American Aquarium just dropped the full album Live at Red Rocks, recorded at that holy amphitheater carved into the red sandstone walls of Morrison, Colorado — a place where sound doesn’t just echo…it blooms.
But to really understand why this release matters, you gotta know a little something about the land it was born on.
A Little Red Rocks History — Where Stone Became a Stage
Long before guitars screamed and crowds roared, Red Rocks was just ancient earth — 300-million-year-old sandstone tilted toward the heavens. Those two giant monoliths guarding the theater — Ship Rock and Creation Rock — were sculpted by time long before a single boot ever scuffed their shadow.
Back in the early 1900s, a dreamer named John Brisben Walker stood between those towering slabs and declared it the perfect concert hall. He hosted small performances right there in the dirt, letting the wind carry the music across the canyon.
Then the Civilian Conservation Corps came along in the 1930s and chiseled the place into the masterpiece we know — every bench carved into the hillside, every angle matched to the sky, like a cathedral built from rock and sweat. Red Rocks officially opened in 1941, and the legends showed up soon after.
U2 turned the place into myth in ’83 with Under a Blood Red Sky.
The Grateful Dead nearly made it a second home.
Everyone from Johnny Cash to Jimi Hendrix to Willie Nelson to Brandi Carlile carved their names into that Colorado air.
Red Rocks isn’t just a venue.
It’s a rite of passage — a proving ground where music meets geology and the result becomes history.
And Now… American Aquarium
That’s the weight BJ Barham carried when he walked onto that stage — altitude in his lungs, fire in his voice, and a crowd that sounded like thunder rolling off the canyon walls. He didn’t just sing; he staked his claim on sacred ground.
You can hear it in the recording — the wind, the electricity, the roar.
This isn’t a greatest-hits compilation.
It’s a moment, preserved forever.
American Aquarium now sits among the names who stood where stone becomes sound.
They earned it — every mile, every scar, every midnight show in a smoky bar that led them to this one impossible, unforgettable night.
And now that wish we talked about?
It ain’t a rumor anymore.
It’s live.
It’s loud.
It’s immortal.
American Aquarium — Live at Red Rocks.
A band in full command, echoing off the oldest walls they’ve ever played.
I ain’t sayin’ B.J. Barham is absolutely gearing up for a brand-new American Aquarium record.
I’m just sayin’ the man doesn’t drop a live cut from Red Rocks — especially “Hope He Breaks Your Heart” — unless he’s got somethin’ brewing in that restless songwriter soul of his. And Lord, if he is settin’ the table for a new album?
Well, I’m over here speculatin’, hopin’, and prayin’ like a man standin’ on the edge of revival. Because American Aquarium ain’t just another band anymore.
They’ve become one of my all-time favorites, the kind of group whose songs don’t just play in the background — they take up residence in your ribcage and rearrange the furniture.
“Hope He Breaks Your Heart” isn’t just a song to me. It’s one of my very favorites — a mirror, a bruise, a reminder of every version of myself I had to outgrow.
B.J. Barham didn’t start out as the polished, open-vein storyteller we hear today. He was a barroom firebrand — a chain-smokin’, cheap-whiskey-swallowin’, motel-room-livin’ troubadour who practically bled onstage just to keep the ghosts quiet. And somewhere between the wreckage and the rising, he grew into what he once described himself as:
“A pearl snap poet with bad tattoos.”
A man who carries his past in ink and memory, and writes with the kind of honesty you can’t fake.
Early albums — reckless, hungry, desperate to matter. Burn.Flicker.Die — the unraveling. Things Change — the rebuilding. Chicamacomico — the ache of becoming better than the man you used to be.
Barham didn’t just evolve —he survived, steadied, and turned survival into scripture.
When a man with that kind of history steps onto the stage at Red Rocks and sings “Hope He Breaks Your Heart” with that steady, sober, seasoned voice — it hits different.
It feels like a bridge between the younger man who wrote the song and the wiser one who’s living with its consequences. It feels like a door cracking open to whatever chapter comes next. So yeah… maybe this is just a single. But maybe — just maybe — it’s the first flicker of a new American Aquarium record.
And if that’s true?
Brother, I’m ready.
Because the truth is this: Some songs hurt because they’re honest…
Life Gets Lifey is what I always like to say, what I really mean, is that things happen beyond my control. It’s how I react to them is what really matters, I mean like this blog , call it writers block, laziness, or something else. I also really don’t care what anyone thinks of me. That is what makes me, well me.
For the most part, my life rocks . I mean just last weekend I found myself on the Baylor campus in Waco Texas for something that was better than I could have ever imagined. The wife got me tickets to The Boys from Oklahoma, featuring Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours, Shane Smith and the Saints , and American Aquarium.. next thing i know there’s Wade Bowen on the bill.. then a series of other amazing performances by several of all my all time favorites throughout the night , including Pat Green and Robert Earl Keen.
Add in the final song of the night , Django Walker, son of the world famous late Jerry Jeff. Django sang a song that his daddy made famous which in my opinion helped to put songwriter Guy Clark on the map.
LA Freeway.
The whole concert had this kinda energy.. it was really something to see in person.
When the Turnpike Troubadours got back together a year or so ago, I recall, tweeting.. “all we need now is for Ragweed to come back”
Well.. now they have and I got to see them live in person after a 16 plus year’s hiatus..
The fear of standing still … kind of grows on ya , kind of rugged like how that cactus can climb right out of a rock face with little or no dirt and very little water.
The Fear of Standing Still… the title track of American Aquarium’s 10th album took me a few listens and then it was like I couldn’t get enough.. The whole album plays like a VHS recording of my life..
Track listing
It’s that dream of falling or like when you find yourself running Naked through the Walmart and nobody else notices you are naked but you..
BJ Barham can put pen to paper and come up with amazing and original lyrics that leave you in blood , sweat and tears.. that’s why I keep coming back..
I’m glad the band has stayed right where they’re supposed to be for so long and that they are finally getting the credit they deserve..
Give the song and the rest of the album a spin or three and i bet you feel the same way I have.
A few weeks ago middle grandson had to have his tonsils taken out .. he tells his big brother afterwards, “I didn’t even cry like you did when they took yours out… Your a crier!”
A few weeks later BJ Barham and American Aquarium release song and call it Crier..
Coincidence?
In preparation for their newest album, Crier was released yesterday on all streaming platforms.. if the rest of the album is as good as this one song.. what am i saying? You already know it will be.. have you ever heard a bad American Aquarium release?
The Pancho Music Awards were a grand success and a whole bunch of love.
Some of you might have watched some TV last week when the CMA Country Music Award show aired.. I didn’t. Who won anyway? Is that shit really even country music. In my humble opinion most of it Not. This is what the PMA awards were mostly about. Real Music . The kinda Honky Tonkin good times that I love. The kinda music that me and the homies live in and live for.I wish I would’ve included more categories and had more creativity so that more of the homies would have been included. Next year I’m going to work harder and start earlier to ensure more participation. My boy Hayden McCaleb has already asked me to let him be the host of the show.. Already looking forward. But enough for the rant- I can’t change the past and I don’t need to worry about the future. For now let’s get down to that task at hand! If you follow Pancho on Twitter, then you already have seen the results. But here goes nothing!
Voting for the PMAs was some of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make
Payton Matous
“Voting for the PMAs was some of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” exclaimed Dallas, Texas based singer songwriter Payton Matous. Believe meeee Payton, picking the nominees were just as hard. I am grateful for the herd of following that I have acquired these last couple of years on the Twit, that aided me in selecting the winners.
Let’s start with Podcast. The nominees for Best Podcast featuring Singer/ Songwriters were my buddy Aaron Lee Bentley, the host of ‘Off Mic Off The Record,” and TxRiver Tonk radio host , my good friend Blake Farrar.
Blake’s old school radio show, featuring many of my favorite artists took the win with 74% of the votes. TxRiver Tonk is always a good listen. He seems to get the fresh songs the freshest. Blake spends many nights on the road and in and out of the honky tonk scene he always finds his way into a live performance of someone somewhere. He’s usually got the best seat in the house for some of the best music in the business.
Early on, Farrar was already trying to concede to Bentley. He called Bentley not only a friend but also his mentor. I can’t even tell you how many thousand miles I have driven in my truck whilst listening to Off Mic Off The Record. Through listens of this laid back talk show, I have learned more about the music business and personal stories from behind the scenes of music than I have anywhere else.
Both of these nominees deserve cheers and beers and I can’t wait to hang again- until then, I’ll keep listening.
In my next category, I wanted to highlight a “single” of the year. In all fairness, there was so much great music that dropped this year. Hell one of the nominees in this category, Seth Jones dropped new music today. I would have had a hard time choosing the contestants, much less comparing them with each other. The music I listen to and choose to highlight on this blog is so very different, but it’s all the same in a sense that it hits me in places like my heart and soul. At the end of the day, this category became the best song about debauchery in the year 2022.
There is no wrong answer here and we all three love each other.
Seth Jones
Nominee Seth Jones had this to say about this event, “There is no wrong answer here and we all three love each other.” Seth is probably right and I definitely agree. I love these three guys as if they were my own family and in fact I interact with this band of brothers more often than I do most of my family. The songs I chose in this category are as follows: Seth Jones Sinnin’, South Texas Tweek’s Feelin’ Good, and the Zach Welch penned tune, The Dark Side of the Honky Tonk.
Zach Welch took the prize in this category… barely. This was the closest event in the whole PMA awards. I love this guy and all he does. I once drove 10 hours round trip just to hear him play. Zach really does love the other two and so many more musicians. His wish is for everyone to succeed and if they don’t he will love them anyway.
I love Seth and Tweeks songs in this category so much as well , and they all mean so much to me. These songs hit me where it hurts and they remind me every day why I strive to be a better man. If you get a chance to see these guys you better not miss the opportunity. I am ready for some big burly man hugs from all three of these big dogs and I hope one day to catch them all on the same stage on the same night.
Both relatively new and unheard of artists were chosen in my next category. The PMA album of the year nominees were Will Payne Harrison with Tioga Titan, and Matt Moran with Heartache Kid. Both of these albums truly hit my sweet spot. I have watched both of these artists this last year and they are some of the hardest working ones in the biz. I personally own each of these guys T Shirts and it’s an honor when I wear them, I know I am representing a brand that I can stand behind.
The winner for PMA album of the year goes to Matt Moran With Heartache Kid.
If you were to ask Will he’d tell you he voted for Matt. He might even say it was a good thing that Matt won or else he’d spend all of next year whining because he lost. If you ask me, both of these albums are equally great and you should listen to them until the needle wears out the vinyl.., good thing they are available digitally and you can just stream the dog snot out of them without even scratching the record.
In the final category I chose 4 bands that I love and that I have fun when I get to see them perform live. I consider this music country, I guess where I am from that’s what I would call the genre, but the times they are a changing… ask most of them and they would consider themselves Rock. Honest to goodness- when I see any of these guys live it really is a fuccin ROCK SHOW.
The choices for the PMA entertainer of the year award were the Vandoliers, American Aquarium, Lucas Jagneaux and The Roadshow, and Mason and the Gin Line. Like I said before fuccin ROCK SHOW.
The winner of this top honor was the Vandoliers. These guys deserve the applause and they do have the support of the other nominees. I believe they would be just as good with seeing the other band win than themselves.. They could open for any of the others and Vice Versa. They would most likely take their shirts off and they all have about the same amount of tattoos so there is that.
I have so much fun seeing live music , thanks guys for getting out there and putting it all out there for me to enjoy. That goes to all of you.
A special thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you I mentioned for being such good sports in this affair. Life wouldn’t be the same for me without my music. The stuff you guys keep singing night after night after night.. I’m just glad you guys let me be a fan.
Last night I was blessed to spend some time with everyone’s favorite Uncle, Tio Bruce and his better half , miss Lorraine.
I began following Bruce Newman @TioBruce on Twitter a few years ago on Twitter. Since those first encounters we have become real life friends. The first time I met him off of the bird, we were in Cheatham Street to see Zach Welch, Payton Matous, Kade Anson, Colton Mathis , and Jacob Ryan Marshall.
Bruce, who has lived all across the country now resides near San Antonio, Tx. He moved to Texas for it’s music. Bruce is the curator of The Greatest Playlist in Texas and Hence the World on Spotify. I have watched this list grow to hours of the kind of music that I love to listen to. He is a huge supporter of the music scene. He’s always wearing a band Tee of the newest or hottest bands from Texas and beyond. His quaint home was decorated with band posters from across the country.
Bruce told me last night he has seen his favorite band American Aquarium at least 5 times. He shared about seeing Shane Smith and the Saints in a tent at a PBR event in Las Vegas, a show he called one of his all time favorites. His favorite bright yellow tee? The one adorned with the Vandoliers scorpion.
Bruce is always out to support the little guys and their sounds he spent the last Galleywinter fest with Seth Jones and his lovely wife Samantha. He loves guys like South Texas Tweek, Zach Welch, Matt Moran and Will Payne Harrison. If it’s not a band from Texas, OK or Louisiana, than it’s gotta be Nashvilles own Shelby Lowe or Kurt Fortmeyer. All of these guys music can be found on Bruce’s playlist and more.
Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker- are Bruce’s all time favorite songwriters and he loves everyone between.
I am back at work this morning on my day job, but still on an emotional high from the wonderful weekend.
I finally got to catch BJ Barham and his band, American Aquarium live last night.
Yesterday, we made the 100 mile road trip from the oilfields of the Permian up onto the Caprock. American Aquarium played the historic Cactus Theater in the Depot District of Lubbock, Tx. It wasn’t Barham’s first time in the depot he commented, but it was his first night to play the Theater. Ordinarily, he would play the venue next door, the Blue Light Live.
The night began with a set list compiled of some of BJ’s slowest and saddest songs to date. Much of the setlist included songs from the bands latest album, Chicamacomico. As the night grew darker, American Aquarium bent their strings into an all out Rock N Roll show.
Barham’s presence on the stage was amazing. His whole heart and soul was placed into every single song he performed. You could feel each and every of his emotions drifting through the dimly lit theater.
Shane Boeker . Lead Guitarist Alden Hedges- Bassist and back up vocals
The entire band centered around what BJ Barham called the heart beat. As Ryan Van Fleet kept time and tempo on the drum kit , Guitar, Pianos, Organs and a steel guitar really brought these timeless songs to life.
Many of Barham’s songs have a somewhat personal sense to them. He himself has seen some hard times. He has battled addiction, and has seen plenty of loss over the years. He has a way to relate these experiences through his song. He makes a guy like me know I am not alone in this world.
After the show, the band stayed at the merch table and personally thanked any and everyone who stopped by. Bj is genuine and grateful for his fans. Sad songs make me happy. I am honored to have seen American Aquarium last night and to have been able to introduce myself to BJ. I was able to congratulate him on his accomplishments and to tell him a few of mine.
If you want a great ride, catch American Aquarium in the wild. In the meantime, support these guys by buying merch and streaming their sounds.
A single spark can definitely destroy a thousand acres of pristine forest. A chance encounter can create a thousand memories.
American Aquarium has become a favorite of mine over the last few years. The lead of the band, BJ Barham puts lyrics in his songs that I have lived.
Wildlife is his latest masterpiece. It’s a love song and a little less than many of the deep cuts I have become accustomed to out of Barham’s pen. However, it’s a great simile in the fact that just like the single spark can start a raging fire, it only takes a split second to fall in love.
Wildfire is the second single that has released off of the upcoming album to be released on 6/10, Chicamacomico.
Looking forward to more from these guys? Stay tuned.
