Somewhere along the line, someone decided that Country music should be defined by big hats and arena pyrotechnics and a 12-piece band and a light show. That may be entertainment with a hillbilly chaser but it ain’t Country, Bubba. If you’re looking for honest to God Country music the way it was intended to be, find yourself a honky tonk marquee with the words “Dale Watson Tonight” emblazoned upon it, get in front of that stage, strap yourself in and get ready for a hootenanny of epic proportions.
Watson doesn’t hide his disdain for the current state of Country. Watson is so convinced of the genre’s demise that he’s coined a new term for the kind of music he presents, calling it Ameripolitan, a blend of rootsy, electrified Americana and Countrypolitan, the ’60s designation for Country music that was polished and poppy yet still adhered to Country’s basic qualities.
Watson’s latest album is the second volume of his Truckin’ Sessions series where he pays tribute to the 18-wheel gladiators of the highway with a set of original bangin’ and twagin’ songs, and it’s Country music as pure as moonshine, as authentic as Hank Williams‘ drawl and as bankable as the world currency that Watson has glued to his Tompkins guitar.
The “savior of traditional Country music,” plays the Southgate House with Chris Scruggs and Straw Boss. Get Sound Advice here.
This article appears in May 13-19, 2009.