confirmed that he “found sobriety and recovery,” and that the band was simply ready to be a band again. Tickets for the first two reunion shows to be announced, at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, sold out within minutes. A bit later when the Billy Bob’s dates went on sale, the number of fans trying to snag tickets at the same time was enormous enough to crash its website. That scenario played out at other venues in other cities as well.
Following a predictably killer opening set by Austin’s honky-tonk heroes Mike and the Moonpies, the men of the moment took to the stage as Jimi Hendrix’s searing “Voodoo Chile” blared across the club. The space in front of the stage, typically packed tightly with banquet tables and chairs, was instead filled with standing fans ready to erupt, and erupt everyone did as Felker belted out “Well, she was born in the morning, late October, San Antone, oh she’s every girl I’ve ever known.
When it comes to any band, it’s easy to focus in on the lead singer. For as skilled of a songwriter and warm of a vocalist as Felker is, his band is full of stone-cold killers. The unit’s ability to turn even a softer song into a rousing ruckus is remarkable and seems to be as intact as ever. At various points throughout the 90-minute show, each Troubadour displayed why he is a key part of a machine that has so quickly reclaimed its spot among the top of the country music mountain.