Pure Texas Honky Tonk

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My final Dale Watson show -- my fourth in six days and tenth this year -- was my 29th show of the year. It was special because it was the opening night of a series of "co-headlining" shows featuring Dale and fellow Texas honky tonk singer/songwriter Wayne "the Train" Hancock. Watson and the Lone Stars opened the show, playing for about an hour and 45 minutes. The audience was large and enthusiastic. Hancock's band was in the venue, listening to them (and Dale and the Lone Stars watched Wayne's portion, true mutual respect). Some of the treats were "Birmingham Breakdown" (the only time I'd seen him do it on this swing) and "Ain't Been Right Since I've Been Left." Everyone was appreciative of Watson's performance. Wayne "The Train" Hancock burst on the scene in 1995 with the album Thunderstorms and Neon Signs. His voice, while not exactly like Hank Williams' or even an attempt to be an impersonation of Williams, certainly recalls the legendary country music legend. His song "Juke Joint Jumping" even invokes Williams' name. Hancock does a number of honky tonk classics in his show to augment his own material. His songs last night included "You Nearly Lose Your Mind" (an Ernest Tubb song), "Mind Your Own Business" and "Move It On Over" (Hank Williams), and, with Watson joining him onstage, "If You've Got the Money (I've Got the Time)," a classic Lefty Frizzell song. Hancock would play all night if the venues would let him. Last night he finally ended the show about 12:45 AM, after starting around 10;15 PM. That's the beauty of Wayne "The Train" Hancock: like Dale Watson, he will make certain you leave feeling you have received your money's worth.