Over the course of the past few months I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge on country music, not only through my class about country music but through my own personal experiences. Throughout the semester I have watched the movie Walk the Line, went two-stepping at Mercer Street Dance Hall in the good ol’ town of Dripping Springs, and my favorite was seeing the talented Ryan Bingham at Stubbs! All three of these things have changed my outlook on country music in a positive way and here is exactly why:
1.Walk the Line
Around a month ago, I sat down and watched the movie, Walk the Line. This is by far one of my favorite movies, it’s the perfect example of a classic love story. Not only am I a fan of Johnny Cash’s music, I absolutely love Reese Witherspoon. I recently read an article over her about how she only accepts roles that have strong leads, and June Carter is just that. Since the movie, I’ve been hooked on Johnny Cash’s hit, “Get Rhythm”.
2. Two-Stepping at Mercer Street Dance Hall
One random weekend, a friend invited a group of us to go see his step-dad play at this teeny tiny dance hall in the town of Dripping Springs. His step-dad is the guitarist in a band called The Warhorses. This small town Texas band has an EP of five songs, with my favorite one being “Leave Me Alone”. Throughout the night, they played their five songs and the rest of the songs were dedicated to playing cover songs. Songs included artists like Randy Rogers Band, George Strait, and Wade Bowen. This night filled with two-stepping was the perfect getaway, especially because two-stepping is one of my favorite hobbies!
3. Ryan Bingham at Stubbs
On Halloween night, I spent my time seeing one of my favorite artists, Ryan Bingham. This Americana songwriter was a blast to see for the second time in concert! I was fortunate enough to gather some good friends and spend time with them as well as have pretty good spots to enjoy the live music! My favorite song by him is, “The Poet” on his album, Junky Star. He puts on an awesome show because he is naturally a good performer and his authenticity makes him enjoyable to listen to.
Over the semester, I found it actually pretty easy to complete some of the things on the list. I think this is because sometimes we don’t realize how much country music is naturally incorporated into our lives. Seeing Walk The Line was something I enjoyed watching during my free time and I learned a little bit about one of country music’s finest. The last two, two-stepping and seeing a live concert, was also something I thoroughly enjoyed. With all of this, this semester has helped me realize how much I really do enjoy country music and how this class has helped me appreciate the love I have for it.
Kelby I thought this was a great article and it sounds like you have a good connection with country music. I think it’s really cool that you liked the Johnny Cash movie and even went to see Ryan Bingham on Halloween night! I wish I would’ve known about that concert because I would’ve gone to it had I known. Two stepping sounded fun and it was cool because you discovered a new band you might have never heard. Something I’m currently planning is playing more at two stepping places around Austin. I love how you made it seem like crossing all these items off the list wasn’t tedious. Sounds like you had a great semester!