Margo Price Goes Honky-Tonking at American Legion Post 82

Margo Price

 that she and her stellar band would be performing a one-off set at one of the establishments

and speculation abounded as to where they might drop in — there are quite a few bars to choose from in the vid. Turns out that they took over the headlining slot for Honky Tonk Tuesday Nights, the weekly no-cover live-band dance party that's been bringing two-steppers out to American Legion Post 82 every week for the past two years. The Spin settled in early among a crowd split between folks who we'd guess have been regulars for a few years and those who've probably been regulars for a few decades. A Touch of Texas, a band of ace players whose collective résumé includes time on the road and in the studio with Mel Tillis, Ernest Tubb and dozens more, warmed up the audience with a broad selection of Western swing tunes perfect for dancing. Only a few couples took turns on the floor, while others preferred to sit back and enjoy the group's nimble execution of tunes both familiar and not-so-familiar, cracking grins as they hot-dogged their way through solos and gently stretched the framework of the music. Their instrumental rendition of "Gentle on My Mind" was made all the more resonant by the death of Glen Campbell on Tuesday.After a short break, folks began to pour in from outside and fill the floor shoulder to shoulder as Price's band took their places. With a couple runs through the riff from "Tennessee Song" by way of introduction, Price weaved her way through the crowd to the mic. Lately, we've seen her

 and 

, but this was the first time in a while we've had the opportunity to catch a club show from the trad-schooled country badass, and it was a rollicking treat showcasing Price & Co.'s skill at carrying country traditions into the future. Set highlights included cuts from

Weakness, like the breakneck jam in the back half of "Paper Cowboy" and the gentle "Just Like Love." An as-yet-unreleased track called

had a good bit of Memphis boogie in it, "Good Luck" was dedicated to much-missed and recently departed local musician 

, and

materialized from the crowd to help out on "Hurtin' (On the Bottle)."After saying she was bummed the band didn't have time to work up a Glen Campbell tribute, Price had us all raise our glasses to him. There were other choice covers, however, including Commander Cody's "Down to Seeds and Stems Again Blues," Gram Parsons' "Luxury Liner" and Billy Joe Shaver's wry and poignant "Ragged Old Truck," which Price said she and the band were playing for the first time, and which was dedicated to "anyone who might wanna get divorced." That last one came after Price paused to read off the license plate number of someone whose car was about to get towed — after all, a few logistics problems are to be expected when such a sizable crowd descends upon the Legion.We had to call it a night before The Cowpokes got very far into their set, which was too bad since we enjoyed what we heard. They play every week, so at least we'll have another chance to give them a shot. Check out photos from the show below.In The Spin — the Scene's live review column — staffers and freelance contributors review concerts under a collective byline.