On the heels of “Damn Near Normal,” the first preview of forthcoming new music from genre-disrupting force Koe Wetzel, MusicRow’s “Texas native making his own rules” now unleashes “9 Lives (Black Cat).” Listen Below.
“There’s a storm brewing in a pool hall down in Houston/where some poor old boy’s bout to get his teeth knocked out,” Wetzel growls in the very first lyric of the high-octane track. Arriving with an ominous piano intro, the song explodes into a chest-thumping declaration of defiance. Yes, the narrator may have burned through eight lives so far — succumbing to pitfalls ranging from a drug dealer to a rodeo bull — but he dares you to “put the black cat down.”
“I always like hitting the listener right in the nose,” Wetzel says. “‘9 Lives’ is a straight-up rock song, man. I’m influenced by so many genres of music, but with this record, I found myself going back to the Texas country and classic rock that I grew up listening to.”
Written by Wetzel alongside producer Gabe Simon (Lana Del Rey, Noah Kahan, Dua Lipa) and Amy Allen (Justin Bieber, The Chainsmokers, Harry Styles), “9 Lives” contains a solid helping of what he calls the “rocky nasty shit” on which he’s built his career, offsetting the vulnerability of “Damn Near Normal” and sharing as a preview of the balanced and wide-ranging juxtaposition of music he’s excited to continue sharing with fans.
The live-phenom plans to take his new music global this year as well, with headlining sets at both Cattle Country Fest and Country Thunder Arizona this weekend preceding his recently announced 46-date Damn Near Normal World Tour. Wetzel will also perform prominent sets at several additional festivals this year, including Rock the Country, Hangout, Country Jam, Country Thunder Wisconsin, WE Fest, Watershed and more, plus a hometown stadium show as he joins Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour in Arlington, Texas this July.
For more information on all things Koe Wetzel and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic, TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and Twitter/X @KoeWetzel.
Damn Near Normal World Tour Dates:
July 27 The Woodlands, Texas || Cynthia Woods Pavilion
Aug. 7 Missoula, Mont. || Big Sky Brewing Company Amphitheater
Aug. 8 Nampa, Idaho || Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
Aug. 9 Sandy, Utah || Sandy Amphitheater
Aug. 10 Las Vegas, Nev. || The Theater at Virgin Hotel Hotels Las Vegas
Aug. 15 Minneapolis, Minn. || The Armory
Aug. 16 Council Bluffs, Iowa || Stir Cove (Harrah’s Casino)
Aug. 21 Cleveland, Ohio || Jacobs Pavilion
Aug. 22 Columbus, Ohio || KEMBA Live! Outdoor
Aug. 23 Pittsburgh, Pa. || Stage AE
Aug. 24 Washington, D.C. || The Anthem
Aug. 28 Boston, Mass. || Roadrunner
Aug. 29 Uncasville, Conn. || Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug. 30 Atlantic City, N.J. || Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
Aug. 31 Reading, Pa. || Santander Arena
Sept. 4 Charleston, W.V. || Charleston Coliseum
Sept. 5 Roanoke, Va. || Berglund Center
Sept. 6 Columbia, S.C. || Colonial Life Arena
Sept. 7 Cary, N.C. || Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Sept. 12 Kansas City, Kan. || Azura Amphitheater
Sept. 13 Camdenton, Mo. || Ozarks Amphitheater
Sept. 18 St. Louis, Mo. || Chaifetz Arena
Sept. 20 Huntsville, Ala. || The Orion Amphitheater
Sept. 21 Macon, Ga. || Atrium Health Amphitheater
Sept. 25 Alexandria, La. || Rapides Parish Coliseum
Sept. 26 Tuscaloosa, Ala. || Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater
Sept. 27 Nashville, Tenn. || Ascend Amphitheater
Sept. 28 Little Rock, Ark. || First Security Amphitheater
Oct. 3 Pikeville, Ky. || Appalachian Wireless Arena
Oct. 4 Indianapolis, Ind. || Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
Oct. 5 Evansville, Ind. || Ford Center
Oct. 10 Abilene, Texas || Expo Center of Taylor County
Oct. 11 Lubbock, Texas || Cooks Garage
Oct. 13 Morrison, Colo. || Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 26 Manchester, U.K. || Academy 3
Oct. 27 London, U.K. || The Garage
Oct. 30 Glasgow, U.K. || Oran Mor
Oct. 31 Birmingham, U.K. || Academy 2
Nov. 1 Leeds, U.K. || Brudenell Social Club
Nov.3 Amsterdam, Netherlands || Melkweg (Oude Zaal)
Nov. 5 Hamburg, Germany || Bahnhof Pauli
Nov. 6 Berlin, Germany || Frannz Club
Nov. 7 Cologne, Germany || Club Volta
Nov. 10 Stockholm, Sweden || Nalen
Nov. 11 Oslo, Norway || Rockefeller Music Hall
Nov. 13 Copenhagen, Denmark || Lille Vega
Additional Shows:
April 12 Gonzales, Texas || Cattle Country Fest
April 14 Florence, Ariz. || Country Thunder Arizona
April 17 Los Angeles, Calif. || YouTube Theater
April 18 Bakersfield, Calif. || Dignity Health Amphitheatre
April 19 Paso Robles, Calif. || Vina Robles Amphitheatre
April 20 San Diego, Calif. || Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
May 10 Daytona Beach, Fla. || Welcome to Rockville
May 11 Roma, Ga. || Rock The Country
May 18 Gulf Shores, Ala. || Hangout Music Festival
June 21 Grand Junction, Colo. || Country Jam
June 29 Poplar Bluff, Mo. || Rock The Country
July 18 Twin Lakes, Wis. || Country Thunder Wisconsin
July 26 Arlington, Texas || AT&T Stadium (with Morgan Wallen)
July 31 Davenport, Iowa || Mississippi Valley Fair
Aug. 1 Detroit Lakes, Minn. || WE Fest
Aug. 3 Sweet Home, Ore. || Oregon Jamboree Music Festival
Aug. 4 George, Wash. || Watershed Festival
Aug. 17 Wichita, Kan. || Bulls, Bands and Barrels
Sept. 19 Louisville, Ky. || Bourbon & Beyond
About Koe Wetzel
Koe Wetzel might just be the last real rebel out there. The Platinum-selling East Texas-born singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer shakes up the status quo, shatters expectations and sticks to his guns with a sound steeped in country storytelling, yet spiked with grunge grit. He’s unapologetic, undeniable and unlike anyone else you’ve ever heard. Without anything to prove and nothing to lose, he continues to kick ass on his own terms. Breaking through with a series of independent releases and tallying over 2.4 billion streams to date, Wetzel has impressively notched multiple RIAA-certified singles, including six Gold records and the Platinum track “Drunk Driving.” The latter adorned his 2020 Columbia Records debut, Sellout, which arrived to widespread critical acclaim from American Songwriter, The Boot, Rolling Stone and more. Wetzel followed with the release of his 2022 album Hell Paso, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200. Recorded at the iconic Sonic Ranch Studio outside of El Paso, Texas, the 13-track LP perfectly blends Wetzel’s musical influences and carves a unique lane for himself. In speaking about the album, he says: “We pulled in every genre we were feeling at the time. We spent the last ten years trying to make this sound, Hell Paso has it.”
Over the years, Wetzel has quietly emerged as a powerhouse performer packing arenas, amphitheaters and ballparks across North America. Selling over 275,000 tickets in 2023 alone, he graced POLLSTAR’s “Top Worldwide Tours” for the third time with headline performances, top festivals and an opening slot for Morgan Wallen already slated for 2024. He continues to forge ahead with new music on the horizon. Ultimately, there’s only one Koe Wetzel, and he’s here to stay.
