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The long awaited documentary is coming soon. They Called Us Outlaws, which has been a decade in-the-making limited series that focuses on the origin of the outlaw country movement all the way up to current-day torchbearers, will premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas on March 15th. The ten-part limited series was created documentary filmmakers Eric Geadelmann and Kelly Magelky, and produced by Shadowbrook Studios and Filament Productions, will take viewers on a journey from the beginnings of the outlaw movement thanks to icons like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, and beyond: “Before its early cult-like following and now mainstream legions of emulators, the American outlaw country ‘movement’ was just a core group of wildly talented singer-songwriters in Nashville’s underground and Austin’s counter-culture, throwing convention to the wind and doing things their own way. Of course, many of those compadres quickly turned into household names like Waylon and Willie, and that movement changed music and culture forever. At this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival, those freewheeling origins and their evolution will be presented like never before in the world premiere of They Called Us Outlaws – The Cosmic Cowboys, Honky Tonk Heroes and Rise of Redneck Rock.” It will feature ten episodes in total, and was produced by the one and only Jessi Colter, along with Ray Benson, Texas Heritage Songwriter Hall of Fame Member, Jack Ingram, and acclaimed author and Willie biographer, Joe Nick Patoski. They Called Us Outlaws started as a single film, in association with The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and has evolved into this series because their really is so much to cover in terms of the history dating back to the mid-to-late ‘60s. Of course, you’ll see plenty of never-before-seen footage and photos, and the entire thing is narrated by Ingram, along with commentary and appearances from tons of artists like Jessi Colter, Kris Kristofferson, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Tyler Childers, Billy Joe Shaver, The Flatlanders, Tony Brown, Leon Russell, Jerry Jeff Walker, Bobby Bare, Marcia Ball, Michael Martin Murphey, Billy F. Gibbons, Kimmie Rhodes, Delbert McClinton, Robert Earl Keen, Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Parker McCollum, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Chris Shiflett, Ashley McBryde, Turnpike Troubadours, and more. Matthew McConaughey also makes an appearance. Kyle Young, chief executive officer for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, says the interviews that were done for this documentary are “historical gold,” as many of the legends featured, like Kris Kristofferson are no longer with us: “Eric’s passion and Herculean efforts to document this important piece of Americana were key in telling the multi-layered story of Austin and Nashville through our exhibit. The interviews and performance footage in ‘They Called Us Outlaws’ are historical gold and include invaluable commentary by central figures we’ve sadly lost in recent years such as Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Fred Foster, Tom T. Hall, Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely and more. We are pleased that these resources will be preserved in the museum’s Frist Library and Archives and available to future generations of scholars and researchers.” Jessi Colter, the woman who was part of it all, says viewers will learn “what really happened in the 70s” in Nashville and Austin: “If you want to know what really happened in the 70s in Nashville and Austin, take heed. ‘They Called Us Outlaws’ is full of untold underground stories, and equations you must conclude for yourself.” This documentary was first announced several years ago, and I had wondered if it got scrapped or was no longer happening for whatever reason, so I’m thrilled to know fans will get to see it soon, because this time period in country music is critical to the genre, defines the best parts of it in my humble opinion, and is full of wild tales and incredible stories that have defined what country music is and continues to evolve into. The music features unreleased songs and concerts and an original score by multi-instrumentalist and former member of Kings of Leon, Chris Coleman, and also includes music recorded for the project by Shooter Jennings, Jack Ingram, Lillie Mae, Bruce Robison, and many more. The series will launch with the Waylon Jennings-centric 90-minute pilot, titled “The Prologue – Waylon, The Dillo, and That Outlaw Bit”: “That immerses the audience into the cold beer and cheap pot counter-culture of Austin; centered on the legendary venue Armadillo World Headquarters (“Dillo”) that created a sound and scene that was actually a bit shocking to the hard-rocking emerging country star, Waylon, when he arrived at Willie’s invitation. After being warmly embraced by the hippies, Waylon told Willie, ‘Austin ain’t half bad, Hoss.'” It’s going to be an incredible project, and while it’s unclear exactly when all of the episodes will be made available to the public, I have to imagine it will be sometime this year since it’s about to premiere at SXSW. The full trailer is available to watch below, and I can’t wait to see it all. Country music deserves this kind of deep dive piece into the outlaw movement that transcends generations, and even genres, and this looks to be an incredible series that country music fans will be thrilled to watch. Check it out: The post WATCH: Trailer Released For ‘They Called Us Outlaws’ Documentary, Set For World Premiere At SXSW first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The legends are back on the road this fall. At this point in their career, there’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about Brooks & Dunn. As the most iconic duo in country music history, they’ve remained an absolute staple in the genre for nearly four decades at this point. Though they’ve reached what many would assume to be the twilight of their career, they’re showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Back in November, they won their 16th Duo of the Year Award at the CMAs, breaking their tie with Chris Stapleton for most wins in the history of the CMA Awards with 20 overall. Even more excitingly, however, frequent Morgan Wallen collaborator, ERNEST, would take to Instagram in December to tease that he’s working with the legendary duo to help them record new music for the first time since their 2007 album, Cowboy Town. In a joint Instagram post from the official Brooks & Dunn account and Dunn’s personal page, Ernest appeared in a video. Noting that Dunn texted him about writing a brand new song, he seemingly indicated that the duo is looking to record new music with the help of the “I Had Some Help” co-writer. “You’re texting the right guy this morning, Ronnie Dunn. I got my ring on and everything. I got my f***** country-smash ring on so, and I got nothing to do. I’ll go f*** with a guitar and see what happens. I’m assuming you need tempo, show-bangers, smash. ‘Hard Workin’ Man’ 2.0. Probably not another cowboy song. Of course, I say that, and you’ll probably take a cowboy song so. I’m going to try to write a hit.” Though there haven’t been any further updates regarding new music from Kix and Ronnie, today, they announced that they’re hitting the road once again this fall on the Neon Moon Tour 2026, featuring a star-studded group of openers. View this post on Instagram Like many tours nowadays, Neoon Moon 2026 will feature a revolving door of openers featuring the likes of Tucker Wetmore, who recently became just the 14th artist in the genre’s history to score #1 hits with his first two singles (“Brunette” and “1, 2, 3”) within the same year, David Lee Murphy, Caylee Hammack, who recently supported Eric Church on his current tour, Angie K and two of the buzziest female artists in the alt. country scene today, Kaitlin Butts and Willow Avalon. Overall, Neon Moon 2026 will feature 14 dates beginning on September 10th in Evansville, Indiana, before wrapping up on October 9th in Fort Worth, Texas. Along the way, the “Brand New Man” singers will hit the likes of Nashville, Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Oklahoma City and more throughout September and October. Presale begins Wednesday, February 25th at 10 a.m. local with general sale opening to the public on Friday, February 25th at 10 a.m. local. Additionally, VIP packages will be available to purchase during both presale and general sale. Neon Moon Tour 2026 Dates September 10 – Evansville, Indiana – Ford Center with Tucker Wetmore and Caylee Hammack September 11 – Alpharetta, Georgia – Ameris Bank Amphitheater with Tucker Wetmore and Caylee Hammack September 12 – Nashville, Tennessee – Bridgestone Arena with Tucker Wetmore and Caylee Hammack September 17 – Toledo, Ohio – The Huntington Center with David Lee Murphy and Kaitlin Butts September 18 – Charleston, West Virginia – Charleston Coliseum with David Lee Murphy and Kaitlin Butts September 19 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Riverbend Music Center with David Lee Murphy and Kaitlin Butts September 24 – Clarkston, Michigan- Pine Knob Music Center with David Lee Murphy and Willow Avalon September 25 – Grand Rapids, Michigan – Acrisure Amphitheater with David Lee Murphy and Willow Avalon September 26 – Green Bay, Wisconsin – Resch Center with David Lee Murphy and Willow Avalon October 1 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Paycom Center with Tucker Wetmore and Angie K October 2 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater with David Lee Murphy and Angie K October 3 – Moline, Illinois – Vibrant Arena with David Lee Murphy and Angie K October 8 – Lafayette, Louisiana – Cajundome with Tucker Wetmore and Caylee Hammack October 9 – Fort Worth, Texas – Dickies Arena with Tucker Wetmore and Caylee HammackThe post Brooks & Dunn Announce ‘Neon Moon Tour’ 2026 Featuring Kaitlin Butts, Willow Avalon & More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.