Concertwire.com

In the strictest sense, Steve Earle isn't a country artist; he's a roots rock troubadour and an American patriot. Earle got his first guitar at the age of 11 and thusly began a love affair with music that has endured for over 30 years. He emerged in the mid-'80s, after Bruce Springsteen had popularized populist rock & roll and Dwight Yoakam had kick-started the neo-traditionalist movement in country music. At first, Earle appeared to be more toward the rock side than country. He played stripped-down neo-rockabilly that occasionally verged on outlaw country. He cultivated a dedicated cult following, drawing from both the country and rock audiences. Steve Earle has a strong political streak and his leftist views took center stage on his 2002 album Jerusalem in the summer of 2004, as the American occupation of Iraq dragged on and an upcoming presidential election loomed in the minds of many, Earle released The Revolution Starts...Now, an album of songs informed by the war in Iraq. He continues his patriotic alt country crooning in his newest offering Washington Square Seranade.