Western Edge: A Star-Studded Tribute to LA’s '80s Roots Rock Scene

The country rock of LA from the 1960s and 1970s is oft-heralded and celebrated while the decade of the 1980s that brought us highly influential “cowpunk” and “roots rock” bands in Southern California often takes a back seat.

Western Edge - the ‘80s is putting early work of Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Los Lobos, X, The Blasters and Rosie Flores front and center as well as the brief but groundbreaking work of Desert Rose Band, Lone Justice, Rank and File, The Long Ryders, The Beat Farmers and The Rave-Ups.

The event is inspired by the Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit celebrating all decades of LA country rock but this event is not connected with the Hall.

 The special concert is October 20 at 8pm at The Zebulon Cafe Concert in L.A.’s Frogtown neighborhood. Tickets are available at zebulon.la.

Celebrating and paying tribute to these artists is a who’s who of country and roots music artists from the Los Angeles music community ranging from international superstar singer-songwriter and producer Shooter Jennings to up and coming acts like Leroy from the North and The Doohickeys.

The night is led by musical director and guitarist Chris Masterson of The Mastersons and The Wallflowers. The all-star house band features violinist/keyboardist Eleanor Whitmore (the Mastersons/The Whitmore Sisters), guitarist/pedal steel player John Schreffler Jr. (Shooter Jennings/Tanya Tucker), bassist Bonnie Whitmore (The Whitmore Sisters) and drummer Mark Stepro (The Wallflowers/Butch Walker).

The overflowing special guest list also includes: The Mastersons, Pearl Aday & Jim Wilson, Dustbowl Revival, Dead Rock West, Chris Pierce, Garrison Starr, Manda Mosher, John Surge, Grant Langston, Johnny Marfa, Nocona and Nancy Sanchez. With more to be announced. The master of ceremonies is famed music executive and producer Bill Bentley currently a DJ on Sirius XM’s Cowpunks to Nowpunks radio show.

The promoters for the show are active in the LA roots community - Twang City, Hardscrabble Productions, Liz Garo of Stepping Stone Productions and Grand Ole Country Bunker. The event is the brainchild of Surge, who in addition to being a performer is a promoter with Twang City.

According to Surge his inspiration for the night was twofold: “I have an absolute passion for this era of music that influenced me to record songs by the Beat Farmers and Chip and Tony Kinman on two recent albums,” he explained. “And, frankly, I’ve spoken with many twenty- and thirty-somethings in the LA community who have no idea who many of the acts are or their legacy. This is a way to bring together all the generations in the community and celebrate a key element of the city’s country DNA.”