It’s been nearly four decades since his first studio album dropped and outlaw country artist Steve Earle is still touring and speaking truth to power, making another pass through the Lone Star State.
Earle, 69, grew up around San Antonio. While he came up under the auspices of Guy Clark and Townes van Zandt in the Tennessee scene, Texas remained a fixture in his life. He still has plenty of family there, but this week’s visit is something special.
“I’m going to have all my kids and grandkids in one place for the first time ever. [My son] John Henry is going to fly in with his mom and she’s going to drop him off and then he will ride the tour bus back with me,” he told The Dallas Express.
Earle’s got four more shows on the Texas leg of his current tour, with stops in the DFW’s two flagship cities: Friday in Dallas at The Kessler Theater and Sunday in Fort Worth at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall.
An unapologetic left-wing activist, Earle’s working-class rebel roots inform his storytelling and music. Many of his songs are overtly political, but he doesn’t allow his personal opinions to get in the way of engaging with people on a personal level.
“I’m very concerned about how obsessed we are with people choosing sides and pointing fingers and calling people names. And I think it’s starting to hurt both sides,” he said.
“My politics haven’t changed a bit. I’m a radical motherf****r, but I don’t like if you can’t have a conversation with somebody that you … know you’re going to disagree with. … If you can’t go ahead and engage in that conversation anyway and see it through to whatever the end is, if you’re not willing to do that, democracy is impossible and we’re f****d,” Earle added.
In addition to becoming an apostle of the outlaw country genre, Earle lived his values the best he could and gave his time to traditionally left-wing campaigns, most notably the anti-death penalty movement. He drew from those times in his life when considering today’s especially partisan climate.
“I spent a lot of time in Texas visiting guys on death row. I witnessed an execution in Texas. I held hands with a mother while her son was being executed in Huntsville,” Earle said. “But I also used to hold hands with people that were staunchly … pro-life. And I couldn’t argue with them about that because they were opposed to the death penalty, but they also were opposed to abortion.”
“I will stand and hold hands with those people that I don’t agree with on one issue when protesting the specific issue. … So, that’s what democracy is about. It’s about realizing everybody isn’t going to think exactly like you are and concentrate on what you agree on rather than what you disagree on,” he added.
While country and folk aficionados know Earle for his music, he became familiar to a wider audience after being cast in the critically-acclaimed series The Wire, a gritty HBO drama about various systemic issues plaguing the city of Baltimore.
“I was playing a redneck recovering addict. So I didn’t really have to act. … I’m recognized more for being on that show than I am anything else around the world, especially by black folks because black folks don’t listen to my music,” Earle said.
He appeared in three seasons.
“I can remember I was speaking in a treatment center because I do that sometimes, you know, it’s part of recovery,” Earle shared. “These guys were sitting through this meeting … and these are guys that are in detox, you know? They haven’t been there very long, but they’re all sitting there and they’re going ‘Ok, the meeting’s over now.’ They wanted everything cleared out and they were getting the TV set up getting ready to watch The Wire. I said I think we need to get out of here. These guys are going to be really confused.”
“It was a big deal to be part of,” he reflected.
Every season of the show had a different artist perform a rendition of the Tom Waits song “Way Down in the Hole” for the opening credits. Earle covered the tune for the final season.
“I think the music director already had somebody else in mind. But [the show’s creator David Simon] pulled rank and got me that gig. I’m pretty proud of that recording,” he said.
As the interview was about to end, DX asked Earle what his favorite BBQ joint was in Texas. He referred the news outlet to an unidentified vendor in Walker County.
“There’s a church outside of Huntsville. I forget the name of it, but they serve BBQ like three days a week and that’s some of the best brisket I’ve ever had. It’s a little stand outside the church and the proceeds go to support the church,” he said.