, rock, folk, punk, red dirt to anything with a good back beat that the people can dance to. And they did, the Bowery shook. After a few tunes, Evan switched to his acoustic electric guitar. When he switched to his banjo the audience went wild with anticipation, they knew what was coming next. Another favorite the crowd knew every word to 'Gin, Smoke, Lies'.

     Beer refill, I made my way over to the bar and there was a line. I'm patiently waiting when all the sudden another buddy of mine walks by, he is the manager of the place, Kieran. We see each other, hug, he goes behind the bar grabs me a few beers and I am on my way, no waiting. I get back with the beers and Jesse is like "How? How did you get back with beer so fast?"

     At this point the party is full on. Blonde lady next to me is still dancing. She got her man on his feet for a couple of numbers and another couple in the balcony area started dancing too, everyone was grooving.

    Then they played my new favorite 'Get Drunk, Get High, Get Loud'. It is a honky-tonk, rowdy one. "Let's get drunk, get high, get loud" It's upbeat, cheery and easy to sing along to as the chorus repeats a few times. 

     All the musicians got their turn in the spotlight. Everyone left the stage except for Evan. He performed a solo which was incredible. Kyle got his turn. He was positioned stage left all night, during the number 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead' he took center stage and did his big fiddle solo and they loved it! You rarely see that in the big city, so that captivated them. 

     One highlight of the evening was when Ryan did his solo during the new song 'Something To Believe In'. He owned it all; the stage, the music and the audience. His hard-rock guitar playing was second to none, showing the band's range once again. Sometimes playing a new song to an audience can be a bit challenging, but not this time. They loved it!

     Charley Crockett and a few of his band members join onstage for a few numbers to finish the evening off. It was a tremendous, ten-musicians jam! The concert ends, the band leaves the stage and my first thought was I wanted more. Leave them wanting more. 

    I seriously now wanted to get a copy of both the first album 'Bossier City' and the latest album 'The Turnpike Troubadours' plus I want to see these guys live again, it was that much fun.

Hank, Ryan, Evan, RC, Gabe and Kyle- in front of the cockfighting backdrop. 

     The audience starts to file out, we hang back, out of the crowd. It just ended and the first tweet on twitter appears. Coming in from Cole @eloc8 "Best show I've ever seen. Didn't feel like we were in the city anymore."

     We finally start to make our way out, my friend has to use the restroom real quick before we leave. I'm waiting for him when all the sudden blonde lady from VIP balcony walks by. She is waiting for her husband in the restroom. I just started talking to her, I say "I really liked your energy tonight." 

    She just looked at me. I said "Seriously, this is my first time seeing these guys and I noticed you were dancing from the first song, you had great energy." She started laughing. Her name is Kata. Jesse soon joins us, then her husband, Matt. Turns out, they were hard core, committed fans, they drove from Cleveland for this show, for Matt's birthday. They loved them that much. 

     They said they came here with another couple but that other couple left right after the show. We're standing there chatting it up, reliving tonight's experience when all the sudden, Kieran, the manager walked by. I tell him "It's Matt's birthday, they came all the way in from Ohio for this." Next thing we know we're at the bar getting free drinks. Their friends shouldn't have ducked right out. They're missing a New York minute. 

    So now we're all at the bar having a conversation when I see Kyle at the merch table. I asked Matt "Do you have your camera or phone? The fiddle player's standing right over there if you want to get a picture." He asked me, "Can we? Just walk over there and ask for a photo? Do you know him or something?" I was like "Uh, well, uh, not yet, but you know, that'll change, let's go." And we did.

     Kyle was very cordial, we did a group photo and then introduced him to the birthday boy. Matt was in Heaven and as a fan he chatted Kyle's ear off for a few minutes. Here Kata and Matt were on their way out the door, they just had to make a quick pit stop before they hit the streets. Next thing they know, Kata and I meet, our group moves over to the bar, getting drinks, a few minutes later we're hanging with and getting pictures of and with the band, at least one of the members, right now.

     Kata and Matt say their good-byes and depart. We finish up our beer and leave too. I realize we are the very last two people to depart. We closed this place down. The equipment was being wheeled out as we were finally exiting. It was just like the tune 'Morgan Street' "Drink up the night, close down the bars."

     We stepped outside and it was a perfect, first full day of summer evening, clean. I noticed the bus was parked right in front. The band can't roll out of town until all the equipment is packed up. I saw a few of the band members just casually walking around. I see Gabe, Kyle and Hank. It was like an unofficial, after-show, meet and greet, right there on Delancy! I didn't expect it so I was slow with the camera. I did get one final photo with Ryan. And with that it was time to call it a night and 'Quit While I'm Ahead'.