The Outlaw Saloon features country-western lineup for CFD

Jul. 23—Every country-western town needs a country-western bar.

And that bar had better have some good country-western music.

In Cheyenne, that bar is The Outlaw Saloon, located just south of Interstate 80 on South Greeley Highway.

During the day, the building is a sleeping giant, but with the setting sun, it becomes a compound of a honky-tonk surrounded by pickups during the rodeo-rich time of Cheyenne Frontier Days.

"I almost quadruple my staff for Frontier Days and make sure we try to do the best service possible," Curtis Crowton, owner of The Outlaw Saloon, said. "I think we'll have 18 bartenders, around seven to nine servers and then multiple people filling the gaps as bar-backs, door people checking IDs and a bunch of people out doing parking lot security."

For three years now, The Outlaw has been under new management with Crowton, who wanted to make a point of bringing in live performances over the 10-day period that appealed to the rodeo crowd flooding the city. COVID-19 muted the idea, but their recruiting efforts proved to be worth it the following year.

Specially for CFD, The Outlaw is hosting nine shows back-to-back through July 31, with Adam Doleac starting the series last night and Cheyenne favorite Ned LeDoux continuing the show tonight at 7.

Crowton, with help from the staff, is responsible for selecting the lineup. It's a process that includes scanning through what music is popular with their country audience — sifting through possibilities on streaming services and social media eight months in advance.

They try to bring in local acts, like Southern Fryed and Randy Burghardt this year, and Tris Munsick and Chancey Williams in the past. But there are big-name musicians performing alongside them, like LeDoux, Chase Mathew, Corb Lund and Confederate Railroad, some of whom have performed on the main stage of CFD in the past.

"I really try to research to see what's going to get us the rodeo crowd," Crowton said. "Make sure we try to favor the audience the best we can so people can come see, and try to do a good price, that way everybody gets a chance."

Tickets are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door.

Remaining lineup

Ned LeDoux with Southern Fryed

When: Saturday, July 23, 7 p.m.

Biography: Cheyenne knows him well. His father, Chris LeDoux, was a Cheyenne native, award-winning singer-songwriter, and rodeo champion before his commitment to music full time in 1980. He was also one of the only two people to ever compete in and then perform at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Ned holds his own, landing multiple hits and performing several times at Frontier Days.

Randall King w/Southern Fryed

When: Sunday, July 24, 7 p.m.

Bio: King, a west Texas born singer-songwriter, was raised on the musical influences of George Strait, Alan Jackson, John Anderson and Keith Whitley. There is a poetic style to his songwriting, as evidenced by his most recent album, "Shot Glass (2022)," an 11-track concept album that documents different perspectives throughout a bar during a single night out.

Double Wide w/Randy Burghardt

When: Monday, July 25, 7 p.m.

Bio: If you miss '90s country, Double Wide has you covered. This Colorado-based country band bleeds '90s country, with plenty of neon, sleek sunglasses, oversized mustaches and thick, greasy mullets. The night will begin with Pine Bluffs singer-songwriter Randy Burghardt, who was named the Rocky Mountain Country Music Association Songwriter of the Year in 2017.

Chase Matthew w/Randy Burghardt

When: Tuesday, July 26, 7 p.m.

Bio: The general public might not have heard of Matthew just yet, but the rodeo crowd certainly has. He only just released his debut album, "Born for This," which already contains two songs that currently sit at over 4 million streams on Spotify. The Tennessee-born country singer's biggest hit is his single "County Line (2021)," which has 35 million streams and debuted on the country music charts.

Aaron Goodvin w/Southern Fryed

When: Wednesday, July 27, 7 p.m.

Bio: Goodvin made his name in the Canadian country music scene, but his 2016 single "Lonely Drum" was a double-platinum selling hit that gave him a presence in the United States. Now based in Nashville, the Canadian Country Music Association award winner is heading to The Outlaw with new material from his 2021 release "Lucky Stars."

Confederate Railroad w/Jessie Cornett & The Revolvers

When: Thursday, July 28, 7 p.m.

Bio: One of the lesser-known groups in country music history, Confederate Railroad got their start as the backing band for legendary country music singers David Allen Coe and Johnny Paycheck. In the early '90s, they went off on their own, landing multiple hits in the process with "Trashy Women (1992)," "Queen of Memphis (1992)" and "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind (1994)." Confederate Railroad also performed at CFD in 1994.

Corb Lund w/Sunny Sweeney

When: Friday, July 29, 7 p.m.

Bio: No stranger to the country music scene, Lund is another artist trekking in from the plains of Canada to take the stage at The Outlaw. During the mid-2000s to early 2010s, Lund found his stride, going gold in Canada for three albums in a row. His 2012 release "Cabin Fever" topped the Canadian country music charts, as well. His most recent release is "Songs My Friends Wrote (2022)," which continues his twangy western style of country roots music.

Nu Breed & Jessie Howard w/Southern Fryed

When: Saturday, July 30, 7 p.m.

Bio: The Outlaw is changing it up here with a blend of rap, country and rock from Nu Breed. With heavy lyricism and a heavier presence, songs like "Welcome to My House," "Changes" and "Little Boy and the Preacher Man" each have millions of views on YouTube and continue to grow in popularity.

Southern Fryed

When: Sunday, July 31, 7 p.m.

Bio: They've been playing a support role for the past nine days, and now they've got their own night to command the stage. This local red dirt rock-country outfit is fresh off a new album, titled "Highway Addiction," which they recorded in Nashville.

Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_.