Bozeman Magazine

The starting point for the new release from Chris Shiflett, All Hat and No Cattle, is the belief that in order to truly understand a style of music, total immersion is required.  The origins of this album, which features covers of nine old-school honky-tonk songs and one original, are simple enough. While touring around Foo Fighters’ album Wasting Light, lead guitarist Shiflett was struck with an idea for his other band, to tour as a cover band after learning as many classic honky-tonk songs as they could master. As a musician raised on a steady diet of AC/DC and KISS, who’s also a longtime fan of quintessential country and rockabilly artists like Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and Johnny Burnette, the notion was rooted in a mix of reverence and revelry. Once he arrived home, the band got together and spent months rehearsing a set before performing a slew of shows through spring and summer 2012. All Hat and No Cattle is a selection of Shiflett’s favorites from those shows, timeless songs like Waylon Jennings’ “I Don’t Think Hank Done It This Way” and Owens’ “King Of Fools.”  Tickets are available at 1111presents.com, Cactus Records (29 West Main Street)or by calling (877) 987- 6487.