Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours will roll into Boise on Friday, June 24, for their third benefit concert for the Boise chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, 700 W. Main St., Boise. Tickets ($25) are available in advance at The Record Exchange.
OK, some band called the Trailer Park Troubadours might conjure up images of a redneck novelty act. Nothing could be further from the truth. Antsy and the Troubs dish up clever ballads and anthems dedicated to the values of America’s simplest aspirations. They speak up for the average, have-to-go-to-work-everyday American, regardless of race, religion or politics.
The Troubadours are the creation of the multitalented Antsy McClain. He’s a singer, songwriter, award-winning graphic artist, author and humorist. He sticks to his roots: the son of a truck driver dad and Avon-selling mom who grew up in a trailer park.
Sharing his mantra of “Enjoy The Ride,” McClain has won friendship and collaboration with some of the most talented musicians in the world. With such a wide circle of mentors like Waylon Jennings, Tommy Smothers, guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel and cowboy poet Baxter Black, it’s no wonder McClain marches to the beat of a different drum. And his influences don’t stop there. His live shows touch upon country, rockabilly, jazz, swing, and a number of pop culture references. He’s a favorite of Americana radio stations such as KPIG of Santa Cruz, Calif., and WDVX of Clinton, Tenn.
McClain’s poetry, heartfelt ballads and humorous tales have garnered praise from such artists as Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Lindsay Buckingham and David Wilcox, to name a few.