Stephen Wilson Jr-Irving-10.1.26

Stephen Wilson Jr at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas on October 1, 2026.

Photos and Review by The Pit Magazine Contributor Nicole Pollock

The air was thick and humid but the evening ahead was looking exciting. The storms on the radar didn’t matter and the fans were dressed to their best to experience a great night of country music from their favorite artist.

The Lone Bellow was up first with their super simple yet moving setup. The country trio stood off to stage right, gathered around a singular microphone. The band consists of Zach Williams, Brian Elmquist and Kanene Donehey Pipkin. Their voices melted together into the most beautiful harmonies under the spotlight they shared. Some of their songs consisted of guitars, Elmquist using his cowboy boot and a piece of wood to hold a beat, or stripped the songs down to just the vocals. The audience was very vocal about how much they loved The Lone Bellow, cheering and applauding for them loudly. Although we were sad to see their performance end, the excitement for Stephen Wilson Jr soon took over.

The Lone Bellow Gallery

Cowboy boots were stepping all over the venue floor as people went to use the bathroom, buy merch or grab drinks before the headliner started. Stephen Wilson Jr had been at this exact venue just a few months prior for Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival, now on this October evening, fans gathered for Stephen’s Gary The Torch Tour. The stage was already set for Stephen Wilson Jr. and his band. The musicians would be performing in a boxing ring with ropes on only three sides, the side facing us was open. There were plenty of details in his set such as the TV on top of a jacket, resembling a person, playing old boxing videos of Stephen’s dad. We could see alien heads wearing space helmets, lots of plants, his well known symbols painted on the corners of the boxing ring and a huge Stephen Wilson Jr. banner hanging at the very back of the stage.

Soon enough the lights shut off and the intro of the Butthole Surfers’ “Pepper” started playing loudly over the venue. There is something life changing about hearing a song you know or love being played at a venue-type volume where you can feel it in your feet and chest. The band came out first, climbing through the ropes of the boxing ring as if they were not only talented musicians, but also confident athletes. Stephen followed, being the last to climb between the ropes and began waving to his fans.

They opened with the Stephen Wilson Jr song “Preacher’s Kid” then had the entire venue singing word for word to “Billy.” All of the band members shared great stage chemistry making it entertaining to watch them perform from beginning to end. This wasn’t a traditional touring band either, with a steel guitar instead of an electric guitar and a stand up bass. Miles Burger on bass guitar and stand up bass also played the harmonica for some of their songs. Stephen took the time to introduce each band member, including where they are from and even threw in jokes about their choice in sports teams. The SWJ songs we all know and love sounded so full when hearing them in person performed by this talented group of musicians.

Stephen Wilson Jr Gallery

The Stephen Wilson Jr fanbase has intense love for him and his music. The whole night, fans were dancing around the pit to the catchy country music and rich voice of SWJ. Lots of favorite songs were played such as “Cuckoo,” “Patches,” and “The Devil.” He kept reminding us with his classic saying, “I am Stephen Wilson Jr. and I am my father’s son.” Stephen shared stories of his personal life, including the story of losing his father and how it encouraged him to pursue music. Another one of the songs played was “Father’s Son.”

After lots of dancing and shared love, Stephen slowed down the night when he brought out his opener, The Lone Bellow. Together the artists performed the raw and vulnerable “Grief is Only Love.” The collaboration captured more stunning harmonies but with Stephen this time. The song was finished with a group hug from the performers and shortly after the mood was once again picked up.

Stephen wore a shirt that had a “Gary” namepatch on it while looking out at his fans who wore matching Gary merch. This is a reference to his iconic and recently released song, “Gary,” a song about an individual who lives a sweet but old school lifestyle which is considered rare nowadays. After performing the beloved “Gary,” Stephen does what is known as “The Gary Walk” in which he takes his guitar and walks through the crowd, stopping and playing solos multiple times surrounded by different groups of audience members. This goes on for a hot second before he returns to the stage, but makes his fans’ nights much more special along the way.

At 47 years old, Stephen Wilson Jr might just have more energy than I do in my 20s. His whole set consisted of him running and jumping around the stage while also engaging with his fans. Someone from the pit yelled, “I love you” to which Stephen replied “I love you, too” right into the microphone for the entire venue to hear. The last part of his performance included more well-loved songs like, “Year To Be Young 1994,” and his cover of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.” There was no encore that evening, just lots of good music played straight through. Stephen played “Werewolf” and ended the night with Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” He thanked us all for coming as the venue erupted into cheers for the humble country artist. We all left with our fingers crossed that Stephen Wilson Jr. would bring his wonderful music to Texas again soon.