Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis - The Broken Spoke - July 11, 2015

I've been a fan of Bruce Robison since his second album was released just after I got out of college. The Americana radio station in Dallas, KHYI, kept his song "Wrapped" om heavy rotation for a while, and it ended up becoming about the closest thing that my girlfriend-now-wife had to a "song." 

Which is kind of funny, since the song is actually about trying to get rid of a chick, but then when she comes back around you just can't help yourself and you are stuck back in her clutches all over again. "Thought I was doing fine, 'bout to get you off my mind, I see your face and then I'm wrapped around your pretty little finger again."  Anyway, still love the song.  It was later covered by King George Strait and turned into a number 1 country hit. Robison also wrote the Dixie Chick's hit "Travellin' Soldier" and the Faith Hill/Tim McGraw hit "Angry All the Time," which is amazing when Bruce and Kelly do it.

His wife, Kelly Willis, was a Nashville darling for all of hot minute, left her big fancy label, and I found out about her with What I Deserve (1999), which is a hell of a good album of country/alt-country tunes.  It also features "Wrapped," but the bigger hits were "What I Deserve" or "Fading Fast."  Here is "Not Forgotten You"

Her voice is so great.  A little twang, but still strong and real and not kitschy at all.  After a couple other solo albums, she and Bruce started making their albums together, and they have been fun music.

Even better was their fun music at the Broken Spoke.  The Spoke itself hasn't changed discernibly since my high school days.  Maybe some things inside of there are different, but the floor is still crap, the tables and chairs are still a million years old, and the ceiling tiles look like a advertisement for black mold.  We walked in to the joint in time to see then giving country dancing lessons, from a hilariously acerbic instructor, but it wasn't long before Bruce took the stage.  He is gigantic - I introduced myself to him one time after a show at Gruene Hall and he towered over me - and so he really didn't fit on the stage at the Spoke.  He played a handful of tunes with his band, then Kelly came out to join him.  They did a great job of playing classic covers, their solo originals, and their duo tunes.  Really well done show.  And on top of that fun, the Spoke wasn't very crowded at all, so we got great seats just to the side of the stage and then were able to dance around on the dance floor right in front of the band.  I mean, arms-length away as I'm shuffling along with the wife.  Pretty excellent night.