Photos by: Damian Ruiz
Whiskey Myers rolled into the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for their What We Were Born To Do tour with the kind of fire only an East Texas band can bring, and the night felt like a homecoming of sorts. Known for their gritty fusion of Southern rock and outlaw country, the six-piece outfit, formed back in 2007 in Palestine, TX has built a reputation as one of the fiercest live acts in American roots music, and this show proved exactly why.
After solid openers from Bayker Blankenship and Pony Bradshaw, the band wasted no time diving into “Gasoline,” immediately pulling the crowd to its feet. I was so shocked that they opened up their set with such an iconic banger! Usually those are saved as closing tracks. Cody Cannon’s raspy, soulful vocals soared over dual guitars from John Jeffers and Cody Tate, while the rhythm section locked everything down with precision and power. The setlist blended fan favorites like “Frogman,” “Home,” and “Bury My Bones” with newer cuts from their upcoming album Whomp Whack Thunder, due this fall.
What made the show hit different was the balance: rowdy anthems that rattled the pavilion one minute, and stripped-down, emotional moments like “Stone” and “Broken Window Serenade” the next. It’s that raw, lived-in energy equal parts grit and heart that makes Whiskey Myers stand out. They’re not just playing songs, they’re telling stories you can feel in your bones. Every note carries a rugged truth. The stories of hard times, heartache, and wild nights don’t just sound believable but feel like pages torn straight from their lives.
The night closed with their blistering take on Jeff Beck Group’s “Going Down,” a finale that left the crowd buzzing and grinning long after the lights came up. For a band that’s toured with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and had their music featured on Yellowstone, they’ve stayed true to their roots and in The Woodlands, they reminded everyone why they’re carrying the torch for Southern rock in 2025 and showing that the fire of Southern rock and country still burns hotter than ever.
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