Fresh off a stint in Europe and only a few nights removed from a show at the fabled Ryman Auditorium, Charley Crockett and his gang of banditos rolled through Webster Hall in NYC last night. The Texan musician showcased tunes from his most recent release, The Man From Waco, after an opening set by Greyhounds.

Swarms of people wearing cowboy hats left the local pool hall—where the beer was flowing licentiously—and crossed the street before showtime. The sold-out crowd took refuge inside the three-floor venue to escape the chilly November night as gusts whipped around the behemoth skyscrapers and funneled down the streets in man-made wind tunnels.

Charley Crockett and his six-piece band sauntered on stage to deafening response from the audience. Clearly, people have caught on to what he’s been putting out; the audience response is a stark contrast to his early days of obscurity, busking in subway stations. The show featured almost two dozen numbers ranging in tempo and style, but all featuring Charley’s mellow vocals and western sound.

Barreling into his latest album, Charley got halfway through, playing “The Man From Waco Theme”, “Cowboy Candy”, “Time of the Cottonwood Trees”, “Just Like Honey”, and “The Man From Waco”—almost identical to the tracklist. “Odessa” followed before the band switched gears for a swinging rendition of “The Valley”.

Jumping through his extensive catalogue, Charley and company performed “Music City U.S.A.”, “Lonely in Person”, and “Hard Times” before landing back into TMFW with “Name on a Billboard”.  He dug up gold during a classic take on “Jamestown Ferry” and rifled around his repertoire until picking up a banjo to wind down the lengthy set.

The keyboardist wielded an accordion to accompany Charley’s banjo during a slow waltz through “Lily My Dear”. They continued into “Round this World” and a flowing “Trinity River”. Charley introduced the latter tune with his banjo before swapping the instrument in favor of an electric guitar. Finishing off the set, a rowdy and honest rendition of “I’m Just a Clown” was welcomed by the cowboy circus of an audience.

Charley came out by himself for a solo performance of “July Jackson” before inviting members of Greyhounds on stage for a boisterous “In the Night”. Closing out the show in epic fashion, Charley Crockett and his band bookended the encore slot with “Paint It Blue”. He changed the lyrics of the song to fit the setting, singing a modified verse that said, “The bright lights shining in New York City.” The city crowd grabbed the bull by the horns and stomped around in a strange, whiskey-induced hoedown.

Charley Crockett With Greyhounds – “In the Night” – 11/17/22

[Video: Drinking Muddy Whiskey]

Charley Crockett and his band of fellow travelers roll on to Washington, D.C. tonight before making stops in Pittsburgh and Boston. After that it’s to the Midwest for shows in Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, and Chicago. For the full tour breakdown, click here.

I’ve never seen Hank Williams or Johnny Cash but I reckon this is what a country show is supposed to sound like, and ya better be damn sure that I won’t miss a chance to see ‘em when he rolls through town again.