Patti Steel

Patti Steel supports other musicians in so many ways. From sitting in with bands such as Chucky Waggs and the Company of Raggs and Randall Shreve and the Devilles when the horn section is called in to fronting her own band, Patti Steel Band, and duos.

Now she's getting a night all to herself June 25 at George's Majestic Lounge, and of course, she's sharing the stage with the friends she regularly jams with -- Dance Monkey Dance and The Vine Brothers, who will support her when it's time to share a new song.

"It's still brand new," Steel explains. "It's not the same kind of music I've written so far. It's got a little more of the bluegrass kind of feel to it."

"Livin' on the Road" was inspired by a road trip to Wyomingin July 2022 with cosmic Western Duo Jenna & Martin of Lawrence, Kan. -- Jenna plays in The Power Lillies, one of Steel's many projects -- Steel says. Steel joined the duo for a string of free shows, mostly in parks within Wyoming. For Steel, this was an opportunity to learn more about going on tour.

"It was all the trials and tribulations of our trip," she says. "First of all, their their van had just gotten out of the shop, but their air conditioning stopped working right when we got on the road. And it was really, really miserably hot," she says.

Once we got to Wyoming, the weather was mild. But when we tried to stop for a picnic there'd be mosquitoes so thick that you'd be eating them," she says with a laugh, adding that another adventure had her worried that coyotes would eat her.

"There's a lot of things that happened along the way, but for the most part, I met really cool people, got to play great music," she says. Fans of Patti's know that means lots of instruments -- clarinet, spoons, guitar, mandolin and many other random noise makers.

The response to her talents filled her heart with joy and made the heat, the fog of mosquitoes and all the other follies worth the struggle.

"It was a great trip, and so that's what the song is about. It's just like the 'what it's like to live on the road,' you know, even if it's just for a few days," she says.

She also had a community to lean in and help in writing her song, "Livin' on the Road." She says that one of her students -- she gives music and photography lessons -- helped her write lyrics, Kim Kutina helped her edit the song and then Sally Vee (of Sally & the Hurts) helped her "cut out what the song didn't need."

Patti Steel Band will share her new song alongside several favorites from her 2022 EP, "No Better" following performances by The Vine Brothers and Dance Monkey Dance starting at 8 p.m. June 25 at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville. Tickets are $10. Doors open at 7. Get tickets at the door or at georgesmajesticlounge.com. Keep up with Patti Steel at pattisteel.com.