welcome back he's a Texas boy with a
wild spirit and his music has been
climbing the country charts for more
than a decade
you've probably heard his latest single
run wild horses on the radio and his
latest album is out today please welcome
singer/songwriter Aaron Watson and we
also have the director of Texas music
office for the gothis of the governor
Brendan Anthony is also joining us and
we're gonna hear from him in just a
moment welcome gentlemen thanks for
having us absolutely thanks for having
us here we do appreciate it it's a big
day for you it is we've got a live album
out we recorded it back in 2017 in
February when we got to play the big
stage right 17 years later playing the
little tiny stages around the rodeo I
got the call and it was such a wonderful
night we wanted to record the show just
for for the fans but for ourselves you
know just because it's it's you know I
tell people to get to play that that big
stage at the Houston Rodeo that's like a
golfer winning that getting that green
jacket the golden ticket absolutely
absolutely in but then when it came
around to putting out the record is
around the time Harvey was hitting
Houston and the South Texas coast so we
just kind of put it on the back burner
and I just didn't even think it was
gonna come out and then we got this idea
that we could uh we could join up with
the Governor's Office Brandon Texas
music office and rebuild Texas dot-org
and try to raise some funds for those
who are still suffering from the the
destruction of Harvey but also raise
awareness that there's still a need out
there absolutely let's talk Brendan a
little bit about rebuild Texas because
clearly we're seeing some photos right
now there with the governor what really
is the mission because obviously we have
no idea when natural disasters will
strike but you guys are ready to go
absolutely so this is a nonprofit formed
by Susan and Michael Dell in partnership
with the governor's office and the
mission was to provide assistance in
several phases to the 41 affected
counties massive rebuilding recovery
process
Susan and Michael Dell pledged several
million dollars to start the fund and
then the fundraising effort began so
they've raised to date a hundred million
dollars long they've deployed 50 already
there
deploy 100% of those assets to affected
areas and as we've known - I mean a year
later that the need is still out there
people are still rebuilding they're
still recovering and the fact that Aaron
you have time to even think about that
and not forget about where you came from
even though you're an uber star and you
got that big call from the rodeo but you
still remember your roots which i think
is really important because sometimes
celebrities and people that make it big
time kind of forget well in my house I'm
not a celebrity I'm just the guy that
takes out the trash so my mom is a
Houston girl and growing up we always
came to Houston the rodeo was always a
big part of things for us going to the
Astrodome and you know they they my
aunts sent me a picture of my
grandmother back in the early 60s during
a hurricane back then and she was
standing in water above her niece and so
you know these it's it affects people
and I wrote the song at the end of the
record I wrote the song just for Houston
and the South Texas coast it's called
higher ground because I was so inspired
by the outpour of love and kindness that
people down here showed each other
during these hard times I think it set a
great example for the rest of the
country you know you turn on the TV so
much bad news people disliking each
other because they don't see things
exactly the same way and then I think
that South Texas coast put on it just
set a great example of showing loving
kindness towards humanity so that's
where I wrote this song and we wanted to
do something to give back and I know
it's just a little bit but you know it
more than anything to get on your show
and say hey you know there were billions
and billions of dollars of damage and
bands of people affected we can't forget
them well and what's really cool is that
you guys are donating a dollar and 41
cents for every album sold back to
Harvey relief efforts I know there are a
lot of Aaron Watson fans out there right
now so in addition to getting a great
album fans and viewers can help give
back explain the significance of the 41
cents well the 41 is is just the 41
counties that were affected by Harvey
and we just thought that was a good way
to just say there were 41 counties I
mean we've been around the world I'm
telling you those the 41 counties that
were affected down here those 41
counties are larger than most states
right it's a huge territory and it just
I think it really lets people go Wow
41 counties you know and here we are a
year later
you know it's Harvey's no longer you
know trending not in the headlines right
but there's still a need so it's just
you know the the city of Houston South
Texas coast come in and support me
during the Houston Rodeo I mean like
67,000 people there it was a wonderful
night so this is just a little way we
can give back just say thanks well I
think it's such a fantastic idea I know
everybody's embracing it with open arms
and we're gonna let you get set because
I understand you're gonna play a little
something for all of us don't let you
get so here's a photo of what the album
looks like again tonight the performance
is going on at smart financial center in
Sugar Land you can go to Aaron Watson
comm get your tickets he's gonna be with
Gary Allen of course and then the album
released today that's right so Brendan
Anthony director from Texas Music office
office of the governor thank you so much
and of course Aaron wants to thank you
here they are guys take it away
[Music]
if a melody is like a memory your long
hot summer night symphony living on the
speaker's of my Monte Carlo down on my
FM radio we could take it slow put it on
cruise control you know it's been a
while
we're never going out of style I was
thinking while the Sun is sinking we go
never go in a machete
[Music]
this time
the treads will come and go though is it
change the flow the way we love is never
going out of style singing rebel rebel
at the top of our lungs out of town when
it's damp lay in those dashboard wrong
everybody said you never make it too far
we saw poor boy playing on some pot shop
guitar you know my crazy dreams
we're busting at the seams just like
these old dudes
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
the treads will come and go the way the
change will blow the way we love is
never go and never go in
my collar do my best
and we'll hit the road like a Steve
McQueen movie scene
yeah
that's never going down sound I was
thinking while this Odyssey
we go
[Music]
the way we love is never go in
[Music]
the way we love
I never go in a stop
Wow the Sun is taken we could go wow
[Music]