Then and Now

This short film and concert footage chronicles the improbable four-decade transformation of a band of ragtag hippies into the 9-time Grammy winning champions of western swing and today's status as Texas cultural icons. From the early days in Paw Paw, WV to the big breaks in San Francisco, settling permanently in Austin, and then on to each of the improbable come-backs through the years, the story culminates in a triumphant 2010 concert the reunites the "family" for it's 40th anniversary. The band lives on because of an intense love of this music that is shared by the elite musicians who make it and the audience that insists on more of it. That, and the force of nature that is Ray Benson.