Asleep at the Wheel to open new season for Second Street Live!

review by Peter Lewis
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No band has quite tiptoed down the nebulous line of success quite like Asleep at the Wheel.

Since their formation as a band in 1970, Asleep at the Wheel has garnered nine Grammy wins and endeared themselves to countless fans across the globe. Their style of music could best be labeled as a traditional brand of country western music. And while the implicit hope is that people enjoy it, they have never been in the habit of making concessions in the hope of expanding their already large fan base.

Asleep at the Wheel is set to perform in Fort Smith on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 7:30 p.m., at 101 N. Second Street in downtown Fort Smith. The concert is part of the 2010-2011 Second Street Live Concert Series. Tickets are $50. The appearance by this Grammy winning group will mark the opening night of the 2010-2011 Second Street Live Concert Series. Link here for more information about tickets and upcoming concerts.

As purveyors of a particularly Texan style of music, the group is a bit of an anomaly, an outlier. Despite being founded in the small town of Paw Paw, W.V., the true roots of the band sprung from Philadelphia, the hometown of both Benson and co-founder Lucky Oceans. The early years of the group found them calling a number of places home before settling into Austin, Texas. It was in the heart of Texas that the group began realizing more commercial success.

Over the years, this award winning country/western swing band has witnessed a variety of members — one count puts it over 90. Ray Benson, however, has been a constant presence throughout as leading man and creative force.

Musical endeavors that transpire across four decades are a rarity. And when they do occur, it is never without pratfalls. Asleep at the Wheel is no different. After the successes of the 1970s, the 80s found the group in a period of commercial stagnation and internal tribulation. By the end of the decade, however, the band had righted itself, creating music that was both critically and commercially viable.

These successes would push the band forward over the next few decades, but Asleep at the Wheel has never quite vaulted into the public consciousness, nor have they ever found themselves at the top of the charts. They do, however, continue to make music of the highest quality that both honors and enhances the tradition of western swing, from Bob Wills to Spade Cooley and everything in between.

Despite roots in Pennsylvania, the traditional sounds of western swing music seem to speak to Benson. It is a connection that points to the universal powers within musical creation and its ability to cross the borders of human experience. And through tribute albums to Bob Wills and collaborations with musicians like Willie Nelson, Benson has created a legacy for the band as a purveyor of musical memory, keeping the flame of traditional music alive.

Expect these traditions, replete with hot fiddles and fine voices, to be on full display when Asleep at the Wheel takes the Second Street Live! stage on Thursday night.