So, a couple of weeks ago I was watching Austin City Limits on PBS. The episode included a performance by one of my favorite bands of all time-- the Drive-By Truckers. The DBT performance was decent, but having seen the band several times the PBS didn't quite do them justice. They are indeed one of the best live acts ever. What I was most struck by, however, was the other performer PBS had lined up for that particular episode... a self-professed "desperado from West Texas" named Ryan Bingham.
Bingham is wise beyond his years, probably due to years spent in the rodeo circuit or maybe just growing up in the drylands of this country's great southwest. Whatever the source of his maturity, it is no doubt reflected in his raspy cigarette and whiskey-infested voice. The dude is a bona fide troubadour... a sort of Tom Waits meets Willie Nelson. Do your self a favor and check him out. I highly recommend his most recent release "Mescalito," while you're at it, you might as well go ahead and watch this video from his PBS debut: http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/flash/video/player2/index.php?xml=/klru/austin/images/stories/ACL/Artists/B/ryanbingham/video/3412_bingham_song.xml
"Hard Times. Everybody's got 'em if you look around"... ain't that the damn truth of it.
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