Consider this image. This beautiful creature was performing at Jam in the Valley with Randy Houser. Jam in the Valley is a long weekend music festival in the middle of nowhere, WNY. It is a place were people who love outdoors, music, Country and alcoholic beverages gather to celebrate all these things, all while wearing clothes that depict this love. Jam in the Valley hosts mainstream country musicians over three nights. Country music concerts have, in my view, a standard dress code and stage presence: Men must wear black pants or jeans, a tight T shirt or snap shirt, have tattoos on display, have coiffed hair with optional hat (that is either of the baseball, cowboy or knit variety). Symbols, whether Christian, Alcoholic or both, must also be present. Please know I'm not trying to 'make fun', but over the years of covering country music, this is what I've noticed. So this beautiful creature comes onto the stage surrounded by his bandmates who are dressed as described above to play for a crowd as described above. He is wearing the black pants and has a Christian cross on his snap shirt. He has a hat but what's this? A Mad Hatter hat?! With a plume! He's smoking a pipe ~ not an unlit pipe, but a freakin' pipe AND playing the steel guitar. He's beautiful and I'm in love. I'm convinced he's an Elf.
Randy Houser's Ward Williams performing at Jam in the Valley Varysburg, NY Fourth of July weekend 2013
Randy Houser's lead guitarist performing at Jam in the Valley Varysburg, NY Fourth of July weekend 2013
