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| Aaron Watson |
Sam Outlaw hails from Los Angeles and flavours his music with
a heady mix of classic country and border twang. His new album ANGELENO has
just had its UK release some six months after taking a bow in the US, giving Sam
plenty of stellar material to share with new listeners on his travels.
Alongside this visit in support of Aaron, Sam is returning to our shores in
April and is turning the heads of promoters and venues more akin to the folk/Americana
side of the genre, often a safe haven for his type of music in these turbulent
times. Immediate impressions of Sam were a striking resemblance to Cale Tyson,
although perhaps a touch smoother in his style, but absolutely equal in the
stunning impact they have both made.
As you would expect the bulk of Sam’s forty-five minute
opening set was comprised of songs from the new album and these possessed the
same appeal as the recorded versions when delivered live with fellow guitarist Danny
Garcia on accompaniment. Even within the constraints of touring acoustically,
the timely whistles enabled perfect memory recollection of the pedal steel
pieces. There was no evidence of any nerves infiltrating a show that was only 24 hours later than a debut one in a country thousands of miles from home. In fact
Sam came across as a confident and assured smooth operator, exercising a sharp
wit to more than adequately fill the momentary gaps between songs. Inevitably
Sam Outlaw will be judged on the evidence of his songs and these carry a
substantial weight.Whether writing from the perspective of a drunk in ‘Jesus Take the Wheel (And Drive Me to a Bar)’
to addressing relationship issues in ‘Keep
it Interesting’, high class songs flowed repeatedly with ‘Ghost Town’, ‘Angeleno’, ‘I’m Not Jealous’, ‘Country
Love Song’, ‘Hole in My Heart’ and ‘Love
Her for a While’ all playing a part in succeeding with that all important
first impression.
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| Sam Outlaw |
The album in question UNDERDOG was heavily featured during
the set, opening with ‘Freight Train’
before multi-peaking with ‘That Look’, ‘Fence
Post’, ‘Wild fire’, ‘Getaway Truck’ and ‘That’s Why God Loves Cowboys’. The growing Aaron Watson fan base in
the UK will no doubt be aware that this is the twelfth album release from the
Texan hailing from the western outpost town of Abilene, famed in many country
songs. Those not too au fait with Aaron would have been a lot more informed by
the end of this gig as he wears both his heart and life on the sleeve. He comes
across as a blessed artist, and negativity was left at the door even when he
touched on the darker moments of his life. Melancholy was not on the agenda as
the abiding memory of Aaron’s debut show in Birmingham, and only the second in
the UK, was of an incredibly positive persona, grateful to all the inspirations
in his life.
Two notable songs off his previous albums to impress were ‘Reckless’, which proved the show closer
subject to a prolonged fun filled finale and ‘July in Cheyenne (Song for Lane’s Momma)’. The latter was written
in tribute to a late rodeo star cut off in his prime and followed a touching
moment where Aaron shared details of his own loss. All these songs had the
backing of Aaron’s excellent band spearheaded by lead guitarist Jason Lerma and
supported by drums and bass rhythm section, (names eluded me).It was a lengthy
wait for fiddle player Damian Green to be let of the leash, but when set free
it was immense.
It has already been stated that Sam is set to return to play
more shows, while Aaron was adamant that this is just the start of a UK venture
without giving further details. What can be concluded from this evening is that
extensive merit can be found in both artists and whatever angle you approach your
country music, either can find their niche in your listening repertoire. One
thing for certain is that Aaron Watson and Sam Outlaw are destined to win over
many more fans on our shores. However the dedicated souls present in Birmingham’s
Glee Club had the privilege of being there at the outset of this exciting
journey.
www.samoutlaw.com
