March 2026 Wrap-Up
Episodes 092-096 highlights: unwrapped, behind the scenes, backstories, details + video links
Well good morning, good afternoon and good evening friends. Thanks for tuning in to the March 2026 wrap-up. March was a busy one. I was back on the road with Corb Lund and though we did a few short (10-12 day) runs last year this was our first proper tour of any real consequence in about a year and a half. 21 shows (well, really 22 cause we flipped the room and did early + late shows in Seattle) in 25 days. The 4 days we didn’t have shows we’d spend between 8 and 12 hours in transit, in the van. I love that van, I really do, but those longer stretches wear on the body. All of the shows were sold out or damn close to it. A successful run to be sure and a real testament to Corby’s hard work and dedication in spending years and years building a fan base across the United States.
5 episodes of our program for the month of March, 2026 and I made 4 of ‘em from hotel rooms on tour. I don’t mind making the shows in the hotels but I do prefer the comforts and the confines of the basement (aka Boots & Saddle Headquarters) here on the fringes of downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I’d been home so long that I’d really grown used to being here and had developed a pretty good little routine, not to mention lots of time with my kiddo.
Girl Dad…
It made the idea of leaving feel difficult but my wife was quick to remind me that all the years I’ve been doing this would make the transition back to the road that much easier. She was right. I love the shit about touring that many other folks I’ve run across don’t hold affection for. I love airports. I like flying. I love the van (as mentioned). (Hey look, it’s me in the van!)
Gas station stops outside of big cities or in the middle of nowhere, I love ‘em all. A
And hotel rooms. God, I love hotel rooms. And though my capacity and enthusiasm for dirty rock ’n roll bars with shitty green rooms and greasy back alley load-ins has waned, there’s an odd sense of safety and comfort there.
The El Vado Motel in Albuquerque, NM. A gem on Route 66. Wish we had more time there.
We played some real special venues and shows on that tour. Sister theatre’s, the Kessler (Dallas, TX) & the Heights (Houston, TX) take the cake. Proper venues (500-600 capacity) with exceptional house-tech/crews, high quality gear (that works!), clean parking lots and comfortable green rooms.
The stages were a pleasure to play and the shows were sold-out. Great crowds at both. Other highlights include the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, one of my favourite venues of all-time and Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California. Tractor is always a super horny show (we did 2 that night!) and Pioneertown is an incredible place.
We had great shows across the board with especially enthusiastic crowds at our shows in Oregon (Eugene, Portland, Bend), Reno, Ramona + Templeton, California and Helena, Montana (where the tour started), to name a few. We’re back out on the road for most of May 11-July 6 in Western Canada, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. It’s a pleasure working for Corb and it makes being away from home easier when you’re out there with someone you believe in and who treats you so well. Very grateful for my job in his band.
It’s not always easy juggling a heavy schedule of shows + finding time to research, prepare and record the program every week but I’m thankful for the Boots & Saddle Show and love the process of making these weekly episodes. I appreciate you tuning in.
I got to meet some of you out in the wild in March and that’s always really cool. Loyal listeners in Montana, Arizona, Texas, California and Oregon all approached me about B&S and I marvel at the reach of the program and the dedicated listers we’ve cultivated. I feel lucky and I love meeting you folks.
Alright, let’s dig in. Here’s some of the highlights of Episodes 092-096 from March, 2026.
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092
The only episode recorded at B&S HQ in March before I hit the road with Corb for 4 weeks. I’d spent a couple days in Edmonton doing some mixing on the new Lost Country record and got home in time to play a few gigs and make 092 before heading out. Busy time for country music. Grateful for it.
Little did I know when I chose to spin I Heard It Through the Red Wine that Charlie Marie was on the verge of announcing a new record. I’ve been a fan of hers for a handful of years now and think she’s one of the best voices going in country music. She sent me the new record and we heard the first single on Episode 097. Safe to say we’ll be hearing more from her in the coming weeks.
I first heard Junior Brown about 30 years ago when my Dad played some of his music around the house. I was as transfixed then as I continue to be now. Got to see him live once back in 2014. Always loved this one.
Too good to tuck away for a cover song episode down the line and more than good enough to spin multiple times. I saw some video clips prior to its release but can’t seem to track down a full video for this one. Regardless, I’m sharing it here because I love it that much. For my money, Mac Cornish did an incredible job channelling Sylvia Tyson on this Great Speckled Bird cover of Trucker’s Cafe.
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093
Episodes 01 + 02 were recorded at the Americana Motor Hotel on Route 66 in Flagstaff, AZ. Fast-forward to 093 and I was back in Flagstaff. Unfortunately, this time not at the Americana but some dump closer to the gig downtown which was far from as charming and much less appealing. It wasn’t the worst accommodation by any stretch but it also isn’t a place I’d ever be excited to sleep in again. Needless to say, I stayed up late, later than usual in to the night after the gig to record 093 and like to think I can still do good work despite not being at my most chipper. Good mix on 093 including some deep cuts.
Easily in my top 3 Tom T. Hall songs and certainly making the short list of my all-time favourite country music songs is Homecoming by the great storyteller, Tom T. Hall. Here’s Tom T. in later life shuffling through lyric sheets and singing one of his best. Despite his circumstances and with age catching up to him, I imagine sitting in a small room that close to Tom, witnessing this performance must’ve felt pretty incredible.
Dale has a new record out in late April and I’ve spun all the singles thus far. Expect to hear more from this one. He’s not only an ambassador for country music, Dale is one of the best out there doing it. And he has been consistent for years. Always a really good band and extremely tight show. Country music is lucky to have him. Here’s a couple different performances of the single, If You Really Love Me (Outlive Me).
Told you there was some deep cuts in 093. Unconventional even. But hey, I was in Arizona so I felt like I could put this one over. Jury’s out. One thing’s for certain, there’s an appetite and market for country music in Germany.
I mean, this has got to be one of the best songs of the last 40 years, right? Yes. I knew you’d agree.
Hard to top that mid-late 80’s swagger Steve had but the more recent clip is a nice, touching moment. He’s been one of my favourites for as long as I can remember. I’ll never forget those cassettes being played in our house in the late 80’s. Still love that early-era Steve Earle to this day.
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094
God bless USA Network and American TV. Like I always do when I’m touring dow there, I must’ve watched all, or parts of a few dozen episodes of the various editions of Law & Order in March.
On the subject of subpar accommodation, Lubbock usually takes the cake. Whatever deal the venue has with their local hotel of choice, it’s not an ideal situation for us. Luckily, our tour manager Alex was way on top of the ball wrangling us out of the regular hotel and in to a more appealing location. I sat down earlier than I did any other night on the tour (or than I even would at home) to record 094 from Room 204 of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in southwest Lubbock, TX, a city with a rich musical history. It had been a heavy 5-7 days of driving and some real banner shows in Texas that week closing it up in Lubbock at the Cactus Theater for an early show on a Sunday night. We’re there every two years and it’s always a good show. Nice old room. Jody Nix had played there the night before and left a veggie tray entirely unopened. Thanks, Mr. Nix.
Load-in at the Cactus…
I had caught the great film Tender Mercies on television earlier that week at the hotel in Dallas after a long, hard day of driving that saw us narrowly miss significant storms + even a tornado on route. What a performance by Robert Duvall, the legendary actor who’d passed away about a month prior to me recording 094. Duvall wrote at least a pair of the songs in the film including, I’ve Decided to Leave Here Forever. Great song and one I plan on adding to my solo shows very soon.
Couldn’t go to Lubbock without some recognition for Terry Allen. I played Emily Nenni’s cover of Amarillo Highway on 094 but let’s go to Terry for this one.
We paid tribute to Augie Meyers on 094. As I often do, I compose these tributes from pieces of various online articles while trying to add some personal flavour to what’s there.
He was an American music original, a Texas music legend, a beloved member of the Tex-Mex/Tejano music community, and a psychedelic rocker before he was anything else. He was Augie Meyers—the keys and accordion player for the Sir Douglas Quintet, the legendary supergroup The Texas Tornados, and Doug Sahm’s right hand man for decades. His death on March 7th marked the end of an era as the final original Texas Tornados member to pass on. Born in San Antonio on May 31st, 1940, Augie Meyers was raised by his grandparents until he was 10 years old on a farm outside of town with no electricity, a woodstove, and an outhouse. He had polio as a child, which meant he couldn’t walk. But about half a mile down the road from where he lived was a family with a piano. They would prop Augie in front of it, tied a rope around his leg so he wouldn’t try and crawl away, left him some cookies and water, and he would sit in front of the instrument for hours, banging away. That’s how he became a musician. Augie Meyers would meet Doug Sahm when he was 12. When the Sir Douglas Quintet was founded in 1964 in San Antonio, it was the Texas answer to the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene, and America’s answer to the British Invasion. Augie Meyers was active in music in other capacities. Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Raul Malo of The Mavericks, Tom Jones, and John P. Hammond are just some of the performers who solicited the services of Augie over the years, looking to capture that hot Texas Vox organ sound on their recordings. Augie Meyer delivered joy to many, instilled distinct culture into American music, and popularized the Tex-Mex sound to the world. Here’s Augie in full force with the Tornados.
After a few years away from their music I went on that little deep dive in to American Aquarium’s catalogue a few months ago and still find myself swimming around parts of it. BJ’s solo record from 2016 has some nice songs on it too and does a great job of standing on its own outside of the American Aquarium name and collection. I find this one particularly strong.
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095
Club Underground in Reno, Nevada. March 22, 2026.
Much like in Flagstaff a couple of weeks prior, it was real late into a Sunday night / early Monday and post-gig before I sat down in Room 202 of the Hampton Inn & Suites on Reno’s westside to began recording. Like most of the spots we played on that tour in March, we roll through town every 2 years pretty much on the nose. Sometimes at the same venue but there’s a few cities where we never seem to play the same venue twice; Dallas, Denver and, Reno to name a few. Doesn’t matter though because whatever venue we end up at in Reno is a wild show. Reno is quite banged up and more than a little bit greasy but I love going there.
095 was a good one with a healthy amount of classic beautiful country music. A bunch of songs I’d heard in venues in the week(s) prior and a pair from some pals I’d run in to in Texas earlier on the tour. It was a bit of a surprise to me but I had not yet spun The Race Is On by George Jones. We rectified that on 095.
Loretta Lynn, who we hear from often (and who closed 095) did a real nice version of the song too.Check it out.
The youngest of Loretta’s siblings and the longest hair in country music… I know lots of you were surprised to hear Crystal Gayle on the program. I’ll admit though, I’ve always been a big fan of her voice so I’m typically (and mostly) able to ignore the cheese factor. When I started doing this newsletter I had envisioned it as being a place where I’d go deeper in to backstories, mainly the more personal ones, but that didn’t last so long. At some point I began airing things out more openly on the broadcast and I haven’t really looked back. I’d argue the personal touch makes the show stronger but it’s made longer form stories on this platform a bit redundant. I can’t recall how deeply I went in to this one but here’s more sauce for your spaghetti….
I told most of this Crystal Gayle story on the air but if you skipped over or wasn’t paying attention just know that in the late summer of 2011 I drove from Calgary, AB to Toronto, ON with nothing but a Crystal Gayle Greatest Hits cassette to keep me company. For those keeping track, Calgary to Toronto is 3400+ kilometres and it wasn’t one long haul I was making on the way back East, no, I played a ton of solo shows along the way with the vast majority of them being in total shitholes for very little pay and often anything but rewarding or career building. I was fucking grinding my way back to Toronto and not because I held official residence there but because that’s where I was bouncing around the couch-circuit while on breaks between tours. Earlier that summer, I think August time, my Dodge Caravan had died a horrible death in the parking lot of the Heritage Ranch in Red Deer, Alberta right before a show. I ended up paying more money than I had for this 4-door Audi with real nice leather interior from a friend in Calgary to get myself home in. I was in a panic, she was trying to sell this car quickly, it all worked out. Mostly. This fuckin’ thing was way too fancy for me but I was out there solo across Canada and didn’t need a van or anything too big to accommodate my guitar, modest personal belongings and merch that I couldn’t even give away. So I got this car towards the end of my Alberta dates and was heading back to the big city to sleep on my friend’s couch for a few weeks. On the way I probably played Regina, maybe somewhere in rural Manitoba (because I still couldn’t buy a gig in Winnipeg then), Thunder Bay and wrapped it up with a parade of undesirable gigs through Northern Ontario before landing back in Toronto. As I recall there was a Monday-Saturday stretch where I had a 6 hour drive + show every night. Touring Canada is punishing. Especially when you have no fans, aren’t that good and unable to yet recognize that simple fact.
Despite how picturesque the drive is, I don’t love rolling on Highway 17 in Ontario; ya know, around Lake Superior. In doing that, for most of those years I’d be bypassing a gig in Sault Ste. Marie in lieu of taking Highway 11 and thus playing many tough nights in Kapuskasing instead.
Quick sidebar here - One time in Kap at the Sunshine House Tavern I was fielding a series of Tragically Hip requests from a young, intoxicated guy among a group of loogans at the corner table. I really was intending on getting to it eventually but he grew tired of waiting and rushed the stage, shoving me to the side and screaming in to my microphone, “this guy’s fucking garbage!”. Best of all, this incident occurred in 2017, a full six years after the Crystal Gayle cassette story. Yes, I was still grinding it out to zero fanfare and in hostile environments for all those years.
Anyways, back to Highway 11. At the right time of year along certain stretches it can be a real pretty drive but there is many hours of absolute fuck-all and dead zones with no cell service or goddamn radio signal either. Enter the Crystal Gayle cassette. I knew all the words to those songs after that stretch of road and developed a particular fondness for I’ll Get Over You. If you catch me on the right night on a solo gig, you may just hear my rendition of it. For now, we’ll stick to Crystal.
I’ve been a fan of Gus Clark for 6-7 years now. Spun him in the pre-hiatus 1.0 days a bunch. I first met Gus in person in 2022 on my initial jaunt through Texas with Corb when playing the legendary Devil’s Backbone Tavern. Until this past March, I’d not seen Gus in real life again so I was excited that he and his wife made it to the show at Riley’s Tavern in New Braunfels, TX. Always a good time at Riley’s. Gus has some killer original tunes (as evidenced here) and a great record in-the-can that I hope he releases soon.
Loretta closed 095 with a haunting recitation of her classic Coal Miner’s Daughter. Damn.
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096
Long live the M&J Tavern. Bend, Oregon.
In an unconventional turn of events, I recorded 096 on a Tuesday afternoon from Room 150 of the Fairfield by Marriott Inn and Suites in Bend, Oregon. We’d got to Bend the night prior and went out for a family dinner, the one and only time on the tour that we’d do that. We had a great meal after a long drive up to Bend and settled in to the Fairfield for a couple nights. I woke up early Tuesday and after breakfast and some procrastinating would get down to the business of making Episode 096. Shortly before I pressed record I’d heard the news about Jason Simpson, the bass player and longest standing member of Colter Wall’s backing band. I got to know Jason when we were opening a bunch of shows for Colter in 2024 and I was saddened to hear of his passing. RIP brother.
Bend is a cool town and we always have killer shows there at a place called the Domino Room. Might be nice to worm in to a slicker and larger venue in Bend but we pack the Domino Room out to enthusiastic fans and it’s always a fun show. For me though, the highlight of every trip to Bend is the little bar across the road, the M&J Tavern. Every time we’re there, most of us head over after we load out and pack the van. We know what we’re getting in to over there (a heavy pepper from fans & patrons) and though that’s the kind of thing we usually try to avoid, for some reason we welcome it in Bend. Great staff, good people, good vibes.
As a result of my career choice, I frequently find myself in drinking establishments and stumbled in to my fair share of ‘em during my years of actively pursuing a semi-professional career in slamming alcohol. Of all the joints I’ve been to the M&J Tavern is probably my favourite bar. Lyle, Corb and I made our way across the street that night after the show to a rowdy group of folks singing Corb Lund songs for karaoke. It was quite a scene, man. Everyone was really getting after it and even as a fully sober individual, I’d still never pass up a night at the M&J.
I’d heard an interview of the author of the new Justin Townes Earle book and dug back in to some of my favourites from JTE. Man, he was something special. I saw him live once at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto in 2012 and it was an outstanding show. Years later I was working the door at Times Change(d) one Sunday night in February, 2018 when JTE dropped in after his show at Festival du Voyaguer. I don’t need to dig in to that whole story here but I’ll say, Justin was digging Big Dave McLean and the vibe at the Club that night. After years of resistance, I’m an audiobook guy now - not all the time, but I don’t avoid them anymore. All that to say, after hearing the interview I’d intended on digging in to the JTE book but got sidetracked with work and life and eventually, the Gary Stewart biography that I’ve been slowly working through. There’s easily a dozen JTE songs that I absolutely love. The Good Life is in the top few. Outside of Robbie Fulks, The Derailers and BR5-49 in the early 2000’s I didn’t really have my ears to the ground when it came to independent, underground country music. Needless to say, Justin blew me away when I first heard him. It was especially exciting to find there was a guy my age out there making hardcore, traditional country music like this. Fantastic with a band, or in the upright bass & fiddle trio I saw him live with, no matter the configuration his unique guitar playing style really elevated shit and gave him a stronger voice than most guys with a guitar. It’s on full display in this second clip.
For the first couple years I was working the door at the High & Lonesome Club every Sunday night, Dwayne Dueck was playing lead guitar for Big Dave. I was excited to get to work every week to sit there side stage getting a front row seat to the band with Dwayne standing nearest to me at the door. His playing is a real wild rollercoaster ride, full of excitement, authority and meaning. Not afraid to take chances or back himself in to a corner, he almost always finds a way to dig himself out. Even when he was unable to crawl out of the corner he’d painted himself in, it was a magnificent journey to be on. What a player. Feel, groove, tone. That red telecaster. It was a privilege to watch and listen to Dwayne all those Sunday nights. Dwayne moved out to Calgary and hasn’t rolled back through town all that much since. I’ve seen him out west there a couple of times but when I saw he was coming to town to play a Saturday afternoon matinee gig at Times Change(d), I knew I had to go. A killer blues guitar player and a beautiful country music singer, Dwayne is a roots music specialist. Whether he’s singing Merle Haggard or Wayne Hancock or playing guitar like Jimmie Vaughan, the guy is extremely talented. Included among his talents are some top-quality songwriting with my favourite being one called And It’s Quiet. He didn’t play it at his show but we heard it on 096. I released a version of the song in 2023 and it’s probably the most beautiful recording in my catalogue due in large part to me having Steve Christensen mix the song. Steve is more than a recording engineer and mixer, he’s an artist. I’m so proud of how this one turned out and I regularly perform it on solo gigs.
Another big fan of JTE, we’ve heard from Branson Anderson a couple of times recently and for good reason. Not just because I’m the unofficial head of the Canadian chapter of the Branson Anderson appreciation society but because he’s out there grinding super hard and releasing great (and interesting) music. All of that + I spent 4 weeks around the guy as he was opening the shows in March. It was, I think this was the 3rd tour Branson has opened for Corby since I’ve been in the band and it’s been a treat to watch him grow as a musician and performer these last few years. A highlight of his set was the Talkin’ Big Weaner Blues. See for yourself.
As mentioned on the broadcast, I had a Kevin Carducci single set aside earlier in March but didn’t get the chance to spin it. It all worked out for the best though because shortly after, Kevin released The Money and I like this one even more. Here’s the official vid.
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Well that does it for this month, folks. I wish I didn’t get to these so late in the month but maybe I don’t quite have the time-management skills I profess to.
Another of the joys of touring is not only making new friends but getting the chance, albeit briefly usually, to catch up with old pals and folks you’ve met along the way. It sure was nice to chat with fellow country DJ’s Don (aka DJ Salty Cracker) and Pearl in New Braunfels.
Once again, I appreciate you tuning in and following along.
Have a great week.
We’ll chat later.
SB -
👏