By Andy Foltz
NKyTribune Correspondent
In the last days of January, Covington must have seemed like the Outlaw capital of the country. The spirit of Waylon Jennings was clearly haunting the city as the Madison Theater hosted shows by legendary outlaw David Allan Coe, second generation outlaw Shooter Jennings, and wrapped up the run with Sturgill Simpson.
Those attending the shows ranged in age from “just old enough to get in” to “possibly Willie Nelson’s grandfather.” Some were recapturing the music of their youth, even if it was by proxy, while others were musically coming of age during the concerts.
Simpson is the hottest artist you don’t hear on mainstream country radio, and earlier this month signed his first major record label deal with Atlantic Records. While Simpson himself has publicly stated that he doesn’t consider himself an outlaw, in the sense he hasn’t had battles with record labels and the Nashville establishment, he independently released two albums, “High Top Mountain” (2013) and “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music” (2014).
Simpson, may not have been as directly influenced by the late outlaw legend, but his vocals echo Waylon’s distinctive sound. The Kentucky native Simpson, like Waylon, also followed a longer and unique path prior to breaking through in the industry. His music, especially songs like “Long White Line,” “You Can Have the Crown,” and “Living the Dream” tells stories the way the great country songs of Waylon’s generation did, and combines with Simpson’s deep and polished vocals for a traditional sound often missing in mainstream country.
His lyrics also provide something most often missing in mainstream country: Substance. Instead of paying homage to cold beer and pick-ups, he sings about life, its mysteries, its joys and pains. “Time and time again, Lord, I keep going through the motions/A means to an end but the ends don’t seem to meet,” he sings in “Living the Dream.”
Jennings is the son of country icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter and has carried on his father’s crusade for artistic freedom and control within the music industry. He even commented between songs at Wednesday’s show, “It seems like every couple of years I get pissed off at the industry and have to write a song about it.”
Jennings took matters into his own hands late in 2013, founding Black Country Rock Media, his own music label. He played several songs during his appearance Wednesday that poked at the establishment, such as the title track from his first solo album, “Put the ‘O’ Back in Country” and “Outlaw You.” He also paid tribute to his varied influences with a cover of The Ramones’ “She Talks to Rainbows,” that was both faithful to the original and uniquely his own. It features on his latest release, “BCR Mixtape 2014.”
Coe, a contemporary of Waylon’s, is known for his “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” a Top Ten hit turned karaoke standard written by the late Steve Goodman as a satire about popular country music in the 1970’s. His most popular song, “Take This Job and Shove It,” was taken to Number One by Johnny Paycheck. Coe is also known for controversy, from his youth spent in and out of correctional facilities to the X-rated songs he’s recorded and released over the years.