Country Mike Blog

Boland hits a high note in the Rockies

Mike Sudhalter  |  April 20, 2010

Oklahoma native Jason Boland brought some Red Dirt to Colorado and Wyoming for a live recording

Cheap Bourbon Whiskey. And Pearl Snap Shirts. Those might be two things that will always stay the same, but one thing that doesn't is live recordings by Jason Boland.

Some artists record the same songs live, which would be easy to do considering that live shows consist of many of the same things.

Boland released a live album from world famous, Billy Bob's Texas, in Fort Worth, in 2002, with many of his early hits.

There were no repeat recordings on "High In The Rockies," released today. It's a series of recordings from concerts in Steamboat Springs, Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado; and Laramie, Wyoming.

That album had 10 songs. This one has 19, and there's no "band intros" or the like. Nineteen straight-up songs.

"Hank" is about the way Nashville has changed and how the town wouldn't appreciate Hank Williams Sr. if he showed up on Music Row today. It laments the way country music has changed, and establishes Red Dirt as the rightful heir to the music of Hank Sr. and his peers.

"Comal County Blue," the title of Boland's 2008 album, is about his current locale - between Austin and San Antonio. It's a beautiful place, and Boland paints that picture even though the song is quite melancholy.

Boland deserves credit for picking out good cover songs, Don Williams' "Tulsa Time" and Merle Haggard's "Rainbow Stew."

The album has a true Oklahoma feel to it, even if it's recorded in the mountains. Never is that more apparent than "If I Ever Get Back (To Oklahoma)."

Boland tours nationally, and will be traveling as far north as Foxboro, Mass. (five miles from my hometown and a LONG, LONG way from the heart of Red Dirt Music.

But if anyone can build the popularity of that music in a faraway state, it's Mr. Boland and The Stragglers.