Thrift Store Cowboys take music fans back to the days before country was a white-trash pop star dressed up in sparkly cowboy shirts and boots (no, not Britney Spears, weยre talking about Gretchen Wilson). The sextet hails from Lubbock, the land that produced such legendary stars as Buddy Holly, The Flatlanders and Terry Allen. The track ยBeneath the Shoesย features somber acoustic guitars with Celtic violins for a sound plucked right off 16th Avenue, circa 1950, and tweaked by a young Alan Jackson. Singer/violinist Amanda Shires blends her deep vocals into tracks like ยDirtied Your Kneesย and ยUnderstudy,ย reminding listeners of Emmylou Harris or more recent notables like Neko Case. Thrift Store Cowboyยs sound features banjo, lap and pedal steel and a saw. Houston rockers The Rising open at 8 p.m. Super Happy Fun Land, 2610 Ashland. For information, call 713-880-2100 or visit www.superhappyfunland.com. $7.
Thu., Nov. 8, 8 p.m., 2007
This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2007.