Folk legend impresses in L5P

Last weekend folk icon Robert Earl Keen, dressed in a classic black shirt and pleated black dress pants, took the stage following the denim -and-cowboy-hat-clad opening act, in a night that clearly depicted the differences between redneck honkytonk and quality Texas-style folk music.

Keen played to a house nearly full of loyal fans, both old and young, during his two shows at Little Five Points' Variety Playhouse last Friday and Saturday.

After releasing his thirteenth album, Live at the Ryman, earlier this Summer, this king of the Texas music scene is currently touring the nation to promote it. The album, recorded in Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium (former home of the Grand Olde Opry), includes live performances of some of Keen's classic hits such as "What I Really Mean," "Broken End of Love," and "Amarillo Highway."

Saturday, Keen played both old and new songs to an eager crowd of fans.

He opened the show with "Feelin' Good," a song about drinking beers at the local bar, and continued with the alchool references in the markedly less depressing "Gringo Honeymoon" about some newlyweds' day across the Mexican border.

Following the end of the third song, a number of good ole' boys in the audience began to chant "Robert Earl Keen, Robert Earl Keen".

"That's good, but its a little crepy when that chant gets in your head while you're on the road and you're like 'Robert Earl Keen'," said Keen. He then gave in to the audience's demand with Willie, and they all repeated the chant, this time providing the chorus to the song.

Next came "Wild Wind," followed by "Mr. Wolf and Mama Bear," a song described by the artist as "a song about some really, really nasty animals."

As the lights dimmed, Keen paused for a moment before the next song. "After the show, inevitably, somebody will come up to me and ask 'Why didnt you play 'Mariano'?'" he said. With minimal drums, taps on the cymbals kept time for this much slower song.

"Mariano" was followed by "Not a Drop of Rain" from his 2001 album Gravitational Forces, and then by the title track of his 2005's What I Really Mean.

After the accompaniment of his band for the first eight songs of the impressive 25-song set, the band left the stage for three songs, leaving only Keen and his guitar.

"Now you're stuck with me," said Keen, who went on to play three songs that clearly illustartes the self-deprecating attitude the Texan takes towards Southern folk.

The first song in his mini-solo, "Copenhagen" set the the tone for the next two songs. The humorous diddy, an instant crowd pleaser, had the audience singing along by the time Keen got to the first chorus. After garnering the support of the crowd, Keen continued his sing-along session with another hillarious ballad. "If you've ever been stuck in Houston, you know its not really a good place to write a song." but that's just what he did. "I was stuck on the interstate in Texas and that's what this one is about. "Swervin' in my Lane" told the story of an obnoxious driver and the frustrated driver behind him. The song kept the audience singing and laughing, and this mood continued with the next song, "Merry Christmas from the Family".

With lyrics like "We need some ice and an extension chord/A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites/A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights/Haleluja everybody say Cheese/Merry Christmas from the family," Keen tells the story of a traditional redneck christmas, complete with drunken family members, fake snow, and mobile homes.

The band returned to finish out the set with crowd favorites like "Amarillo Highway" and more recent songs like "Broken End of Love" and "High Plains Jamboree."

The group continued to complete a total of 22 songs before leaving the stage, only to be beckoned back by the enthusiastic applause of the crowd.

Keen gave in to the demands of the audience by finishing with "Over the Waterfall," "FFO," and "Home to You".

Keen's tour is scheduled to continue through the end of the year, with a final stop in Austin, Texas.