Kansas City audiences might mistake the Von Ehrics for hometown boys, on account of the band's thrice-yearly visits and the blue-collar sound to which Davey's Uptown barflies raise a glass. The Dallas-based band has taken the long cut to their current position as alt-country heavyweights, sharing the stage with likeminded last-call legends such as the Reverend Horton Heat and the Riverboat Gamblers. The group's unabashed power-pop sensibility makes its frequent whiskey metaphors far more digestible, though the Von Ehrics are just as likely to tread in cowpunk and gospel-tinged ballads. The band's new album, Loaded, invokes Social Distortion and the Old 97's as frequently as Johnny Cash and Steve Earle, making it an act that can walk the line between country and rock with commendable composure.
