Robert Earl Keen’s 16 albums over the past three decades, including his just-released “Ready for Confetti,” haven’t made him a household name — and that’s a positive for those who search for honest music that doesn’t bend to popular pressure. Instead his world-weary alt country tunes, mixed with an array of up-tempo songs that dip into blues and other formats, have made him the Lone Star State’s answer to Townes Van Zandt mixed with John Hiatt, Earle with a dash of his buddy Lyle Lovett. Yes, he’s the thinking man’s singer-songwriter who isn’t afraid to let his musical light shine.
“A long time ago Harlan Howard, who had written all these hits in the 1960s [including “Heartaches by the Number” and “Busted”], talked to me about writing. I had tried to get him to write with me. I was a total pest,” said Keen. “He said, ‘Well, son, I would like to write with you but the chances of us writing a bad song are as good as us writing a good song.’ So now, when I get a bad song going, I drop it like a hot potato and move on.”
| Onstage |
| Robert Earl Keen |
| When: 6 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show, Thursday |
| Where: Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria |
| Info: $39.50; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
That’s not to say Keen plays it safe. Instead, he refuses to follow a popular path, continually reaching beyond his comfort level. His musical bravado has only increased as he’s worked through the years. Listeners will hear that starting with his self-financed 1984 debut “No Kinda Dancer,” and working through the creation of a catalog that includes hits such as “The Road Goes on Forever,” Keen has carved his own path.
Consider his latest album. For it, Keen joined with renowned producer Lloyd Maines, who also worked with him on “The Rose Hotel.”
“I feel like I really found a team,” said Keen of his comfort level recording the album. “I have this band that works with Lloyd really, really well. They all love Lloyd as much as I do and respect him. [I feel like Lloyd and I] have almost had this telepathic working relationship.”
That allowed them to not only follow their original musical instincts but then go back and strengthen the music even more, reaching for a sonic carnival feel at some points and delving into other genres such as reggae on “Waves on the Ocean.”
“We were fearless about it,” said Keen.
