Whole Lotta Honky Tonk On One Stage

Clay Walker, Darius Rucker & Sara Evans give priceless performances at KILT'sTen Man Jam

Sara Evans

Photo by Michael Lanier
Alan Jackson

Photo by Michael Lanier
Darius Rucker

Photo by Michael Lanier
Martina McBride

Photo by Michael Lanier
Kevin Fowler

Photo by Michael Lanier
Jack Ingram

Photo by Michael Lanier
Gary Allan

Photo by Michael Lanier
Eric Church

Photo by Michael Lanier
Clay Walker

Photo by Michael Lanier

As always, KILT pulled out the big Smith & Wesson's for this year's Ten Man Jam to give the station's biggest and most loyal fans a memorable country concert experience. Wednesday's show at Verizon Wireless marked the 11th year that the station (FM 100.3) has put on this intimate concert series showcasing 10 of the hottest names in country music — many of whom have Houston and other Texas ties.

Any show at Verizon Wireless is already primed for an intimate setting with a seating capacity around 2,500. But this show is all about the personal side of the artists and their music. They interact not only with their steadfast and avid fans but with the other artists just feet away. And why not? They share the same slots on the same popular radio stations, why not the same stage? You'll even get a chance to hear Martina McBride chime in to the end of a Kevin Fowler song if you're lucky.

As long as they bring Darius Rucker and Sara Evans back, I'm a happy girl. And if they promise to keep leaving Jessica Simpson off the lineup, that's also a plus.

The star studded honky tonk lineup began with a quick four-song set from Alan Jackson and then select songs from Josh Abbott Band, Gary Allen, Eric Church, Sara Evans, Kevin Fowler, Jack Ingram, JaneDear Girls, Stoney LaRue, Martina McBride, Darius Rucker, Thompson Square and Clay Walker.

A handful of those artists alone are well worth the price of admission, but together on one stage? Priceless.

And on the subject of admission, there isn't any. At least not monetarily. You can't buy them anywhere (unless some weirdos are selling them on Craigslist). Tickets can only be won by calling KILT or showing up at one of their many appearances. Only the loyal and aggressive need apply.

The setup on stage is quite unique. The night starts with one artist (i.e. Clay Walker) who carefully selects one of his #1 hits. Once he's finished, he introduces the next artist who walks out on stage with an aptly marketed Bud Light in hand (i.e. Stoney LaRue), usually with the ultimate endorsement that takes the other by surprise or a personal story of the first time the two met.

This platform continues until five of the acts are on stage at once each singing three songs with a very small backup band (or strictly acoustic) behind them. After a short intermission, the next group comes out in a similar fashion.

This setup allows the opportunity to see several artists perform on one stage at the same time. Coziness aside, the diversity gives the audience a buffet style of music that can't be found anywhere else.

It's customary for TMJ to be set up so that the more established artists introduce some of the up-and-comers, giving those rookies an added element of street cred from some of the biggest names in the biz. Within one glorious hour you hear artists of varying ages, professional levels and backgrounds singing their new hits, Christmas carols, a dazzling solo on the fiddle (thanks to Susie Brown from the JaneDear Girls) or the songs that topped the charts years ago catapulting them to Grand Ole Opry status.

The lineup for TMJ gets better and better every year — I'm already waiting to hear next year's lineup but they'll keep that under wraps for quite some time.

As long as they bring Darius Rucker and Sara Evans back, I'll be a happy girl. And if they promise to keep leaving Jessica Simpson off the lineup, that's also a plus.

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Music feature

Texas country star Cody Johnson's new album goes to 'Banks of Trinity'

Photo by Cameron Powell

Cody Johnson.

There's a moment at every Cody Johnson show where the Texas-born-and-bred country star asks the crowd, “How many of you tonight are watching me and this band live for the very first time?” he told The Associated Press. “And every night, I would say at least 80% of the crowd raises their hands.”

It's not the kind of reaction most veteran artists receive. “And I’m thinking, you know, 20 years is a long time to work for something. But when you see that … What’s the next 20 years look like?” he asks.

The rancher, rodeo competitor, and onetime prison guard started his two-decade career playing honky tonks and dive bars. That led to slow and steady growth for the country traditionalist, but in the last few years, something has shifted. He landed his fifth career No. 1 song with “The Fall.” He was named Entertainer of the Year at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards, the show's highest honor. That was a month after he headlined Stagecoach Music Festival. For an artist with legions of fans, it looked like he was accessing new heights.

“I feel like I’m closing a book and I’m opening another one and it’s all blank pages,” he says of this period. “Let's get to the next chapter." On June 26, that new era began with the release of his latest album, Banks of the Trinity.

Traveling to the Banks of the Trinity
It hasn't been an easy road. Last fall, Johnson had to cancel a bunch of tour dates after upper respiratory and sinus infections caused a burst eardrum that required surgery — an intimidating medical procedure for anyone, but especially nerve-wracking for a musician. “I was scared,” he said simply. But “in a roundabout way, it’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

It forced him to take three months off, which allowed him to be home during the birth of his son. It also rejuvenated his approach in the studio. Before the incident, he thought the album was complete. It was not. The additional time resulted in the inclusion of a few songs that now feel inextricable from the record: “Thank Somebody Country,” “Take Me Back (Leave Me There),” “Cricket on a Hook,” and the resilient “I Have” among them.

“What a blessing to have that kind of song fall in your lap when you’re kind of up against the ropes,” he says of the latter. “I mean, we thought we had the record done. It wasn’t done.”

A title track with real resonance
At the heart of Banks of the Trinity is its title track, which recalls Eagles' cover of “Seven Bridges Road” meets bluegrass and Southern gospel.

Lyrically, it's an ode to Johnson's childhood. “I grew up on the banks of the Trinity [River.] Fishing for catfish, not so much out of pleasure or sport but for necessity to put food in the freezer. Deer season for me was not a trophy thing,” he said.

And while that track inspires a feeling of nostalgia within the listener, he doesn't consider this album a throwback collection. He says it's about showcasing his evolving sonic diversity.

"The rest of the album for me is a musical journey from track one to track 16,” he said. “There’s a little bit of a flavor for everybody. It does kind of hit Motown. It does kind of hit bluegrass. It does hit progressive country. It does it old country. It does a little rock here and there.”

It's the result of a new kind of freedom, one that is at least partially due to his recent accomplishments, including taking home the top prize at the ACM Awards.

“I just did the thing that I’ve aspired to do in my career my entire life,” he says. “A really good place is a really good way to describe where I am.”

And now that the album is out, he's ready to take a breather.

“I will be shirtless with no shoes on a beach at an undisclosed location,” he jokes about the days after record release. “'Cause I have already done all the prep work. I've been working on this album for two years. I’ve done all of the interviews. I’ve shook all the hands. Me and my wife and kids are gonna disappear for 10 days and I’m gonna become, I guess, every Kenny Chesney song ever.”

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