Turnpike breakin’ records.
The Turnpike Troubadours were very deservedly inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame this past Friday, alongside fellow inductees Wade Hayes and Jim Paul Blair.
Not only that, but they played 11 songs for a very lucky crowd at the sold-out arena show at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center (home of the Oklahoma City Thunder), which was actually their first ever headline arena show.
The concert also wrapped up the band’s run of 36-consecutive sold-out headline dates this year at amphitheaters, festivals and theaters nationwide, so it’s safe to say we’re all on the same page about how damn good it is to have the band back together.
And moreover, Turnpike also broke the venue’s merchandise record, selling more merch than any other artist in the 20-year history of the venue.
Not too shabby for the Oklahoma boys, who were clearly right at home playing for the hometown crowd that undoubtedly missed them during their nearly three-year long hiatus.
And while they’re winding down their tour schedule for this year, they just announced their first big headlining gig for next year, which will take place in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on February 24th at Simmons Bank Arena, featuring support from The Avett Brothers and The Wood Brothers.
It remains to be seen if they’ll embark on a full-on tour next year, or stick to mostly one-off shows and festivals again, but I’d venture to say that the Arkansas concert is the first of many more to come for 2023.
They of course made their triumphant return back in April at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was a beautiful sight to see, indeed.
We already know they’re working on a new album, too, as frontman Evan Felker confirmed it and the boys debuted a new song called “Cat in the Rain” earlier this year. Hopefully, there’s much more official news on all of that to come in the new year.
Here’s a little more on the ceremony, and some footage from their performance, courtesy of the local OK News 6 station:
“Cat in the Rain”
