The Old Pueblo played host to Texas Swing on June 11 as legendary country music band Asleep at the Wheel swung through Tucson. Fronted by Ray Benson, AATW hits the road on their 2026 Riding High Tour. And this group is no stranger to the road. For better than five decades, Asleep at the Wheel has been thrilling live audiences throughout the United States. This early summer Tucson gig was no exception.
These masters of Texas Swing are as synonymous with the state as any band touring today. Oddly enough, the group was not founded there. Originally formed in West Virginia in 1970, Ray Benson and company permanently relocated to Austin, Texas in 1974. Benson, the band’s soul original member, says “It’s been 55 years for AATW as a band, and 50 of them have been spent in Texas. We are known worldwide for being a Texas band and playing Texas and Western Swing music. It brings us great pride to carry this torch and responsibility. We don’t take it lightly!”
Asleep at the Wheel has amassed over 100 members throughout their remarkable run. The current iteration includes pianist Connor Forsyth, bassist Josh Hoag, steel guitarist Curtis Clogston, saxophonist Nick Brown, and drummer Jason Baczynski. Sharing vocal duties with Benson is newcomer Ian Stewart. The 34-year-old Stewart not only adds fresh blood but provides a blistering fiddle to the group. “It’s crazy to think that Ian Stewart grew up five minutes away from my house,” says Benson. “And that had nothing to do with the reason he is in the band.”…