Wade Bowen at Cargo TX in Longview

Wade Bowen has been a fixture of Texas country for more than two decades, the kind of songwriter whose catalog becomes part of the soundtrack of a region. On Saturday, December 5, he plays Cargo TX in Longview, a stop that gives anyone near the property a chance to hear a Red Dirt veteran on an open lawn, a month into the holiday season and an easy drive from home.

The artist

Bowen grew up in Waco and started in the early 2000s, building a following the old-fashioned way, one Texas dance hall and listening room at a time. His best-known songs include "Who I Am," his biggest hit, along with "Saturday Night," "Songs About Trucks," and "Mood Ring." He has also teamed up repeatedly with Randy Rogers on the "Hold My Beer" records, two albums of duets and covers that became fan favorites across the Texas scene. His latest album, "The Version of Me You Get," arrived in September 2026, so this show will feature new songs alongside the classics.

The venue

Cargo TX at 3171 Nealy Way in Longview has become the region's go-to outdoor stage, set over a pond with a lawn that fills for touring Texas acts. It books a steady fall run, from Kody West in late October to Pat Green in early November to this December date with Wade Bowen. For anyone in Titus County, the venue is the most consistent source of big-name country close to home.

Getting there from the property

Longview is about 50 minutes from 1786 County Road 1070 via US-271 and I-30. An early December show is a good cap on a fall of live music in the region, and the drive back through the piney woods is quiet and straightforward. It is exactly the kind of night that makes the area feel like a place with a real music calendar, not just a place to pass through.