Credit: Photo by John Carrico

Ryan Bingham

Friday, Sept. 26, Zilker Park

While West Texas legends Joe Ely and Terry Allen sing praise for Austin’s Ryan Bingham, his 2007 Lost Highway debut, Mescalito, offered only a smidgen to distinguish him from others in the Red Dirt scene. Forty minutes in front of an ample crowd made up for it, Bingham and his trio of Dead Horses impressing with a set that leaned heavily on Scorchers roar and Southern rock stomp. The singer-songwriter’s straw hat and beard added years to his youth, while his scratchy vocals veered closer to Waitsian than on disc. Mid-set, Doug Moreland joined in with his fiddle, bringing the music closer to traditional country, though it wasn’t until closing twofer “Sunshine” and radio hit “Bread and Water” that Bingham pulled out his slide guitar chops. Matching those of guitarist Corby Schaub, Bingham fueled the band into overdrive, a move that left the assembled howling for more.

This article appears in October 3 • 2008.

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