Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr recalls the first time his band played at the Shed in Maryville, Tennessee. He says he doesn’t remember the year but they were asked to open for Cross Canadian Ragweed. Blackberry Smoke returned to the Shed this month for two consecutive weekends of headlining shows at the legendary smokehouse & jukejoint in the beautiful hills of east Tennessee. Starr says he had just spent some time with Cody Canada in Key West at the Mile 0 Festival and had told him, “you’re partly to blame for all of this,” meaning the help Cody had given not only Blackberry Smoke but so many of the other artists at that festival was the reason for the popularity of the music.

The opportunity that live music presents for learning about new music is unmatched. I enjoy getting to the show early to catch the opening act. Sometimes, it’s a brand new artist trying to find the best way to present their songs; it could be a band with years of experience but still no big breakthrough. There are so many other stories for musicians still paying the dues of the road, and I have already seen some opening bands this year that have caught my attention.

RC Edwards has stayed busy since the Turnpike Troubadours hiatus began nearly two years ago. His side project, RC & the Ambers, has been active with gigs around their home base of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Last year, the band went into the studio and recorded the Big Country record which is set for release later this year. I recently caught RC & the Ambers opening two shows for Cody Canada & the Departed . I had also seen them last fall in Tahlequah and the band has gotten even tighter over the past few months. Edwards has hung up his bass for an acoustic guitar and handles lead vocals; Amber Watson is featured vocalist. The band features a mandolin, upright bass and another guitar. They played a few songs from the new album and featured a few of the Edwards-penned tunes from the Turnpike catalog (so good to hear “Wrecked” and “Kansas City Southern” again). The new duet arrangement of “Fall Out of Love” spotlights Amber and fans would like to hear more from her than just one solo per show.

I have been a Black Lillies fan since the release of “Whiskey Angel” in 2009, and got to see several early shows with the band performing at a high level especially one night when they opened for the Turnpike Troubadours in Birmingham. The Hard to Please record had just come out featuring the sassy title track and “40 Days” which features Cruz Contreras rocking the electric piano. I had a nice conversation with him at the break and he was so excited about the future of the band and later went back onstage for an encore with Evan Felker. Not long after, their equipment trailer was stolen from a hotel parking lot in Houston. They lost equipment, merchandise, and some irreplaceable instruments. Some band members quit as well, causing Contreras to change the sound of the band which was now without a female voice. A “farewell for now” post on the band’s website marked a pause in Black Lillies activities while Cruz works on a solo career. He opened a show for Blackberry Smoke at the Shed near his Knoxville, Tennessee home and was accompanied on vocals by his wife, Molly. They opened with the Black Lillies classics “Two Hearts Down” and “Smokestack Lady” and later included the soaring “Whiskey Angel” duet as well as the earlier-mentioned piano-rollicking “40 Days.” I was right down in front for the Contreras set and was surprised (and a good bit disappointed) at how many Blackberry Smoke fans had never heard of the Black Lillies, even those who lived in the area! Cruz Contreras has been performing acoustic shows and has a solo project ready with a release hopefully later this year.

Two nights in Inman, Kansas introduced me to openers Jay Statham & The Tokie Show, and Kyle Killgore. Statham claims that “Tokie” represents the mixture of Texans and Okies in the band. He’s got a fire burning when he’s on stage and a driving, guitar-led sound. “Pieces” and “She Ain’t Looking for Love” both rocked the set. I’m going to keep an eye out for him. Wichita’s Kyle Killgore has a confident look and a clean Heartland country/rock sound. “Livin’ On the Run” gets a good workout in the live set and I love the Chris Knight shout out in the lyric!

Hayden Haddock is giving this music thing a big push with his new Red Dirt Texas record which has several solid tracks including one of my new favorite party songs “Whiskey Did You Miss Me.” Haddock has a genuine Texas drawl, a traditional look, and professional marketing that could help him break through. Jason Lerma of Aaron Watson’s band brought his distinctive guitar talents to Haddock’s band when I saw him at the Majestic in Fort Smith, Arkansas; he also sat in with Jason Boland’s band later that night.

I first remember seeing Waves open for Cody Canada & the Departed in 2019 at Gruene Hall. The band is comprised of teenagers from the School of Rock in New Braunfels, Texas which is operated by Shannon Canada and her husband, Cody. Their son, Dierks, plays guitar for the group but this is not “his” band. Elysha LeMaster handles lead vocals with the presence of the seasoned performer that she is; I’ve also seen her and the band open at the Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa and the famous Mule Barn in Justin, Texas. Guitarist Peyton Glasco recently joined the Departed on a weekend run that began at Knucklehead’s in Kansas City. He handled merchandise sales and would join Cody Canada and the band on stage later in the show. What an education! Drummer Ben Mitchell is the machine that drives the band and this band rocks. Luke Wilson lays down a solid bass and adds backing vocals. Each time I see Waves, they have improved as a band and are learning what it takes to succeed as touring musicians.

While Blackberry Smoke was hosting the second weekend of the Brothers and Sisters Reunion, where was Cody Canada? He was spending that week in May on the road opening a five-show run for Dierks Bentley and his sold-out dive bar tour. Remember the days when Dierks would open shows for Ragweed? Get to the show early. You never know who you might see.