Country band Reckless Kelly will play two live concerts in San Luis Obispo today to promote the band’s ninth album. The first performance will be during UU hour in the University Union Plaza today, and the second will be later tonight at SLO Brewing Company.
The new album titled “Good Luck & True Love” is the band’s first studio recording since its 2008 release “Bulletproof,” which made it to the top five on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart.
“We’ve played (San Luis Obispo) several times over the years, and always look forward to coming back,” vocalist and guitar player for Reckless Kelly Willy Braun wrote in an email. “It’s a great little town, and we have a few favorite hot spots that we’ll be hitting for sure.”
Reckless Kelly currently has more than 40 shows booked nationwide, with a performance at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Fest on Oct. 1.
The band, named after Australian bank robber Ned Kelly, has songs about war, New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and other topics that “make listeners think.”
San Luis Obispo resident Benny Chu said he is especially looking forward to the on-campus concert.
“From what I’ve heard and seen on YouTube, they sound great,” Chu said. “I am excited to see them play live this Thursday at UU Hour.”
Frontmen Willy and Cody Braun once traveled with their father in a western swing band called Muzzie Braun & the Boys. From there, they branched off and traveled to Austin, Texas to begin their own music careers.
After playing well-known Monday night performances for a few years, Reckless Kelly grew in popularity and began booking more shows.
The increased fame led to the release of the band’s debut album “Millican,” which was followed by a live acoustic recording that showed the fans its softer side.
Since gaining a fanbase in 1997, Reckless Kelly has released various live albums and five studio albums. The most recent recording was released on their own label, No Big Deal Records.
“It’s different from our last album ‘Somewhere In Time,’ because this one is all original material and a return to what we normally do, which is a mix of country and rock,” Willy wrote.
Acoustic and electric guitars mix to create the sound that has gained popularity on the Americana and Texas charts.
Reckless Kelly has had a few changes in the lineup over the years: the current members are Willy and Cody Braun, David Abeyta, Jay Nazz and Chris Schelske.
Each member plays an instrument, which ranges from fiddles and harmonicas to guitars and drums.
Every note in the recently released album was recorded to sound as if the band were playing live. The band did not want to have its studio recordings sound over-produced and unrepresentative of their true sound.
“It’s a lot like what we sound like live,” Willy wrote.
Before Reckless Kelly travels to San Francisco, they will play a free live show during UU Hour today on from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
But according to SLO Brewing Company bartender Alexa Heter, the real fun will come later tonight.
“They’ve played here before,” Heter said. “They brought in a big fun crowd. (It) should be the same this time around.”
The Bob Lawrence Band will open the 18 and over show at SLO Brewing Company. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 at the door, which opens at 7:30 p.m..