Dale Watson Show, KCMO

[Kenny Burford]

Just got home from seeing the Dale Watson show at Knuckle Heads, in KCMO. Great show and the crowd couldn't get enough of Watson and the band. Proof that country music is alive and well in the hearts of listeners, just dead in Ivory Halls of Nashville. However, I blame so-called country music radio more than even the Suits in Nashville.

[Jack Stoner]

Obviously the "going back to driving truck" didn't last long for him, as reported a couple of months ago on the forum.

[Ricky Davis]

Jack; the leave from Music for Dale starts the first of the year.
Ricky

[Jack Stoner]

Ricky, I wish Dale well in whatever endeavor he does. But, as many of us have found out once it's in your blood we all go back to it...

[Colm Chomicky]

Myself, Kenny Burford, and Tom Anderson met up at Knucklesheads to catch the Dale Watson. Don Pawlak on steel is a very animated player and his facial expressions while playing are quite a hoot. Don was playing his Blonde Sho~Bud Super Pro through the Webb amp and sure had great tone. Dale's set lasted over 2 hrs with no break (those guys must have cast iron kidneys). I think Don might have played with his teeth but my view was temporarily blocked at that moment. Dale put on a fine show and is a true honky tonk troubadour.

Hey Kenny, Dale sure liked your name given that about midway through the set he had you stand up and introduced you to the house !

[Michael Haselman]

Well, Kenny, modern country radio and the suits in Nashville are pretty much joined at the hip, IMHO. Any of you KC boys remember a band from the early '70s called KC Grits? I lived down there in 72-73 and played bass with them in their final days.

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Marrs D-10, Webb 6-14E

[Kenny Burford]

Per Co’s comment above, I spoke to Dale prior to the show, told him we shared a mutual friend, guitarist Redd Volkaert, to which he replied, "Yeah, he owes me money," then he had a good chuckle. When I told him my last name was "Burford," he busted up and went into his rendition of the Statler Brothers' Lester Road Hog Moran imitation. Then midway of the show he asked me to stand up and he told the crowd “Burford, of Burford’s Barber Shop was there for the show.” Unfortunately, most folks in the crowd were so young they had no idea where he was coming from with it and a woman sitting near me asked where my shop was located.

I spoke to each band member before leaving and complimented them on their performance and each one was cordial, respectful and friendly. I over heard the drummer say that he had previously toured with Gary Nunn and want to say here in print what an outstanding job he and the bass player did holding the bottom end together for the three lead instruments. Dale songs on stage are punctuated with lots of three part harmony accents by the guitar, pedal steel guitar and fiddle, which require the two bottom line instruments to hold tight to insure an accurate tempo coming into and out of these accents, they did not fail. In short, it was a great show and Dale and his band are the REAL DEAL all the way around.

Two side notes:

1. Mike. Yes, I realize the suits and the radio heads are joined at the hip regarding the current format of music being broadcast as country music over the airwaves. You are right they share equally in the current crap being broadcast over the airwaves.

2. No, I am not aware of that band, but in 1972 and 73 I was still playing mostly weekends around Clinton, Sedalia and Warrensburg. However, I believe my first sit down in KCMO was in the spring of 1973 at old Silver Spur, on 20th. & Main.
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Kenny Burford on 12 December 2005 at 08:03 AM.]</p></FONT>

[Jack Stoner]

Kenny, my first gig in KC was New Years eve at the Silver Spur (Dec 31, 1973). I don't remember the guy's name that hired me, but he had a regular gig there and later owned a club in KC, KS.