Concert Review - Turnpike Troubadours

This is the second in my series of reviews of concerts that I've recently attended.  Please check out my previous review of the George Strait concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Next up...my favorite group of the past 10 years: Turnpike Troubadours!

Headliner: Turnpike Troubadours
Opening Acts: Old 97s and Muscadine Bloodline 

Date: August 19, 2022

Venue: The Factory at the District (Chesterfield, MO)

Set List:

• Every Girl
• 7&7
• The Winding Stair Mountain Blues
• The Bird Hunters
• Good Lord Lorrie
• Easton & Main
• Before the Devil Knows We're Dead
• Pay No Rent
• The Housefire
• A Tornado Warning
• Something to Hold On To
• Gin, Smoke and Lies
• Whole Damn Town
• Kansas City Southern
• Diamonds & Gasoline
• All Your Favorite Bands (Dawes cover)
• Long Hot Summer Day
• 1968
• Morgan Street
• Long Drive Home

Review: This is the fourth time I've seen Turnpike Troubadours and, due to their 2-year hiatus following frontman Evan Felker's issues, the first time I've seen them in more than 4 years.  Every single time, they have delivered an incredible show.  Felker looked healthy and happy and his voice sounded as great as ever.  He seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself, which is a treat in and of itself.  They played a broad array of songs from all four of their albums, but they leaned heaviest (seven songs, almost 1/3 of their set list) on their first album, Diamonds & Gasoline, which is still my sentimental favorite of theirs.  From the opening chorus of "Every Girl" to the final farewell of the appropriately placed closing song of "Long Drive Home," the six-piece band was in sync and the sell-out crowd was in full voice, singing along with every word.  Ryan Engelman's scorching Telecaster lead the way, complimented wonderfully by the superb fiddle work by Kyle Nix.  Special props to multi-instrumentalist MVP Hank Early, who played no fewer than four instruments during the show: steel guitar, banjo, dobro and accordion.  It never ceases to amaze me how a band who has had essentially zero radio exposure can sell-out venues and inspire such a devoted fan base.  But then I remember how great this band in on record and how tremendous they are live and it baffles me that they aren't playing arenas or stadiums instead of medium-sized venues.  Whereas most of the mediocre pop junk that gets played on so-called "country" radio is bland, overly produced, sophomoric garbage, Turnpike Troubadours are real country for intelligent audiophiles who appreciate deep, evocative, storytelling lyrics paired with stellar musicianship.

Old 97s played nearly an hour-long set prior to Turnpike and Rhett Miller's energy and antics on stage were solid.  While they didn't play some of my favorites off their songs - how do you NOT play "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)"?? - they pumped through a solid cross section of their substantial catalog, including a cover of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," which featured bassist Murray Hammond on lead vocals.

Mobile, Alabama-based Muscadine Bloodline took the stage first and gave a worthwhile performance that lasted a little more than 30 minutes.  While I'd never heard of them prior to the show, they impressed me enough to get me to check out some of their songs on Spotify.  The vocal interplay between the co-lead vocalists Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton was great.  High points of their set included "Can't Tell You No" and "Dead on Arrival."  They also played back-to-back Travis Tritt covers ("Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E") which were well received by the still arriving crowd.

Highlights:  It's hard to beat the opening salvo of the first two songs off Diamonds & Gasoline, "Every Girl" and "7&7."  Two of my favorite songs, back-to-back is a pretty incredible way to kick things off.  The back-to-back offerings off A Long Way From Your Heart - "The Housefire" followed by "A Tornado Warning" (my two favorite songs off that album) was another highlight.  Finally, getting to see my first concert at The Factory and getting to enjoy my favorite band in concert with my son was pretty great, too.

Lowlights:  Throughout the show, the steel guitar seemed a little too low in the mix to where it didn't pierce through the rest of the band's sound like it does on record, which was a mild disappointment.  While I enjoyed the new venue - it was very nice and a good place to see a concert - traffic getting out of the parking lot afterwards was a nightmare.

Overall TGR Grade:  A