Asleep At The Wheel Riding High Tour
Sat, Jul 25 @ 7–11pm
Tickets $50.40+
In February of 1974 Asleep at the Wheel made the move from the Bay Area to Austin, Texas. After playing the Armadillo World Headquarters with Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen in 1973 — and receiving encouragement from Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm to relocate — the band settled in and made Austin their home, where they remain 50 years later.
“Austin was and has been everything I could have ever wished for and more,” says Ray Benson, the band’s leader and only original member. “It’s been 55 years for AATW as a band, and 50 of them have been spent in Texas. We are known worldwide for being a Texas band and playing Texas and Western Swing music. It brings us great pride to carry this torch and responsibility. We don’t take it lightly!”
Asleep at the Wheel’s lineup is ever changing — since 1970 the band has had over 100 members come through. What has followed the recent lineup change is a steady dose of touring the world, and now the band’s 32nd record Riding High In Texas, featuring Ian Stewart and Benson as the band’s lead vocalists. This marks AATW’s first new release since their 50th anniversary project Half A Hundred Years in 2021.
The record blends well-known Texas tunes — George Strait’s “All My Exes (Live in Texas),” Guy Clark’s “Texas Cookin’” — with more obscure selections and guest turns from Billy Strings and longtime collaborator Lyle Lovett. “This album is an introduction to the current and future of AATW,” says Benson. “The future for AATW is bright — and we’ll keep on Riding High In Texas!”