Fill 'er Up

10-gallon hats and 10-gallon gas tanks come to mind when BR5-49 plays

A A A Comments (0) By Roger Wood Thursday, Apr 13 2000

But for every badass rebel's strut on BR5-49's latest disc (including the rocker "Wild One" and the hilarious swing tune "Out of Habit"), there's also something sweet. "Storybook Endings" features Bennett strumming acoustic guitar and crooning over a waltz tempo while mandolin, piano and other instruments create a lush background. Bennett's quivering, nasal vocal delivery enhances the mood as he sings that "Castles and tales where the prince finds the princess ain't real/If you stop believin'."

"We're becoming more focused, realizing what we really are -- instead of a novelty cover band or whatever, you know," says Bennett. "We're doing almost all originals now on stage." With a newly released live album, Coast to Coast (which, ironically, doesinclude a clutch of covers from Bob Wills and Charlie Daniels to Gram Parsons), the band is touring, seemingly incessantly, while Bennett and Mead continue to write songs.

Robert Matheau

BR5-49: From left, Chuck Mead, Don Herron, "Hawk" Shaw Wilson, Gary Bennett and "Smilin'" Jay McDowell.

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While three Grammy nominations (all for cover tunes, it's worth noting) over the past four years isn't bad for any band, Bennett believes that BR5-49 has not yet fulfilled its potential, especially as a catalyst in reinvigorating the country scene. "I think it's pretty obviously at the end of a cycle. A lot of people hate to see that, and a lot of people are glad to see it," he says. "Nothing new can start without sort of a tearing down of the old guard or the current establishment. And I think that's what's happening in country music."

BR5-49 is scheduled to perform on Tuesday, April 18, at the Bash on Ash in Tempe, with the Road Kings. Showtime is 8 p.m.