Broken Cowboys packs plenty of twang, but this trio is far too chipper to blend into KC's alt-country circles. So the Cowboys took an alternative route to name recognition, battle-of-the-banding its way to the state championship at the True Value Country Showdown. Don't laugh -- past contestants have included an up-and-coming Garth Brooks and a green John Michael Montgomery. Though the Cowboys never made it to the nationals in Nashville, the group continued to pound the regional pavement, playing everywhere from rain-drenched state fairs to the Beaumont Club, where it has opened for national acts. Guitarist and vocalist Noe Palma has a perpetual gleam in his eye plus the talent to pull off old-school country ("Pain Pain Pain"), blues-rock ("Unborn Star") and even a tune that would make Cat Stevens proud ("It's a Nice Feeling"). Though lineup changes have rocked the group, it seems poised for bigger and better things, as indicated by a stellar set in front of 15,000 rabid Alabama fans last summer.
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