Aaron Watson at the Rust Belt -- March 5.
Saturday, March 5, 8 p.m.
The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL
Touring in support of his most recent album American Soul, a work that Lyric magazine called “one that you will listen to and get a whole load of fun from,” chart-topping country-music singer/songwriter Aaron Watson headlines a March 5 concert at East Moline's The Rust Belt, the artist lauded by Rolling Stone as "Texas country's reigning indie underdog."
Born in Amarillo, Texas in 1977, Watson began learning guitar when attending Abilene Christian University, where his primary influences were the classic country records by George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson his parents listened to, as well as the gospel hymns he sang with his family in church. Watson worked various gigs around Texas before releasing his debut album A Texas Cafe, and its 2002 follow-up shutupanddance was a regional-sales hit. With his star ascending, Watson's 2004 album The Honky Tonk Kid featured an appearance by Willie Nelson, while his 2006 release San Angelo hit number 60 on the U.S. Billboard country charts and number 50 on its Heatseekers chart. Further success came in 2008 with Watson's eighth album Angels & Outlaws, which reached number four on the Heatseekers chart, number 28 on Billboard's Country Albums chart, and was the artist's first recording to land in the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, the album's debut single "Hearts Are Breaking Across Texas," reached the number-one spot on the Texas Music Chart.
Released in 2010, Watson's The Road & the Rodeo made the top 25 on the U.S. Billboard Country Albums chart and reached number four on the Heatseeksers chart, while 2012's Real Good Time achieved national attention and was the best-performing album for Watson to date, peaking at number nine on Billboard's Country Albums chart and breaking into the top 20 for independent albums. Among the singer/accomplishments since then, Watson's song "That Look," which served as the lead-off single from his album The Underdog, debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Country Digital Songs chart and went on to become one of the most successful-selling independent singles by the end of 2014. The Underdog also made him the first independent male artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with a self-released and independently-distributed and promoted album. Watson's eleventh studio album Vaquero, released in 2017, found its lead single "Outta Style" his first top-10 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and it went on to win a BMI Award for most radio airplay in 2017. And prior to the release of American Soul, Watson debuted Red Bandana in 2019, a work that Taste of Country deemed “his most ambitious album yet," and one whose 20 songs were hailed by The Boot as “a pure expression of his traditional country ethos.”
Aaron Watson plays his East Moline engagement on March 5 with an opening set by Brushville, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $25-35, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.
