September 11, 2001 is a day that will forever live in
infamy. It showed the world that
monsters truly do exist and that your worst fears can find their way to our
front doorstep. I hope everyone takes a
moment today to think, to reflect, and put their lives in perspective about the
events in New York, Pennsylvania
and Washington, DC, on that date. Though that day is an abomination on our pride,
I know that for others, it sprung them into action to do the jobs that the rest
of us are too scared to perform.
The following is a piece that we have been sitting on for a
while because we couldn't find the proper way to do the Pustejovsky family
justice in expressing how honored we were to meet them and spend the afternoon
with them. Today felt like the right
time. Thank you again to the Pustejovsky
family, all those who attended the Bowen classic and to Wade Bowen himself for
always remembering where he came from and for supporting his neighbors.
We here at LoneStar Outlaw Review get to do some amazing
things, meet amazing people, and hear some of the best music this fine nation
has to offer. But every once in a while
even we are taken aback. While attending
the 15th annual Bowen classic we had a chance to put a face with the
horrifying devastation that took place in West, TX. In hanging around backstage with other
attendees we had the privilege of meeting the Pustejovsky family. Joey
Pustejovsky was a first responder from the West Volunteer Fire Department and
according to his father and brother, Joe
and Brad, respectively, they knew exactly where to find him when the sirens
went off. “He was a secretary for the
city and always ready to jump into action when needed” his father said. Joey
unfortunately did not make it out of the blaze, and also leaves behind his
wife, Kelly, mother, Carolyn, and sister-in-law Dolores. It is the brave actions of people like Joey Pustejovsky that we should all pray to have as
friends, neighbors, and guardians in our life.
Thank you Joey and to the other victims for making the ultimate
sacrifice to keep us safe. You shall
never be forgotten.
God Bless the Fallen.
For more articles, interviews, & photos from LoneStar Outlaw Review,
When talking to
fans and musicians alike, every time you hear the name Wade Bowen it is
seemingly always followed by “nicest guy you’ll ever meet”, “he was so great to
be around”, or something of that nature.There is something to be said for that in this instant stardom world we
live in these days-- where many artist were dead broke one day and, thanks to
auto tune and a dumbed down listening audience, instant YouTube celebrities the
next.Wade Bowen has done things the
old fashioned way…pouring his heart and soul into his music, his songwriting,
his live shows, and his dedication to always put the best product out there for
his growing legion of fans.We had a
chance to catch up with him recently in between his countless other obligations
and he was kind enough to open up to us and share his thoughts, ideas, and
where he sees this roller coaster heading.
LoneStar Outlaw:
Your latest release, The Given, is your first major label release as opposed to
the independent releases you have had in the past.What were some of the biggest changes you experienced?
Wade Bowen:With me, there weren’t a whole lot of
differences.I still went and wrote the
record the same way I always do.Always
trying to get better, write the songs the best I can, pick the right producer,
and the right guys to play with.I’ve
never written as much as I did for this record and it made it difficult to cut
out certain songs that I really liked that ultimately wouldn’t make the record.
Other than that, you just have a few
more people putting in the input but once you realize everyone’s there to help
and we all shared the same common goal…there wasn’t too much difference.
LSO:How many songs do you usually write for an
album as compared to this record?
WB:It’s hard to say, but probably 50-60 for each
record and this one was easily over a hundred.Plus we had thrown everything back in from the past.Being a National release we threw everything
back into the pot which I was really happy about.They (the record label) felt there were some
songs that didn’t see the light of day that were good that we should take
another look at.
LSO:Your co-writing credits on the album feature
many of the usual suspects (Adam Hood, Sean McConnell, and Seth James to name a
few), but we noticed more so that some of the names were missing from previous
co-writing credits on other (earlier) albums.Guys with the last names of Canada, Edmondson, and Rogers.This is the first album you’ve had without
any of them on it correct?
WB:I hadn’t really thought about it but I guess
so.Cody and I haven’t really written
that much.Seth and I have written
some.It certainly wasn’t by design,
more so just the way it worked out.It
just kinda worked out with a few Adam songs and a few Sean songs.I was writing all over the place and the
record could have gone in so many different directions and I think the songs
that ended up all shared a common theme.
Wade Bowen (just
as countless other acts throughout the US) spends his life on the road.For bands (like Bowen’s)…it is where they
find their solace, their balance, and their sleepless nights.Many of the artist that travel the Texas (and
beyond) circuit are on the road up anywhere from 200 to 250 days a year.It is “a life they have chosen” or as some
would have you believe, “the life that chose them”. LSO:Is it getting harder to find the time to sit
down and write between the constant touring and trying to keep some semblance
of a home life?
WB:Since I’ve had kids I’ve gotten used to that.I have time I have to devote to them and my
wife and I have to set aside time to write as well.Life gets so busy with meetings, shows,
interviews, outings; you have to force
yourself to sit down and write.Unfortunately I don’t write well on the road.A guy like Sean (McConnell) will come out on
the road with us for a weekend and we’ll try to write but it just doesn’t work
most of the time.I try to give my mind
a breather and when it starts getting closer to record time I crank it back
up.
LSO:Are you a “thoughts turned in music” guy or a
“music that needs lyrics” guy?
WB:Mostly the lyrics start the process.Sometimes it’s just a thought or sometimes
it’s a hook or sometimes just writing something down I am feeling at the
time.But it usually starts with the
lyrics and then how I think the melody should go.Should it be a fast song or a slow song?That kind of thing…
LSO:Checking out the CMT website we saw an
acoustic version of “Saturday Night” which was great because it’s almost like
hearing a completely different song.Where was that filmed?
WB:The Mercy Lounge right above the Cannery
Ballroom in Nashville.
LSO:You’ll be spending a little time in Nashville
coming up very soon.Playing at the
Ryman Auditorium and then CMA Fanfest.First time for both?
WB:CMA Fanfest, yes.The Grand Ole Opry, this will be the second
time playing there but the first time to play at the Ryman.Playing there, it’s like “this is it, man”.
LSO:What does it feel like to be on a stage where
all of your heroes have come before you and performed the songs you love?Does it hit you all at once or is a steady
build of emotion?
WB:The first time I played the Opry it wasn’t as
much of a nervous thing as I thought it was going to be.There was actually a calming sense about
it.The people that work there treat youvery
nice; they’re respectful, they’re really glad to have you there.When I got out on stage there was a real
calming effect just because it’s so peaceful there.It’s like being in church and feeling like
nothing bad can happen to you.Everybody’s on your team and the people in the crowd may not know your
music or who you are…but they’re going to support you because you’re on that
stage.It’s a really cool “family”
feeling that you just don’t experience anywhere else.
LSO:According to your twitter account
(@wadebowen) you have been here, there, and just about everywhere talking to
about this new album (The Given).One
day it was Buffalo, then Pittsburg, then Cincinnati.Was the “radio world” as receptive as you’d
hoped?
WB:They really were!I was kind of scared at first just because
you hear horror stories but I didn’t meet anyone that treated us bad.Most of them were very appreciative that I
took the time to come in to the station and I’ve still got a lot more to go
before I finish.I’m sure I’ll run
across a rough one somewhere out there…but for the most part people are into music
because they love it and they’re receptive to new things and people.
LSO:It’s a slippery slope trying to keep everyone
happy but have you been able to integrate your new fans in with the old ones
easily?
WB:You can’t keep everyone happy all the
time.You just have to be honest—that has always been my approach.If you’re honest with yourself, your music, and
your fans…then everything else just takes its place.
LSO: We saw you play a month
or two ago and you incorporated 6 or 7 new songs that night into the set
list.Has that been a smooth transition
working them into the show?
WB:We’ve just started playing all the songs
throughout the shows and we’re doing that because we don’t know which ones are
gonna catch on live.Sometimes you hear a
song on an album and it just doesn’t resonate on stage or vice versa.They’re all still new to us as well.We’re not completely comfortable with them
yet either. It usually takes a couple of
times through a song live to get it where we want it to be.The fans might not hear the difference but we
do and we want it to be perfect every time.
For those of you
that have followed Wade throughout the years you know he always gives back to
the community—and especially the one that raised him, Waco, Texas.For the past 14 years Mr. Bowen and his merry
bunch of friends have raised awareness, serious funds, and most importantly…he
has continued to show his appreciation to the fans that have supported him all
these years.This year they rose over
$150,000 and it looks to only get bigger.
LSO:Was that the most you’re ever raised and did
you do anything different this year?
WB:That was by far the most we’ve ever
raised.We haven’t really done anything
different, it’s just gradually grown every year.Word keeps spreading about the event and
that’s what we’re trying to do.I want
my friends and the artist and the fans to have a great time where they’ll wanna
come back.It finally got to a point
where I looked at the list and we had 27 artist and I was like “how are we
gonna fit all these guys in?”But that’s
a good problem to have I guess.
LSO:The core group of guys that all came up
together; Reckless Kelly, Stoney LaRue, Randy Rogers, Mickey and the Motorcars,
Bleu Edmondson to name a few, all perform at each other’s charities.Has the “business” side of things taken over
or is it as easy a simple phone call between you guys?
WB:These guys are my friends.We’ll just shoot them a date of when our deal
is and to let us know if they can make it and they do the same for me.We’re all in this together and we’re all
doing benefits so it just goes hand in hand.We all try to be there and do whatever we can to help.We want bands that we’re fans of or guys we
look up to (ourselves) to play as well.
LSO:Wade Bowen can’t live on the road without……?
WB:My golf clubs!Even if I don’t get to play I just like to
have them around.I’m about a 10 or 12
handicap right now but I’m always trying to get better.
And sometimes...it's just
that simple to wrap people up.Whether it is his golf game or his professional life, Wade Bowen is
constantly trying to improve upon himself.And similar to his golf clubs and how he likes to keep them around (whether
he gets to use them on the road or not), Wade is like that for us fans that
have been around for the long haul.We
have become jaded to the fact that we get to see him on a regular basis, always keeping
him around for whenever we wanted to listen.But now the cat’s out of the bag and the rest of the country gets to
share in on our little secret. We couldn't be more proud. Having
the backing of a major label, “the hardest working band on the road today”, and
the sheer will to knock down any doors up in front of him, the sky’s the limit
for Wade Bowen and we’re behind him all the way.
For more information about Wade Bowen, The Bowen Classic,
You can
teach a child how to ride a bike and hope that someday he wins the Tour De
France.You can show a teenager to throw
a perfect spiral to help him achieve his dreams of winning a Super Bowl.You can even train a young pianist flawless technique
when they aspire to one day become part of the American Symphony Orchestra. However,
there are some things you just cannot teach; such as talent, drive,
perseverance and most importantly…passion.This makes Wade Bowen one unique son of a bitch.
Many years
ago one of our writers (here at LoneStar Outlaw) was having a birthday
celebration at the Firehouse Saloon, and Wade Bowen happened to be the
performer.Besides the group of them
that were there to celebrate a friend’s birthday…there were approximately three
other people in the crowd, including a child up way past its bedtime.Wade had his usual great performance and was
even kind enough to wish our writer Happy Birthday over the microphone.Fast forward to a few nights ago: a sold out
show with a line down the street (just to get in the door), fans chanting his
name, and the look and feel of a big time performer about to hit the
stage.It was then that we remembered…this
was exactly the same guy.The same guy whose debut album we found on a value
rack at a used CD shop…is now giving interviews across this great Nation. The
same guy who used to be the opening act at festivals…is now headlining
them.The same guy who put his heart
and soul into that show at the Firehouse for less than a dozen or so fans…puts exactly
the same effort forth with a full house cheering.These are things you cannot teach.
The songs
have always been there.Go back to his
debut album, Try Not to Listen, and point out a bad song.Didn’t think so.And we’d really love to hear the argument
that you could find something not worth your time on his subsequent albums,
Lost Hotel and If We Ever Make it Home.The point is Wade has always been an incredibly gifted craftsman of words;
it is actually a shame that a gem like him is only just now getting his voice
out to a bigger platform.The live
albums, Blue Light Live and Live at Billy Bob’s, only further validate his
all-around repertoire of not only being an excellent singer/songwriter, but help
to convey the deep emotions that go into his songs.(Editor’s note:About damn time they gave you the Billy Bob’s
album.)
His live
shows are great.Remembering his shows
of yesterday and seeing him more recently remind us of seeing a young man sent
off to boarding school.When the boy leaves he might look a certain way, dress and/or act a certain way, but upon
his arrival back home…you notice changes.Maybe he dresses better, is in better shape, and looks sharper all the
way around.This is not to say Wade
needed any changes, but he carries himself as if he belongs among the upper
echelon of the Texas/Red Dirt scene.And
with good reason, because he does belong there; and his stature is only
growing.
Wade
Bowen has been one of our favorites for many years now, both in and out of Texas.We here at LoneStar Outlaw Review can’t wish
Wade enough luck as he makes new fans out there on the road and brings a little
bit of Texas
to the world.We know that people/fans
aren’t always quick to adapt to change and, trust us, we’d love to go back to
seeing him with three other drunks in a bar…but those times have passed.We know that at his core he will always be
the same person driven to put forth the best effort possible.We realize that more publicity and notoriety
gives him a better chance to spend more time and effort on even better albums
than he have already given us.He is at
a huge crossroads in his career and we see absolutely nothing but great things
coming down the turnpike.To Wade Bowen
and the “hardest working band in the business”, God’s speed and safe travels,
we know you’ll be back and we can’t wait to see what the future brings you.
WADE BOWEN ~ LIVE @ BIG TEXAS (SPRING)
MARCH 30TH, 2012
SETLIST
To check out the rest of the images from this show, check out our Facebook page.
The following is a piece that we have been sitting on for a
while because we couldn't find the proper way to do the Pustejovsky family
justice in expressing how honored we were to meet them and spend the afternoon
with them. Today felt like the right
time. Thank you again to the Pustejovsky
family, all those who attended the Bowen classic and to Wade Bowen himself for
always remembering where he came from and for supporting his neighbors. 
