James McMurtry Books ‘Westbound And Down’ Tour

The summer just got a little more interesting, thanks to a new tour from James McMurtry which will see him taking the stage in U.S. venues from Mississippi to Montana.

The acclaimed singer/songwriting is continuing to earn praise for his 2015 album, Complicated Game.

McMurtry was recently included in New York Times Magazine’s “25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going” feature piece.  

“McMurtry’s music is usually classified as ‘Americana;’ it’s at turns jagged and raucous, and at others deliberative and wistful,” Ruth Graham writes. “Other singers have smoother voices. But a movie star’s perfect face can work against his authenticity as an actor, and McMurtry’s unassuming vocal style and stage presence bring to the foreground the voices populating his songs.”

She adds, “Although I’ve been listening to him for years, I have begun to think of him as interpreter of the places ‘out here in the middle,’ as he puts it one song. He has written about Cheyenne, Wyo.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Wewahitchka, Fla; about crab fishermen, soldiers and Walmart stockers. His songs tap into resentments about things like coastal attitudes of superiority and political correctness.”

The article highlights the song “Copper Canteen,” the opening track on Complicated Game, which Graham says is “the song I’ve returned to most since Election Day.”

AP Photo / Austin American-Statesman – James McMurtry
Guitartown/Conqueroo Kickoff Party, SXSW, The Dogwood, Austin, TX

The next place to catch McMurtry performing is in Little Rock, Ark., April 28.

The “Westbound And Down” kicks off June 14 in Jackson, Miss. The routing includes two gigs with Sarah Jarosz.

June 14 – Jackson, Miss., Duling Hall
June 15 – Birmingham, Ala., Saturn
June 16 – Nashville, Tenn., 3rd & Lindsley
June 17 – Atlanta, Ga., Variety Playhouse
June 18 – Charlotte, N.C., The Visulite Theatre
June 20 – Nelsonville, Ohio, Stuart’s Opera House
June 21 – Cincinnati, Ohio, 20th Century Theatre
June 22 – Louisville, Ky., Headliners Music Hall
June 24 – Tulsa, Okla., The Vanguard
July 21  – Boulder, Colo., Boulder Theater (appearing with Sarah Jarosz)
July 22  – Bellvue, Colo., Mishawaka Amphitheatre (appearing with Sarah Jarosz)
July 27 – Bozeman, Mont., Live From The Divide
July 28 – Big Sky, Mont., Town Center Park (Red Ants Pants Festival)
       
Tickets to select dates are on sale now. Visit JamesMcMurtry.com for more information.