Our editors spotlight the best in the West. This week: PBR brings Native team into Global Cup, we share cocktail recipes and barbecue news, and Asleep At the Wheel debuts a tune.
Here at C&I, we get letters from enthusiastic readers hailing from all around the world. Our most fervent international fans, though, hail from Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. They often express that they feel a strong cowboy kinship with us, considering their own unique connections to that culture.
It’s especially exciting for us that the Professional Bull Riders bring those particular countries together to compete along with teams from the United States, for its annual series of “Global Cup” events.
The nation-versus-nation tournament makes its third stop of the coming season February 9 and 10 at Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium. When it does, there’ll be a new set of U.S. riders entering the fray: a team made up of Native American athletes dubbed the Wolves. Tickets for the Texas event are on sale at PBR.com.
Check out the Instagram promotion:
Next up, a look at some of the fresh offerings at cowboysindians.com:
MEZ’MERIZING: The weekend always calls for a tasty spiked concoction or several. Try four different mixes that all employ the smoky individuality of mezcal. And if you need some copper cups for the “Mezcal Mule,” we’ve got you.
SPEAKING OF SMOKY: We also hip you to the next edition of Smoked BBQ Fest, coming to Dallas with plenty of live entertainment in late September.
ART, HISTORY: The latest C&I Art Beat highlights a Wyoming exhibit looking back on the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, through the works of photographer Alexander Gardner. We’ve got some other exhibit recommendations to round it up.
A TOTEM REVIVAL: If you are planning a Pacific Northwest trip in the future, consider British Columbia and Southeast Alaska for a look at numerous and ornate collections of authentic totem poles. We’ve got your guide right here.
TUNES FOR THE ROAD: We had two song premieres this week — Monica Aben’s breakup tune, “Almost Good Enough,” and The March Divide’s angsty anthem, “Tie One On.”
And for this week’s parting shot, I leave you with my favorite new song of the week, a collaboration between Asleep at the Wheel and the Avett Brothers’ Scott and Seth Avett. Those players alone should never be underestimated, but the song they’re slingin’ is extra special. It’s an ode in sound and lyrics to the great Willie Nelson, using countless references to his tunes to paint a picture of his broad influence. Hit play below to hear “Willie Got There First,” which appears on Asleep at the Wheel’s forthcoming album New Routes (Sept. 14):
With this record and a new Loretta Lynn album on the way next month as well, we’ll have plenty of classic-sounding country music to enjoy. With a cocktail.
Photography: (PBR) Courtesy facebook.com/pbr, (totem) by Raymond Parker
