(Courtesy Art)
By Kate McGuire
Staff Writer
For students who aren’t leaving for spring break until Sunday, they can go see the Casey Donahew Band, a popular country/Texas Red Dirt band that has been traveling across the country for the past couple of months.
The concert will be at 9 p.m. Saturday at Whiskey River nightclub.
Sam Badar, owner of Whiskey River, said he is getting prepared to have Donahew and is expecting a sold-out show.
“Casey played last year in October in Bell County Expo Center and they had 7,800 people,” Badar said, “so we are expecting at least 2,000 people. Our capacity is 2,000 people so we’re expecting max capacity.”
Tickets are available at Cavender’s Boot City, Basic Bits Leather Company, Appaloosa Trading Post and the Whiskey River box office.
Pre-sale tickets are $15 and tickets are $20 at the door.
The band first originated when Donahew, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, started playing for local nightclubs like the Thirsty Armadillo in Fort Worth and released his first CD, “Lost Days,” according to the Casey Donahew Band website.
His then girlfriend and now wife, Melinda Donahew, started booking gigs for Casey Donahew around Texas. After the release of his second CD, “Casey Donahew Band,” which sold 32,000 copies, Casey Donahew became a mega indie-red dirt hit, according to the Casey Donahew Band website.
Donahew talks of his success coming from those who inspired him.
“I’m a big Elvis fan and a big Garth Brooks fan,” Donahew said. “Pat Green really lead me towards Texas music. They have been inspiring us, really motivating us to get out there and play. Leading the way in the industry.”
The band released five albums and one Christmas single. His newest single, “Whiskey Baby,” will be released in a few weeks.
Donahew said he believes their music speaks to others and is appealing due to the multicultural background of the band’s members.
“We have our own blend of musicians that come from a lot of different backgrounds,” Donahew said. “We write songs that people can relate to and that’s what draws them in.”
Donahew said “Fallen” is one of his favorite songs.
“For some reason, that song still strikes a chord somewhere in me and the fans still seem to enjoy it,” Donahew said.
The Casey Donahew Band has played in Waco several times before, beginning in 2006, Donahew said.
“Its one of the major college towns in Texas,” Donahew said. “That seems to be where we spend a lot of our time playing.”
Donahew has advice for college musicians trying to make it in the music/entertainment business:
Donahew said, “The music business is a tough business. Just keep writing songs and watch your money.”
Badar said he strongly believes music can change the lives of kids and youth.
He said he wants to be the club where college students can experience a stress-free environment and enjoy new, up and coming acts.
