The Soda Crackers

Western Wednesday #78 is a comin' for ya! We've got an awesome double bill with the boys from Bakersfield - The Soda Crackers - and from L.A. Lasers Lasers Birmingham! Wednesday, May 21st Doors: 7pm / Two-step Lesson: 7:30pm / Show: 8pm $15 in advance / $20 day of the show 21+ THE SODA CRACKERS When a band’s square-shaped business card has a photographic image of a saltine on one side and the two types of tunes available on the other – Country and Western – that’s an instant clue something unique is on this musical menu. With a goal to bring back the “classics,” The Soda Crackers – a five-piece band whose average age barely cracks the 30-something barrier – are in full swing these days. Make that – full Bakersfield Sound with a nice helping of Western Swing thrown in as a side dish of sorts. What started as a group of Southern Californian musicians – all with other “day jobs” – gathering in garage jam sessions turned into their first paid performance in April 2021 for a slot at the “Western Swing Out Weekender” in Tehachapi, Calif., a mountain community just east of the home to The Bakersfield Sound. LASERS LASERS BIRMINGHAM Tipping the Stetson hat that covers his scruffy hair, Lasers Lasers Birmingham carries on the legacy of hard living, left of center country music from the city of angels. Owen says he is inspired by classic country but with themes that are very “un-country”. Explaining further he said, “I believe the job of the artist is to report on their time, place and experience. So, it would be inauthentic of me to attempt to sound exactly like my country music heroes.” With a knack for lyrics, phrasing and songwriting, Owen accomplishes what he sets out to do and The Daily Country has described his music as, “…awash in modern day storytelling that retains true, traditional country sensibilities.” You can tell it will be an atypical night just by scanning the crowd at a Lasers Lasers Birmingham show. Mohawked fans mingled with unironic cowboy hats, and some country-loving fans bring their kids along. Every show has a few guarantees: Self-aware cowboy songs ranging from sarcastic to tender, an engaging performance where the audience is encouraged to shout out or sing along, and at some point, you will witness something simultaneously familiar and absolutely brand new.