All Roads Lead to California
Western Swing, Bakersfield sound, California country, and the road home from Tehachapi
Episode #30 - Mae Out West Weekly Radio Show
Thank You Paid Subs: Dino, Katie, JP, Linda, Bob, Bonnie ❤️
Thank You Paid Subs: Dino, Katie, JP, Linda, Bob, Bonnie ❤️
Howdy and Mabuhay friends.
Episode #30 of Mae Out West is live, and this one comes straight from the road back home.
Mae McCoy and Her Neon Stars were invited to play Western Swing Out in Tehachapi, California, and I’m still carrying the glow of that weekend. Sacramento showed up, the dancers showed up, and the Western Swing crowd showed up. It was a beautiful reminder that this music is alive and well when the right people gather around it.
Mae McCoy and the Neon Stars - Mae Out West
This week’s Western Swing and Honky Tonk radio show follows that road home with California country, Bakersfield sound, Western Swing, jukebox gems, and a Sunday morning close.
You’ll hear music from Billy Mize, The Buckaroos, Bobby Durham, Willie Barry featuring Grey DeLisle, Red Simpson, Maddox Brothers and Rose, Wynn Stewart, Billy Jack Wills, Onie Wheeler, Jim Reeves, Carson Robinson, Johnny Hicks & His Troubadours, Tommy Solomon, Asleep at the Wheel, Poi Rogers, The Farmer & Adele, Johnny Bush, Sal Copas, and Carl Smith & The Carter Family.
I also have to mention that Deke Dickerson won the outfit contest, and if you saw the suit, you would understand why. The story behind it was almost as incredible as the suit itself.
Deke Dickerson won a contest for best outfit at the Western Swing Out 2026 | Mae Out West
It was also a treat getting to meet Willie Barry in person this weekend. He may not be a California native, but he fits right into this music. And yes, the hair looks just as good in person as it does on the album covers.
Driving down Highway 5 and 99 after Tehachapi had me thinking about how much California music history lives in this part of the state. The Bakersfield sound, of course. Buck Owens. Red Simpson. Wynn Stewart. And Maddox Brothers and Rose, with their deep Central Valley roots.
There is so much music tied to these roads, towns, dance halls, radio stations, and bandstands. That’s part of what Mae Out West is about: Western Swing, California country, honky tonk, old radio stages, regional music history, and the strange roads connecting all of it.
This episode also features Johnny Hicks & His Troubadours and “Hamburger Hop.” Hicks helped shape KRLD’s Big “D” Jamboree in Dallas, and later hosted Johnny Hicks’ Country Gold on KTOM in Salinas. From Texas radio stages to Central Coast airwaves, this music has always had a home out west.
And the live music keeps moving.
This Wednesday, Mae McCoy and Her Neon Stars will be playing HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol with Candy Girard, Dave Zirbel, Mark Holzinger, and other wonderful musicians. After a weekend in Tehachapi, it feels good to keep the music rolling through California.
This week closes with Carl Smith & The Carter Family and “Amazing Grace.”
Song List
Billy Mize · Cherokee Maiden
The Buckaroos · You'll Never Miss the Water (Til the Well Runs Dry)
Bobby Durham · Too Much Like Lonesome
Willie Barry feat. Grey DeLisle · That's My Jam
Red Simpson · Bakersfield
Maddox Brothers and Rose · That'll Learn Ya Durn Ya
Wynn Stewart · One More Memory
Billy Jack Wills and His Western Swing Band · Teardrops From My Eyes
Onie Wheeler · Jump Right Out of This Jukebox
Jim Reeves · I've Got Just the Thing for You
Carson Robinson · Life Gits Tee-Jus, Don't It
Johnny Hicks & His Troubadours · Hamburger Hop
Tommy Solomon · Old Timer's Hula
Rhythm Rangers · New Road Under My Wheels
Asleep at the Wheel · Coast to Coast
Poi Rogers · Foggy Bay
The Farmer & Adele · Don't Fall in Love with a Tumbleweed
Johnny Bush · Warm Red Wing
Sal Copas · Sunday Morning Coming Down
Carl Smith & The Carter Family · Amazing Grace
