The Country Music Hall of Fame’s upcoming exhibit, Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s, will explore the era of cultural and artistic exchange between Nashville, Tenn., and Austin, Texas, that spawned artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Jessi Colter, Bobby Bare, Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allan Coe, Cowboy Jack Clement, Tom T. Hall, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Tompall Glaser.
To help kick off the exhibition, which opens on May 25, the Hall of Fame will present a special concert on opening day that features Bobby Bare, Jason Boland, Jessi Colter, Joe Ely, Jack Ingram, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Ashley Monroe, Michael Martin Murphey, Gary P. Nunn, Willis Alan Ramsey, Kimmie Rhodes, Billy Joe Shaver, Amanda Shires, Colter Wall and more. The concert will be directed by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. CT on April 6.
The exhibit, which will run for nearly three years, will focus on the relationship between the two cities and the musical revolution created by the aforementioned artists. The music of that era influenced many of today’s Americana and country artists, including Dierks Bentley, Jack Ingram, Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton. The Outlaws exhibit will feature film content, including exclusive interviews and concert footage, by Austin-based filmmaker and exhibit co-curator, Eric Geadelmann, as well as visual art from Austin’s underground.
Outlaws & Armadillos will be accompanied by educational programs, including live performances, panel discussions and films. The Museum will produce a companion book that will be available on May 25. In addition, the Museum in partnership with Legacy Recordings, will release CD and LP sets featuring music by artists included in the exhibition.
