Ennis music lovers win on Fourth of July weekend as Drew Cooper steals the show

As much as the parade or the rodeo, the annual flooding of Main Street with music on the Fourth of July weekend is a tradition that is loved by locals and visitors alike. This year took the game to a new level with the Madison Music Festival featuring Reckless Kelly and Drew Cooper joining the lineup. 

Most weekends in Ennis a night of music with local favoritesThe Rocky Mountain Pearls, Fool’s Gold or the Fan Mountain Frog Dogs would be a highlight. This weekend they collectively created the background track to four days of music to remember. 

Country outlaws Reckless Kelly brought over 1,000 music lovers to Lion’s Club Park on Saturday, July 5. The band, fronted by Idaho brothers Cody and WIllie Braun, treated fans old and new to a set that spanned their 30 year career.

They further endeared themselves to the locals by bringing Ennis’s own Tessie Lou Williams on stage to perform “Nobody’s Girl,” a song that Williams covered on her 2014 Somewhere in Texas album, and added a cover of Merle Haggard’s classic “Big City" to the encore. But even the voracity of the Ennis crowd singing “Turn me loose, set me free Somewhere in the middle of Montana” couldn’t compare to the atmosphere that the opening act Drew Cooper unleashed on the town that weekend. 

Cooper, who owns the distinction of being the first act to ever play the new tasting room at Willie’s Distillery and only allowed them to present him with a commemorative bottle on display if he could swing by and take a swig with the crew when he was in town, grew his fanbase with  a scorching set on July 4th at the Longbranch Saloon.

His fearless combination of original tunes and well placed covers warmed up the rain drenched cowboys and rodeo fans while filling the makeshift dance floor with ear to ear smiles. Sometime after he performed Toby Keith’s “Shoulda Been a Cowboy” and outed himself as a favorable comparison to the deceased country music legend, Cooper announced to the crowd that he was having so much fun he was coming back the next night after the Madison Music Festival to do it again. 

July Fourth and the following day’s music festival were just a warm up for Cooper. He and the band didn’t even load into the Long Branch until after 11 p.m. on July 5, but a steady stream of people who had witnessed his show the night before and a few folks who had heard the good word filed in until the place was once again full to capacity. 

“We’re not a cover band,” demanded Cooper as he toasted the crowd with a conspicuously large plastic cup of whiskey. “We write and play our own songs,” he continued. “But tonight, tonight I’m drunk and I’m the guy with the guitar and I’m in charge, so we’re going to do it a little different.” 

He launched the band into a fast paced version of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and for the next hour ran the crowd through a high energy country music singalong that had cowboys, cowgirls, rednecks and river guides all singing and dancing. 

“You know what Ennis means in ancient Greek,” he quipped after ordering a round of drinks for the band from the microphone. “It means tip your F&%*ng bartender.” 

The crowd cheered and then turned mesmerized as Cooper began to growl the lyrics to Alice in Chains grunge classic “Here Comes the Rooster.” It was a deft display of range and showmanship from the star of the weekend. 

As the set was winding down a middle aged gentleman who had been lost in the music for most of the night tottered over behind me. 

“You a Drew Cooper fan?” he queried with a smile as his hand clapped onto my shoulder. . 

“I am now brother. I am now.”