Tonight’s the night, and the seats are gone — James McMurtry’s stop at Daryl’s House in Pawling is officially sold out. If you’ve got a ticket, count yourself lucky.
McMurtry has been writing songs that sound like short stories for over three decades, and he hasn’t let up. The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Larry McMurtry brings the same unflinching eye to small-town America that his father brought to the page. Songs like “Choctaw Bingo” and “Levelland” aren’t just good country music — they’re documents of a disappearing way of life, told by someone who gives a damn.
The Black Dog & The Wandering Boy Tour marks a new chapter. McMurtry’s catalog has always rewarded patience, and his live sets tend to run deep — this isn’t a greatest-hits crowd-pleaser, it’s a conversation between a writer and an audience that actually listens.
Sharing the bill is BettySoo, the Austin-based folk singer-songwriter who brings her own brand of quiet precision to the stage. She’s a perfect fit for the intimacy of Daryl’s House — a room that was built for exactly this kind of show.
Daryl’s House sits along Route 22 in Pawling, Hudson Valley’s quietly underrated music corridor. The room has a warmth that suits McMurtry’s music — stripped down, no frills, just the song.
Sold out means sold out, but watch the socials — last-minute releases happen. And if this one got away from you, put McMurtry on your radar. He doesn’t pass through small rooms like this very often.