Wylie & The Wild West "Cowboy Love Songs" February 10, 2012

In this era of prepackaged superstars, of pale imitations of country music being pushed onto the public by faceless media giants, the music of Wylie & The Wild West is a beacon of truth and honest beauty. As one critic says, “Wylie Gustafson is the coolest cowpoke around. Forget everything you hate about modern country, this guy is old-school cool without being a tired period piece.” Five-thirty in the morning is not an hour generally claimed by
musicians. While most singers and strummers are dozing on the bus or at the local Motel 6, there is one musician who is rising to face the day.
Wylie Gustafson. Of course, there is a reason for his early waking. His horses aren’t going to feed themselves. Despite his successful career as one of America’s most recognized and unique entertainers, Wylie still gets up everyday and tends to the livestock on his quarter horse ranch near Conrad, Montana. It grounds him and is the backbone of his art. The secret of Wylie’s honest, soulful music isn’t in any musical formula or flashy gimmick. Its purity lies in Wylie’s character: earnest and hard-working, beaming with friendly vigor, topped off with a smile as warm as first sunlight rising over the
prairie. Wylie’s special cowboy blend of Americana music–served up with a helping of infectious energy–gets the crowd going every time. No less
authority than Billboard Magazine declared, “When Wylie & The Wild West play, folks get up and dance!” It rings true from festivals to state fairs, bars to barn dances. When asked to define his music, Wylie explains, “We are a good-time cowboy band that hates to be boring. I know that the young urban crowds in Seattle appreciate us as much as the working cowboys do. Our music is not limited to one type of listener.” Wylie’s influence has spread around the world. International tours have taken the band to Australia, Europe, South America, and Japan. Stateside, they have performed at such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, the National Folk Festival, MerleFest, the Bumbershoot Festival, and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. And, they have made more than 50 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Wylie also appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and A Prairie Home Companion. A new symphony show is bringing his music to the classical set. That is not the resume of a mediocre performer. Wylie’s dynamic stage presence keeps getting him invited back to venues year after year. As a seasoned singer/songwriter with over a dozen nationally distributed albums under his belt, Wylie has etched his presence onto the American music scene. His voice echoed in millions of homes as the prominent
yodel in the successful Yahoo! advertising campaign. All of Wylie’s music is dashed off with a hardy dose of trail dust. An accomplished cutting horse enthusiast, he claimed the 2005 NCHA Western National Finals Championship, 2007 Non-Pro Reserve Championship, and was an Open Finalist in 2006 and 2008. Guitar in hand and standing in the saddle atop a horse, he appeared on the cover of Western Horseman magazine. That shiny belt buckle he wears wasn’t won on eBay. For Wylie, his western lifestyle and the recording studio are inseparable. “The connection between my cowboy life and my music is extremely close,” he says. “I believe in creating a song that inspires the listener, either lyrically or rhythmically. It is also important
that I offer something that takes traditional ideas and bends them in a new direction.” “Obviously Wylie makes phenomenal music,” says Minnesota State Fair Director Chris Tahti. “But he’s not just a good recording artist, he’s a great performing artist. People plan to be here to see him. The best
part of his performance is the reactions of people who don’t know who he is. They walk by, and he pulls them into the seats. He’s a magnet,”
Tahti beams. “Not only does he draw a crowd, he keeps them there.”

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