Crystal Wise
Koe Wetzel
When genre-bending troubadour Koe Wetzel walked onstage to raise money for flood relief last month, he lit a fuse under the entire state of Texas.
On a sweltering Monday night in Irving, the genre-bending Texas troubadour turned the Toyota Music Factory into a full-throttle revival for “Koe Wetzel & Friends: Stronger Together” — a sold-out, star-studded benefit concert that pulled in $774,870 (and counting) for families impacted by the Kerr County floods. Wetzel's nonprofit, Koe’s Kids, is still taking donations, and fans can enter a raffle for a Can-Am Defender Max Lone Star Cab — courtesy of Progressive Powersports in Granbury — through Labor Day weekend.
The night’s lineup was a fever dream for Texas country fans. Kolby Cooper, Casey Donahew, Ray Wylie, and Lucas Hubbard, Pecos Hurley of Pecos & The Rooftops, Mike Ryan, Shane Smith, and Dylan Wheeler joined Wetzel for a no-holds-barred setlist that felt more like a barn burner than a benefit.
From the opening punch of “February 28, 2016” to Wheeler’s surprise cover of Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine,” to Hurley’s fire-breathing version of Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” the night never let up. At one point, Ray Wylie Hubbard and his son Lucas shared the stage for a moment that felt both intimate and mythic. And when Wetzel returned for a final round of hits like “High Road” and “Sweet Dreams,” the crowd turned the Pavilion into a full-throated choir.
“The acts came and went, the crowd was electric, the building was rocking, and the atmosphere was a country music dream,” the Dallas Observer wrote. “Then Wetzel came back out, and it was like the show started all over again.”
The livestream is still available to watch online — for those who missed the chaos or want to relive it, sweat and all.
Stronger Together was powered by an army of Texas-based partners, including Todd Graves and Raising Cane’s, PBR, the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Rock & Roll Denim, Hall Wines, Hurtado BBQ, Hooray Grills, Outlaw Beer, Double Eagle, and New Country 96.3 and 99.5 The Wolf.
“To see how packed the fans had the Pavilion on a Monday night — that love and support for this cause meant everything,” Wetzel said after the show. “I can’t say thank you enough to my buddies who came out and donated their time, too. Seeing them all get up there and play with the band I’m blessed to stand on stage with every night is something I won’t forget for a long time.”
