Country Mike Blog

Texas To Me

Mike Sudhalter  |  August 25, 2008

Listening to Texas Music isn't the same as being here. I discovered that Saturday night as soon as I walked into the Firehouse Saloon in Houston and heard Granger Smith playing his songs.

The crowd at Texas Country shows is so eclectic, you've got everyone from preppies to cowboys and everything in between. When Charlie Robison took the stage, everyone was singing along to all of the songs.

It was also the first time that two of the three acts performing covered "Joker" by Steve Miller Band. Robison did it as a lead-in to his signature song, "My Hometown," which he performed during the encore.

I turned the person next to me and was like, "Gee, I wonder what he's going to sing." The best part was a few of the people near me made 'thumbs down' signs when Robison mentioned the line, "I'll see you in Dallas."

Just about everyone in Houston despises Dallas and vice versa.

"My Hometown" was the only Robison song I knew going in, but I really enjoyed his other stuff. The lyrics of "My Hometown" kind of stopped me in my tracks. When he was talking about telling his friends about the year he had and how they loved to listen to it.

I don't know that I've had a year like that yet. What about y'all? Texans are known for telling stories, and I got to listen to several from a few transplanted West Texans. I wish I had one awesome year, of which my friends would sit attentively and listen to all the details of it.

Living in Texas is the best experience of all. To quote Randy Archer, "there's people out there who believe our music is a must." I couldn't agree more, with regards to Texas Music.