Garrett T. Capps Celebrates Release of New Album
San Antonio’s beloved honky tonk cosmic cowboy, Garrett T. Capps debuted his new album, People Are Beautiful, at Paper Tiger this Saturday, Sept. 10.
Donning a spectral yellow nudie suit festooned with primary coloured embroidery, Capps graced the stage with a contagious delivery of brand new songs that attest to a newfound faith in humanity. Lyrics such as “our love is irrefutable, cosmically inscrutable” off the album’s title track set forth sentiments of hope of unity in a society drifting apart by differing beliefs, greed and hypocrisy.
People Are Beautiful is Capps’ 5th full length album and final installment in his Shadows Trilogy. The majority of the songs, including the title track, were written in 2020 and are what Capps calls, “pandemic inspired posi rock!”
Capps’ was backed by NASA Country, an ebullient band of interplanetary and soulful Tex-Mex sounds. Drummer Kory Cook and Bassist Odie drove the tunes on rhythm, Torin Metz harmonized on guitar, while mod synth wizard Justin Boyd sprinkled driven swells that added the kraut twang to this kraut-country fiesta.
After an hour-long set that affectionately cajoled Capps’ longtime fans to flaunt their best dance moves, Capps finished his set with an encore rendition of I like Austin, but I love San Antone, an amorous ballad to his hometown that’s quickly become a fan favorite, both in Texas and abroad, since its release in 2021.
Never stagnant, Capps’ release party comes a little over a week after being nominated for Honky Tonk Male at the Ameripolitan Awards. He also just finished his month-long residency at the bar he co-owns, The Lonesome Rose, in which he donated the accumulated cover fees to the ACLU in light of Roe v. Wade being overturned.
Capps was joined at his release party by a myriad of other performers such as Austin female-led, desert psych rock band, Sheverb, and The Shut Ups, a ramshackle noise punk band that plunged order into noise-bombed chaos when drummer Eric Green jumped off Paper Tiger’s rooftop into a crowd only slightly prepared to catch him. Other performers included Nicky Diamonds and Sunjammer, along with Heatwave Berler, and SA’s veteran post punk duo, Filthy.
“The launch party rocked!” Capps said.
People are Beautiful is set to be released on Oct. 21, and this weekend was only the first of several shows across Texas to premiere it. You can listen to the new single now on streaming platforms.
