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A
computer-generated “movie” produced
by digital/video artist Stacey Sotosky flashes
on the
big screen at the Abbey Theater. The patterns pulse
and change in time with the music being
spun by the DJs. Sotosky, who chooses from dozens
of video clips, says no two shows are
alike./Photo by Todd Thompson
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It's not on the level of the Hatfields and the McCoys,
but doesn't it seem as if Colorado and Texas have had
their own little feud going on for years? Truth is, the
feud is more of a one-sided grudge, with residents of
the Centennial State looking down our noses a bit at
our neighbors to the southeast. For their part, Texans
seem to have nothing but love for Colorado. But when
the situation calls for it, Coloradoans have a knack
for selective memory loss, and certain folks have the
ability to suspend the feud/grudge, if only for one night.
A concert by Robert Earl Keen is one of those situations,
and he's in town tonight, Thursday, Sept. 23, to play
the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College. By
our collective reckoning, Keen's played in our town about
six times, although considering the sources, it could
be anywhere between three and 10. We all, however, remember
his last two – and they were vastly different engagements.
Last year, Keen sold out the revamped Abbey Theatre,
playing to 250 avid fans who paid 50 bucks a ticket,
no questions asked. Before that, he played an outdoor
concert at Cascade Village to a crowd of more than a
thousand, who didn't pay a dime. Such diversity is more
than OK with Keen. “We do a different show every night,
so it helps to be in a different venue every so often,
too,” he said.
 That's an understatement. Keen and his band are scheduled
to play about 130 shows this year, in a variety of venues
ranging from bars to ballrooms to stadiums, and even
a concert hall or two. Keen, like many artists, prefers
the audience interaction afforded by smaller venues,
although he says it's hard to argue with the energy (and
revenue) available in larger buildings. In terms of crowd
size, tonight's show is, in Keen's words, “an average
night.”
Hardly so for the estimated 600 or so who will pack
into the Concert Hall to hear Keen's brand of Texas music,
and that's what it is – music. Don't try to pigeonhole
it into any genre (a word that makes Keen cringe), or
you'll get lost somewhere on the road that leads from
country to blues to rock and ends at funk.
Oftentimes, artists' discographies can be tracked by
their touring itinerary. If they're on the road, chances
are it's in advance 4 or in promotion of their latest
compilation. Not so for Keen. His latest release, 2003's “Farm
Fresh Onions” has been out for more than a year, and
a new CD is in the works for release next spring. So
why are we so graced? “This is what we do,” Keen said. “We
put more effort into performing than anything else. We
tour for the purpose of continuing to have a job.”
Job security seems to be no problem for Keen or his
touring mates – regulars Marty Muse, Tom Van Schaik,
Bill Whitbeck and guitarist Rich Brotherton play on Keen's
albums as well as his tours, which is not always the
case with many artists, who often rely on session musicians
to finish up a record. Additionally, Brotherton has now
entered the world of record producing, with “Onions” already
to his credit and the new CD almost completed for release.
But the big news on this tour is the addition of longtime
Bad Livers frontman, Danny Barnes, who will open tonight's
show as well as sit in with the band on some numbers.
He also plays on Keen's upcoming album. For those unfamiliar
with Barnes' work, think “bluegrass-punk,” then stop
thinking and enjoy the show. Barnes has put out several
CDs since leaving the Livers, including last year's critically
acclaimed “Dirt on the Angel.” Tonight's performance
offers a chance to see two men with some of the most
confusing musical styles in the business sharing a stage.
As the fun-loving Keen himself says of Barnes, “He's
fun.”
 Keen's penchant for life in the fast lane is both well-documented
and legendary. A lifetime, literally, on theroad has
certainly produced its share of stories of hard drinkin',
hard lovin' and hard livin'. For now, we'll let those
stories remain in legend. But Keen is not one to shy
away from such tales. As he said, “We've
been a touring band for 20-something years. Things happen.” However,
age, while not necessarily mellowing Keen, has forced
the 48-year-old to look around a little. For example,
of the new and as yet-to-be-named album, Keen said, “When
we started, like always, the idea was to have fun,” he
started, “but as we kept working, it got more of a ‘tackle
monsters' thing.”
Don't worry, this is not a born-again, clean and sober
Keen, just a man becoming more aware, and he said it
will be reflected, but not dominant, in his new music.
As evidence, this tour began with the billing “Wild Shiner
Nights,” the Texas brewery being a longtime sponsor and
touring companion of Keen and his band. Although the
official sponsorship campaign expired last month, Keen
assures that “just because we're not working, doesn't
mean we're not drinking.” Perfect.
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