Performance
Date
Sunday,
June 5
Evening Concert - Kennedy Outdoor Theater
Since
the early '70s, Asleep
at the Wheel
have been the most important force in keeping the
sound of Western swing alive. In reviving the
freewheeling, eclectic sensibility of Western swing
godfather Bob
Wills,
the
Wheel
have earned enthusiastic critical praise throughout
their lengthy career; they have not only preserved
classic sounds that had all but disappeared from
country music, but have also been able to update the
music, keeping it a living, breathing art form.
Typically featuring eight to 11 musicians, the group
has gone through myriad personnel changes (at last
count, over 80 members had passed through their
ranks), but 6'7" frontman Ray
Benson
has held it together for four decades, keeping Asleep
at the Wheel
a viable recording and touring concern and
maintaining their devotion to classic-style Western
swing.
Winners
of 9 Grammy Awards, the Wheel's
current line-up consists of Jason Roberts, David
Sanger, David Miller, Dan Walton, Eddie Rivers,
Elizabeth McQueen, and of course Ray Benson.
For
more information on Ray and the Wheel, visit www.asleepatthewheel.com
.
