Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly will perform Saturday, July 26.

Hardcore troubadour Earle needs little introduction, with his steadfast following, over 30 million albums sold worldwide, earning the No. 1 slot on the country charts for 1986’s Guitar Town and Top 10 status on the rock charts for 1988’s Copperhead Road while forever keeping it real regarding his struggles and sobriety. He’s played arenas, festivals and intimate clubs while releasing 21 studio albums, his most recent an album of Jerry Jeff Walker songs. A revered songwriter, his songs have been covered by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger and many more. Earle is also renowned for his activism, using songs to draw attention to Ontario’s Port Hope 8 case and the falsely convicted West Memphis 3. He earned a 2010 award for his work to abolish the death penalty. Earle notably appeared in HBO’s cult television classic The Wire as recovering addict Waylon, a role he said was more life than acting.

After 30 years of wicked, twisted roads, broken strings and busted up songs, it’s no wonder Texas band Reckless Kelly’s songs swaddle your ears and mind like a well-worn coat snuggles you against life’s bitter winds. And while they travelled parallel paths that sometimes crossed (like on a Warren Zevon tribute album), it’s a bit of a wonder that Reckless Kelly and Earle didn’t collide until 2023, when he harnessed their highway-honed talents as his backing band after members of his longtime fellow travelers The Dukes expired or departed.

-Mary-Lynn Wardle