Summer in the Cities: Willie Nelson & Gary Clark Jr.

Our Summer in the Cities tour hits Austin, where humid nights, neon-lit bars, and guitar solos spilling out of every doorway create a sound that is rootsy, rebellious, and relentlessly forward looking. From country soul divorce tales to genre bending blues epics, Don and Dude drop the needle on two records that pin Austin’s independent spirit, musical diversity, and guitar obsessed heart to wax.

The Albums

Willie Nelson – Phases and Stages (1974)

Phases and Stages finds Willie Nelson breaking from Nashville convention with a focused, empathetic divorce concept album that follows both the wife and husband through heartbreak, barroom coping, and hard won acceptance, all tied together by a recurring “phases and stages” theme. Warm Muscle Shoals grooves, unfussy arrangements, and Willie’s conversational storytelling turn everyday moments like washing dishes, hanging at the corner beer joint, and nursing a Bloody Mary morning into a fully realized Texas breakup saga that feels as much Austin outlaw as it does country soul short story.

Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu (2012)

Blak and Blu introduces Gary Clark Jr. as a modern Austin guitar hero who refuses to stay in one lane, blending Texas blues, fuzzed out rock, soul, RB, funk, and hip hop tinged production into a bold, genre fluid statement. From the brassy swagger of “Ain’t Messin ’Round” and the fuzz drone of “Bright Lights” to the tender soul of “You Saved Me” and the stripped back “Next Door Neighbor Blues,” the record stretches blues tradition into the 21st century without losing its grit or its roots.

Diggin’ Albums

• Violet Grohl – Be Sweet To Me (2026)Moody alt rock that mixes 90s style guitar crunch with dreamy, emotionally raw songs.
• Quiet Riot – Metal Health (1983)Big hook early MTV metal packed with shout along choruses and head banging riffs.
• Doublespeak – Doublespeak (2026)Synth driven covers project that turns cult favorites into lush, modern electronic pop.
• Peter Frampton – Carry the Light (2026)Melodic late career rock set that pairs Frampton’s signature guitar with reflective, guest studded songs.

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“There’s so much energy in Austin, it’s kind of the kernel of where all this music came from.” – Dave Grohl