Galactic Cowboy Orchestra

There’s something about a good western. Maybe it’s the tumbleweeds, or the hats. Maybe it’s John Wayne or Clint Eastwood.

Whatever draws us to these films, though, is inextricably tied to the music that accompanies it. We may, for example, find ourselves whistling the theme to The Lone Ranger after seeing a nice pair of cowboy boots.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Whether you’re a whistler or not, you can relive your favorite tunes from those wild westerns one week from today at the Paramount Theatre. In addition to bringing The Lone Ranger to the stage, our own Austin Symphony Orchestra will play the Cowboy Overture and other familiar pieces from those old John Wayne flicks. In this writer’s opinion, the repertoire will complement the Paramount’s history as a first-run movie theatre extremely well.

Far from resting on its laurels, though, the symphony also adds to its already stellar history of guest musicians The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra—a genre-bending “jazzgrass art-rock” group with notes of Rush, John Coltrane, and Jeff Beck. The GCO will join us for a set of tunes that go beyond what typically comes to mind as “Western music” (at times going so far west as to arrive in the East).

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door (kids and students free), and you can find them at the ArtWorks Center or online at austinareaarts.org.