Event Details: James McMurtry

Early in his career, Texas singer-songwriter James McMurtry was best known as the son of Lonesome Dove novelist Larry McMurtry and a protege of John Mellencamp. He was pegged as the poet laureate of heartland rock, a sardonic observer of Midwestern life who could paint vivid character sketches with just a few well-phrased lyrics and a chugging, rootsy songwriting style. Since those early days, however, McMurtry has forged an identity entirely his own. He remains, arguably, rural America's best songwriter and social critic. His lyrical range has become more versatile, ranging from the bitter social commentary of songs like "Out Here in the Middle" to the elliptical imagery of "St. Mary of the Woods," the title track on his last studio album. His music, meanwhile, has become just as distinctive as his lyrics, a thick Texas stew of rock, country, folk and roadhouse boogie framed by McMurtry's own chiming, evocative guitar work.