Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen
713 Music Hall
May 27, 2025
Mama left me, I was young
Daddy left me, too damn young
It’s understandable that some people thought Ryan Bingham was playing a part when he hit the scene with songs like “Sunrise” and “Southside of Heaven” Singing I’ve been lost on them back roads / So many times, I’ve gone blind like Tom Waits on a bourbon jag at the age of 26 naturally raised a few eyebrows.
But Bingham lived one hell of a life before hitting it big(-ish), working the rodeo circuit and busking in clubs while sleeping on friends’ couches or the bed of his pickup. At least, it was authentic enough that Texas music legends Terry Allen and Joe Ely* took him under their wing.
The former bull rider/current Texas troubadour is also an Oscar and Grammy winner (co-writing “The Weary Kind” with T Bone Burnett for 2009’s Crazy Heart), none of which appears to have gone to his head.
Westfield High’s own returned to Houston last night, joined by the Texas Gentlemen. The Gentlemen include two crowd favorites: sax player Jeff Dazey (been a minute since I’ve seen a live saxophone solo) and legendary Lubbock fiddler Richard Bowden, who capered in such a way I genuinely feared for his safety.
Bingham was relaxed, promising that the band would “play all night long” (or at least until the mandated curfew), which isn’t a coincidence, as this is The All Night Tour, which drew on Bingham’s repertoire. It also gave him an opportunity to shill for his whiskey, Bingham’s Bourbon, which happens to be the tour’s sponsor.
Going by the crowd, a not insignificant number of people were also there because they were fans of the show Yellowstone. Bingham played “Walker,” an itinerant cowboy employed at the Yellowstone Ranch. Perhaps recognizing that show’s popularity, he performed a number of his songs that appeared in the show.
He also brought out singer/songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson to perform “Letters on the Marquee,” about an aspiring singer who can’t get no respect. It’s very Bingham-esque.
Speaking of that, Bingham also introduced a new song, “Americana.” Usually when an artist tries out an unknown tune, people hit the bar/bathroom, but it was a hit. References to national favorites like Marlboro Lights, “marijuana gummy bears,” and psilocybin probably didn’t hurt.
With the American Music Awards airing a couple days ago, you can be forgiven for thinking Bingham might be deliberately trying to derail potential mainstream success. Certainly, ending a song with “we don’t give two fucks” guarantees exactly zero plays on country radio. Meanwhile, a certain Auto-Tuned chair thrower occupies over half the slots in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100.
Bingham’s extended blues jam “Bluebird” came near the end of two planned sets last night, split by a 30-minute intermission, and it’s at this point I have to tell you that I didn’t see the second set. As a parent, situations occasionally arise that demand my immediate attention, and last night was one of those occasions.
No one was hurt/incarcerated, just so you know.
Bingham’s career has been interesting to follow. He’s talented as hell, and savvy enough about his internet/social media presence, especially when compared to other, more terminally online artists. Listening to him as I have for the last decade or so, I’m curious to see what he does next, and deeply regret not being able to catch the whole show. Next time for sure.
*Bingham opened for Ely at Fitzgerald’s in 2008.
Personal Bias: I sat through Yellowstone just to see if Bingham would sing.
The Crowd: You shall know them by the trail of Yellowstone hats.
Overheard In The Crowd: Too much. I also regret leaving early because we’d found a spot where no one around us was talking.
Random Notebook Dump: “Bowden would fit right in at Bilbo’s birthday party in Fellowship of the Ring.”
