Hey Cowboy! Last Call at Hard Luck
Tough luck for Hard Luck Lounge way out on east 7th street. I went there this past week to see Hey Cowboy! and found out that this little dive bar (90% backyard, 10% bar) was closing the very next day. The barroom itself was equal parts rural Kansas motel and prohibition speakeasy, red velvet lining the bar’s back wall. All of its charm would be gone with it.
It seemed implied by Hard Luck’s name that it couldn’t keep its shtick up forever-- I have a similar belief that it’s a bad idea to name pets after food. Regardless, there’s an odd revolving door sensation that comes from visiting somewhere for the first time the night before they close.
C'est la vie, out with the old and in with the new. I couldn’t be too sad for Hard Luck’s passing that night. I was too saturated by my excitement to see Hey Cowboy!. As a hard nose music journalist, I’m accustomed to crowds and tightly packed venues. This was not the case at Hard Luck. I know it wasn’t best for the band but I relished the opportunity to eat french fries at a picnic table while enjoying the show.
photo x Lindsay Gallagher
Unceremoniously, Hey Cowboy! took the stage at 8:35 or so. Three girls of crescendoing hair length (short, medium and long) sparsely filled the performance area. I thought they came for a soundcheck until a few minutes later, the familiar rhythm of “Cherry Jerry Citrus” kicked in. I distinctly remember my first fully-formed thought 30 seconds into the set… it was: “so fucking good.”
The singer, multi-tasking on the keys, sounded a little bit like the singer of the band Heart; but playing gypsy dream funk, not cheesy late 70’s rock. Every song was well considered, ridden with tempo changes and graduating synth. The bassist and drummer assisted with alternating backup vocals at times. I love to see a band getting it done sans guitarist. The drummer had a knack for marching rhythms and each song was underscored by steady momentum. The sound at Hard Luck was also great. Watching Hey Cowboy! under string lights in an underpopulated biergarten made this one of my favorite shows I’ve seen this year.
As music fans, we love the underexposed, the hidden gem. Hey Cowboy! delivers that guilty pleasure of being able to say, “Can you believe this only has 10k plays on Spotify?” Get there while you can. All they need to do is make more music and they’ll quickly shed their “undiscovered” quality. The girls have two shows coming up in Austin in December and the last time I counted, you have zero excuses.