Rayland Baxter Performs Live At Rockwood Music Hall For WFUV

Nashville native Rayland Baxter brought his band to the intimate confines of Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on July 11. The singer-songwriter played a set heavy on material from his new album Wide Awake that was filmed and recorded by NYC public radio station WFUV. A pair of videos from the set, as well as full show audio, has been shared as part of FUV’s Live Concert Series.

Baxter recorded Wide Awake in Kentucky with a band featuring producer Butch Walker on bass, Nick Bockrath of Cage The Elephant on guitar, keyboardist Aaron Embry and Dr. Dog’s Eric Slick on drums. Rayland’s father Bucky Baxter and original Nashville Cat Lloyd Green add pedal steel.

Rayland Baxter is currently in the middle of an extensive jaunt with his touring band. The group’s show for WFUV came ahead of the official tour opener at the much larger NYC venue Bowery Ballroom. WFUV added professionally-shot video featuring two of the songs from Baxter & Co.’s Rockwood Music Hall performance to the station’s YouTube channel.

Up first is Wide Awake’s “Strange American Dream,” which Baxter told NPR Music is about turmoil in America. “I was living in the middle of a cornfield in Kentucky when I wrote it,” Rayland said. “The TV in the kitchen was stuck on the news channel for three months. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop and take notes.” In the second video, Rayland leads his band through the catchy Wide Awake track “Casanova.”

Watch the videos shared by WFUV:

[Strange American Dream]

[Casanova]