Country rock band Turnpike Troubadours will be performing July 5 at the Red Dirt Whiskey Jam at Lazy Gators in Lake Ozark.
The band has been rising in popularity over the past few years with songs like "Good Lord Lorie," "Long Hot Summer Days" and "Down Here." They are touring and performing songs from their new album "A Long Way from Your Heart," which debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard Top 200, reached No. 3 on the Country Album Charts and No. 1 on the Independent and Folk Album Charts since its release in October.
Having worked with big name producer Ryan Hewitt, who has previously worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers and the Avett Brothers, the band was determined to up the ante with this album. The band also gained steel-accordion player Hank Early as a full-time member.
"He brings so much musically to the table," said RC Edwards, the band's bassist. "You know we're a real band and I think that's not always the case in country music that often anymore.
"You have a front man and then a hired band behind him, and there's not necessarily as much cohesiveness as like being a real band and being a real family like I think we are."
Not only is the six-member band known for putting on a good show, but they're also catching a lot of attention for their talented songwriting. This new album in particular illustrates characters from their past in some of their most bitter struggles.
"This whole record is about resilience in the face of tragedy - tragedies of different sizes," the band's lead singer Evan Felker said in a news release.
The album's standout song "Pay No Rent," is an ode to Felker's aunt Lou, who owned a beloved local bar, the Rocky Road Tavern, while their song, "Old Time Feeling (Like Before)," which Felker co-wrote with Edwards and their friend Jonny Burke, illustrates fighting temptation of falling back into old patterns.
Being from Oklahoma, the band has toured Missouri since they first began and are excited about returning.
"We've hit a few places in Missouri and really enjoyed it," Edwards said. "It's a lot like home, the Ozarks are to us, I mean we're in Tahlequah, which is the tail end of the Ozarks down here, so it's our kind of country."
The Red Dirt Whiskey Jam will also feature Madd Hoss Jackson and Cody Canada & The Departed before the Turnpike Troubadours take the stage at 9:30 p.m. Tickets and more information about the concert can be found at eventbrite.com/e/red-dirt-whiskey-jam-featuring-turnpike-troubadours-tickets-44416180993.