17 February 1 - 7, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents THE NEW OUTLAWS Dallas artists lead the way as country goes progressive. BY CARLY MAY GRAVLEY I t’s the night before Thanksgiving, and Vandoliers, Joshua Ray Walker and Jaret Ray Reddick are playing a show at Dallas’ Longhorn Ball- room. The dynamite country bill was advertised as a Friendsgiving celebra- tion, and that distinction is right on the money. Building community is a core tenet of the Vandoliers’ values. A country band formed by Josh Fleming, the former frontman of punk band The Phuss, the group has always been about bringing people together and finding common ground. At this show, there is obvious love and admiration between the artists. “It started as having my punk friends and my country friends come together at the same show,” Fleming says. “Now it’s so much more than that.” The newly reopened Longhorn, a historic venue that’s welcomed both punk and coun- try fans in its day, is the perfect setting for a show that has everything people want out of a country concert. It’s fun and raucous and a bit rowdy. The Vandoliers bring a little Wild West energy to every live performance. There are also intentional moments of tenderness and inclusivity throughout. The guys are affectionate with each other on- stage. On more than one occasion, Fleming moseys on over to bandmate and multi-in- strumentalist Cory Graves to plant a kiss on his cheek. With effortless finesse, they strike the delicate balance of being rock ‘n’ roll cowboys without riding the horse of toxic masculinity. In the latter half of their set, Fleming gives an extended shoutout to mental health nonprofit Foundation 45, which had a booth set up in the back of the room where attend- ees could pick up a pamphlet or a button with slogans such as, “Live Fast, Die Old.” The Dallas-based organization assists those struggling with mental health and addiction and has special support groups for LGBTQ+ individuals and women of color. “The central mission of this band is to be a positive force for good,” Fleming says. “And even by doing that and by being there for everyone with that mindset, sometimes it does ruffle feathers.” The band is aware that country is still as- sociated with a more conservative and re- gressive base, so they want to make one thing clear. “Vandoliers is for everybody,” Fleming says. “Except for dicks.” GUYS AND DOLLY Country music is experiencing a spike in mainstream popularity, and the data speaks for itself. Four country songs reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, the most in one year since 1975. For comparison, hip- hop also had four songs hit No. 1 last year. Going off charts alone, the two genres ap- pear to have equal cultural relevance. This would’ve been inconceivable to pop radio listeners just a few years ago. Of the four No. 1 hits, two became light- ning rods for controversy. Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” faced backlash for glorifying vigilante gun violence (the music video was even widely criticized for intercutting news footage of a Black Lives Matters protest with clips of Aldean singing in front of Maury County Courthouse in Tennessee, the site of a 1927 lynching). “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the uber-populist breakout single from Virginia- based singer Oliver Anthony, debuted at No. 1 in August. Its lyrics, which rail against ev- eryone from elites who want to control what you think to people who use welfare checks to buy Fudge Rounds, purported to speak to concerns of the working class and received praise from conservative heavy hitters rang- ing from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to blogger and self-described “theocratic fas- cist” Matt Walsh. Beyond the Billboard Top 100, country music as a whole has captivated a different audience than that of Aldean and Anthony: Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2010. Country music’s influence on Gen Z cul- ture is far-reaching, a recent and unexpected example being the new Hunger Games movie, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It has a soundtrack of original songs inspired by Appalachian country that are a hit with young fans of the franchise. A study from Relative Insight suggests that Gen Z might be drawn to country music because they’re more open-minded and less likely to judge a song or artist based solely on preconceived notions of their genre. In other words, you’re less likely to hear a zoomer say that they listen to “everything but country” than you would Millennials or Gen X. Open-mindedness is also reflected in Gen Z’s politics. According to a report from Pew Research, they are more likely to have pro- gressive views on LGBTQ+ and race issues. A recent Gallup poll shows that one in five Gen Z adults identifies as LGBTQ+. People gravitate toward music they feel represents them and their values. For Gen Z, who value relatability and authenticity, country music, a genre that traditionally venerates lived experience through story- telling and gives the establishment cast- aways a bully pulpit, does just that. Bryson Coffey is a 19-year-old college student living in North Texas. He identifies as gay and is also a lifelong country fan. “I like to listen to country music Mike Brooks The Vandoliers from left to right: Trey Alfaro, Corey Graves, Mark Moncrieff, Travis Curry, Dustin Fleming, Joshua Fleming. ▼ Music >> p18
