‘You never know what’s going to happen’: Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen talk ‘Hold My Beer’ tour
Sometimes, live shows can feel like recitals, where the artists on stage merely sing exactly what’s on the studio recording and seldom stray from the script.
Not so with Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen, two Texas country stalwarts who have spent their respective careers burning down dance halls and playing in bars all across the Lone Star state. On Wednesday, they’ll share the stage at the House of Blues Dallas for their “Hold My Beer & Watch This” show.
Rogers and Bowen both hold down busy touring schedules apart from their shows with each other. Bowen called the Star-Telegram last week after getting back to Texas following a festival in Washington state. Rogers called from Colorado a few days later.
“I think being too perfect on stage is not very much fun. [It’s about] exposing yourself and showing your soul, and being able to show the fact that my music is supposed to be live; it’s not the track,” Rogers told the Star-Telegram. “There’s nothing fake about ‘Hold My Beer & Watch This.’ I’m having a ball up there and I know Wade’s having a ball. It’s a brotherhood. And you never know what’s going to happen.”
The pair just played a “Hold My Beer” show at Billy Bob’s Texas last month following the release of the third record in that series in early July. That latest installment is a 6-song EP. The final song, “Dumb Kids,” is a ballad — which is in both artists’ wheelhouse, but it is a bit of a departure for these projects, which consist mostly of good ol’ fashioned drinking songs (and the occasional tune about Whataburger).
“I really think [that song] shows a side of us that both of us wanted to show, something a little bit different,” Bowen said. “And ‘Volume 3’ s the first [Hold My Beer] project that we wrote everything, and we produced everything. And so I think we have a really good grasp of what we want. This is country music, it’s buddy music, it’s beer-drinking music. It’s things that I don’t really normally write about on my records. So it’s a lot of fun to do these.”
“‘Dumb Kids’ is probably the most in-depth look at me and Wade’s psyches as artists,” Rogers said.
The two have been friends for decades, and have been making “Hold My Beer” records since 2015. They’ve also recorded two live albums of “Hold My Beer” shows: “Watch This,” and “Watch This: Live From Dallas.”
On Wednesday night, fans can expect a healthy mix of “Beer” cuts, Bowen’s solo stuff and Rogers’ songs from The Randy Rogers Band.
“I wish our calendars allowed us to do more shows together because I really think this is the best ‘Hold My Beer’ show we’ve put together,” Bowen said.
“We try to change it every year, and throw new songs into the mix,” Rogers said. “I just like that it’s unscripted.”
And, since this is the “Hold My Beer” show, what are the duo’s favorite brews?
Bowen: “We love the Shiner Light Blonde. And the seasonal Shiners are pretty good, too.”
Rogers: “Well, that’s ‘cause Wade’s a wuss. I drink Shiner Bock.”
Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen will perform their “Hold My Beer & Watch This” show at the House of Blues Dallas on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are available here. The duo will also play in Corpus Christi on Aug. 18 and in Helotes on Aug. 19.
This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 1:16 PM.
