Redd Volkaert plays Telecaster in a way that made Merle Haggard say something that sounds almost too good to be true. When Haggard closed his eyes while Volkaert was playing lead for The Strangers, he said he sometimes heard Roy Nichols, the guitarist who had come before — a compliment that has very little to do with technique and everything to do with something rarer. On Sunday, September 27, Volkaert brings that tradition to Colony Woodstock, a 150-person room on Rock City Road in Woodstock, for a night of honky tonk and country swing that starts with dance instruction and ends with some of the best Telecaster playing you are likely to hear in a room this size.
About the Show
The evening runs under the banner of Special Honky Tonk Last Sunday, and the schedule reflects how seriously the organizers are taking it: doors at 5 p.m., dance instruction at 6 p.m., Hudson Valley Flyers on stage at 6:40 p.m., and Volkaert and his guests at 8 p.m. The Hudson Valley Flyers open with honky tonk and classic country from the 1930s and 1940s, including traditional dance styles drawn from the era of Hank Williams and Bob Wills. By the time Volkaert takes the stage, backed by Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar, Joel Harrison on guitar, Kyle Esposito on bass, and Michael Bram on drums, the room will have had two hours to loosen up.
Volkaert joined Haggard’s Strangers in 1997, stepping into the guitar chair that Roy Nichols had made legendary. His résumé beyond Haggard includes George Jones, Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, Brad Paisley, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, and Ray Price. He received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance and has released five solo albums, the most recent being Classic Clunkers — a collection of songs he had long been asked to record and finally committed to tape. The program for this evening is described as “country and swing music rooted in tradition and seeking the future,” which is a fair summary of what Volkaert has been doing for decades.
Venue & Logistics
Colony Woodstock sits at 22 Rock City Road in Woodstock, in the Hudson Valley, a bar and music venue where the room puts you close to whoever is on stage whether you planned for it or not. The dance instruction component makes this a participatory evening rather than a seated listening show; plan accordingly.
Tickets
Tickets are $23–$29. Doors open at 5 p.m. Attendees under 18 are admitted with a parent or legal guardian. No refunds. Buy tickets.