Koe Wetzel is all too familiar with his reputation. The hard partying. The late nights. The women. The illicit substances. Wetzel knows that he’s viewed by his legions of fans as a rock star in the truest sense, and he gets that it’s good for business.
He wants more.
“I’m not going to sit here and stay totally sober,” Wetzel said on a recent phone call. “Some people do expect me to go out and drink a full bottle of Jack; they want that Koe that they’re used to, but with everything else, people get older and wiser.”
See, that’s the thing about Wetzel, a true rising star in the country rock game, who is headlining a sold-out show at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Saturday night as the opening date of his worldwide Damn Near Normal Tour. He’s sung of arrests (“February 28, 2016”), relationships gone bad (“Creeps”) and just plain ol’ good times (too many songs to count, but for those uninitiated to Koe, start with “Lubbock” and “Cabo”).
He’s also grown more reflective and introspective with each album since his first proper one – 2016’s Noise Complaint. Wetzel’s newest – 9 Lives, which dropped last week – still features the wild man audiences have come to expect from the small-town Texan (“9 Lives (Black Cat)” and “Twister,” to name a couple).
However, 9 Lives is far more contemplative than Wetzel’s previous material. “High Road” (with Jessie Murph) speaks to being the mature one in a bad romantic pairing. “Damn Near Normal” is Wetzel in self-aware mode; he knows the life he’s living is one lived to the extreme, and he’s a little tired of it. And “Leigh” is basically his own version of “All My Exes Live in Texas.”
“I’m looking for longevity, not to burn out at 35 or 40,” Wetzel said. “I want to do this until I’m old. It’s something I love, and I’m passionate about it. It’s all about balance now. Have fun, read the room, take care of yourself and show people different sides of you. I want the fans to grow with me; that’s my outlook.”
Wetzel’s story is steeped in the country and rock roots from which he came. Born Ropyr Madison Koe Wetzel, he grew up humbly in the small Northeast Texas town of Pittsburgh (population, around 4,000). Mom was a touring country singer, and dad worked in construction. The burly Wetzel played college football at Tarleton State, got hurt and turned to music full time.
He formed a band, self-released an EP and hit the road to find his dream. The road to that dream has included gigs big and small, even a couple of arrests – “February 28, 2016,” one particular date he got popped, is a Taco Bell-inspired homage to one of these run-ins with the law).
Of course, many young musicians have lived the gimmick and not backed it up on stage and in studio. Wetzel is decidedly NOT one of those artists.
Noise Complaint is about as good as proper debuts go (particularly the album cover), particularly since Wetzel (now 32) was only 24 when it was released. The follow-up, Harold Saul High, added some wrinkles to Wetzel’s repertoire, and he was subsequently signed to Columbia records; in a move befitting Wetzel’s sense of humor and don’t-give-a-damn approach, his first major-label release was titled Sellout. The venues got bigger, the crowds more raucous, and Wetzel nearly reached the Billboard Top 10 with 2022’s Hell Paso (9 Lives will almost certainly eclipse that figure).
Now, he’s headlining a world tour in which many of the dates (including Saturday) are already sold out. Oh yeah, Wetzel’s also opening for Morgan Wallen (the biggest star in country music today), when his fellow country renegade headlines AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Friday night.
Not bad for a small town kid who still enjoys a good time but spends his idle time hunting and fishing.
“I knew that I wanted this new record to be more mature and laid back,” Wetzel said. “I wanted this to be who I am as a person, not the party rock star you read and hear about … We went into it with the idea of, ‘let’s show the fans who I am.’”
Wetzel’s maturity is certainly on display with regard to his business acumen. He’s an owner/investor in a number of successful businesses, including a bar/restaurant, Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room. The establishment already has a spot in Fort Worth, and a Houston location is slated to open imminently.
Not that Wetzel is abandoning his outlaw ways entirely. In fact, he’s been taking care of himself of late, knowing full well what awaits on the road.
“We’re about to be doing 4-5 shows a week, so trying to get as much rest as possible, drinking as much water as possible,” Wetzel said. “I know how much alcohol is about to be consumed.”
With age comes maturity, and with maturity comes perspective. The good-natured, fun-loving Wetzel is certainly mapping out what will surely be a long and successful career. He’s also enjoying his good fortune and taking it all in stride.
“I’m still that kid from Pittsburg that grew up without anything, so I’m keeping my head down,” Wetzel said. “I’ve been enjoying the ride, having fun, playing music with my friends, shit like that … I don’t ever want to look back and think about when the best days were; the best days are right now.”
Koe Wetzel on Saturday, July 27 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands. For more information, visit woodlandscenter.org. The show is sold out, but tickets are available on secondhand markets, beginning at $70, plus fees.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
