NEWS UPDATE SEPTEMBER - DAYTROTTER

A truckin' man likely doesn't ask for or need too much. He can't possibly even want all that much. A full tank and maybe a home-cooked meal every other day or so. He goes where he's told to go, drives through nights and days making sure that the load of potatoes or lumber or livestock gets to where it needs to be, when it needs to be there. He's held captive by the cab, with the solid yellow line running along the right side of his tractor trailer and the white dotted line is hugging his right, zipping from in front of him and disappearing into his blind spot quicker than a heartbeat. He's got nothing but rattling metal and humming tires for company. So he pulls out his smokes, opens that mega-bag of beef jerky and pulls that 64-ounce big gulp cup to his lips for another swig of something to keep his ass awake and jittery if need be. Every day's a long day. Every night's a longer night as the scenery goes dark and everything feels even more the same than it does when it all can be seen plainly. They need something to listen to, these truckers do, so they don't have to think about failed marriages, kids they barely see, traffic gridlock, the continuance of a terrible economy and their mostly sedentary, physical well-being that could very well include mostly clogged arteries and a good road stink. Austin legend Dale Watson knows these truckers. He knows all of the highways and interstates that they feel as their extended fingers and legs, their alibis and accomplices. His brother drives his tour bus and both of the Watson boys have the look of two men who have a long line of truckin' blood sliding beneath their hairy arms and through their chests. These men have a romantic relationship with the roads that they follow and help to go to pieces from all of the weight of their shipments and the rumbling pound they forcibly radiate. Watson, the old road dog, makes the kind of country music that's not being made by guys like Big Kenny and John Rich, who have run the Nashville scene for years now and have furthered the bastardization of what that blue-blooded country music of yore used to sound like and stand for. The weariness and the stir crazy zaniness that seems to churn up a perfect storm of oddity and homogeny in truck drivers, who burn the midnight oil and diesel fuel down to the bottom of the barrel while letting the monotony take them on the only kinds of tiny missions that they can make while still getting their jobs done. These are self-serving endeavors that are meant to fulfill some of their basic needs and the highways are dotted with joints that help them meet these needs as easily as possible, with direct exits and plenty of parking. Watson chronicles all of these activities - the hunt for a honky tonk for a nightcap (if possible), the more engrossing hunt for fine looking ladies (or girlie magazines if that's the closest they can get) and something to fill their bellies. He turns these activities into countless different stories - singing of the joys of a truck stop break that yields another Coca-Cola and a tape of Ray Price's golden oldies, which provides him with enough company to keep moving on down the road. It's as if a slice of warm apple pie, some GOOD country and western songs and a short but sweet conversation with a cute, young waitress at the small town greasy spoon will be enough to sustain, enough to warm. Watson takes us on these long hauls so that we don't have to make them ourselves.

NEWS UPDATE JULY - The Doyle and Debby Show
Okay, Lots to talk about so I’ll break this up into today and tomorrow because of timely information. First I have to ask everyone to come to the Spoke tonight and see The Doyle and Debbie Show do a short set at 9pm.  They have a play that is performing at The Long Center for the next 2 weeks and Austin folks you are really lucky to be able to have so many chances to see it. You can Youtube some performances but the whole package is what makes this play so fun. Come out tonight, but if you can’t make sure you catch the play at some point. I left off last weeks update right before we played Boekel and Delft Holland, and Ydre Sweden. I have some pics and some happy accidents to tell you, ...in a couple of days, haha, hope to see yall tonight.

Dale

NEWS UPDATE JULY 2009
Hi y'all,
  Thanks for dropping by! Every week  I plan on giving a small update right here on this opening page of the website. My friend Frank in The Netherlands is still the webmaster and is working on a new design as we speak. Check back at least once a week and see what's cooking and maybe see we're headed to your neck of the woods. Now the update.....

Here I am in Delft , Holland ( my Euro-home away from home) and I'm getting ready to play the Stars and Bars Club on Friday July 3rd. Now folks, the Van Velzens own this place and are like family to me. Frank will be there and you can give him some suggestions in person if you come to this show. If you haven't been to Delft , then you should. It's a great town and the Stars and Bars is a great venue. You'd think you're at a Texas bar with all the great music they play on the jukebox. Johnny Bush, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Bob Wills,...new folks too, like James Intveld, Jesse Dayton, Jake Hooker, and Amber Digby and more. After the Delft show we fly to Ydre, Sweden ( I know , I know,...I can't pronounce it either) for a really big music festival. I've played lot's of places in Sweden, even wrote a song called Gotenberg Train about a ride from Stockholm to Gotenburg , but this will be my first time in Ydre. Then it's back home and of course, we ain't letting the grass grow under our feet. We play the Continental Club  in Austin our first night back home , July 5th.

Okie Dokie, that's the way the updates will go, but with more recaps of what the shows were like the week before. Which , speaking of, Croatia was AWESOME! Here is a link to the national TV spot that they aired on their news show.

Miro and Dubravka ( I sure hope I spelled it right this time) were so magnificent hosts and friends. Thanks again Miro and Beroslav for making the show happen.  Germany,... The Old West Ranch was fun. It really looks like an old western town. Nice folks and general good time. I think my accent made it tough to understand me, but they were mighty kind in applause. Same was true at The Four Corners. Man I always have too much fun there. That's largely due to Bill and his pretty wife being so dang obliging. This time though they had help from the opening band Doggone from England. The band was really good and just plum nice guys. We ended up jammin' and just having a good ol' Texas time right there in the middle of Germany,...with good ol' boys from England , haha. England...Lord knows I need to thank Jean Fish of Jean Fish Tours for putting the show in Liverpool on. It was the highlight of the UK shows. Frank, thank you and your kind family for a great pre-show meal and hospitality. Your home was lovely as is your wife. The london show should not go unmentioned. The Luminairre is a great venue and I hope we go back. It is the ONLY London venue for roots music and I hope Londoners begin supporting the shows there more. I am thankful for the crowd I had and I hope I'm not suggesting or offending them. I only want to pass on the venues difficulties getting Londoners to support these acts. If it doesn't start , the venue will disappear, also the Kings Head pub ( meaning Elvis, that have the coolest shirts!) underneath is it's sister club and has the best jukebox in London. Please drop by and say hi to the folks for me. Big is the bouncer and the owner John turned me on to Coffee Tequila,...I know, but it really did taste good.  Skjak, Norway was so beautiful. The festival is one of the most well done I've seen in Norway. Great classic American cars and great folks. I met some fans I haven't seen in 15 or more years and made lots of new ones. Also got to sing with a guy I've always loved to hear sing Wendal Atkins. If you don't know him, look him up and buy some of his music. You'll thank me for it. Thank you Alf for creating such a fun festival and having us be a part of it. That's about enough for now. I hope not to make these so long from now on. Hope yall like the new Truckin' Sessions 2 album and let the folks you hear playing it on the radio know that you do. Hell, call up one's that ain't and give 'em hell for it!!
Adios Amigos,
Dale

April 3 2009

DALE WATSON "Live" on Sirius XM Satellite Radio's "Willie's Place" on Friday, April 3 at 10PM EST
Launching his new album, The Truckin' Sessions: Volume Two

In celebration of his new album The Truckin' Sessions: Volume Two on Hyena Records, hardcore honky tonker Dale Watson will be honoring the men and women who drive the big rigs with a free "trucker appreciation" concert on Friday, April 3 at the beautiful Night Life Theater at the Willie's Place truckstop in Carl's Corner, Texas.

Sirius XM Satellite Radio will be carrying the entire show live on its "Willie's Place" channel beginning at 10PM EST. There's plenty of truck parking for drivers rollin? through Texas, but if you can't be there in person, tune in for great night of gear grindin', truckin' tunes, along with an exclusive pre-show Dale Watson interview by Dallas Wayne from the Sirius XM studios at Carl's Corner.

The "Willie's Place" channel can be heard on both SIRIUS (channel 64) and XM (channel 13) satellite radios, as well as Direct TV.
 
A portion of proceeds from the CD sales of The Truckin' Sessions: Volume Two during the evening's performance will be donated to the St. Christopher Truckers Development & Relief Fund, a not-for-profit organization that provides financial assistance to professional truck drivers who have medical problems and can not otherwise afford healthcare.

www.sirius.com/williesplace www.dalewatson.com www.hyenarecords.com

For more information, please contact Kevin Calabro at Hyena Records:
718-369-6567 or Kevin@HyenaRecords.com