Haggard and Fans Hit the Jackpot in Biloxi
By Chris Manson January 29, 2004 Issue

With all the commotion going on in the local music scene—SYN-R-G moving to the Famous Door, Flash Flood departing the SkyBar for LaRocco’s, the newly reopened Blues club newly closed—I figured I’d venture a little further west for this issue’s piece.

On Jan. 17, my lady friend and I traveled to the Grand Casino in Biloxi to experience one of the few true remaining legends in any genre of music, country music great Merle Haggard. The theater was nice. Even from our upper left balcony seats we had a good, unobstructed view—plus there were two large screens that offered close ups of Haggard and his irreproachable band The Strangers. Tickets were reasonably priced—around 30 bucks for what Ticketmaster insisted were the best seats available.

Prior to the show, we stopped in at an Ocean Springs watering hole for some tasty vodka and cranberry juice. A friend of my date had warned us not to expect much. True, I had seen Haggard on the Grand Ole Opry a couple months ago, and he did sound kind of rough. Happily, our drinking pal was wrong—Haggard was in great voice, just as he is on his current CD, Haggard Like Never Before.

He opened the show with Big City, a hit from the 1980s, then went a little further back into his huge catalogue for the crowd pleaser Silver Wings and the sing-along I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink. Haggard mentioned that he started out playing for drunks and after observing the crowd declared—“I’m still playing for a bunch of drunks.”

An early favorite, Mama Tried, featured Haggard on lead guitar, which he played quite well. He and the band nailed a Bob Wills tune—my only regret was that Haggard didn’t play more fiddle. Then he sang his Grammy winner That’s the Way Love Goes, followed by Today I Started Loving You Again, which George Jones—coming to the Grand in May, and you better believe I’ll be back for that show—called the greatest song ever written.

Haggard wondered aloud what all these people were doing at his show, when chart-topping Toby Keith was performing in town the same night. He closed with his most famous song, Okie From Muskogee, which will surely outlast any of Keith’s sanctimonious hit singles. There was a lack of material from Haggard’s excellent new album, aside from a fun take on Garbage Man—a throwaway number.

A few people hollered for Haggard to perform a song by his late friend Johnny Cash. Haggard and his pretty young-looking wife Theresa obliged with the fiery duet Jackson. Cash was instrumental in Haggard’s career, although the influence of Lefty Frizzell and Bob Wills are more prominent in his music.

With more than 30 years of hits under his belt and a roughly 90-minute show, it goes without saying that Haggard left out a few of my favorites, notably If We Make It Through December and Always Wanting You. I played the latter (off Haggard’s Hurtin’ album) for my father a few weeks ago. Dad had never heard the song before, but he really liked it and asked me to give it a couple more spins. I had hoped I could meet Haggard and personally thank him for that.

Our spending cash ran out shortly after the show. Fortunately, I had picked up a copy of Haggard’s DVD a couple weeks earlier for $10 at Wal-Mart—they were selling at the concert for $35—more than the price of one ticket. I may have lost at the slot machines, but I came out ahead at the souvenir stand.

Earlier in the week, I introduced my sister to the free Wednesday night concert series at Baytowne Wharf. Judging from the huge turnout for Elvis impersonator J.W. Adams, you’d think the greasy Memphis kid himself had shown up. Adams really impressed us when he sang our request—Hurt, Presley’s last great performance from 1976. It’s easy to see why Adams is considered one of the best at what he does. He perfectly captured the look, sound and—most important—spirit of “the King” circa 1972 (Elvis on Tour).

The following week, Dread Clampitt brought their hipbilly sound to Baytowne, playing traditional songs and favorites from their best-selling CD. Mandolin heartthrob Balder Saunders debuted a new song, and godfather Duke Bardwell got to sing a good one called Watching the Rain.

Dread Clampitt continues to perform Fridays at the Funky Blues Shack, where they also team up with Clueless on Wednesday nights as Dreadless Cluepitt. By next issue, I hope to get a handle on what the rest of the bands are up to—where they’re playing now, who’s still together and who isn’t.

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