Q&A: Ryan Bingham to bring new songs & Texas Gentlemen to Artpark

‘Still Getting Away With It’ tour stop kicks off Artpark’s summer concert calendar

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

When depicting Ryan Bingham, there’s no shortage of available descriptors:

√ Former rodeo act and vagabond turned barroom performer and country/Americana musician

√ Oscar and Grammy award-winning artist (recognized for “The Weary Kind” from Jeff Bridges’ “Crazy Heart”)

√ Actor on “Yellowstone” (as ranch hand Walker)

√ Bourbon proprietor (Bingham’s Bourbon)

√ Husband and father (married to “Yellowstone” co-star Hassie Harrison)

On May 29, Bingham will add another title: Artpark headliner.

He will pair with acclaimed outfit The Texas Gentlemen – who also appear on his new album, “They Call Us The Lucky Ones” – to kick off the 2026 concert season at the premier Lewiston venue.

“Man, I just remember everybody being very, very hospitable and warm and welcoming; and I look forward to it,” Bingham said of returning to Western New York. “This whole tour has been something I've been looking forward to for a while. It's been, gosh, I don't know, maybe almost 10 years since I've kind of been up through the Midwest to the East Coast like this. I don't know what to expect, and I like that as well.”

That spirit of embracing life without a set plan has done Bingham well thus far – and it informed the way in which he and The Texas Gentlemen crafted Bingham’s new album, his first full-length in seven years. Well-known for his gritty voice and world-worn storytelling, Bingham sought to up the ante on this project by reteaming with an act that previously supported Kris Kristofferson, George Strait, Leon Bridges and Shakey Graves.

As seen in the juxtaposition of the video for “Lucky Ones” and its lyrics, this album is a reminder of the personal and professional struggles that shaped Bingham’s youth, as well as a celebration of the hard work and hard fought-for friends and family who have joined him on life’s journey.

Bingham will bring his songs and stories to Artpark’s Mainstage Theater for an 8 p.m. show on May 29. There is no opener. Tickets are available online at www.artpark.net and at the box office, 450 S. Fourth St., Lewiston.

The troubadour shared more in this edited Q&A.

WATCH:

Q: I've already seen one critic say “They Call Us The Lucky Ones” is worth the wait – the seven years in between your albums. It was worth the wait to that critic. I guess the question is, was it worth the wait to you? And do you think it will be worth the wait for your fans?

Ryan Bingham: Well, I sure hope so. I really enjoy the songs and the company of The Texas Gentleman. They're a great band. I've been having a lot of fun playing shows with these guys. I think it'll be a lot of fun.

Q: You have released music, of course, over the past seven years but, as I mentioned, this is your first full-length album in seven years. Obviously, one or two things have happened in the world and to everyone personally in the past seven years. What made this the right time to put together an album and to share it?

Ryan Bingham: You just kind of base it on when you have songs and new stuff to share with people. I've always continued to write and kind of gather up songs. And over the past year, I've written these songs and been playing them with the band, and playing a few local shows around, and just kind of base it off of that.

Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen, “They Call Us The Lucky Ones.”

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Q: Tell me more about this idea of “The Lucky Ones,” because we see in that video, in particular, all the amazing things that are happening in your life in 2026. But, certainly, you've had to overcome a lot in your life. You've had to overcome a lot personally and professionally. Tell me more about this idea of “The Lucky Ones.” Who are “The Lucky Ones,” and what are you trying to share as it relates to that idea?

Ryan Bingham: I think it's something that a lot of people could relate to. Things don't just happen overnight. Things have a story to them. Things have a past and a present. I think it's reflecting on all the pain that you go through in life and having gratitude at the end of the day to get to where you’ve gotten – and maybe survive some of the hard things and appreciate the good stuff in life. I think it's a mix of that.

Q: When people see you up on stage – successful, having a good time with your band – when they see and know you've overcome (family and financial struggles), does it make your music more relatable? Do you find that your fans are more appreciative of your journey? Do you find that it gives them encouragement for the things they're going through in their lives?

Ryan Bingham: I think it has to be about that in one way or the other. I think it's what it's all about, is sharing experiences with people and creating art or music that’s honest and talks about things you've actually been through, and having people relate to that and share their own stories or experiences about what that means to them. I think that's what – at least for me – live music and performing is for people, and telling stories and hearing their stories, as well. It all goes hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. I very much believe in that.

Q: The Texas Gentleman (Ryan Ake on guitars, Daniel Creamer on piano/organ, Paul Grass on drums/percussion, and Scott Lee on bass) is a group that has such an amazing pedigree. You mentioned you've been having a lot of fun with those guys. Tell me how you got hooked up with them and what they've brought to you, to your album, to your tour, to you as a performer.

Ryan Bingham: Just a lot of confidence. Those guys have been playing as a unit for quite a while, and they backed a lot of great artists and musicians. I first met them several years ago. I wasn't touring much. I had a show in Fort Worth, Texas, that was sold out, and I needed a band for the show. They were recommended to me by a good friend of mine named Charlie Sexton. I called them up and asked them if they could come play a show with me. And they said, “Yeah, no problem.” They said, “Send us some songs and we'll work them up, and we'll meet you there.” We literally met in Fort Worth. We didn't rehearse; we just got up and played the show, and it went off without a hitch. To have that kind of chemistry with musicians on stage that you can kind of read each other minds, so to speak, is very rare. That was something I think we all realized very early on – that we just all connected, and we grew up on the same kinds of music and have a lot of the same influences. So, it just came natural for all of us, and that was something that felt good from the start.

Ryan Bingham (Photo credit: Elias Tahan)

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Q: We know that this show at Artpark is going to be a lot of fun. And we also know, looking at your website, there's “No opener. Gotta be early or gonna be late.” Beyond those two things, what can you tell me about your live show?

Ryan Bingham: We've really embraced this kind of traveling type of musical festival-type experience, I guess you'd say. We have two sets with an intermission in between. We found that we've all enjoyed playing a bit earlier shows. Most of the time, we start about 8 o'clock, and the show’s done by 10 or 10:30. It's just we have a lot more songs these days than we used to, so fans have been wanting to hear more songs. When we have more time to play, we can really mix it up. We have the full band for stuff, and some things we’ll break down and play acoustically and strip down for some songs. It's been a great way to kind of introduce more dynamics to the show. And then the intermission experiences have been great. We've got some great bar stuff set up and things in between for people to do and enjoy. There’s more of a visual art experience as well. It's just, all the way around, it's something we feel proud of, like, curating more of an experience for the fans then just your typical kind of concert.

Q: If there is a more popular franchise right now than “Yellowstone,” I don't know what it is. I think they're on like their sixth spinoff right now. What makes that show, that franchise, that property, so special – and what have you enjoyed about your time working in that universe?

Ryan Bingham: It all happened so fast (laughs). I don't know – it's a lot to talk about there, but it was a great experience. I loved being in Montana, in the mountains, working on that. Everyone, they were just so supportive of the music that was involved there. I think it's amazing how that thing caught on and has been such a global kind of phenomenon with its success. It's really cool to see.

Q: Your wife floated the idea the other day that perhaps you might show up on the new “Baywatch” (which stars Hassie). That would be something she would appreciate, and perhaps your “Yellowstone” fans would appreciate, too. Any thoughts on that?

Ryan Bingham: (Laughs) I love working with Hassie. Any chance I get to work with her or hang out with her more, I'm in.

Q: In Buffalo – besides our snow and our football team – we are well known for our chicken wings. Are you a chicken wing guy? And if so, is it drums or flats? Is it hot? Is it mild? Is it barbecue? What are your thoughts on chicken wings?

Ryan Bingham: Oh, man – all the above. I'm a big chicken wing fan. So, I will definitely be trying all styles and flavors. But I do love the drums. I do love barbecue, and I do love just the traditional, too.