The Texas quintet Treaty Oak Revival has leapfrogged from small clubs in their native Odessa to headlining Dickies Arena in what seems like a blink of the eye.
But the size of the venue barely matters: It鈥檚 bacchanalia everywhere they go.
Treaty Oak shows are packed with blurry-eyed fans singing along to songs about dudes who are just as messed up as they are. Each night during 鈥淏oomtown,鈥� the band takes part in a ritualistic 鈥渂eer shower,鈥� with fans and musicians flinging suds at each other. They didn鈥檛 title their third and latest album West Texas Degenerate for nothing.
But wait a minute. Aren鈥檛 several band members on the wagon?
鈥泪t鈥檚 an interesting dichotomy, isn鈥檛 it?鈥� says rhythm guitarist Lance Vanley, one of the members who still imbibes from time to time. Lead singer/songwriter Sam Canty and drummer Cody Holloway are sober.
鈥淔or 90 minutes, we鈥檙e there to put on that party for our fans. But for us, onstage, it鈥檚 better that we don鈥檛 need substances to facilitate putting on a good time.鈥�
The band 鈥� which also includes Dakota Hernandez (bass) and Lance鈥檚 uncle Jeremiah Vanley (lead guitar) 鈥� formed in 2018 as an Odessa cover band, named after the historic live oak tree in Austin.
Its influences range from Cross Canadian Ragweed to Van Halen to Blink-182. But over the course of two independently released albums, its sound coalesced into what Vanley calls 鈥淪outhern rock and country.鈥�
Some pundits have dubbed it 鈥渃ountry grunge,鈥� but Vanley isn鈥檛 keen on that label. He says the grunge-y guitar sound on West Texas Degenerate is the result of working with London-based engineer Adrian Bushby, who won a Grammy for his work with Foo Fighters.
鈥泪 know grunge. But I'm not, like, a huge fan where I could pop off a whole bunch of trivia about it.鈥�
Lyrically, the band鈥檚 songs are filled with rebels without a clue who drink and drug themselves into a 鈥淏ad State of Mind,鈥� to quote a new song title.
But the defining song on West Texas Degenerate may be 鈥淲ithdrawals,鈥� which Canty, the main songwriter, wrote about his experience with alcohol withdrawal delirium after years of heavy drinking.
鈥淲hen he first stopped, it was crazy. He had hallucinations for three or four days where he鈥檇 see a tiger walk through the living room,鈥� Vanley says.
Several songs on the new album reflect the 鈥済rowth and accountability鈥� of the band, whose members range in age from mid-20s to early 40s. Most of the guys are married with kids.
鈥淭he biggest misconception is that we're a bunch of wild, crazy partiers. People tend to be very surprised when they come back to the green room and it's, like, wives and babies. Treaty Oak is basically a big family for us,鈥� he says.
The clan has scattered from Odessa in recent years. Several live in D-FW 鈥� Vanley in South Arlington, Hernandez in a town south of Dallas 鈥� while others live in Oklahoma and the Texas Hill Country.
Not that they make it home very often. After they close out 2025 with a big New Year鈥檚 Eve show at the Toyota Center in Houston, the group heads out on a 25-city U.S. tour in February.
Already this year, Treaty Oak Revival has toured Australia, made its late-night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and been nominated as best new group by the Academy of Country Music. But Vanley says the biggest thrill was playing the Grand Ole Opry.
鈥淏eing from small towns in West Texas, the Grand Ole Opry was always on our bucket list,鈥� Vanley says. 鈥淲alking on that stage is a memory we鈥檙e gonna hold for the rest of our lives.鈥�
In the future, Treaty Oak Revival may delve deeper into the acoustic style it explored on The Talco Tapes, its May album featuring folky versions of its older songs and a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls鈥� hit 鈥淣ame.鈥�
But Vanley says the band isn鈥檛 actively planning its time ahead. It鈥檚 too busy savoring the moment.
鈥淭his is what I've wanted to do since I was a kid. So the fact that I get to do it, for real, is crazy,鈥� he says. 鈥泪f this is a pipe dream, don鈥檛 wake me up.鈥�
DETAILS
With opening acts Slade Coulter and Austin Upchurch, 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20, Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth, $50 and up, Ticketmaster.com
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