Legendary McMurtry returns to play Pour House Sept. 23

['Vincent Harris', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] Charleston City Paper 2025-09-19 00:00:00

So watch out for it at McMurtry’s show at the Charleston Pour House on Sept. 23. A song like that is typically recorded best on the first take, and that’s what you’re hearing on McMurtry’s new album. Author Stephen King went so far as to say, “James McMurtry may be the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.”That gift is on display on the title track. “The black dog and the wanderin’ boy/Come around every night,” McMurtry intones over a slow-burn, creeping rocker. “She asked if he’d ever mentioned the black dog and the wandering boy, and he never mentioned that.