Live | Aaron Watson @ Elsinore Theater, Salem

For Folk’s Sake’s Molly Holmberg recently attended Aaron Watson’s show at the Elsinore Theater in Salem, OR. Molly is a professional photographer who takes gorgeous shots of concerts, natural landscapes, and more. Feel free to follow her on Instagram (@mollyholmbergphoto) if you care to be transported to living, breathing landscapes and situations at the blink of an eye—and in vivid color!

Read on for her full review of Watson’s live show. A photo gallery will also be available for your viewing pleasure. You can access full-sized versions of each photo by clicking on their respective gallery icon, and then clicking once more on the smaller version of the photo that appears thereafter.

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Aaron Watson brought his Texas charm to Salem’s Elsinore Theater in Oregon last night and filled it with almost two hours of boot-stomping and hollering. Watson kicked the night off with “Freight Train,” from his studio album The Underdog, which got the crowd on their feet in no time. Continuing with “Run Wild Horses” and “Take You Home Tonight” he brought life to the theater all night. He broke away from the traditional performance type and took the time to engage the crowd in lengthy conversations that made everyone feel at home in the midst the sold-out theater. From discussing his long but rewarding journey in the music industry to bringing little girls on stage to play the fiddle, Watson was appealing, connective, and captivating.

Aaron’s style is a great reminder of old country – fiddle, guitar, and Watson’s twangy vocals. His live show matched his personality as he was full of smiles and energy. Throughout the show he spoke about the stories behind the songs he has written whether was that work that he wrote for his wife including “This Look” or “July in Cheyenne” after losing his baby daughter, his openness that he has with his fans is truly remarkable.

As a title of his album The Underdog suggests, Aaron has proved all of his skeptics wrong by becoming the first independent artist in Billboard chart history have the number one country album. As he finishes touring the country and releasing a new single, Aaron Watson continues to gain fans all around the country while staying true to his down-home Texas roots.

Words & Photos by: Molly Holmberg