The Lowtimers w/ Red McAdam + Kentucky Mule
Wed, 4 Nov, 8:00 PM PST
Doors open
7:00 PM PST
Moe's Alley
1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Description
Moe's Alley presents The Lowtimers with special guests Red McAdam and Kentucky Mule!
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Doors: 7pm // Show: 8pm
$15 in advance /. $20 day of the show
21+
* No Refunds | All sales are final
* Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com
* Tickets requested by email will be delivered 3 days prior to the event
* Will Call tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event
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THE LOWTIMERS
What began nearly a decade ago as the harmonizing guitars and vocals of Austin Smith and Mark Tegio has grown into something larger. Shaped by years of troubadouring up and down the I-5—from San Diego dive bars to Seattle clubs—the duo cut their teeth on the folk traditions of Doc & Merle Watson and the haunted poetry of Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley. Over time, their songs demanded more than two guitars could carry, and a new chapter emerged.
Now joined by Tim Kelso (drums), Andrew Dreher (bass, harmonies), and Payton Vermeesch (pedal steel), The Lowtimers have expanded into a five-piece that stays true to its Americana roots while stretching into new sonic terrain. Their debut album "Cracks" captures this evolution: a collection of songs that are both timeless and timely, carrying the grit of the road and the ache of redemption.
RED MCADAM
McAdam’s playful outsider country music presents an inventive vision of what the genre can be. His rich, risky blend of traditional honky-tonk and Western swing draws on indie rock, R&B, and beyond, reflecting a lifelong love of all music and disdain for genres and rules of any kind. A consummate road dog, he brings his frenetic, dynamic, and occasionally delirious performances to dives, dancehalls, clubs, and theaters across the country. Listeners will recognize the Lone Star eccentricities of Terry Allen and Guy Clark, forlorn folk sensibilities of Elizabeth Cotton and Karen Dalton, and the driving genre-bending of The Band and Bob Dylan.
Over the past several years, he spent time working in National Parks and schools, bars and the backwoods, and most recently between emergency departments and ambulances across the country. After a spell hidden away in his high desert Arizona home, Red hit the road full tilt. In two barnstorming years, he and his band played 37 states over 13 tours, logging 90,000 miles and averaging over 200 shows a year. Red now lives outside of Austin in his 1976 Dodge Jamboree as the newest resident of the storied hill country and absolute greenest in a hallowed lineage of Texas songwriters.
KENTUCKY MULE
Kentucky Mule is an alternative country band based in Santa Cruz, California. They are a band that embodies the spirit of the old-school country sound while infusing it with a modern, alternative twist. With a blend of Americana, folk, honky-tonk, and alternative vibes, Kentucky Mule’s music is the perfect mix of heart and grit
Event Information
Age Limit
21+
eTicket Delivery
Your tickets will be e-mailed closer to the event date.
Alternative Country
The Lowtimers
The Lowtimers
Alternative Country
Evolution may leave a lot on the cutting room floor, but it always preserves what is essential. For The Lowtimers, that essence is honest, road-worn songwriting rooted in the American West.
What began nearly a decade ago as the harmonizing guitars and vocals of Austin Smith and Mark Tegio has grown into something larger. Shaped by years of troubadouring up and down the I-5—from San Diego dive bars to Seattle clubs—the duo cut their teeth on the folk traditions of Doc & Merle Watson and the haunted poetry of Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley. Over time, their songs demanded more than two guitars could carry, and a new chapter emerged.
Now joined by Tim Kelso (drums), Andrew Dreher (bass, harmonies), and Payton Vermeesch (pedal steel), The Lowtimers have expanded into a five-piece that stays true to its Americana roots while stretching into new sonic terrain. Their debut album "Cracks" captures this evolution: a collection of songs that are both timeless and timely, carrying the grit of the road and the ache of redemption.
Press has already taken notice. The Alternate Root calls the band “Cosmic Country for 2025, honoring truckdriver Country while expanding on its potential with Indie intuition.” Rock The Pigeon says, “The Lowtimers Capture Americana Soul on Debut Album Cracks,” while Music Mecca hails them as a “must-listen newcomer to the Country Americana scene.”
That praise is echoed overseas, with Americana UK describing Cracks as “a testament to The Lowtimers’ ability to weave personal narratives into a broader human context… deeply authentic and rewarding.” Ear to the Ground praises the album as “the genuine article for fans of throwback country music… no copycat work here,” while B-Side Guys notes, “Cracks demonstrates remarkable maturity and artistic vision, suggesting The Lowtimers aren’t just passing through the Americana landscape but have established permanent residence within it.”
From the grit in the vocals to the tension in the guitars, Last Day Deaf finds in their music “a rawness that feels both timeless and urgent,” while Glide Magazine calls their single “Flesh and Bone” “pure folk-rock at its finest.” And as Twangeville observes, “If a big part of the album is autobiographical in its recollections of time and place, much of the rest is a road-weary view of life’s promise.”
In short, The Lowtimers have carved out a sound that is at once rooted and restless, honoring tradition while pushing Americana forward. Because in art, as in life, it’s evolve or die—and with Cracks, The Lowtimers prove they’re here to stay.
Alternative Country
Red McAdam
Red McAdam
Alternative Country
Although he was born in the industrial heart of New Jersey, Red McAdam’s mother Maggie made damn sure to rear him on country and folk music. She served up a steady diet of celebrated songwriters and singers on their kitchen radio day after day, from classics like Patsy Cline and Ernest Tubb to burgeoning legends like Lucinda Williams and Brad Paisley. Red’s father Bartholomew, a lifelong bass player, took it from there, teaching him banjo, mandolin, bass, and guitar.
A self-proclaimed ‘Western fraud,’ Red makes no effort to fit the country mold, but rather draws from the unique and largely unsung landscape of his world. Stranger-than-fiction episodes from his time on the road, preposterous characters with bizarre motives, and plain old bullshit mingle with vulnerable expressions of a tumultuous life and a threadbare heart. A first responder, passionate outdoorsman, recovering alcoholic, and heartbroken songwriter—Red earned whatever authenticity the country audience craves through his life, not place of birth.
McAdam’s playful outsider country music presents an inventive vision of what the genre can be. His rich, risky blend of traditional honky-tonk and Western swing draws on indie rock, R&B, and beyond, reflecting a lifelong love of all music and disdain for genres and rules of any kind. A consummate road dog, he brings his frenetic, dynamic, and occasionally delirious performances to dives, dancehalls, clubs, and theaters across the country. Listeners will recognize the Lone Star eccentricities of Terry Allen and Guy Clark, forlorn folk sensibilities of Elizabeth Cotton and Karen Dalton, and the driving genre-bending of The Band and Bob Dylan.
Over the past several years, he spent time working in National Parks and schools, bars and the backwoods, and most recently between emergency departments and ambulances across the country. After a spell hidden away in his high desert Arizona home, Red hit the road full tilt. In two barnstorming years, he and his band played 37 states over 13 tours, logging 90,000 miles and averaging over 200 shows a year. Red now lives outside of Austin in his 1976 Dodge Jamboree as the newest resident of the storied hill country and absolute greenest in a hallowed lineage of Texas songwriters.
Alternative Country
Kentucky Mule
Kentucky Mule
Alternative Country
Kentucky Mule is an alternative country band based in Santa Cruz, California. The vocalist and songwriter, Coleton Joe Tidwell, effortlessly weaves small-town storytelling and metropolitan modernity. Altogether the band tips it’s cap to the full spectrum of country music while seamlessly blending in their outside influences.