A little more than four months ago, the boys of Reckless Kelly took over the stage at La Zona Rosa in Austin for a night that would forever leave history with the irrefutable evidence that Reckless Kelly Was Here.

Recording that history was Austin native Peter Zavadil who directed and Ivy Dane who produced the live DVD, which masterfully combines the artful documentation of the band’s tremendous stage presence and the laid back, everyman feel of the bonus material.

From my first viewing of the advance copy, I was struck by scale of the venture. Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing RK play on cramped, poorly lit stages at local dancehalls and at outdoor, element vulnerable events. The visual is an awesome sight of colored lights, which cut through the expanse of the dark room and fan out over the shaded silhouettes of fans. The band fills out the large stage with their big sound, performing before a massive sea of bodies, which move almost as one and don’t miss a single lyric.

For those of us who have followed the evolution of their sound for years, the sight of Reckless Kelly on the big stage and in front of a sold out crowd is to us, as it should be. For those of you unfamiliar with the boys, pay attention.

It’s been a long overdue and welcome surprise to see David Abeyta relinquish his grip on his well trained electric guitar in favor of an acoustic. An unfamiliar sight, David stealth fully picks the soulful notes of “Wicked Twisted Road” to a captivated audience. Additionally, I was more than a little pleased to see that David’s rendition of the Texas Tornadoes classic, “Guacamole,” is now forever embedded in music history. Though his command of the guitar demands attention in its own right, it’s the interruption of “Hey, Say, May” that allows David to physically step out of the background and into the spotlight.

Cody Braun produces an emphatic sound on his fiddle for an authentic Irish intro to “Seven Nights in Eire,” and later catches the audience off guard with a melodic new opening to “Wild Western Windblown Band.” The crowd moves to the almost tangible attitude emanating from the instrument.

A personal high for me was to find that “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” a cover of the Richard Thompson classic, had made the cut. With a snapshot of the legendary bike behind him, front man Willy Braun hits the graveled lows with an audible, genuine emotion. He continues, allowing a sideways grin to creep across his face as he strums out “Nobody’s Girl” and later “Wiggles and Ritalin,” with an energy and sound that commands movement from everyone within earshot.

In closing with the massively popular singalong “Crazy Eddy’s Last Hurrah,” all but drummer Jay Nazz step to the edge of the stage and appear to levitate over the crowd who joins in using their “big outdoor voices.” As Jimmy McFeely leans down to make his bass available for a few eager fans to strum, Jay continues holding down the forceful beat to finish out the rowdy, crowd-pleasing closer.

Shifting from the onstage, rock star persona, the bonus material features footage of the guys in the offstage element which documents the glamorous life of the backstage, countless motels, and an aging tour bus.

Cameras follow RK from afternoon sound checks, to late night dinner runs at a roadside “trucker’s Disneyland,” to discussions of “the deal” and episodes of “Trailer Park Boys” over pizza. Included is a helpful segment entitled “Tips from the Road” in which the guys, in their collective experience, offer travel suggestions which include the art of the refreshing and yet soap-less, truck-stop sponge bath and the McFeely patented, drying method. Additionally, words to live by include Willy’s “the road of life is paved with shitty monitors,” and Cody’s “when traveling to Oklahoma, buy your beer in Texas.” The footage even captures a heartwarming encounter between Jimmy and a pint-sized fan with a mop of long, curly hair that seems eerily similar to that of the bassist.

Even the closing credits are reflective of the personality and humor of these musicians. Against a backdrop of a few lingering fans, one can briefly catch a glimpse of the words, “If you feed your kids Ritalin, you’ll be buying pot from them in ten years.”

The bonus material offers a glimpse into the guys’ individual personalities and unified experience. Following a show one night, they pack their gear and refer to the act as a practice in humility. Traits and talent that don’t go unnoticed by the fans, these guys are true artists of their craft and have left their indelible mark, not only on La Zona Rosa, but also on those who appreciate the music.

You can contact our TMT writers from our contact page.