Next week, a familiar group will reunite with the West Texas Symphony.
Asleep at the Wheel will join the West Texas Symphony live in a concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
Tickets for the concert range from $32-$52 while tickets for students are $8.
Tickets can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/tbr96pae.
This will be the third time the symphony will welcome the Texas legends to the stage.
Both groups are celebrating milestone anniversaries with the symphony celebrating 60 years and Asleep at the Wheel celebrating 50 years.
The symphony will accompany the band on many of their top hits.
Asleep at the Wheel has received 10 Grammy Awards and represents an important cornerstone of American roots music.
Fifty years ago, Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson wrote in his journal that he wanted to form a band to bring the roots of American pop music into the present. It seemed like an ambitious goal for a 19-year-old, yet Benson has done exactly that – traversing the globe as an ambassador of Western swing music and introducing its irresistible sound to generation after generation. Although the lineup has changed countless times since its inception, Benson’s mission has never wavered.
“I’m the reason it’s still together, but the reason it’s popular is because we’ve had the greatest singers and players,” Benson said in a press release. “When someone joins the band, I say, ‘Learn everything that’s ever been done, then put your own stamp on it.’ I love to hear how they interpret what we do. I’m just a singer and a songwriter, and a pretty good guitar player, but my best talent is convincing people to jump on board and play this music.”
Even though some of its members and audiences represent a new generation, the far-reaching appeal remains a testament to Benson’s initial vision.
“How do you keep this music going?” Benson stated in the press release. “Well, you’ve got to have some young people. If young people aren’t doing this, then we’re just a museum – and I don’t want to be a museum.”
If you go
- What: Asleep at the Wheel.
- When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8.
- Where: Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
- Tickets: tinyurl.com/tbr96pae
