Steve Earle: What a Ride!

Americana pioneer and activist Steve Earle brought his “Fifty-One Years of Songs & Stories Tour” to Heartwood Soundstage for a solo acoustic performance.

Earle’s career has been anything but ordinary, and at times sounds like a made-up alt-country song. Since moving to Nashville in 1974, he has released 22 studio albums, earned 16 Grammy nominations and three wins, written a novel and a book of short stories, had two biographies written about him, acted in television series including The Wire and Treme, and produced acclaimed albums for Joan Baez and Lucinda Williams. In 2025, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Vince Gill… something I never would have predicted given his progressive activism, but it speaks to his masterful writing.

His personal life has been equally eventful. Earle has been married seven times, battled addiction, spent time in jail, gone through rehab, and endured the tragic loss of his son, singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Those experiences have become part of both his music and his storytelling. On this solo tour, Earle moves chronologically through his life and career, sharing songs and stories that cover both his successes and struggles. A gifted storyteller, he speaks candidly about his past without self-pity or embellishment.

After a strong opening set by Lilly Hiatt, Earle reflected on the challenges of his early career, noting that it took nearly a decade to land his first record deal. He also recalled his friendships with fellow songwriters Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Rodney Crowell, a period captured in the 1976 documentary Heartworn Highways.

The audience, which included many local musicians, sang along with his best-known songs and responded enthusiastically to his more politically charged material. Earle closed the evening with two songs supporting immigration and one of his signature songs, “Galway Girl.”

For anyone interested in Americana and outlaw country, Earle’s current tour offers more than a concert. It’s a firsthand look at a remarkable life and a significant chapter of American roots music history. Hunter Thompson could have been describing Earle’s life with his famous quote:

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!'”

Set List
Tom Ames Prayer
Ben McCulloch
Guitar Town
Someday
I Ain’t Ever Satisfied
Copperhead Road
Billy Austin
Goodbye
Sparkle and Shine
Girl on the Mountain
You’re the Best Lover
Nashville Blues
CCKMP
Transcendental Blues
Angel is the Devil
Volver a Celaya
City of Immigrants
Galway Girl

Steve Earle: What a Ride!