By Joe Hyde
Publisher
May 11, 2008 Last year, Wade Bowen was hitting a pretty good stride. His “Lost Hotel” record made inroads into the Nashville scene by getting the single “God Bless this Town” airtime on CMT. But the Texas Tech public relations and marketing major said then that changes were going to come to Nashville. They were looking for the next big thing , he said.
Look at him now. Like fellow Texas country artists Brandon Rhyder and Kevin Fowler, he is knee-deep working the Nashville angle. That’s okay, Fowler once told us. If you want fans to buy your music in Wal-Mart, you have to make a deal with Nashville labels.
Bowen has surrounded himself with an all-new team this year. William Morris is his new booking agent. Rogue Music Group provides his management. And he signed a music publishing deal with Nashville-based SeaGayle Music.
The question is whether or not artists like Bowen are changing Nashville or is Nashville changing them? Bowen has the musical chops to sustain himself while he’s cruising the Texas-Oklahoma music circuit, and he’s also a very savvy marketer. He appears to be so good, in fact, that he may have aligned himself with the change agents he says Nashville is seeking.
Bowen’s songwriting is just edgy enough to attract attention because it’s different, but it’s also almost as smooth as a George Strait record. Take for example “Resurrection,” a fighting song he co-wrote with the more renegade Texas artist Bleu Edmondson. Both released their own versions of the song on their latest records. According the Bleu, Bowen’s interpretation is beautiful. It’s smooth. On the other hand, Bleu’s version is an angry anthem.
Bowen doesn’t like to attribute meaning to his songs. He wants the listener to figure it out for him or herself. His explanation, he says, could diminish the value of his songs to the fans.
Bowen has a large following in San Angelo, and Saturday night they were treated to a well-performed concert at Blaine’s. The DFW-based Gary Kyle Band was originally scheduled to headline Saturday’s performance, but Bowen had a cancellation and requested to come to San Angelo. It was fortunate for Kyle, too. Kyle’s wife was expecting to deliver their first baby Sunday, and having Bowen close the evening out gave him a chance to get back home early to tend to the family.
His new bassist and backup vocalist Caleb Jones joined Bowen. Jones’ frequent riffs were a showcase of the show. Another highlight were Bowen’s new songs scheduled for a September 2008 release on his new album titled, “If We Ever Make It Home.” The song “Ghost in this Town” can be heard on Bowen’s brand new Web site that opened May 9 at www.wadebowen.com.
Bowen and fellow Texas country artist Randy Rogers are preparing for their annual acoustic tour with dates starting in June 1 at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels. Unfortunately, San Angelo isn’t scheduled as one of the stops. Wild West in Lubbock will be the closest stop on June 22.
Bowen will be a featured artist on Texas Country LIVE! radio show (KDCD 92.9 FM, San Angelo’s Lonestar Country) in June with a Podcast published on this site shortly thereafter. Look for the announcement soon here.
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