maroon barchetta said:

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DannyDuberstein said:

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SidsBurnerAccount said:

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Southlake said:

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Used to watch him at A&M back in the day and he could be a real turd.

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I negotiated a contract for a client to have him play a private event. His list of even day/odd days requirements was pretty detailed. It's straight out of an entitled musician joke.

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Can you elaborate more on this? He literally had a list of random requirements that were dependent on the day being even or odd?

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No brown M&M's?

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I pulled the contract from my server to refresh my memory. Each date list had different types of drinks (red bull, beer, waters, milk, etc.) and different foods and snack, plus cigs, batteries, cups.

The fruit on odd numbered dates was bananas, even dates..."crisp" apples.
Specific brands of "fresh, brewed sweet tea" ("Red Diamond or Milo's....look in the refrigerated section")
Specific brands of cigarettes.
"Local salsa"..."if none available, Pace"
Half the beer had to be iced down, half left in container to be taken to the bus.
Almond Joy "mini or fun size"

Each date had 20+ different items with instructions.

It's detailed but doesn't seem outrageous. I mean, I think it's standard protocol for the venue to provide things like that and most artists provide a detailed list. That actually seems pretty laid back the more I think about it.

I was thinking the same thing. The odd/even thing seems strange at first blush but I imagine that was the easiest way to not have exactly the same thing every night.

Don't know how true it is, but I've heard these really specific demands aren't really about that. It's a test to see if the venues exhibit attention to the details. The thought goes, if the venue cuts corners on that, they're probably cutting corners on other things too and that could lead to anything from terrible sound to someone getting hurt.

Edit to add this article explaining the Van Halen brown m&m's.

https://www.thewrap.com/van-halen-brown-mms-remove-concert-rider/amp/

I love the song "Corpus Christi Bay". That song takes me someplace special. "Dreadful Selfish Crime" feels autobiographical at times. I listen to "Amarillo Windmill" every time I drive through the panhandle. I really enjoy and connect with a lot of his songs. I'd like to keep on gushing about how great he is.

But I've seen him live. One time, I don't recall. I did my best to live the life of a character in one of his songs. I partied balls out that night. Literally, I think. I remember thinking i really enjoyed it.

The other two times were MAJOR disappointments. They were at larger venues, and one was during his "minimalist" period with him and maybe two other guys on stage. That was at the rodeo at NRG stadium. He put the crowd to sleep faster than something that would put a large crowd to sleep very quickly. I can't think of a good metaphor.

The other time, he was part of a package with two other performers, and he just paled in comparison. It was what would be considered a good REK show, but if it was a competition, he got his ass kicked.

I'd say the best way to "see" Robert Earl Keen is to wait until Aggie Football Season, then put on a CD on your favorite backyard jambox from 1997, pour your drink of choice, invite a few Aggie buddies over to the backyard, light the grill, and jam. That's when he sounds the best.

Philo B 93 said:

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I love the song "Corpus Christi Bay". That song takes me someplace special. "Dreadful Selfish Crime" feels autobiographical at times. I listen to "Amarillo Windmill" every time I drive through the panhandle. I really enjoy and connect with a lot of his songs. I'd like to keep on gushing about how great he is.

But I've seen him live. One time, I don't recall. I did my best to live the life of a character in one of his songs. I partied balls out that night. Literally, I think. I remember thinking i really enjoyed it.

The other two times were MAJOR disappointments. They were at larger venues, and one was during his "minimalist" period with him and maybe two other guys on stage. That was at the rodeo at NRG stadium. He put the crowd to sleep faster than something that would put a large crowd to sleep very quickly. I can't think of a good metaphor.

The other time, he was part of a package with two other performers, and he just paled in comparison. It was what would be considered a good REK show, but if it was a competition, he got his ass kicked.

I'd say the best way to "see" Robert Earl Keen is to wait until Aggie Football Season, then put on a CD on your favorite backyard jambox from 1997, pour your drink of choice, invite a few Aggie buddies over to the backyard, light the grill, and jam. That's when he sounds the best.

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Amarillo Windmill is Great Divide. REK is Amarillo Highway

"2 day red dirt festival"

*auto mechanic voice* Now see, here's your problem right here.

TXAG 05 said:

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Philo B 93 said:

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I love the song "Corpus Christi Bay". That song takes me someplace special. "Dreadful Selfish Crime" feels autobiographical at times. I listen to "Amarillo Windmill" every time I drive through the panhandle. I really enjoy and connect with a lot of his songs. I'd like to keep on gushing about how great he is.

But I've seen him live. One time, I don't recall. I did my best to live the life of a character in one of his songs. I partied balls out that night. Literally, I think. I remember thinking i really enjoyed it.

The other two times were MAJOR disappointments. They were at larger venues, and one was during his "minimalist" period with him and maybe two other guys on stage. That was at the rodeo at NRG stadium. He put the crowd to sleep faster than something that would put a large crowd to sleep very quickly. I can't think of a good metaphor.

The other time, he was part of a package with two other performers, and he just paled in comparison. It was what would be considered a good REK show, but if it was a competition, he got his ass kicked.

I'd say the best way to "see" Robert Earl Keen is to wait until Aggie Football Season, then put on a CD on your favorite backyard jambox from 1997, pour your drink of choice, invite a few Aggie buddies over to the backyard, light the grill, and jam. That's when he sounds the best.

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Amarillo Windmill is Great Divide. Terry Allen is Amarillo Highway

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FIFY

Quote:

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Local salsa"..."if none available, Pace"

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Most egregious thing about those demands .

REK is easily one of the most overrated Texas Country musicians ever. Gary P Nunn is up there with him and I don't care if that's offensive. The biggest overrated of all time is Koe Wetzel. Straight TRASH!

theeyetest said:

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REK is easily one of the most overrated Texas Country musicians ever. Gary P Nunn is up there with him and I don't care if that's offensive. The biggest overrated of all time is Koe Wetzel. Straight TRASH!

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You can't listen to No. 2 Live Dinner and possibly think that.

Sure, it was 20+ years ago, but that was some awesome stuff. Not to mention Walking Distance, which I thought would lead to much more mainstream success for him.

I would give the guy a break man. I think his health issues are pretty well known. In my opinion he realizes it's time to hang things up and I have no problem with him doing a farewell tour. I'm sorry your experiences weren't the best. Being from Kerrville everyone thinks they know what's going on, although I doubt anyone does. I would still cut the guy some slack. I myself would really like to be at Floores for one of those last few shows. I know people dog Eric Church, but I bet that's an awesome night of fun out there.

theeyetest said:

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REK is easily one of the most overrated Texas Country musicians ever. Gary P Nunn is up there with him and I don't care if that's offensive. The biggest overrated of all time is Koe Wetzel. Straight TRASH!

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You're all over the place here, man. REK is a Texas music legend, as is Gary P. Nunn. REK pushed the envelope on songwriting and artistry in a way GPN just wasn't cut out for. Gary P. Nunn is just as great a songwriter and is a great performer, but his music is just much more mundane (I mean that in as positive a way as I can as a lifelong fan).

Koe Wetzel? How on earth is he even part of a conversation about Gary P. Nunn and Robert Earl Keen? You lost all credibility even brnn in hung him into the discussion.

Ghost of Bizbee said:

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kerrag06 said:

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I would give the guy a break man. I think his health issues are pretty well known. In my opinion he realizes it's time to hang things up and I have no problem with him doing a farewell tour. I'm sorry your experiences weren't the best. Being from Kerrville everyone thinks they know what's going on, although I doubt anyone does. I would still cut the guy some slack. I myself would really like to be at Floores for one of those last few shows. I know people dog Eric Church, but I bet that's an awesome night of fun out there.

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The guy is a multimillionaire

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That's what happens when you're a great artist performing for 40 years.

I'll be there on the 2nd, but sounds like we were lucky to see him a few years back with Lyle, opening for George Strait in Vegas. They played for an hour and George for 2. I would have been very pleased to flip that stage time.

theeyetest said:

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REK is easily one of the most overrated Texas Country musicians ever. Gary P Nunn is up there with him and I don't care if that's offensive. The biggest overrated of all time is Koe Wetzel. Straight TRASH!

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Koe Wetzel would have to actually be rated to be overrated. Since almost no one has heard of him he really can't be overrated. And you are embarrassingly wrong on REK and GPN.

Yeah, even when you're insulting all three...including Koe Wetzel in the same category as REK and Gary P. is laughable

Haven't seen REK in probably 8 years or so, but every show I saw was solid.

Love him as a songwriter. He has an economy of words that few can compete with. It's crazy what a vivid story he can tell in 3 minutes. In addition to the obvious Road Goes on Forever, I'm thinking about Shades of Grey, Jesse with the Long Hair, etc. Great storytelling.

Koe freaking rocks. Yall are lame old stuffed shirts.