ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

SW Roots Music & KBAC proudly present
An evening of classic Western Swing with
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
with guests
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST

Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 7:30pm — ALL-AGES SHOW
Santa Fe Brewing Co., 27 Fire Place Rd. (off Highway 14), Santa Fe
$30 advance, $35 door.
SW Roots members call 473-5723 to receive discount.
Tickets at Lensic Box Office
505-988-1234.
For more than three decades Asleep at the Wheel has boldly defied the fickle lures of the mainstream — and thrived — by sticking to its noble cause of keeping that distinctly American of art forms, Western Swing, alive and kicking. Along the way, they've been awarded nine Grammys, entertained millions and won praise and admiration from the likes of Willie Nelson to Bob Dylan to Van Morrison. Asleep at the Wheel is an American musical institution: a kinship of like-minded musicians (over 80 members to date) united under bandleader Ray Benson's crusade to carry the torch of big band western swing music into the 21st century. Case and point is the latest lineup, which is not only spectacularly talented but also noticeably youthful. "My goal was to be more different than anybody," says bandleader Ray Benson. "We're a dance band and this is improvisational music, which I think is the whole ball of wax, because that's where the rubber really meets the road...I think it's interesting to listen to updated versions of what people do, hearing how they have evolved. People change, and I love to have the luxury of having a career this long to do it. Part of the impetus was touring with Bob Dylan a couple of years ago. Every night, Dylan would do those songs a little differently, and it made it very exciting to see where they were going to go each night."