Anthony Pierce has been in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1995. With blue grass, rock, and country roots, Cowboy Jones has a unique sound of red dirt, found only in Oklahoma.
Background of Cowboy Jones
Pierce never intended to stay in Tulsa, as he was just passing through at that time. Pierce and Bob Wiles formed Cowboy Jones, a red dirt band in 2001. The band was named after a 1900s baseball player who played for the Cardinals.
As they get done playing and the host gets on the microphone, with the old joke, “Which of you is Cowboy Jones.” Cowboy Jones has the worst and best records set when he played. “He was a conundrum,” Pierce says. Pierce talks fondly of how the “Cowboy” part of their name refers to Oklahoma State University Cowboys.
Red dirt is for people who don’t want to play Nashville country.
Anthony Pierce
Pierce says that he and Wiles got together after Wiles left Red Dirt Rangers due to carpal tunnel. “It evolved into a band,” Pierce says, referring to the way they didn’t start out intending to create a band. It’s a new kind of country music, but instead of “crying in your whiskey,” it’s now “laughing in your weed.”
Pierce wrote Toke and a Smile in honor of this new thinking. Being good friends with the writer of Cross Canadian Ragweed’s writer for Boys from Oklahoma, Pierce knew he had to write a song to match.
Cowboy Jones Past Events and New Events
Pierce talks highly of Windfield, Kansas’ festival, Walnut Valley Music Festival. This is the first festival Cowboy Jones started playing together. “It’s one of the biggest events to happen in Kansas,” Pierce says, “That’s my opinion.” This festival is to happen this year on September 18 through the 22.
Cowboy Jones plays at the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival every year. OIBF, is an annual festival in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Pierce talks fondly of it and encourages all to attend this year’s 26th festival on October 10th through the 12th.
Catch Bob Wiles and Cowboy Jones at their next concert at 4:20pm on March 10th, at The Venue Shrine, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Pierce recommends coming early to catch The Mercury’s Bluegrass Brunch event.
Red dirt music has a close community, and started off in the 1970s. Pierce says, “Red dirt is for those of us who don’t want to play Nashville country.” It’s a positive way of thinking, holding true to the 70s era. If there’s any negativity, red dirt writes music about real life problems.
Let’s keep in touch, and learn more about Oklahoma’s Red Dirt music via Respect My Region.
