Wade and Wheel Hoss Together Again for an Evening of Great Music

by Helen Neal
Photographers: Missy Fuller, Jo-Ann Poharcyk
(Click on each picture to see a larger one)

The evening at Judge Bean's BBQ in Nashville was everything you wanted it to be - top notch music in a Texas Roadhouse setting, a capacity crowd and some wonderful Texas smoked brisket.

Wade introduced the guys who made up his touring band, Wheel Hoss, as his long-time best friends - Rick Taylor, Randy Lanham, Dave McAfee and Johnny Barnhardt. And their new best friend, Kevin Key, substituting for Eddie Gossien on the steel. Kevin is a member of the Brian McComas band and plays with the Longnecks and Rednecks Tour, composed of Brian, Wade and Jeff Carson.

The Judge's place, the venue for the evening, is a relative newcomer to the Nashville scene. Opening only 22 months ago, it has in that short time established itself as the place for all the homesick Texans who're craving their native BBQ - and for quite a few converted Tennesseans. The Judge said, "My grandfather showed me how to cook while I was a kid. He had the biggest truck stop in Texas and he did BBQ, not meat and three." And young Aubrey learned his lessons well. Check out Judge Bean's web site at http://www.judgebeans.com

Now it is establishing itself as a great place to go hear some good country music - Texas Roadhouse or Oklahoma Honky-Tonk style. As the "Judge," owner Aubrey Bean, declares, "I'm kind of picky about my music." And plans are being made to feature "his music" and "his BBQ" on an even bigger scale. A new facility - to be called Judgment Hall - is in the planning stage for the rest of the block alongside his current building.

For this evening Wade and Wheel Hoss filled the bill for those who're "picky" about their country music. Always known for exceptional musicianship, they delivered a delightful set to the eager audience. The weather outside was ultra-chilly, as you would expect of mid-January in Nashville, but inside the music was "hot."

They opened with "On a Good Night," quickly followed by "Don't Stop," and "The Day That She Left Tulsa." And then another Tulsa tune, "Don't Make Me Come to Tulsa" off of Wade's first album, Old Enough to Know Better. They slipped with ease from one tune to another, even when departing from the playlist to feature a request.

Saying that someone had requested one of the "new" songs, Wade complied with "She Loves Me Anyway," a testimony to a love that sees beyond imperfections. The play list held some surprises for me. I had not heard his version of Vince Gill's "True Love." He mentioned that it was a favorite of Joe Morris, his first road manager. It was good to see Joe again. Also, good to see Earl Neal, who started with Wade as the "monitor man" and later was road manager.

Wade featured several Gary Stewart tunes. (No one does them better). In addition to the one he recorded, "She's Actin' Single, I'm Drinkin' Doubles," he pleased the crowd with "Empty Glass," and "I See the Want To in Your Eyes."

Whether he was singing his standards or someone else's, emotional ballads, or guitar romps, Wade kept the listeners engrossed. A Wade Hayes' audience doesn't want the music to end. A standing "O" at the end of the evening testified to its solid appreciation of the night's performance - and the satisfaction of seeing all these guys on the same stage again.

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