https://fb.watch/axCAD6EJR8/

Quote:

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I'm a strong believer in clarity and truth. As much as I love what I do, it's more important that I do it well or not at all. I'm not sick or experiencing any existential crisis. I feel that making a decision and quitting the road while I still love it, is the way I want to leave it. I've witnessed first hand the alternative and promised myself I would go out feeling all the love for music and performing the same way I entered- with passion and enthusiasm.

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https://www.robertearlkeen.com/news/time-flies

Damn, always puts on a great show. Hope to get to one last one before he hangs it up

Welp. I'll be trying to Helotes in September then.

Happy I got to see him at Wolf Pen amphitheater in October

Dang. Really want to see him one more time. One of the best concerts I've ever been to was a NYE show of his in Austin in the early 2000's. Sad news, but good for him in calling his own shot here

Just saw this as well. Truly sad. Tried to catch a show out here in central coast CA in Oct but it got cancelled. It's been years since I've seen him and have been trying to get back to another show. Still bummed I never caught one of his shows he did with Lyle Lovett. I think the last time I saw him was when he played at Kyle before a game a few seasons ago.

helloimustbegoing said:

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I'll never forget the time he sang the National Anthem before the A&M-TCU game in 1995 completely hammered.

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Pretty sure he was hammered several years back when he and Lyle Lovett performed at Kyle Field to start the season after it was renovated.

Maybe that's why Willie stuck with the reefer all these years and can still tour in his upper 80's.

helloimustbegoing said:

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I'll never forget the time he sang the National Anthem before the A&M-TCU game in 1995 completely hammered.

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Yeah no kidding. That was the only time I've ever heard anyone stop halfway through, apologize, and start over.

Yea, you're not bitter over something at all.

He does say he's quitting touring, not quitting all live performances.

Dr. Horrible said:

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He does say he's quitting touring, not quitting all live performances.

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I wish you were right but here is his statement from the link:

Quote:

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It's with a mysterious concoction of joy and sadness that I want to tell you as of September 4th, 2022, I will no longer tour and perform publicly.

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Glad I got to see him at Wolfpen as well Bama weekend. That show was a blast.

First Charlie Robison and now this. Very sad. Would love to catch him one last time.

Super show in Tucson about 5 years ago.

The Ags in Tucson were there in large numbers, and he was very appreciative to his Texas Aggie family.

Proposition Joe said:

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A lot of people erroneously assume every country music retirement is like George Strait.

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George Strait never said he was retiring, just not touring anymore, like what REK says he is doing.

TXAG 05 said:

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Proposition Joe said:

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A lot of people erroneously assume every country music retirement is like George Strait.

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George Strait never said he was retiring, just not touring anymore, like what REK says he is doing.

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REK said he is not performing publicly anymore. Whether he stays true to his word is a different story, but, as of right now, Keen is different from Strait. He's saying he's completely done.

I also thought I had read that Gary P was hanging it up as well. Would like to catch one more of his shows before he's done as well.

et98 said:

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helloimustbegoing said:

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I'll never forget the time he sang the National Anthem before the A&M-TCU game in 1995 completely hammered.

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Yeah no kidding. That was the only time I've ever heard anyone stop halfway through, apologize, and start over.

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This is closer to the truth. Not hammered but started the song in a key where he instantly worried about the high parts so re-started in a lower key but ended up making the rest of the song too low for him. This is his explanation anyway. But yeah, it was bad.

Jock 07 said:

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I also thought I had read that Gary P was hanging it up as well. Would like to catch one more of his shows before he's done as well.

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He announced it a year or so ago I think. I caught him in August 2020 down around Seabrook. Surprised he performed based on his views of Covid. I know he wanted to have a farewell tour but don't know how/when/if he'll do one due to C-19.

We're happy to announce that we will be live streaming our Wednesday taping with @robertearlkeen . Details: https://t.co/XBzxzdJe1R

— Austin City Limits (@acltv) April 25, 2022

My mom's friends saw him this last weekend at the Galveston County Fair in Hitchcock. Said it was a good show and it was packed. REK was seated the entire show.

maroon barchetta said:

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My mom's friends saw him this last weekend at the Galveston County Fair in Hitchcock. Said it was a good show and it was packed. REK was seated the entire show.

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I'm watching the ACL live feed and he is sitting in this one too.

Quote:

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Was this decision to stop performing something you'd been contemplating for a long time?
I had considered this for a couple years prior, but I had always stacked up all the obstacles to get through: How is this going to work out for my family? Am I going to have enough money? How am I going to deal with the band and make sure they're OK? There would always be one or two things where I'd go, "I can't do it now because this or that is happening." Maybe there was a show on the calendar, or I'm stuck with a bus lease.

Why now, then?
2021 was the roughest year I ever had across the board: career-wise, music-wise, touring-wise. The whole thing was really, really, really hard. Touring has really fallen apart. There was a big hole in the promotion business, so everyone said, "We can have this show in our backyard." We ended up playing a bunch of barbecue joints, where they'd put a crappy wooden fence around it and sell food, in Texas and out in Montana. But you know how it is: live music is the last thought when these places are being built: "We'll build an eight by eight plywood stage six inches off the ground, and get some Fisher Price speakers." That's what was happening. The sound was horrible. We would show up at noon and wouldn't get to soundcheck until 7. It just flat wore us out. There were some [gigs] where I'd look at the numbers prior to the show and say, "These aren't any good, we're just going to bolt." And then I had a couple guys who actually said they were going to pursue legal action. I had never dealt with that, ever, someone pursuing legal action if I don't come and play to the ten people you sold tickets to.
It just became a whole other world, a new world, and it wasn't a fun world. There were places that were like, "Oh yeah, we do have a bathroom: It's 300 yards from the stage and you have to walk through the restaurant to use it." I'm sorry, we don't do that. It was tough.

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https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/robert-earl-keen-retirement-final-concert-1341072/?fbclid=IwAR0h9FwvpszhMS7N3cR4wVT3BN76zw8gwnQjpVTpQUMcA9imZiMhJvPwPIs

Thanks for the reminder about the live stream

Wow; that's not the kind of reason I was thinking of at all. That just sounds like the places that would book him weren't the kind of places he wanted to play.

But I think it's perfectly fine if he got tired of the road and wants to settle down. Hope he enjoys life in the slower lane.

REK has loaded a recent concert on YouTube:

Saw him last night in Waco. He opened with "Front Porch Song" on stage just by himself and told the longest story I've ever seen him tell about his experience in College Station and riffing about Blinn College. Went on for about 4-5 minutes and was great.

Then the band came out. It wasn't a great stage set up or sound system and was way more subdued than any REK show I've seen out of 10+. By the last 20 minutes he sounded like he was losing his voice and it made me sad.

I left wondering if he's having some health problems that haven't been discussed and maybe that's why he's hanging it up. I get that he's in his 60's but he and the band really brought the energy just last October here at Wolf Pen the night before Bama. Was still a fun time (and free show plus BYOB coolers was extra nice) but just didn't feel the same as in the past.

I'm seeing him in august at billy bobs. I've never seen him live. I'm excited to go.