Sorry, Koe… I don’t think the fans are gonna go for this.
Last week, Koe Wetzel was a guest on Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time Podcast, where they of course talked about Koe’s forthcoming album 9 Lives, some of his hunting adventures, Koe told a wild story meeting Kid Rock, and also discussed his love-hate relationship with his fan-favorite song “February 28, 2016.”
Of course, the song was inspired after Koe was arrested for public intoxication in Stephenville, Texas many years ago, and wound up spending a few nights in jail. It was included on his 2016 album Noise Complaint, and remains one that fans still scream along every word to at his concerts.
And when Brisby jokingly asked if Koe had been awarded a lifetime supply of Taco Bell, Koe had a surprising answer, saying he’s tired of the song and doesn’t even really want to play it as part of his set list anymore. Of course, for a lot of fans, that’s one of the favorites to hear at a live show, so I don’t think it’s actually going to happen anytime soon… but maybe one day:
“To be honest with you, I’m so ready for that f***ing song to just be done… after I wrote it, I was like yeah. First four years, people were still digging it. But we still play it at shows and it’s like, what most people come to hear. The one song people come to hear.
And I’m like, f**k, bro. I’ll tell the guys all the time, ‘We’re going to scratch ‘February 28th’ tonight. They’re like ‘No, you can’t do that.’ But that damn song…”
And of course, there are tons of artists that have hits that they end up hating but having to play for their entire careers, so this is nothing new. Waylon Jennings famously hated “Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love),” which was a #1 hit and now considered a country classic and standard.
So yeah, be careful what songs you write and record (or something like that):
“It was Ray Wylie, I think it was Ray Wylie, he was like, be careful what you write, you might have to play it for the rest of your life. I feel like it’s one of those deals.
And Larry Joe Taylor, he told me one time, ‘You think Jimmy Buffett, whenever he was playing shows, that he ever played one set that he didn’t play ‘Margaritaville’?’ I’m super thankful for the song, and the way people have received it.
Because it is true… who hasn’t been there? Especially if you like to drink and party, Taco Bell just just a little bit different whenever you’re a little hammered.”
Koe explained that ultimately, he just doesn’t relate to it anymore because he’s not a young 2o-something anymore and isn’t tearing it up on quite the level that he used to. And I’m gonna say something kind of crazy… if Tyler Childers can take “Feathered Indians” off of his set list (for similar reasons of just not relating to it anymore), I think Koe can remove “February 28, 2016” if we wants to…
“I mean, it’s a real song but now that I’m 31 and just kinda slowing it down a little bit more, I’m like, can we not play this song tonight, please.”
Personally, I’d love for him to replace it with something like “Powerball” or “Make Believe,” but if he ever considers taking “Ragweed” off… I’ll definitely have a problem then.
What say you, “February 28th, 2016” fans? Would you be mad if Koe stopped playing the fan-favorite song at his concerts? I have a feeling that simply would not go over well…
You can listen to Koe talk about it here, it’s pretty funny:
“February 28th, 2016”
