Robert Earl Keen and Waylon Payne: The Folly Theater Photo Review
October 29th, 2019. A night at The Folly Theatre, presented by Knuckleheads, featured the legendary Robert Earl Keen and special guest Waylon Payne.
Waylon Payne | Photo By Kaeleigh Grace
Waylon Payne, son of Sammi Smith and Jody Payne, who was a long-time band member for Willie Nelson, kicked off the evening. He was accompanied by his friend and Canadian guitarist, Dean Pearson. Payne’s songwriting and showmanship is terrific on its own merit. However, it is always a highlight of his set when he tells the story behind his mother’s hit song, “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” which was penned by the legendary singer-songwriter, Kris Kristofferson. Waylon Payne is a must see performer. Follow Waylon here for updates on his tour. https://www.facebook.com/detroitswift/
Robert Earl Keen took the stage with his bandmates, Brian Beken (fiddle), Bill Whitbeck (bass), Tom Van Schaik (drums), Marty Muse (pedal steel, dobro), and Kym Warner (mandolin).
REK’s set included a great variety of older and newer songs for longtime fans and those who have never seen the legendary Troubadour live. Songs like “Corpus Christi Bay” and “Gringo Honeymoon” were two tunes that stood out during this set.
Keen kept the crowd engaged throughout the evening and brought them to their feet with “The Road Goes on Forever (And The Party Never Ends).” The encore included “Merry Christmas From The Fam-O-Lee,” and ending the night with “I Gotta Go.”
Keen has two side projects that are very notable and worth the look. His Americana Podcast is very well conducted and has no sponsorship, which has kept the integrity of the production unbiased and intact. He is also involved with friend Randy Rodgers in The Stryker Brothers Band. For more on Robert Earl Keen: https://www.robertearlkeen.com/
