PLAINVIEW – Asleep at the Wheel performs in Plainview Saturday night, Sept. 16, for the finale of the Jimmy Dean Music & Arts Festival on the Wayland Baptist University campus.
Smith Auto Family sponsors the concert slated for 7 p.m. at Harral Auditorium. Joining the legendary ambassadors of Western swing music for more than 50 years as their special guests will be Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.
General admission tickets are $40 and are available at JimmyDeanFestival.com. If seats are available, tickets will be sold at the door the night of the performance.
“We are encouraging everyone to go online to purchase their tickets now,” said Amber McCloud, who represents Wayland as the event co-chair. “It’s really cool to have Asleep at the Wheel performing in Plainview, but having Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys joining them really is going to make the night even more special. Plus, those who arrive around 6 p.m. are going to get a bonus. Steve Burrus & Friends also will be performing on the Harral Auditorium stage.”
“It’s going to be a great night of music,” said Mike Melcher, who represents the community as an event co-chair. “It just doesn’t get any better than this in Plainview, Texas. Asleep at the Wheel is legendary. What a way to cap off the Jimmy Dean Music & Arts Festival.”
Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson has been an ambassador for Western swing music for half a century, introducing its irresistible sound to generation after generation. Benson remains the front man, but more than 100 musicians who have passed through the band he affectionately refers to as “The Wheel.” Benson is the keeper of the vision and has been part of the process as the band has produced more than 30 albums, won 10 Grammy awards, and traveled literally millions of miles.
“The reason it’s popular is because we’ve had the greatest singers and players,” Benson said.
“Asleep at the Wheel represents an important cornerstone of American roots music,” Melcher said, noting that the same can be said about Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.
“Those attending the Jimmy Dean Music & Arts Festival will know they have stepped into the world of Bob Wills as the Texas Playboys bring a nostalgic glow to longtime Wills fans and the joy of discovery to those who might not have been born when Bob Wills died,” Melcher said.
The concert concludes the Jimmy Dean Music & Arts Festival, a day-long event that includes more than 50 vendors participating in a free arts and crafts fair, as well as live outdoor music, mobile food and beverage vendors, a kids’ area sponsored by McDonald’s, a hamburger dinner presented by Plainview Lions Club and much more.
“Folks are not going to want to miss the 2023 Jimmy Dean Music & Arts Festival,” McCloud said. “From the early morning Run for Suicide Awareness at the soccer field to the incredible lineup for the finale concert, the festival is going to outstanding.”
Go to JimmyDeanFestival.com to purchase tickets for Asleep at the Wheel with their special guests, Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.
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