Party: CROOKS

Party: CROOKS

http://crookscountry.com
Crooks Live in concert with opening acts Smoke in the Tavern and Bird in the Trees.
Thursday February 19th.
doors open at 7:00pm.

There's no shortage of country music in Crooks' hometown of Austin, TX. But ask anyone who has crammed into a packed honky-tonk to catch one of their infamously rowdy late-night shows and they'll tell you there's something that sets them apart from the rest.

Crooks are breathing new life into decades-old musical traditions, stripping away the polish and shine of modern radio country and replacing it with earnest songs about life, work and pain. Sometimes it's weary and lonesome, sometimes it's downright bleak, and oftentimes it's just reckless fun. Suddenly, country music is dangerous again.

Frontman Josh Mazour formed Crooks in 2007 as a two-piece band, playing stripped down sets at dive bars around Austin. Things have grown from there. He's now joined by drummer Rob Bacak, stand-up bassist Andrew VanVoorhees, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Alberts, who alternates between guitar, banjo, mandolin, and trumpet. Live, Crooks are an even greater spectacle, as fiddle, trumpet, and accordion players jump on stage throughout their set.
Crooks released their debut LP 'The Rain Will Come' this year, featuring guest appearances from accordion legend Flaco Jimenez of the Texas Tornados, and produced by Danny Reisch, known for his work with other Austin luminaries like The Bright Light Social Hour, Okkervil River, Shearwater, and White Denim.

Mazour lists songwriting greats like Hank Williams Sr., Townes Van Zandt, Billy Joe Shaver, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Blaze Foley and even Kurt Cobain as influences on his style, which he describes as "just unapologetic country songwriting."

"Country music is honest music," he says. "You can get straight to your point, and if no one likes it, that's fine. But you don't have to hide your feelings in tired metaphors and youthful whining." 'The Rain Will Come' has been a resounding success, kicking down doors for the band on a national level. American Songwriter called it "a driving slice of country noir," and CMT.com praised it as "rugged and lonesome," saying "this style of country music makes you want to keep your tab open." KUT-FM put their money on Crooks as the "Austin artist most likely to score big in 2012," while the Austin American-Statesman predicts that "the seemingly endless stream of media praise… points toward something bigger coming." But Mazour takes it all in stride. "I write songs because it's the only thing I'm good at doing. I have no idea what else to do with myself at this point," he says. "I know I'm still gonna piss some people off, make mistakes, and that I have a lot to learn. If I write a drinking song, it's probably because I went to sleep at six in the morning the night before. That's another thing that sets us apart from a lot of country musicians. I don't think these some of these guys even go to bars anymore. We do, a lot."

Invited: Adam Noshiravan, William Felt, Kristy Bell, Ern Flo, Eric Munoz, Danielle Hildebrand, Doris Chatterton, Vernon Twede, Ardian Cuka, Jimmy James Parks, Jake Maxwell, Shauntel Archuletta, Joseph Moore, Kirsten Flores, Karina Hayes, Mike Baker, Rick Reid, Kody Leon Vos, Wesley Thompson, Brennan Adams, Shauna Lea Haley, Bryan Burton Atwood, Mike Platt, Sierra Daggett, Russell J Maez, Robertina Martinez, Erik Olson, Philip Webb, Jordan Clements, Nick Butterfield, Brent R Ludwig, Chris Lewis, Taryn Tyler Lilly, Robert Jr Jr., Conor Murphy, Maile Tau'a-Roberts, Joe Martinez, Claudia Alyse Bertrand, Tiffany Miller, Dave Jordan, Jason DeCarlo, Gabriel Acosta, Jackson Blair, Christopher Best, Kelley James Manhard, Larry Moreland, Jennifer Shepard, Tino Olmedo, Ali O'malley, Ivan Cardenas, Kevin Izatt, Thomas Loftis, Mel Groho, Chris Zaccone, Jonathan Willie, Felice Jimenez, Travis Mcneil, Andres Castellano, Rabeca Flores, William Smith, Eva Chavez, Ernie Sanchez, Althea Cesspooch, Steve Gandy, ElizaBeth Rahman, Mark Collins, Taneka Sauvel Wright, Brittney Gordon, Marty Reese, Scrilla Martinez, Michael Lancaster, Michele Renee Medina, Dave Foley, Timmy Wolf, Saunsiaray Broussard, John Parker, Tim Carroll, Luis Rivera, M Juliet Amor Montoya, Mario Flores, Buddy Slc, Craig Murphy, Tara Nadeau show more »