by Jordyn Smith
Red Dirt sensation Wade Bowen will be making a stop at Hurricane Harry’s on Friday, October 2 with special guest, John Baumann. Bowen, a Texas country veteran, has been one of the most sought-after artists on the Texas music scene for more than a decade. He is well-known for his rich baritone voice and his frequent collaboration with other Texas country royalty.
Hailing from Waco, Bowen got his start in Texas country in the early 2000’s. After graduating from Texas Tech, Bowen self-released his first album “Try Not to Listen” in 2002. The title track would make it into the Top Ten on the Texas music chart. After recording his first live album in 2003 and a studio album in 2006, Bowen followed up with “If We Ever Make It Home” in 2008, which would quickly become his best-selling record.
Early in his career, Bowen understood the importance of getting his face in front of a crowd. For several years, he would play up to 250 shows a year. This hard work paid off as he consistently put out great records, both studio and live. Bowen began to build a solid following in Texas. With the success of his 2008 album, he was able to take his talents outside of Texas and began to play all over the country.
In May of 2012, Bowen had a record deal with Sony Music Nashville and released the much-anticipated “If We Ever Make It Home.” His major-label debut was his first original studio album since 2008. This album brought Red Dirt to Nashville. The single “Saturday Night” was the first single released from the album; it would become Bowen’s first Top 40 hit. In 2014, after departing with Sony Music, Bowen released his self-titled album in October.
Bowen is known for his collaborations—including work with Pat Green, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Brandon Rhyder, Bowen has teamed-up with Texas country greats to produce hits throughout his career. In April of 2015, Bowen had his greatest collaboration to date. A full-length collaborative album with Texas country icon Randy Rogers. The project, titled “Hold My Beer Vol. 1,” sent Texas country fans into a frenzy. Fans of both will be eagerly awaiting the release of Vol. 2.
Special guest John Baumann will be opening for Wade Bowen at Hurricane Harry’s. Baumann has established himself not only as an artist but also as one of the next up-and-coming songwriters. With three co-write cuts on Cory Morrow’s new album, Baumann is beginning to gain traction and build his fan base around Texas. Baumann released his debut EP “West Texas Vernacular” in 2012. In 2014, Baumann released his first full-length studio album “High Plains Academy.”
Baumann’s style of writing has shown great evolution over the past couple years. He is able to accomplish something that many songwriters struggle with: evolving while remaining true to his own style. Opening for Texas country acts like Wade Bowen, Max Stalling, and the Josh Abbott Band are giving Baumann great opportunities to get his music in front of Texas country fans.
