In a metropolis where indie rock is king, Gotham’s country musicians revel in their underdog status. New York is the only major radio market without a country music station. Short of making the music yourself, your best chance of hearing George Jones or Merle Haggard is either NPR or a few tiny college stations. Walking around town saying, “Nashville country sucks” is about as controversial as declaring that “the Roman Empire was a big empire” or “Mussolini was a bad man.” What’s more, anyone crazy enough to reveal a love of Rascal Flats would also be outing themselves as residents of Long Island or New Jersey.

I formed the Doc Marshalls in Brooklyn in the fall of 2001, at a time when I was doing my best not to watch the news. My love of traditional honky-tonk had blossomed ever since I’d left my native Dallas nearly a decade before, and I was so eager to start a band that I attended any and every “country jam” I could find. At an obscure venue a few blocks from my apartment, the Rising Café, I met our fiddler, Mat Kane. I’m not certain why we began playing our first gigs there, but suffice it to say that it wasn’t exactly our scene. How should I put this? There were two restrooms in the bar: one marked “Ladies” and another other marked “Womyn.” The owner was desperate to change the bar’s theme (“Straight, single guys spend more on beer”), but unfortunately for us, the regulars never got the memo. They scowled in their jean jackets as far away from the stage as possible.

Needless to say, there was nowhere to go but up. In the years that followed, I assembled a well-oiled five-piece that presently includes drummer Doug Clark, bassist Terence Murren, fiddler Mat Kane, and pedal steel guitarist Jonathan Gregg. We’ve released two albums, No Kind of Life (2005) and Honest for Once (2008), and have toured throughout North America, playing the gritty honky-tonk I can’t live without as well as the traditional Cajun music that is dearest to my heart.

I look forward to our Texas tours more than any other. Much as we love spreading the country gospel in rock venues in New England or at festivals in the mountains of upstate New York, there is no substitute for a gig at an historic dancehall or a rural beer joint in the hill country. I relish memories of watching ranchers two-step to our music at a roadhouse outside of Stephenville. I love the boisterous crowds in Austin, where folks expect a great show from the get-go. Finally, there is no greater satisfaction than watching fans mouth the words to your songs at your Gruene Hall debut. Under extreme duress, I could probably even muster a few kind words about Houston.

In an age when music is easily stolen or borrowed, a CD purchase means a great deal. The same goes for a music fan who pays a cover to see a show. The Doc Marshalls will return to Texas this week and we hope you’ll take the time to check us out. It’s a long way from my six-story walkup on the Lower East Side, but to me it always feels like coming home.


For more info on the Doc Marshalls visit THE DM's MYSPACE

Upcoming Texas Dates:

4/2/09: Houston, TX: Blanco's

4/3/09: Ft. Worth, TX: The Fairmount, w/ Honeybrowne

4/4/09: New Braunfels, TX: Gruene Hall (1 pm – 5 pm)

4/5/09: Schulenburg, TX: Freyburg Hall (Americana Music Series)

4/6/09: Austin, TX: Continental Club, w/Dale Watson