Wylie & the Wild West with the Spokane Symphony

Wylie & the Wild West with the Spokane Symphony: All Access. Saturday, April 24th at the Fox

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Wylie & the Wild West Show at the Fox Theater on April 24th. I also had a “hook up”, if you will, for unlimited access to the band and was treated to their rehearsal with the Spokane Symphony. How did Checkitoutmusic get so lucky you ask? Well, Wylie and I go way back. In the summer of 1995, Wylie hired me to be his road manager (“mangler”, as some say) and I toured with the band off and on for the better part of ten years.

To say that Wylie, Ray Doyle, T. Scot Wilburn, and Rick Bryceson are top-flight musicians would be a glaring understatement. Wylie’s style of music tells stories of the American West, dusty trails, riding, roping and his love for horses. Wylie is the real deal. He is at home on a horse as he is on the stage, and his songs reflect his world. I’ve heard Wylie’s show many times. From state fairs to sawdust strewn honky-tonk dives. Stages built out of hay bales and pool tables. Hell, there was even one time where somebody rode their horse into the venue! To hear Wylie & the Wild West backed with a full symphonic orchestra was simply astonishing. Eckart Preu’s masterful conducting of the Spokane Symphony through such classics as ”America The Beautiful’,’ ” Don’t Fence Me In’,’ and “Red River Valley”, as well as Wylie’s own renditions of “Cattle Call” and an ode to his horse “Manolito.” Speaking of horses, cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski explained the difference between a “Horse” and a “ Hoss.” Wylie even played his “Hit.” You know the Yahoo yodel? – Click Here to Hear – All four notes of it…yeah, that’s Wylie.

Check out his website here.

It was a great show and could quite definitely fit into my Top Ten concert list. Thanks Wylie. Thank you for everything.

By Trucker Dave