Texas Country Singer-Songwriter Zane Williams has been at it for almost 20 years, and you can tell. We had the pleasure of seeing him a few years back when there was this thing called Wild West and, man, Zane can put on a show.
It makes sense, when you’ve been hitting the road for as long as he has, playing 120-150 shows per year. We’ve seen him a few times, dating all the way back to the time we overlapped at Abilene Christian University and saw him playing in the basement of the Student Center. The one thing I’ve always thought as I was going home is, “That show was authentic.”
Ultimately, that’s what Zane is striving for. His slogan is “Bringin’ Country Back,” and thinks of country music as “Poetry for the common man.” With songs like “Little Too Late,” “Ride With Me,” “Jayton and Jill,” “Hands of a Working Man,” and - my favorite Zane Williams song - “99 Bottles,” Zane is an honest musician making honest music.
“My senior year at ACU,” Zane told me on the phone as he was driving back to Texas from a family vacation before this tour starts, “I took a class, really I was just looking for an easy A, called Life Learning Skills. It helped me set goals, find a passion, and that’s where I realized that I could give songwriting a shot.” That class paid off.
Zane’s song “Hope is a Flame” won the Best Song in the Country genre in the 2007 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and his “Hurry Home” won the $20,000 Maxwell Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which was later covered and released as a single by John Michael Carroll. He has played the Grand Ole Opry, opened for Aaron Watson, shared a stage with George Jones and Alan Jackson, and Pat Green has recorded one of his songs.
And he’s looking forward to playing The Backyard in Waco on Friday (June 21)! “We’ve played Waco maybe ten times,” he said, “And it’s one of our better markets. So far, so good.” Trust us - as we have never lied to you, dear reader - you won’t want to miss this show. I asked Zane what he wanted people to know when deciding to buy tickets, “This show is for lovers of down-home, authentic country music.”
Zane has a new album out, “The Oak Tree and the Weed,” featuring 15 original songs recorded live as an acoustic trio. If you’re into authenticity, you’ll enjoy your evening with Zane.
Zane Williams plays The Backyard on Friday, June 21. Tickets are $12-$17 and can be purchased here. Doors open at 6pm.
