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'I just love doing this': Asleep at the Wheel to perform at Inn of the Mountain Gods
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Ready to two-step? Head on down to Mescalero and catch Asleep at the Wheel.
The , which recorded classics such as Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys鈥� 鈥淔aded Love鈥� and 鈥淭ake Me Back to Tulsa,鈥� will be at the Inn of the Mountain Gods on Saturday, Sept. 13.
The show will not be Ray Benson鈥檚 first rodeo in New Mexico.
鈥淚 have played all over the state for 50 years and it has been so welcoming,鈥� said Benson, 74, the only remaining original member, in a phone interview. 鈥淪o what can I say? I love New Mexico.鈥�
Over the years, the band has played at places such as Route 66 Casino, the KiMo Theatre and Golden Inn.
鈥淭he Golden was a legendary place in the 鈥�70s and I鈥檝e had many, many shows there,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose folks who (were) around in the 鈥�70s will certainly remember those legendary shows.鈥�
Benson, who founded the group in 1970, said he attributes his long career to an 鈥渋nability to quit.鈥�
鈥淚 just love doing this,鈥� he said.
At Inn of the Mountain Gods, people will get a chance to hear the band play songs that Benson said will cover 鈥渢he entire history of Asleep of the Wheel.鈥�
鈥淪o, we鈥檒l play something from the first album (鈥淐omin鈥� Right at Ya鈥�), and we鈥檒l play a bunch from the new album,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 obviously Bob Wills鈥� western swing music, but there鈥檚 also all the different things that we do, which is pretty wide ranging.鈥�
Fans can expect to hear classics such as 鈥淢iles and Miles of Texas鈥� and 鈥淩oute 66鈥� along with tunes from the band鈥檚 latest record, 鈥淩iding High in Texas,鈥� their first new release since their 50th anniversary project 鈥淗alf A Hundred Years鈥� in 2021, according to the group.
鈥淩iding High in Texas,鈥� which was released in late August, includes covers of George Strait鈥檚 鈥淎ll My Exes Live in Texas鈥� and 鈥淭exas in My Soul,鈥� which was written by Ernest Tubb and popularized by Willie Nelson.
they weren鈥檛 trying to make a Texas greatest hits album.
鈥淭hat would have been too on the nose 鈥� and daunting,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e picked songs that fit this group the best and that Ian (Stewart) and I felt we could do justice to.鈥�
Benson said three criteria were used in selecting the album tracks.
鈥淥ne, (they were) songs we hadn鈥檛 done before,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a Bob Wills song and then it was just what we liked and what fit our voices.鈥�
On Saturday, Benson said he hopes people tap their feet and have a good time as they listen to Bob Wills classics or two-step to Asleep鈥檚 latest Texas hits.
鈥淭hat seems to be what we鈥檙e all about,鈥� he said.
After Mescalero, Asleep at the Wheel will
Benson said he plans to continue performing 鈥渁s long as my voice holds up and our bus holds up and people keep coming to see us, you know?鈥�
