Speedtrucker

January 22

Comments (0) By Sam Machkovech Thursday, Jan 22 2004

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Speedtrucker performs January 22 at Top Rail Ballroom.

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"Speedtrucker, motherfucker!" shouted the crowd normally foreign to Club Clearview. These men and women were armed not with facial piercings but with bottles of Lone Star, and they donned not Urban Outfitters threads but Justin boots and cowboy hats. Still, the only surprise bigger than the good ol' country crowd was the good ol' country band onstage. It seemed like a rarity in a city whose Pat Green sales are enough to squeeze a tear from Willie's eye, but Dallas' Speedtrucker made good on a rousing set of hard honky-tonk. The band tore through country standards with ferocity reminiscent of a young Uncle Tupelo, yet the performance was as danceable as a Bob Wills playlist. This combination inspired old and young to toast beers as often as lead singer Michael Cox commanded, and, more impressively, the tunes got the kids and the grown-ups dancing side by side. For instance, a young couple hit the dance floor for two songs, but the fella couldn't keep up with his high-steppin' lass. Like a vulture in a CMT video, a silver-haired cowboy strolled into the crowd, grabbed her hand and, as quickly as drummer David Mitchell pounded the beat to the next song, spun her silly in a blaze of swing. The crowd was stunned, the young man's pants were soiled and the band kept the new couple dancing at a feverish pace. In the year since this spectacle occurred, Speedtrucker has seen changes, including new bassist Kirk Richardson and a shift from covers to more original songs. The resulting sound on their latest album, The Curse, is slower and more deliberate, but blazing numbers like "Caffeine Thrill" and "Bitch" prove that the band isn't slowing the truck down anytime soon. Hitch a ride on Thursday, and while you're at it, enjoy a few Lone Stars.