Asleep at the Wheel

The classic torchbearer of the Bob Wills style and Texas western swing.  These dudes have been around since dinosaurs roamed the hill country, and I think they might have played every single ACL Fest ever.  Luckily for you and me, Spotify has "Live at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2006: Asleep at the Wheel" (Listen Here) available so that you can just jam them at home and clear your schedule for the otherwise busy Friday at 11 am time slot.

On one hand, these dudes do this sound better than just about anybody around.  Maybe Dale Watson, but he's more rockabilly than western swing.  These guys are the gold standard today.  Their uncomfortably gigantic lead singer, Ray Benson, is an Austin fixture and has a great, humorous touch to keep this music alive and fun.  They've collected nine Grammy awards (although they might be the only candidate in the Best Western Swing Album Sung By a 6'7" Behemoth category) and have charted more than 20 singles in the Billboard country charts.  All very impressive.

However, I have listened to about 3 hours of their music today, and I'm 90% sure they just have 6 songs (House of Blue Lights, Choo Choo Ch-boogie, Hot Rod Lincoln, Route 66, Miles and Miles of Texas, and The Letter Johnny Walker Read) that they play on every single album.  It's going to make me insane.  Each song is a toe-tappin' little boogie, to which I should be wagging my finger in the air while shimmying around my office.  Instead, I am sleepy.

Check out gramps Mcgee in the first few seconds of that video.  This is what happens if you listen to these dudes all day.  Your ginormous silver beard grows at an alarmingly rapid rate and you end up only able to golf clap your favorite song of all time. 

All of that being said, if they were playing some place where I could two step with my woman and a cold longneck, I'd probably sign up right now.  Also, I must note that they had a song called Don't Go There which is about Ozzy Osborne whizzing on the Alamo, which is a damn funny little ditty.  Wonderful treasure of a band, don't plan on seeing them play.