Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Lone Star Statement

Don’t mess with Texas. Generally speaking, that’s sage advice. Perhaps, at least in the case of James McMurtry, the adage should be adapted to read: Don’t mess with Texas songwriters. Incisive and brash, the renowned tunesmith has long been known as a fearless — and fearsome — commentator on the human condition. With his latest effort Just Us Kids, McMurtry once again refuses to pull his punches, offering a searing rebuke of the Bush administration through heartbreaking Americana sonnets that painstakingly detail the intimate tragedies in war’s aftermath. This Tuesday the venerated lyricist draws his musical line in the sand with up-and-coming Austin country-rockers The Dedringers at Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge.