Between his home in Marshall, Texas, his weekly gig in Austin’s Continental Club, running his Ameripolitan Music Awards, owning and operating the historic Hernando’s Hide-A-Way in Memphis along with his Memphis recording studio Wat-Sun Studio and Graceland-themed Airbnb, Dale Watson is always on the go.
This weekend he will return to Houston for a very special occasion, to celebrate the official grand re-opening of the recently remodeled and upgraded Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge.
Watson and His Lonestars will perform on Saturday, May 31 at the Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge. The venue is connected to The Continental Club and has been closed since the beginning of this year for remodeling. Thankfully the fun, quirky and circus-themed bar did not lose any of its charm or character but did gain a larger stage and dance area.
Watson was on hand to open the Continental Club when it first opened in 2000 and is excited to come back and play the smaller room for Houstonians and celebrate his long running friendship with the Continental Club, who will celebrate their big anniversary later this summer.
“The venues, the bands and the live music thing that comes with roots music, it’s a very cliquish thing. You gotta know where to go and that’s why at Hernando’s we’ve made it our place to go in Memphis for roots music and the Continental and Big Top has always been that in Houston,” says Watson who still remembers what that area looked like 25 years ago.
For roots music fans and musicians, it can feel like the options for venues and artists that embody the authenticity of the sound are fading away, but luckily artists like Watson are keeping the tradition alive.
“That’s why I started Ameripolitan too,” says Watson of his award ceremony which took a break in 2025 but plans on returning next year in conjunction with the Lonestar Round Up in Austin.
“Western swing, rockabilly and outlaw, we want to keep that stuff alive and we give awards not just to the bands and singers but to venues and festivals too because venues and festivals are an important part of the thing that keeps the music alive.”
Watson knows real roots music, not only does it run in his blood but he’s basically been at the game of writing and performing his songs since he was a preteen.
“I grew up with it, you know,” says Watson of the unmistakable feelings and sounds associated with roots and classic country music and fully embodied in his deep, crooning voice. “I grew up in Pasadena. My dad was a singer and all the musicians that I was around, it’s a part of me,” he says, laughing.
Watson fondly describes the kinship within the genre and the support he received from the music community from the early stages of his career leading him to meet legends like Johnny Cash and George Jones.
Watson and his team, which includes his wife and fellow singer Celine Lee, see the Ameripolitan Awards as a way to continue this network of support for one another.
“We discover the young people out there putting out some great music and that’s why we want to showcase them and show that the roots are still out there, the honky tonk people are still out there, the Western swing and rockabilly fans are out there. We’ve got a lot of great bands and young people that are still keeping it alive but we need the venues and festivals and fans to support it.”
Watson counts on his fans and touring bands to keep him in the loop as music fans nominate candidates for the Ameripolitan awards and people are frequently reaching out to Watson through his coaching calls services and online show.
“That’s what I think is probably what keeps the authenticity of it. It’s the fans that nominate the bands so there’s one degree of connection,” he says.
During his time in Houston, Watson will also be joining in on the celebration earlier on Saturday for Houstonian and World World II veteran C.P. Buck Sloan. Sloan is turning 101 and a parade and party will be held in his honor. Sloan and his wife continue to perform every Saturday with his band for their weekly Buckshot Jamboree.
Watson recalls seeing him ages ago and it being the first time he saw anyone play an electric mandolin. “There was nothing like it,” he says of being in the audience for these kinds of shows.
“It was eye opening. It’s like being a road scholar. I can’t believe I’m actually sitting there being taught how to play this stuff and getting to listen to it. It’s an art man, playing like that,” he says, discussing how no matter how much someone studies music theory, there is no substitute for soul.
Recently Watson explored this concept using artificial intelligence to re-work some of his now classic Watson sounding songs into big band, Frank Sinatra style tracks with his release of Dale Watson’s Swang Thang With Twang Vol. 1. Watson is also planning the release of his newest album Willie, Waylon and Whiskey for later this year.
“I’m pretty tech savvy but I had to really work at it to get the right version,” he says of his recent release. “I’m really happy with it and I enjoy listening to it. As a songwriter, I get to hear somebody that I idolized forever, Frank Sinatra and get to hear him sing my songs in that type of style, it’s really crazy. I like doing weird stuff like that”
Dale Watson & His Lonestars will perform on Saturday, May 31 at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge, 3714 Main, 9 p.m, $20-40.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
