Though the Bacon Brothers hail from Philadelphia, they have an abiding fondness for Texas music. So much so that their latest single, “Ballad Of The Brothers (The Willie Door),” is a Faustian tale set in New Braunfels’ historic Gruene Hall. The brothers will make a swing through Texas later this month, soaking up more atmosphere and local color, with a stop scheduled at the Dosey Doe Big Barn on Sunday, January 21.
Kevin and Michael Bacon have day jobs to keep themselves busy (Kevin is an A-list actor and Michael is an award-winning film composer), but they began a musical partnership years ago that continues to this day. Speaking via Zoom, the brothers are eager to speak up when it comes to musical influences from the Lone Star state.
“Janis Joplin,” Kevin says immediately, quickly adding, “Robert Johnson.”
“Guy Clark is someone that’s probably not that well known,” Michael says, “but in 1972, the day after I got married, my wife and I moved to Nashville, and I was a staff writer at Columbine Music and had a record deal with Monument. And the first two songs that I pitched down there were cut.
“And then I went to the Exit/In for Writers’ Night, and Guy Clark did four songs, and I was ready to turn around and go home. Because you saw somebody who was so in charge of what they were communicating to the audience, and that’s what I always wanted to do. One person on stage with a guitar who’s really knocking people off their seats. He’s one of the ones that really does that for me.”
While Gruene Hall (“Texas’ Oldest Dance Hall”) certainly has a rich history, the Dosey Doe Big Barn is a room with its own unique heritage. It dates from the 1840s and has vibes aplenty. Does the venue make a difference when it comes to the brothers’ performance?
“I would say it makes a huge difference,” Kevin offers. “Obviously, Gruene Hall, packed, standing, hot – that’s a certain thing. Other places? I’ll give you an example. There’s a place we play all the time in D.C. called the Birchmere. A seated listening club that also has great sound and is very focused on artists.”
“And then you’ll end up in some place where they really couldn’t give a shit about the music, the sound system is terrible, the dressing rooms are disgusting. Of course we’re going to do our absolute level best, because that’s just the way we are. We’re very conscientious about putting on a good show and trying to sound the best we can, but there are place where they certainly do make it easier for you.”
“I’m always surprised how the venues do affect what we do,” Michael adds. “We just did the Minnesota State Fair, which was an absolute blast. We had the livestock thing over here, the sheep are over there, the horses. And it was outside, but it was just fantastic. I had thought it was going to be a total disaster, that no one would listen, but it was great.”
Kevin’s entry point for Texas music was in the Big Apple, of all places. “I moved to New York in 1976,” he says, “and pretty much right away I was working at a bar on the upper west side, and there was a juke box. I grew up in Philadelphia, and I really didn’t have any kind of idea about country music. I was really not exposed to it at all. It was something that I only understood peripherally, and only through the folk side of it, not from the country side of it. And there was a waitress there who was from Texas, and she had influenced the music on the jukebox. And there was Waylon [Jennings]. And Willie [Nelson]. And specifically, “Luckenbach, Texas,” that song, was kind of on repeat. And I was like, ‘Wow, this stuff is cool. These guys are cool’. And there was no part of me that had previously thought of it as cool.”
Speaking of which, Waylon or Willie? “You gotta go Willie,” Michael says. “I mean, I love Waylon’s voice because he’s a baritone, and there are very few baritones. I think the one person that I would like to go see in concert would be Willie. The combination of songwriting and performance, and I love his guitar playing.”
“Yeah,” Kevin concurs, “I think I’m gonna say Willie too. His skill and his exploration way across all different kinds of music is kind of remarkable. Nobody plays like him. I don’t know what it is exactly that he does, but it’s so beautiful.”
So do the brothers know Willie? Have they smoked on his bus? “No,” Michael says, “but can you introduce us?”
The Bacon Brothers will perform at the Dosey Doe Big Barn, 25911 Interstate 45 in the Woodlands, at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 21. For more information, call 281-367-3774 or visit DoseyDoeTickets.com. $108-$188. Admission price includes dinner and a show.
For more on the Bacon Brothers, visit BaconBros.com
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
