Kody West at Cargo TX in Longview

Kody West has spent the better part of a decade building a following in the Texas and Red Dirt scene, and his shows are known for being loud, lively, and a little rawer than the polished arena version of country. On Thursday, October 29, he plays the outdoor stage at Cargo TX in Longview with Rome and the Lost Pines opening. It is a manageable weeknight drive from the property and a strong sample of the live music that comes through East Texas in the fall.

The artist

West grew up in Denton and taught himself guitar as a kid, inspired by classic country and the songwriters of the Dallas-Fort Worth scene. He worked as a tour manager before stepping onto the stage himself, and his music sits at the intersection of alt-country, country rock, and bluegrass. His albums "Green" and "Overgrown" built his core following, and he has kept the momentum going with the 2026 singles "Smoke" and "Oxygen." A Kody West set rewards a room that wants to sing along, and Cargo's open-air setup is built for exactly that.

The venue

Cargo TX, at 3171 Nealy Way in Longview, started as a restaurant, bar, and pickleball destination and has grown into one of the region's go-to outdoor music venues. The main stage is set over a pond with the lawn rolling out in front, a setup that turns a country show into something closer to a lakeside concert. It books a steady run of touring Texas and national acts, and it is an easy, mostly highway drive from the property.

Getting there from the property

Longview is about 50 minutes from 1786 County Road 1070, straight south on US-271 and then east on I-30. An October Thursday night outdoor show means dressing for the cooling evening, but the stage lights and the crowd do most of the warming up. It is the kind of drive that is short enough to be a weeknight plan and long enough to feel like a night out.