What about Dale Watson?

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 5 Aug 2008 11:07 am

I really think a lot of artist Like Dale W. really dont want to be mainstream arena heroes. If they did they would play that style. Instead they choose to stick to what the like versus being a commercial success. That to me is all the difference. Instead of hitting the wal-mart top 20 they have a different idea of success. Think steak versus big-mac.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 11:26 am

I'm sure down deep they don't want to be mainstream artist!

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 5 Aug 2008 11:51 am

Why is Dale country? He plays damn near 7 nights a week. How many rockers you know do that?
BTW, Ricky has not been with Dale in 4-5 years.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 11:54 am

Thanks Chris

Ricky deserves credit in so many ways!

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 5 Aug 2008 12:07 pm

I can assure you Theresa a LOT of people care more about their art than their sales.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 12:13 pm

I think it goes both ways.
If I don't produce sales in retail business, I'm out of work.

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 5 Aug 2008 12:15 pm

Dales not exactly busking yet. I thinks its great that some people left in America stick to their morals and their taste before they prostitute themselves for a quick buck.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 1:54 pm

You guys throw that prostituting statement out , it get's old!

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 5 Aug 2008 2:04 pm

Why is Dale country? He plays damn near 7 nights a week. How many rockers you know do that?

I know lotsa rockers who play damn near 7 nights a week. I did it through the 90s (rockabilly, blues, surf-punk, roots-rock, plus some other stuff). All it takes is to not be a big mainstream success - then you need to play damn near 7 nights a week.

But I agree with comments that some musical artists DO indeed care AT LEAST as much about playing their music than becoming a mainstream success, and I am very glad there are guys like Dale Watson (and the Derailers, BTW) out there. On another thread, I said I wish there were at least 100 more criss-crossing the country like this - perhaps this type of music would get more traction. Kinda hard to develop a taste for hardcore traditional country music if you don't ever get to see anybody out there doing the real thing in the flesh.

Theresa - no "prostituting" stuff from me. I agree with you - we all have to pay the bills somehow, and most of the time, that entails being of service to other people. It is good to be of service to other people, nothing to be ashamed of.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 5 Aug 2008 2:35 pm

Ron Page wrote:I just never have liked distortion ... Electronic noise.

I seldom play 'clean'. I love distortion. If it weren't for distortion I would have never touched an electric guitar.

Long live rock 'n' roll!

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 5 Aug 2008 2:36 pm

That sounded worse than what I meant,,I didnt mean to be offensive. I was saying that I think its great that people like Dale Watson worry more about their personal likes in music enough to sacrifice a commercial career. I assume a lot of the new country guys like what they sing as well. I do not,, but if there are people who are moved by it then it is good music. Just not my tastes. I, on a MUCH MUCH lesser scale hire myself out to bands for a few dollars here and there. I dont always like the bands, but I need the money, and more importantly, the experience. My favorite thing to do however, is play music that makes me feel good. I wouldnt give that up for anything, and people like Dale who obstinately stick to their guns motivates me to keep playing what I love. So I meant my comments in favor of Dale more than an insult to others who play what they get payed to.

So sorry Theresa or anyone if I offended you.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 5 Aug 2008 3:05 pm

Steve,
I understand what you are saying.
You can't say Toby, Dale, George, Alan, or any new artist doesn't have that same feeling.
I think they all have the same drive to sing and become Big! Just as musicians what the samething! Love of Music!

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 6 Aug 2008 8:10 am

Theresa Galbraith wrote:...I think they all have the same drive to sing and become Big! ...

Dale wrote about this in "Blessed or Damned". Of course he retouched on it in a different manner with "Country, My A$$"

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 6 Aug 2008 10:01 am

Tell em Herb.

Dale would never want to be compared to TOBY.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 6 Aug 2008 10:35 am

Dale does the BEST job on a tearjerker Ballard,also on a swing or shuffle tune,But few tells the REAL truth about this new crap as well as he does in his tunes,COUNTRY MY A^^,PLEASE MR.DJ WOULD YOU PLEASE PLAY A REAL COUNTRY SONG,HELP ME MERLE I'M BREAKING OUT IN A NASHVILLE RASH,OR,WHERE HAVE ALL OUR HEROS GONE.Dale understands exactly what's going on,and has the guts to write and sing about it,Maybe that's why he's ostracised by the Nashwood crowd.DYKBC.

Colm Chomicky · Post by **Colm Chomicky** » 8 Aug 2008 8:24 pm

Well to me Dale is country because you can go see him up-close and personal at your local honky-tonk, rub elbows with the guy, and buy him a shot if you prefer.

Hey, Steve Norman, thanks for posting that link, I posted that video and it was a really fun concert. That evening Dale took a little break but spent the whole break just mingling with the crowd. Poor guy didn't even take a pee for about 3 hrs(and his hollow leg was probably due for an overflow). I could not imagine seeing Dale Watson in a stadium with security having to smuggle him in inside a road case. That just would not be country.

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 8 Aug 2008 11:06 pm

Would any of you guys like Dale if he didn't have a steel player in his band?

Colm Chomicky · Post by **Colm Chomicky** » 9 Aug 2008 6:22 am

Not having a steel would be a band and music with a missing chromosome.

Yeah, I would still like Dale Watson, he is a good singer, songwriter, and has great stage presence. But, you can tell he really likes the steel -- I think it would take a frontal lobotomy for Dale to ever drop the steel -- and then I would have to have a bottle in front of me to listen.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 9 Aug 2008 12:05 pm

who is that steel player?

i do really like the tone of dale's guitar!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 9 Aug 2008 1:15 pm

Ron Page, you got it.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 9 Aug 2008 5:59 pm

Kevin Hatton wrote:Ron Page, you got it.

Yep, Ron nailed it down pretty good. I'm a little bit surprised that Ron does well at the liberal company he works for, given some of his views expressed here. Ron and I got to be "pen pals," of a sort, and Ron, I'm glad you put those golf clubs away!
My point in this thread was simply, that a lot of Dale Watson's onstage behavior and song lyrics would have to change, for him to make it in the "big show." I admire ANY performer who'd rather play what he hears, rather than what the crowd wants. The jazzers, bluegrassers, hard-core country folks, even New Age, which I absolutely despise---Gotta give ALL of 'em a modicum of respect, for playing what they want to. ROBERT RANDOLPH!!!!

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 10 Aug 2008 3:40 pm

Steve, I have to take a tip from Kenny Rogers and "know when to hold 'em". My employer has its forums and I have mine.

I really can't put the clubs up though, not any more, except to grab the remote and watch 2 or 3 golf events at once on TV.

Steve Alcott · Post by **Steve Alcott** » 10 Aug 2008 8:12 pm

Dale may play the raconteur a bit too much sometimes, but when he gets down to playing, it's the real deal; if you don't get it, you just don't get it. Don Pawlak on steel.

Gabriel Stutz · Post by **Gabriel Stutz** » 10 Aug 2008 9:11 pm

To me the big difference between DW and "new" country performers is that Dale doesn't decide what songs to buy/perform based on focus groups and demographically targeted marketing conducted by his PR dept., he writes songs he wants to play. I don't know that that's the case with the majority of "new" country artist, but I'm sure there are exceptions. This doesn't really address the initial question, but I think Dave Mudgett did that already with the clear musicological thread argument.

GPS

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 11 Aug 2008 1:15 am

Dave Biller wrote:now hold on a second! i was on that casino gig (it was in '95 in vegas if we're talking about the same one) if you heard distortion i guarantee it wasn't coming out of OUR amps. HOWEVER, i agree with ya Alvin. i've heard a lot of cool country guitar solos that had distortion.
'who's gonna mow your grass", "don't worry","runnin kind" etc......

to answer the question "why is Dale Watson country?" i don't why, but he IS.

Dave,
I do remember you being on that gig(I was in the other band on the bill that week). I know you guys weren't using any kind of distortion, but had that nice natural amp break up out front. I think you guys were all tuned down a whole step, it sounded great to me.
My point I was trying to make is that Dale is country, no matter what instruments he uses(or doesn't use).