For over forty years, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been keeping the spirit of Bob Wills and western swing music alive. Scoring nine Grammys along the ride, it’s not always been an easy road. Counting the current line-up, there have been over thirty band members. As Vince Gill noted in an as of yet unreleased documentary on the group, “There’s obviously not a giant pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for playing western swing.” There were hints that the unit was going to disband at the end of 2011, but the bus is still rolling.
The Wheel brought their Christmas show to Fort Worth, with Benson noting, “Ever since Perry Como left us, there’s been a void and we are here to fill it.” The band has been Benson’s lifelong passion and he leads the band as both a natural front man – mugging, telling jokes, juggling, and inserting skits into the songs – and a truly gifted guitarist. Playing rhythm or lead as required, Benson incorporated nimble jazz licks into his solo on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and later plowed into a muscular emulation of Waylon Jennings on “Bob is Still the King.” If that wasn’t enough, with his expressive bass vocals, he’s a fine singer as well. Ray Benson is six feet and seven inches of Texas sized talent.
However, Asleep at the Wheel is certainly not a one man show. Jason Roberts plays fiddle and mandolin, often inserting his joyous Bob Wills imitation into the proceedings. Incongruent among the cowboy hats is acoustic guitarist and harmony singer Elizabeth McQueen. McQueen looks like a hip punk rock librarian and her lead vocal turn on “Mele Kalikimaka,” with its swaying in the breeze groove, was one of the highlights of the evening. Sporting an eternal beaming smile and having an untapped reservoir of quirky charisma, it’s hard not to have a nerd crush on McQueen. David Sanger, McQueen’s husband, is the band’s drummer, often setting the pace using jazz percussion techniques. Sanger and rhythm section partner bassist David Miller keep the swing in the band and worked tirelessly during their version of “Roly Poly.” When called upon for their frequent solos, steel guitarist Eddie Rivers and dapper pianist Dan Walton are always on point.
Throughout the show, the band played songs from their traditional setlist (“Miles and Miles of Texas,” “Route 66,” and the Fort Worth anthem “Big Balls in Cowtown”) interspersed with original and traditional Christmas music. This is a band that has no problem moving from comedy numbers like “Christmas in Jail” or “Santa Loves to Boogie,” then hitting the audience with an authentic, moving version of “Silent Night” or Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper.”
At worst, one can say that Asleep at the Wheel is a living museum exhibit, a human jukebox replicating what Bob Wills did with less raw enthusiasm. But when one is hearing one an absolutely exquisite version of “New San Antonio Rose,” delivered with more sublime eloquence than any other living band could even attempt to muster, those quibbles become completely irrelevant. The wheels may be aging, but what may seem to be a retread has titanium strength.
Setlist:
Cherokee Maiden
Miles and Miles of Texas
Route 66
Santa Loves to Boogie
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Mele Kalikimaka
Pretty Paper
Christmas in Jail
Texas Night Before Christmas
Santa’s on His Way
Bob Wills Is Still the King
New San Antonio Rose
Faded Love
Roly Poly
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Big Balls in Cowtown
Hot Rod Lincoln
House of Blue Lights
Encore
Merry Texas Christmas, Ya’ll
Feliz Navidad
Happy Trails
The Texas Playboys Theme