Alive and well in PV

By Jeff Shultz
Managing Editor

May 19, 2008 10:15 am

— This summer the Pauls Valley Arts Council will not battle Mother Nature when it comes to scheduling events.
The past two years, the PVAC’s annual “Wacker Park After Dark” summer concerts have been plagued with either extreme hot temperatures or dousing rain. Both weather extremes either kept music lovers at home to keep cool or drove the crowds into smaller venues.
This year, says PVAC President Lanny Stanley, the PVAC won’t chance another summer of poor weather.
“This year we decided to not take a chance on the weather and have one big concert at the Pauls Valley High School Auditorium instead,” Stanley said.
Stanley, said the arts council board members were in agreement to try to host a concert the weekend before the Pauls Valley Round-Up Club’s Heritage Days Rodeo as a way to kick off a week of rodeo events and activities, leading up to the rodeo itself.
“When we learned that Ty England was available for that weekend, we immediately signed the contract to get him here,” said Stanley.
England, a former band member for Garth Brooks, has just released a new album and is touring. He will appear on Saturday, June 21, at the Pauls Valley High School Auditorium.
Tickets for the concert go on sale this Tuesday at the Pauls Valley Chamber of Commerce office. Advance tickets are $20 each, $25 at the door the night of the concert.
England’s new album, “Alive and Well and Livin’ the Dream,” was released last year. One of the songs from the album, “Texans Hold'em,” hit the top of the country charts after its release.
The Oklahoma native started his career straight out of Central Casting, starting with a couple of college pals, country music hopefuls, who promised to stick together no matter who first inks a recording contract.
One of the two artists was Garth Brooks, destined to become the fastest-selling solo artist in history.
The other was England, a singer and guitar player who hit the concert road with Garth and became an instant fan favorite.
After several years on Garth's history-making tour, England signed with RCA and made two albums, Ty England and Two Ways to Fall.
His signature top-5 hit, “Should've Asked Her Faster” remains a hotly requested number, while Entertainment Weekly called his debut album “a remarkably poised performance” and gave it an “A” rating.
When he moved to Capitol Records with Highways & Dancehalls, produced by none other than his good friend Garth Brooks, noted music critic Rich Kienzle pointed to Ty's “traditionalist integrity” and called the record “magnificent.”
USA Today wrote, “England delivers these songs in an understated manner that makes him sound resigned to heartbreak and wary of happiness, and Garth Brooks, his college roommate, offers comfortably traditional production.”
In the years since Highways & Dancehalls, Ty has been playing fairs, festivals and clubs throughout the U.S. He's also been honing his songwriting skills, and his latest album, Alive & Well and Livin' the Dream, contains a wealth of self-penned material that he's road tested on audiences across the country.
“We’re very excited to be able to bring high caliber entertainment such as Ty England to Pauls Valley,” added Stanley.
Along with the Ty England concert the PVAC will also host a photography exhibit of western and rodeo themed photos taken by the Garvin County Camera Club. The photo exhibit will be on display during the week of the rodeo.

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