The night was extra special for the country singer from Del Rio because, at midnight, he turned 30 years old. When the time came, the whole building sang Happy Birthday, and Beckmann seemed genuinely touched by the moment.
“I’m not just saying this because I’m on stage, I mean this from the bottom of my heart: I would not want to be anywhere else on my 30th birthday,” he said with a big Texas grin.
William Beckmann equips a harmonica to add color to his upbeat version of “Starting Over Again.”
Sean Stroud
Beckmann was bursting with excitement when we spoke about his album back in February, and now it’s easy to see why. Whiskey Lies & Alibis is chock-full of classic country tunes that evoke a certain nostalgia for decades past. Most of the songs deal with heartbreak in one way or another, so it's the perfect record for those experiencing the woes of modern dating.
“Game I Like To Play” is a great example; the song finds Beckmann reveling in the sickly-sweet entrancement of an on-again-off-again relationship, a feeling all too many can relate to. The titular track finds Beckmann playing the role of a homewrecker as he tempts a taken woman to give in to the heat of an intimate moment with a stranger.
“Damn your eyes make a bad thing feel good / Closing time, I would stop it if I could / Love in disguise / Whiskey lies and alibis,” he sings with his killer low baritone voice.
Beckmann is at his best when he's drowning out the memory of an old lover with some self-prescribed concoction of alcohol and/or drugs. This has long been the case (2023’s “Tennessee Drinkin’” and “Bad Dreams & Amphetamines” are great examples), and luckily for us, the album is full of such tracks, including “California Quake,” “Not That Strong” and “Borderline Crazy.”
On “California Quake,” he sings, “This ain’t no hurt I’m feelin’ / It’s just the whiskey ain't kicked in / That ain’t your name I’m screamin’ / That’s just the howlin’ of the wind.”
Hats bobbed back and forth. Boots stomped the ground as Beckmann sang “Making Them Hate Me,” where he takes pride in the fact that his lover draws every eye in the room. Ladies shrieked as the band stepped back and Beckmann played through “Not That Strong” solo on his acoustic guitar.
A couple also got engaged in between songs, which only added to the magic of the night.
Beckmann transitioned into his Elvis-inspired “Lonely Over You,” for which he recently recorded a music video. The video shoots Beckmann back in time to an old soundstage littered with full ashtrays and vintage recording equipment. He and his band sport outfits you'd find flipping through an old family album as Beckmann sings about the pain of missing his beloved.
One of the tricks up Beckmann's sleeve is his ability to sing fluent Spanish with passion and authenticity. The crowd cheered as he played 2022’s “Danced All Night Long,” a waltz about an enchanting night in Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico with “the most beautiful señorita” that finds Beckmann sprinkling in bits of Spanish amongst his classic country twang.
“Singing that song makes me want to sing more in Spanish,” Beckmann said, causing an eruption of applause as he led into “Por Mujeres Como Tú”.
He and the audience traded off for “Bourbon Whiskey.” During the chorus, Beckmann dropped out and the crowd just kept right on singing without missing a beat. The slow burner is one of the most popular tracks off of his debut album, 2022’s Faded Memories.
After shouting out the members of his band, Beckmann closed the night out with an encore of “All of My Exes (Still Make Me Breakfast)” and “I'm On Fire.” The Texas troubadour set Billy Bob's ablaze, and by the looks of it, it won't be long now until Beckmann hits bigger and better stages. Don't miss your chance to see him next time he rolls through town, because trust us, you'll want to be able to brag about seeing Beckmann before he blew up.
