Texas Hippie Coalition at the Gramercy Theatre

Vocalist Big Dad Ritch and bassist John Exall formed Texas Hippie Coalition (also initialized as THC) in Denison, Texas, performing what they call “red dirt metal.” What is that, you ask? According to the band’s website, red dirt metal is “outlaw country, toss in a dash of Southern-fried classic rock and mix it with some potent Texas power grooves.” presently on tour promoting a third album, Peacemaker, the band is cultivating a national audience.

Onstage at the Gramercy Theatre, it seemed like everything about the band was large. Big Dad Ritch is a huge man. He has long hair and a long thick beard, and when he wrapped his two extra large fists around the microphone, there was very little face to see above his black leather vest and under his big-brimmed black leather hat. His microphone stand was crafted to look like an oversized two-barrel rifle. Introducing one of the songs, he talked about being the proud owner of a gun, and there were a fair number of other songs about weed and whiskey. Ritch’s projection of the redneck image was larger than life, and for a Yankee audience, maybe ridiculously over the top. Nevertheless, the band did a good job in marrying hard rock and heavy metal to a southern outlaw sensibility. Imagine Pantera headbanging a Willie Nelson song. I left unsure that it clicked, but convinced that Texas Hippie Coalition was taking southern rock to its heaviest level ever.