Back to the early days…FFA competitions.
I have been deep diving into old Koe Wetzel videos for the last few days. Something about seeing him cover Garth Brooks’ “The Dance” in South Dakota has me longing for some good ole country Koe.
That’s not to say that the sound he has cultivated today is not phenomenal, but taking it back and hearing the twang of his vocals while covering some classic country songs is stellar.
In 2011, Koe competed at a local FFA competition (yes, Future Farmers of America…FFA is more than just livestock), covering Randy Rogers Band’s “In My Arms Instead.”
Off of their 2008 self-titled album, Randy Rodgers Band is a classic breakup song that captures the essence of Texas country.
This acoustic cover is phenomenal, given how young Koe was. He carries the twang that Rogers has in the original cut of the song. Koe picks up the tempo ever so slightly, but it works to his advantage keeping the audience engaged during the acoustic set.
These videos are hidden gems because it is right when Koe was publicly beginning to pursue his music.
One commenter predicted the future leaving:
“3 years they’re the face of Texas country guarantee it.”
Now Koe is one of the biggest names, captivating fans with his Western grunge flare.
Videos like this make me excited thinking about what is in store for that country album…whenever that day comes.
