The best argument to be made against any sort of musical mecca rivalry between Dallas and Austin can be found in the way in which so many bands make the trip up and down I-35 to visit the other city for regular gigs. This weekend, local country music fans will be able to see what's been going on down south in terms of insurgent, vibrant and even dangerous country sounds.
Crooks, an Austin group led by Josh Mazour, has become a must-see show in ATX. To provide an apt comparison, think of how the crowds bow in reverence to Eleven Hundred Springs or King Bucks at Adair's or the Granada Theater.
Austin-based Crooks has been praised by the likes of CMT and American Songwriter magazine.
A Crooks gig at the Whitehorse in East Austin or the legendary Antone's is sure to provide similar fawning and hell-raising. This isn't a new act, by any means.
The group has been praised by the likes of CMT and American Songwriter magazine, while boasting two vaunted Daytrotter sessions. It was also a contender in CultureMap Austin's Last Band Standing in 2012.
Even though Mazour started the band as a two-piece in 2007, it is now a multimember unit that packs far more than a few acoustic guitars and kitschy belt-buckles. With mandolin, dobro, banjos and even trumpets and accordions energizing the music, it's little wonder that the band's debut LP, The Rain Will Come, released last year is an absolute gem. If gems were covered in sweat, beards and loneliness, that is.
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Crooks head to Fair Park February 16 for Mardi Gras Texas Style before hittin' up the Magnolia Motor Lounge in Fort Worth February 22.
Crooks head to Mardi Gras Texas Style at Fair Park on February 16..
