Eisemann Center Postpones Asleep At The Wheel 50th Anniversary Tour Concert To July 24

Eisemann Center Presents Asleep at the Wheel 50th Anniversary Tour at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson, Texas on Friday, July 24, 2020 at 7:30 pm (rescheduled from Saturday, March 28) in the Hill Performance Hall. This performance is sponsored by Methodist Richardson Medical Center. For a half-century, Asleep at the Wheel, led by the towering Ray Benson, have put their modern spin on the Western swing music popularized by Oklahoma legend Bob Wills, now outlasting Wills' Texas Playboys as an active group by 11 years. In celebration of the band's golden anniversary, they'll undertake a series of reunion shows featuring Benson and members of the band's original line-up: Lucky Oceans, Leroy Preston, Chris O'Connell, and Floyd Domino. Other 2019-2020 Eisemann Center Presents events cancelled due to concerns related to COVID-19 include Comedian Tom Cotter (Mar. 13); The Choir of Man (Mar. 14); Steve Dorff (Mar. 20); and Dog Man: The Musical (Apr. 19).

Also coming in 2020 will be a reunion album produced by Buddy Miller. Still Comin' Right at Ya, the group's 32nd album takes its title from the band's debut LP, Comin' Right at Ya, released in 1973. An upcoming documentary film, also titled after the group's first album, will spotlight the reunion shows and celebrate the group's legacy. Comin' Right at Ya features interviews with Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Wynonna, and others.

Formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, in 1970, the 10-time Grammy winners played their first gig in Washington, D.C., opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna. Garnering a local following, they soon relocated to the San Francisco Bay area at the suggestion of George Frayne, a.k.a. Commander Cody of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. It's there that the band's Western swing repertoire took hold. Willie Nelson would soon encourage them to move to Austin. To date, more than 100 musicians have played in the band's ever-revolving lineup.

"I've been told that I'm relentless, so I guess I am," says Benson in a statement. "I'm just doing what I believe I'm meant to do. My role and concept of leading a band has never changed; it's gathering the best musicians I can find or convince to play to the best of their ability. I just try and make the best decisions possible and kick some ass every night onstage. I've made it this far and don't feel like I or the band will be slowing down anytime soon."

Tickets are $36-$48 and are available for purchase online at www.eisemanncenter.com or by calling the Eisemann Center Ticket Office at 972-744-4650 and group discounts are available for 10 or more persons.

The Charles W. Eisemann Center is located in the Galatyn Park Urban Center at 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson, Texas. The Eisemann Center is easily accessible from Highway 75 North taking the Galatyn Parkway/ Renner Road exit going north and the Galatyn Parkway/Campbell Road exit going south or from the DART light rail station at Galatyn Park. Sponsors for the 2019-2020 Season include The Dallas Morning News, Methodist Richardson Medical Center, UT Dallas, Altrusa International of Richardson, Inc. and Raising Cane's.

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