Bart Crow sings at The Ranch in Midland.

Bart Crow Band brings rock with country twang to The Ranch

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Posted: 4/17/09

By Bailee Hennis
Page Editor

"Dear Hank Williams, Jr.,
There is this guy straight out of the Lone Star state that is a little bit rock and roll with a familiar country twang, and I guarantee you'll be up asking young senoritas to dance if you give him a listen."

This would have been a good letter to send to Tennessee after Bart Crow and his band performed recently at The Ranch, a bar in Midland.

Crow, a 32-year-old singer and his band put on a good show for the crowd. Crow seemed to have a lot of confidence, guitar in hand ready to serenade the crowd and didn't hesitate to start it off with a bang.

"The first time I heard our very first record right off the mixing board I thought it was the best thing to ever happen to the planet. Boy, did I have a lot to learn?" Crow said on his myspace page.

This was Crow's first time in Midland, and he said his experience was good. "The layout and geography of Midland is interesting. Since I come from Austin, I am used to seeing big trees and things like that," Crow said.

His love for music began when he was little, when he and his sister used to perform in talent shows. "I was always singing. I love every kind of music from classic rock to Dean Martin," Crow said.

Crow said a lot of his inspiration comes from the band Chicago, and the one song he wished he could have written was Middle Age Crazy by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Crow also served in the army and often uses the experiences he had for song inspirations.
"I kept a journal while I was in the service. I revisit that every now and then and some of it inspires new songs," Crow said.

"One of the best things about the Army was coming home and meeting this girl. I guess my charm swept her off my feet because now she's my wife," Crow said.

Another interesting story Crow talked about was just recently when he ran into an old friend that brought back memories.

"He reminded me that I used to write pages and pages of rap songs in high school. I am sure they were terrible," Crow said with a laugh.

Although Crow has a funny personality, some songs hit close to home, like Crow's new song Surrender that will debut on his new CD.

"I am almost in love with the song. It's about a personal family member dealing with depression and alcoholism that tried to take her life," Crow said.

Crow said while he was sitting and having coffee in a treatment facility in Arizona, something hit him strong. "I looked over at my brother and sister and thought about my family member in rehab," Crow said.

"Basically Surrender is my favorite song because it's dedicated to my mom and her getting help for her problems," Crow said.

The one thing Crow wants to do is play to a sold out crowd. "I really just love life. The promise of heaven inspires me," Crow said.