Asleep at the Wheel swings through Great Falls and Billings

Published: November 2, 2009

The annual Harvest Howl, a fundraiser for Camp Rotary, features the lively Texas swing of Asleep At The Wheel, Nov. 7 at ExpoPark’s Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls.

The band also performs at the Babcock Theater in Billings, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9.

The Texas band has blazed its way through the music industry for nearly 40 years, keeping that distinctly American art form, western swing, alive and kicking. Along the way, they’ve entertained thousands and won praise and admiration from everyone from Willie Nelson to Van Morrison.

In reviving the freewheeling, eclectic sensibility of western swing’s godfather, Bob Wills, the Wheel not only preserved classic sounds, but also updated the music, helping it thrive as a living, breathing art form. Since its inception in 1970, the band has released more than 20 studio albums and charted more than 20 singles on the Billboard country charts.

Typically featuring 8-11 musicians, the “Kings of Texas Swing” have won nine Grammy Awards. Their recent album, a collaboration with Nelson titled Willie and the Wheel, was lauded as “one of the first great albums of 2009” by the Washington Post.

Ruf Cut Grass opens the Harvest Howl at 6:30 p.m. The concert and social event includes food, music and dancing, as well as a silent auction of more than 100 items, 50/50 drawings and raffle prizes galore.

Camp Rotary, located near Monarch, hosts more than 800 children each year, offering a fun and educational experience for children of incarcerated parents, kids in foster homes, and those that have lost a loved one, to name a few.

Tickets are $25; call 406-761-5234 or visit www.harvesthowl.org for details.

Tickets to the Billings show are $29.50; call 800-325-SEAT or visit www.jadepresents.com.