Treaty Oak Revival

One Liner:  Way more Walmart rock than country

Wikipedia Genre:  Country rock, Punk rock (!?!), Southern rock

Home: Odessa, TX

Sunday at 3pm on the Big River Stage.

Thoughts:  As their biggest track kicks off, my immediate reaction (having never heard this before right now) is that the rock and roll tinge is legit in here, and that their lead vocalist has an odd vibrato and nasal pitch that reminds me of the singer from BR5-49.  

The band is originally from Odessa, formed in 2018 as a cover band who got their own chops writing things and released their own debut album in 2021.  Their Wikipedia entry is pretty well nonexistent.  I now know the names of the band members, the names of their albums, and that they opened for Koe Wetzel in 2024.  I had never heard that name before, until recently someone at work was trying to sell four tickets to the San Antonio Rodeo to see Koe (don't know if you say that as David Alan Coe, or like Chloe but without the l?) for $350 a piece.  And they weren't like, on stage and didn't appear to come with a new car.  WTF man.  $1400 to see Not-David-Allan-Koe?  Anyway, I like the band name, even if it has nothing to do with the Treaty Oak here in Austin that some asshole tried to poison a few years back.

I searched for the band to see what else I could find out, and the top suggested "People also ask" thing from Google was "What is the controversy with Treaty Oak Revival?"  Apparently, some people got uptight about the lyrics of a song that says “He takes off his wedding ring, As she’s taking off her top.”  People got mad about whether this was about infidelity or the life of a prostitute.  Which, uh, why do you care?  Why are people so damn weird now?  But also, the damn song is EXTREMELY about a prostitute!  "tryna make a little bit of cash and she'll be your honey in a room, for the money, she's just tryna make it fast."  The last three lines are "you can find her on the corner"!!!  So freaking stupid as hell!  Anyway, the lead singer apparently told a crowd at a live show that the song is about a "hooker wanting a better fuckin' life."  So there you have it - both about infidelity and prostitution.  Hope the dipshits on TikTok are pleased now?  I'm not, I am just angry at how dumb people are.

Two albums - 2021's No Vacancy and 2023's Have a Nice Day.  Their top songs are from the first album, but I don't personally hear a massive difference between the two.  Maybe a little harder edge to the newer album, with a touch more country in the old disc, but they both skew rock.  Top track is "Missed Call," their only track with over 100 million at 110.1 million streams.

After a little while, the rock in this has started to feel a little treacly, just because of how same-ish it is. Making me think of Nickelback with these bitchin' drum fills just pounding it out as they transition from verse to chorus and sing about a slut in a red and black tube top.  That top track from the new album is called "In Between," check out those modern rock drum beatings!  76.8 million streams.

I feel like this is too far into the rock side of things, and its the bad rock that belongs in the sale rack at Walmart.  That being said, I am sitting here bobbing my head with this - I can't deny that it is catchy and pounding in a way that catches me up for a minute.  But if you told me this was a new single from Puddle of Mudd trying to make a comeback, I would not doubt you for a minute,

I'll also note that the articles and notes about them routinely call them "from West Texas."  I just looked at a map to make sure that I would agree with that characterization, and in this instance, I am on board.  I get tired of people claiming West when they're not, but my personal opinion radar will allow Midland/Odessa the West Texas status marker. 

I should love it - I definitely like rock and roll more than country - but this isn't doing it for me.  Like a watered-down level of rock with this fella spitting bile in a southern twang over the top.  I'll probably end up watching it and loving it!