The greatest band of all time is releasing music again.
The Turnpike Troubadours haven’t released any original music since their triumphant record Price of Admission graced streaming platforms back in April of 2025, but they kept fans at bay with a timely cover of the late Todd Snider’s “Just Like Old Times” in November, and now they’re back at it with an important cover of a living legend.
If someone tasked me with compiling a ranking of the top living songwriters at the moment, it’s very possible that Turnpike frontman Evan Felker and the legendary Robert Earl Keen would be next to each other at the top of the list. So it only makes sense that Felker considers Keen a major influence, and that he and the band decided to drive that notion home by releasing an official cover of Keen’s classic, “Feelin’ Good Again.”
Evan Felker says:
“Robert Earl Keen has always been a kind of creative North Star for me since I can remember. He is as much Tom Waits as he is Marty Robbins as he is John Steinbeck. I don’t know where I would be without his music. He is my hero and this is my favorite song.”
Tapping into the immense talent of Sierra Hull to provide mandolin and vocals on the track, Turnpike’s cover takes on a more bluegrass feel than the original, and Hull’s vocals contributions help breathe new life into a classic that’s been immortalized in the Texas/Red Dirt scene.
Originally released in 1998 on his 5th record Walking The Distance, “Feelin’ Good Again” is an influential track in Keen’s extensive catalog that meets a down-on-his-luck narrator finding positivity in relatively mundane actions, like visiting a bar with some friends. In classic fashion, Keen manages to turn an every day endeavor into a spectacular circumstance, with descriptive and imagery-laden lyricism. And Turnpike’s cover does it justice in ways that few other bands would be able.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the cover, though, is the music video. Co-starring both Keen and NFL star Christian McCaffery, among several other people who are overcoming circumstance to continue perfecting their craft of choice, the music video supplements cameos of the band and Hull recording the cover with a slew of characters reinvigorating their passions after a setback.
Magical stuff from Turnpike Troubadours and Sierra Hull putting their own spin on a Robert Earl Keen classic. Here’s the original for reference, in case you aren’t familiar.
Turnpike has 30+ shows scheduled through the remainder of the year, and it’d be killer if they worked this one into the set for some of these. Especially at the Charlotte show I’lll be attending.. Check out their tour dates below, and if they’re coming to a city near you, don’t miss an opportunity to catch the greatest band of all time.
Turnpike Troubadours Tour Dates:
6/25 – Jackson, WY – Snow King Resort#
6/26 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater@
6/27 – Pendleton, OR – Jackalope Jamboree*
7/2 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery+
7/3 – Spokane, WA – BECU Live at Northern Quest+=
7/4 – Dallas, TX – FIFA Fan Festival*
7/17 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre+=
7/18 – Beech Mountain, NC – Beech Mountain Resort*
7/23 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf+!
7/24 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater+!
7/25 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP$%
7/31 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park+=
8/1 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre+=
8/14 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Amphitheater+!
8/15 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts+!
8/16 – Montréal, QC – Lasso*
8/22 – Lincoln, NE – The Boys From Oklahoma: Nebraska Edition^
8/29 – Frisco, CO – Union Peak (Free Show)*
9/4-9/6 – Snowshoe, WV – Ballhooter*
9/11 – Albuquerque, NM – New Mexico State Fair*
9/26 – Virginia Beach, VA – Farm Aid 2026*
10/2 – North Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery+!
10/3 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront+!
10/4 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
10/9 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park+
10/10 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater+!
10/16 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center<
10/24 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre+~
10/25 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound+~
11/14 – Phoenix, AZ – The Hondo Rodeo Fest*
*festival/fair date
#w/ Clay Street Unit
@w/ Tanner Laws
+w/ Muscadine Bloodline
=w/ Dexter & the Moonrocks
!w/ The Creekers
$w/ Waylon Wyatt
%w/ Lance Roark
^w/ Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cody Jinks, Flatland Cavalry, & American Aquarium
<w/ Wyatt Flores
~w/ Drayton Farley
Robert Earl Keen is still road dogging too, and with the stories this guy has to tell, his shows are always a special experience. Here are his tour dates as well.
Robert Earl Keen Tour Dates
7/4 – Fredericksburg, TX – Luckenbach Texas*
7/31 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
8/1 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
8/2 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
8/4 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
8/14 – Lexington, VA – Lime Kiln Theater+
8/15 – Lexington, VA – Lime Kiln Theater+
8/16 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater+
8/18 – Winston-Salem, NC – The Ramkat
8/20 – Richmond, VA – The National+
8/21 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
8/22 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
8/23 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
9/5 – Helotes, TX – Floore’s Country Store
9/6 – Helotes, TX – Floore’s Country Store
9/7 – Helotes, TX – Floore’s Country Store
10/10 – Saint Jo, TX – Red River Station
12/11 – Denver, CO – Grizzly Rose
*w/ Asleep at the Wheel, BOb Wills’ Texas Playboys
+w/ Race Ricketts
