Reckless Kelly is celebrating 25 years as a band in 2021; having been founded in 1996 by brothers Willy and Cody Braun in their home state of Idaho before moving to Austin. Their latest record American Girls/American Jackpot is a double album released last year in the middle of the pandemic; “Not the best business decision,” as front man Willy Braun says. The last time we saw RK in concert was in the fall of 2019. Ryan Engleman of the Turnpike Troubadours had just filled the guitar spot, then recently vacated by longtime member David Abeyta. Now it was time to see how the group was holding up after spending so much time in their online “Quarantine Kitchen” last year. Our mission was to catch Reckless Kelly on the last shows of their September run; 3 shows in 3 nights in 3 states at 3 very different venues.

Show #1: Delmar Hall in St. Louis, Missouri

Everybody knows something about St. Louis. It’s among the 20 largest metropolitan areas of the U.S. with a population of nearly 3 million and is one of the destination cities of America’s vast Midwest because of its many entertainment and cultural opportunities. Millions have visited its iconic Gateway Arch along the Mississippi River but you might not be familiar with an eight-block stretch in the city’s West End area. This is where we caught the first show of the #RecklessRoadTrip.

Delmar Boulevard was named “One of the 10 Great Streets of America” by the American Planning Association in 2007 when they first began the award. The area is known locally as “The Loop” after an old streetcar turnaround. Close proximity to Washington University has contributed to its eclectic array of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and music rooms. Three live performance venues in The Loop range from the 340 capacity Blueberry Hill Duck Room to the 2000+ capacity Pageant concert hall. Right next door to the Pageant is Delmar Hall which opened in 2016 and accommodates anywhere from 350-750 depending on seating. As one would expect for a venue in such a neighborhood, hipsters abounded. Not to say there weren’t plenty of Reckless Kelly fans in the house (as evidenced by the numerous Red Dirt and Texas Country shirts) but this was a more “upscale” crowd than I was used to for an RK show.

This was the last night of a run with Boise, Idaho’s Tylor & the Train Robbers. Their 45-minute set featured several tunes from their latest release Non-Typical Find which was produced by RK’s Cody Braun and features him on fiddle and mandolin. Other tunes came from the Train Robbers’ Gravel record and they opened the set with “Hide Your Goat,” one of my faves from the Best of the Worst Kind record. Front man Tylor Ketchum has a vocal delivery reminiscent of James McMurtry and the guitar-driven band rocks along.

Tracks from American Girls/American Jackpot have been making up nearly half of the Reckless Kelly set lists since they’ve gotten back on the road. Having been released so long ago those tracks have become a regular part of my music rotation and I didn’t realize how new they are for the band in concert until I noticed how many of the old standards are now missing. They came out rocking with “Mona” and also featured “Thinkin’ Bout You All Night,” “Lonesome On My Own,” “American Girls,” “Lost Inside the Groove,” and “Tom Was a Friend of Mine” all from the latest release. RK’s chestnuts in the set included “Nobody’s Girl,” “Seven Nights in Eire,” “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” “Wicked Twisted Road,” “Vancouver,” “Crazy Eddie’s Last Hurrah,” “Vancouver” and ”Castanets.” Austin-based steel guitar specialist Geoff Queen now occupies the guitar spot on stage with Reckless Kelly. He is a regular with Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis and has also played with Hayes Carll, Sunny Sweeney, and others. Tylor & the Train Robbers joined the band for the encore of Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” filling the small stage with musicians.

Show #2: Plaza Theatre in Glasgow, Kentucky

From a major metropolitan area to a quiet county seat with a population of just over 14,000 we got ready for the second night of the #RecklessRoadTrip. Glasgow, Kentucky is located in the south-central part of the state, about 45 miles east of Bowling Green, and is about as different from St. Louis as you could possibly get.

The Plaza Theatre opened in early 1934 and was soon offering stage shows featuring country music stars of the day including Uncle Dave Macon. Many more followed such as Minnie Pearl, Loretta Lynn, the Carter Family, Flatt and Scruggs, Porter Wagoner, and Dolly Parton. The Plaza also hosted shows from Dinah Shore, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry. By the 1980s, the movie-going public had turned away from the old cinema houses and the Plaza closed in the early 1990s. The building was purchased by the city of Glasgow in September 2001 and today the Plaza Theatre has 1020 seats and features live performances by national, regional and local artists. While not as ornate as many of the big city movie palaces from that period, the Plaza has an interior design reminiscent of the plaza of an Italian villa with windows and balconies high above the seating area. It is not a venue one would expect for a high-energy show.

There was no opening act scheduled for the show and a quick check of the online seating chart would show that barely 1/3 of the seats had been sold by the scheduled show time. So we waited. An hour later the band came out, the seats were about half full, and the fun began. As soon as the locals confirmed that it was ok with the theatre security and the band to get out of their seats and gather at the front of the stage or dance in the aisles it was “party on.” The band posted on their social media sites, “Last night's crowd was arguably the most enthusiastic of the tour so far. Dynamite comes in small packages!”

The set list featured most of the same songs as the night before but in a different order. Notable additions were the cover of Joe Ely’s “All Just to Get to You” and a track from the new release titled “No Dancing in Bristol” which features this third verse:

“Well, I finally resolved it'd all be alright
And after the show was one hell of a night
But I wished you were there for to join in the fray
And to steal me away from my mind
There'll be no dancing in [Glasgow] tonight.”

I had hoped they would play it and it was cool to hear although the song didn’t appear on the set list.

One of the show’s highlights was the extended story of the genesis of the song “Mona” which is about a mule that carried Willy out of the Grand Canyon on the Bright Angel trail. He explained how a liability questionnaire before the trip asked whether you weighed less than 200 pounds fully clothed (“Ummmm….sure. Check.”); about fear of animals; (“Nope, I love animals. Check.”), fear of heights; (“Nope, I grew up in Idaho skiing in the mountains. Check.”) “But what they didn’t ask was ‘are you afraid of being bucked off a mule over a cliff?’ Turns out I am. That was about the most terrifying three and a half to four hours of my life.”

Show #3: Cumberland Caverns Live near McMinnville, Tennessee

Having hosted shows for over 55 years, the historic Volcano Room, 333 feet below the surface at Cumberland Caverns, has appeared on many “Best Venues” lists. It was formerly home to the “Bluegrass Underground” series. The cave maintains a consistent temperature of 56 degrees year-round with 99% humidity but the acoustics are fantastic and the location among the many cave formations is hard to beat. It’s a short hike from the parking lot down into the cave and seating is general admission but groups are brought into the cave at staggered times according to a tiered ticket price structure. The room itself is not as big as I had envisioned but all the necessary amenities were available including a fully-functioning concession stand and working restrooms. A beautiful chandelier is suspended above the seating area and the stage is big enough for the largest ensembles and is well-lit.

Paul Thorn opened the show and he was a perfect fit for the room. The mostly older crowd was very receptive to Thorn’s easy rapport and wry lyrics. He is a wonderful storyteller and his shows always have a positive vibe. Several songs from his new release Never Too Late To Call were featured, as well as fan favorites “Mission Temple Fireworks Stand,” “Pimps and Preachers,” “Crutches,” and “What the Hell is Going On.” When Reckless Kelly took the stage, Willy Braun commented on Thorn’s performance saying, “Whose idea was it for us to follow that? Somebody make a note.”

As we’ve already made clear, Reckless Kelly shows are usually high-energy shows but that is hard to do in a cave with a few hundred people who must remain seated during the performance. The set list remained mostly the same as the past two shows with a tweak of the order here and there. The crowd was appreciative but other than the occasional whoop or holler, a hearty applause was all that could be offered. The Volcano Room is not meant for partying. RK did their thing and did it well but you could tell they were ready for this leg of the tour to be over so they could get home and regroup before heading out again. Many artists I’ve seen this year have expressed some difficulty in getting back in “road shape” after a long period hanging out at home. The time out seems to have done most folks some good but getting back out for extended stretches takes some practice.

The #RecklessRoadTrip was a success with three new venues explored. Each has its own character and history and it was interesting to see how the band reacted to the challenges presented. Delmar Hall in St. Louis is definitely on the radar for a future show. I enjoyed its open seating approach allowing fans to get up next to the stage and party with the band. Despite its somewhat sterile atmosphere, the Plaza Theatre in Glasgow, KY gets high marks for its laid-back approach for fans to enjoy the show without being glued to the seats. Cumberland Caverns Live earns its spot on “Best Venue” lists but I would be particular about who I saw there. It lends itself to a more sedate musical experience than a rock n roll show. You should definitely check it out for yourself.

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