By Darryl Smyers, Special Contributor
Taking on two sold out shows Sunday at the Kessler Theater, Texas legends Asleep at the Wheel performed with the spirit of a teenage punk band.
Led by the 64-year-old Ray Benson (who formed the band back in 1970), Asleep at the Wheel has become the prime purveyor of the music of Bob Wills. Wills' mixture of hillbilly music and jazz was dubbed Western swing around 1940 and continues to be influential to this day.
In Benson's capable hands, Western swing continues to show an edge missing from much of contemporary country.
"They don't play country music on the radio anymore," Benson said Sunday afternoon just before the band launched into Waylon Jennings' "It Ain't You." Benson's pithy comments concerning the state of the music industry and his own battles with modern technology thrilled the packed house.
Starting off the early matinee show with "Cherokee Maiden," Benson and crew performed many Western swing standards (most written by Wills). But while Benson does not aggressively modernize any of these songs, he does update the intensity via energy and modern instrumentation.
Songs like "Miles and Miles of Texas," "San Antonio Rose" and "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" never sounded like they were being blandly played by some tribute act. Instead, this 8-piece version of Asleep at the Wheel experimented with each song's tone and texture. The two ace fiddle players soloed with an abandon that would have been out of place in Wills' day.
Benson has invested these solid tunes with a rock 'n' roll spirit that ensures his genre's vitality for years to come.
While Benson's baritone is still in good shape, it was nicely counterbalanced by the younger voices of fiddle player Katie Holmes and keyboardist Emily Gimble. On the heartbreaking "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," Holmes' sweet tenor was a fine change of pace.
Asleep at the Wheel is definitely Benson's show, though. His dry wit and interesting stories kept the crowd engaged even when there wasn't music playing. Benson talked about the who's who of country legends that he has performed with, folks like George Strait, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. In many ways, Benson is a keeper of the flame of not only Western swing, but traditional country as well.
By the time Asleep at the Wheel got around to "Hot Rod Lincoln," "Happy Trails" and "Texas Playboy Theme" on Sunday, the Kessler Theater was filled with good vibes and great music. The crowd of 40, 50 and 60-somethings were humming along and tapping their feet, thrilled by music written many decades ago.
It's a tribute to Benson and his amazing band that he can keep such music sounding vital and fresh. Indeed, as long as Benson is leading the way, Western swing will continue to have a dignified and appropriate place in the musical spectrum.
More photos from the show
