Randy Rogers ~ Live @ Verizon Wireless

Randy Rogers couldn’t write a bad song if he wanted to.  Ok, maybe he could, but it just seems like writing great, meaningful, songs with substance is second nature to him.  And he’s had a lot of chances, having put out an album every two years since 2002’s Like It Used to Be.  He’s even thrown in a few live albums along the way, like 2004’s Live at Billy Bob’s and 2000’s Live at Cheatham Street Crossing (out of print).  These albums proved the point that hearing him on vinyl or CD is great, but he sounds just as good, if not better, live.  So going to see The Randy Rogers Band perform one of their last shows of the year at Verizon Wireless was a no brainer.

The Houston music scene is a funny thing.  If you are an up and comer with not that big of a following then there are a ton of places to play.  For most country acts, once you have moved beyond the Firehouse Saloon there aren’t many options.   Though many music lovers loathe Live Nation, they are the ones that brought us the House of Blues and Verizon Wireless so we can still see the bands we care about without having to drive to the outskirts of town to do so.  Both venues provide great seating and standing areas, a chance to get pretty up close and personal, and a kick ass sound system that is crystal clear.  And for that we thank you.

So about Randy Rogers, there are no pyros, no dancing girls, and no smoke and mirrors to hide behind.  It’s just five guys coming together as one cohesive unit to deliver the songs to the fans just the way the fans want them, loud and a lot of them.  And how does he reward his fans; with 25 songs spanning 5 albums with a few that haven’t even been released yet sprinkled in.  Every album was represented with the band’s latest offering, Burning the Day just barely beating out 2004’s Roller Coaster for most songs played from an album.  While many older acts have resorted to playing an entire album all the way through in concert (kind of a cool concept) it seems difficult for the RRB to have to condense a set list down to just 25 songs.  They could play any of their albums straight through and their fans would only love them more for doing so.

His songs are relatable, on point, and take you back to a time or situation that you can always remember.  Whether it’s the first time you drank whiskey as in “Never Be That High” or about running into old lovers such as “One More Goodbye”, you can feel the songs reverberate within yourself.  He seems to tell all of his stories from the first person, which is always easier for the listener to follow.    Also, every song has something catchy to it, whether it is the chorus, a smart lyric, or the fiddle guitar tearing down the house.  Though many of the bands songs are up-tempo and easy to sing along to, it is the slower, more melodic songs that Randy’s voice and smart ways with words really catch you off guard.  A couple of great examples are “Steal You Away” and the Radney Foster penned “If I Had Another Heart, I’d Let You Break That One Too”. 

The band made a point of saying that they “know where they’re from” and no matter how long they are out on the road they always return back home to Texas.  And those times they are gone get longer as their popularity grows.  As long as they keep knocking ‘em dead on stage and in the studio, these guys are going to be around for the long haul, and they will have nothing but great fortunes ahead of them.

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SETLIST

Too Late For Goodbye

Better Off Wrong

I’ve Been Looking for You For so Long

Buy Myself a Chance

Tonight’s Not the Night

Damn the Rain

Never Be That High

10 Miles Deep

Lonely Too Long

Missing You is More Than I Can Do

Again

Wicked Ways

One More Goodbye

You Could Change My Mind

Steal You Away

Last Last Chance

Goodbye Lonely

Lost and Found

Somebody Take Me Home

In My Arms Instead

Down and Out

Interstate

Kiss Me in The Dark

If I Had Another Heart, I’d Let You Break That One Too

This Time Around