Turnpike Troubadours Bring New, Old Classics to Walmart AMP in Rogers

by Julian Spivey

Julian Spivey Photo

Judging by the reaction from vocalist Evan Felker, the Turnpike Troubadours put on one of their most-attended shows yet at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers, Ark., on Saturday, July 25.
The sold-out crowd of dedicated Turnpike fans was entertained by 22 of the red dirt country group’s finest songs.

The band’s latest album, The Price of Admission, which came out last year, was heavily featured in the band’s set, which actually surprised me somewhat, as I’d last seen the band following its 2023 album Cat in the Rain, and they didn’t play many songs from that release. The Troubadours are kind of known for playing “the hits” in concert, which means a lot of songs from their first few albums. It was nice to see some new stuff on Saturday night.

Five songs from The Price of Admission, including my favorite songs from the album: “Heaven Passing Through” and “On the Red River.” Also featured were “A Lie Agreed Upon,” “Be Here” and “Ruby Ann,” which was co-written by Lance Roark, one of the show’s openers, who joined the band onstage for this performance.

“The Hits” were definitely featured on  Saturday night at the AMP, with “The Bird Hunters,” off The Turnpike Troubadours, kicking off the show. Potentially the band’s most popular song, it was the only selection from that album during the concert.

Diamonds & Gasoline, which is sort of the band’s de facto debut (they did have an album prior that is out of print), always features heavily during the band’s live shows, with six total tracks appearing at the AMP, including my all-time favorites “7&7,” “Kansas City Southern,” “Every Girl” and “Whole Damn Town,” songs I wouldn’t want to leave a Turnpike show without hearing.

Among my other favorite performances of the evening were “A Tornado Warning,” my favorite track off 2017’s A Long Way From Your Heart, “Mean Old Sun,” off Cat in the Rain, and “Good Lord Lorrie,” which is probably my second favorite Turnpike song after “7&7,” though the group did bring Arkansas native Waylon Wyatt, one of the show’s openers, out for the song, and honestly I’d have preferred a band-only performance.

The band finished the evening, tight on time, with an apparent curfew for the outdoor amphitheater of 11 p.m., with a rather lifeless cover of my favorite Robert Earl Keen song “Feelin’ Good Again,” the fan-favorite “Long Hot Summer Day” and the perfect show-ender of “Pay No Rent,” which, though initially written for Felker’s beloved Aunt Lou, doubles terrifically as a tribute to the group’s fan-base.

Turnpike Troubadours have come back from their few-year hiatus from around 2018-2022, while Felker was getting sober, bigger than ever with new listeners apparently finding their music while the band was away. This has led to the band going from small venues around the country to arena and amphitheater tours. The band’s intensity performing live seems to have lessened as it has gotten bigger, which is a little disappointing for me, who began my tenure as a fan of the group in the small venues, up close and with more raucous performances. It’s probably for the betterment of the group, especially Felker cleaning up, so it’s something I’ll need to learn to live with.

Roark was a fantastic opener, performing a short set of some of his finest songs like “Big Bad Heart” and “Oklahoma Blacktop,” both of which he co-wrote with Turnpike Troubadours bassist R.C. Edwards.
Wyatt, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Hackett, Ark., has seen a meteoric rise in the independent country music scene after his song “Everything Under the Sun” went viral on TikTok (you know, the way it’s done these days). His debut album, Dustpiles, was just released this month. I don’t quite get the uproar about him yet, but maybe I’m too old for what he’s putting out. 

Edit this setlist | More Turnpike Troubadours setlists